- Rachel
- Dec 8, 2023
- 3 min read
Happy Friday, everyone! 🌞
I have a couple of exciting announcements for you today, including two more stunning Gilded Blood Omnibus illustrations (bringing us up to 11 out of 13 total!!!)
Announcement #1: Awards!
I just found out that Inked was nominated for the 2023 Indie Ink Awards for not just one but FIVE categories:
Best book cover and cover artist
Best light read
Best use of tropes
Prettiest book interior, AND
Side Character MVP!!!
The Indie Ink Awards is trope- and diversity- focused rather than focused on genre, and designed to showcase all the amazing indie books out there. The reader-nominations phase has apparently just ended, and they're about to go into the next phase of the contest, the voting phase. It would mean the world to me if you would consider voting for Inked in any or all of the above categories!
Voting opens December 15 so I'll be sure to send out another reminder then!
Thank you so much in advance for your time and support! 🙏
Announcement #2: Brand-new omnibus artwork!!
Illustration #10: Talia, Zayn, and "Sandy" the Sand Serpent
“You spit out that elf right now, you hear me?” I yelled.
The sand serpent stiffened.
“I mean it! Because if you don’t, you are going to be gutted right down the middle, and I think we can agree that nobody here wants that. So, I’m going to give you ‘til the count of three to spit her out, or else!”
The serpent – Sandy, we’ll call him – froze, his three sets of eyes moving between me and the gleaming stabby objects the elves were wielding.
“One...!”
He made a petulant grunt.
“Two…!” I crossed my arms impatiently. “If I get to three, you are going to be in so much trouble, buster! Two and a half…”
Sandy’s head reared back as though he might argue, all six of his eyes narrowing…and then abruptly started bobbing like a cat retching up a hairball. After making a series of unappetizing gags and retches, he finally horked up a curled-up, slime-covered elf, who toppled onto the sand with a breathless thud.
Illustration #11: A Dragon Reborn
Snatching Biscuit away from the strengthening blaze, I staggered to my feet alongside Zayn. The three of us backed away as the obsidian fire exploded into dazzling gold flames that were so hot and bright, we had to shield our faces from the intensity. The flames grew higher and higher, towering above our heads like a coruscating tractor beam that melted every last drop of snow within a twenty-foot radius. A bowel-shaking roar erupted from behind the curtain of golden fire, ricocheting through the snowy trees and sending a tremor through the earth itself. My hand reached out instinctively, clutching Zayn’s cloak.
And then, all at once, the flames disappeared.
In their place, a colossal gold dragon loomed above us, with shimmering waves of heat radiating off its metallic body. Ribbons of fire and smoke curled from its glittering jowls, while its gilded scales gleamed like polished bullion.
With 11 illustrations done, we are just 2 illustrations away from sending this baby off to production! In the meantime, I'm just putting the finishing touches on the Dee Dee and Bisskiss short story that will be published at the back of the omnibus. Which obviously means I HAVE to share an early snippet! (Minor spoiler: the story is told not from Talia's POV but from Dee Dee's!!😂 )
If you've got omnibus FOMO, never fear! You can still secure a copy of the Gilded Blood Omnibus by heading over to PledgeBox today!
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week ahead!❤️
