A Debut Author’s Cover Reveal

early for my favorite people - YOU!

One newsletter wasn’t enough this month.

And that is a very good thing. I have reached the point in my journey where it is time to show the cover of my book to the world!

Benita Thomson of Kairos Designs went above and beyond with this design and bringing my vision to life. If you need a cover, work with her- please. She’s amazing.

Ready?

let’s break it down!

I firmly believe that details on a cover should have a purpose and these components are all Easter Eggs about what you’ll find inside. (I’m so giddy as I think about how this has all worked out!)

DNA double helixes 🧬 : one right twisted and one left twisted (this is an actual thing but scientists aren’t sure why it happens). Genetic makeup is a key part of the backstory for Reach, the main character.

Chess pieces ♟️: A queen and a pawn. A pawn might be disposable but it also has the unique ability of pawn promotion- the ability to become the most powerful piece on the board. Don’t discount the lowly pawn! Game theory is an important part of political systems, and chess, and also a major part of this story.

The falcon with the star ringed by the double helices: This is the emblem of the dystopian government- which formed after the Scientific Revolution. The star in its talons represents power and also space exploration.

The hands ✋ - look closely at the hands! You’ll notice they are both reaching for the star. Power- and abuse of power- are keystones of the dystopian genre, and this book!

I cannot wait to bring you all into this story world, so if you’d like you can preorder the e-book on Amazon now. Paperbacks will be made available later, and the ebook will be on KU, so please don’t order if you prefer those formats for your book- but if you are a solid ebook forever type of reader, a preorder would be lovely!

One last thing: the preorder date on Amazon isn’t accurate- I’m aiming for a November release date, but Amazon penalizes you if you release later and rewards you if you release early. A firm release date will be nailed down in the next two months!

The cover will be revealed on my Instagram tomorrow and I would be so thrilled if you all would share my post to your people, like, comment, save and otherwise engage with it. The Instagram algorithm is a strange and fickle beast- but my hope is to show the most people possible this beautiful cover.

With great joy,

Olivia McCarthy