Hi, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Lauren Sevier and her new book, “Songs Of Autumn”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Lauren and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!
Songs Of Autumn
by Lauren Sevier
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GENRE: YA Fantasy
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BLURB:
What if your entire life you knew the exact day you were going to die?
Liz does.
Magick in the Kingdom of Aegis has almost run out. When that happens, the seasons will stop changing, the tides will cease to turn, and the sun will no longer be able to rise and set. The only way to save the lives of her people is if Liz agrees to be a blood sacrifice in a brutal ceremony that will take her life.
The problem is… Liz isn't ready to go.
With the help of a mischievous wanna-be soldier, Matioch Steele, Liz dares to take her fate into her own hands. Defying a blood-thirsty sorcerer, her desperate flight teaches her how to truly live while Mat finds out what's worth dying for. Each other.
Love, Death, Magick, and Mystery come together to weave one girl's epic tale of self-discovery.
Her song will echo within us all.
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EXCERPT ONE:
The sunset over the bay was the most beautiful Liz had ever seen, but perhaps it's because she knew it would be the last. It set the sky aflame, burning deep into her memory. She wore pearls in her hair and a crown adorned with so many shimmering diamonds it appeared to be made from seawater and starlight itself. Every inch of her porcelain skin had been cleansed and massaged with lavender oil. An extravagant lamb, headed for slaughter.
The silk and lace of her wedding gown clung to the curves of her body and flowed like water around her as she moved. Her figure, too curvy to be considered fashionable, was squeezed into an acceptable shape by a corset inlaid with whale bones. Never had she been more radiant, her flame-like hair mirroring the sunset outside.
A woman at the peak of her life, never more ready to begin, and it was her ending.
“Tell me again,” She said firmly, adjusting the pins near her left ear.
“Your highness, it doesn’t matter how-
“Tell me again.” She snapped, turning piercing blue eyes on Priestess Elba whose words fell away in an instant. Her breath hitched and her eyes fell to the mosaic beneath her feet.
“You’ll walk down the front steps of the palace to a boat waiting at the edge of the water. Your parents will walk behind you and all the people of Silver City will be there to witness your descent.”
Liz closed her eyes tight, imagining it in her mind, biting her lower lip hard enough that she worried she would break the skin. If she prepared herself now, perhaps she could retain some dignity in these final moments.
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GUEST POST:
What’s in A Cover?
Don’t judge a book by its cover… but isn’t that what we all do? Those of us readers who are fully sighted tend to be attracted first by the cover, then turn the book over or scroll down to read the back cover copy to see if the premise is something that we want to invest time in reading. The cover of a book is your first impression, and it’s proven that first impressions are usually formed in the first 8 seconds and last for years.
As an indie published author I worked hand in hand with my cover design artist to develop the cover for my debut YA Fantasy novel ‘Songs of Autumn’. We first began working together after I’d already completed developmental edits for the book, so the most important pieces of the manuscript were firmly cemented. The theme, symbols important throughout the work, colors important through the book, the title, and the characters were well-grounded in their motivations. In my humble opinion, these factors should be the very least that you know before you begin the development process.
My cover for Songs Of Autumn is a symbolic cover, instead of a character driven one. When we tried a character driven approach, it left little to be desired. Though my main character, Liz, is the main protagonist, part of the charm of the book is how much you grow to love and care for all the characters, not just those with perspectives in the book. Everything we tried felt cluttered or too simplistic. I also didn’t like the idea of having the characters on the cover because I wanted to allow room for the reader’s imagination of their appearances.
When we decided to go with a symbolic approach to the cover design, the real work began. Asha, my designer, really delved into the themes of the book and tried to capture an aesthetic that could also stretch along all the books in the series which is currently sitting at an outlined six books. The white background was a bit of a contentious choice as most YA Fantasy novels on the bestseller list favored dark or jewel tone backgrounds. This was an intentional choice as I felt it would stand out beautifully on a shelf against those covers and attract readers' gaze while also having a dual purpose to fit in with the impending threat of winter which is part of the main conflict in the book.
The thistle on the front cover is a dark purple, purple representing royalty but also acting as a dark ominous presence right in the middle of the cover. The thistle is a symbol in the book that is attached to the antagonist, who serves as a dark ominous presence throughout Liz’s journey and was chosen because of influences from 17th century Scottish Highland culture that was a foundation for the worldbuilding I did in the novel.
Songs Of Autumn is also very lyrical and romantic in tone so there are several elements of the cover design that reflect that. From the romantic font for the cover to the intricate designs on the background. The thistle, most people notice on closer inspection, is actually tangled with the designs on the background. This was my favorite part of the cover, as the attention to detail really drives home how trapped Liz feels by her circumstances and fate.
All in all, it was an incredible experience to work with Asha and I can’t wait to reveal the cover for the second book in the series as I feel it’s just as astounding. Being able to have so much control over the creative elements of publishing this book has taught me so much, and working with a gifted professional who was able to take the words I wrote and translate it into such stunning art was a real honor. One of the greatest marketing tools I have as an indie author is to package my book well, to give myself the opportunity to get potential readers to the cover copy and hopefully interest them in buying and reading my book. I think Asha gave me a great head start and she also taught me a lot about marketing in the process. I couldn’t be happier to have my name on that cover.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Lauren Sevier lives a simple life in small town Walker, Louisiana with her family and two mischievous dogs. She’s a proud firefighter wife and mother to her miracle son, born through IVF after an eight-year battle with infertility. She works full-time for a non-profit hospital in Cardiology caring for the elderly and low-income families all over the state of Louisiana in satellite and outreach clinics. Writing and being in the service of helping others are her two passions in life.
She started writing song lyrics and poems on the front porch swing of her family home nestled amidst a 200-year-old pecan tree orchard that was once part of a Civil War plantation. She’s inspired the most by Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, and JK Rowling. Her background in Theatre introduced her to classic British literature, playwrights, and poets from a very young age. This helped her to understand story concepts, dramatization, and character development the way Shakespeare once did, as an actor.
Now her biggest inspiration for writing is her son who, like all children, learns by example. Lauren is determined to set a specific example for him; to live simply, work hard, and to never stop chasing her dreams. Because, one day, you just might catch them.
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CONNECT WITH LAUREN:
Website:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurensevier
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/laurensevier
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/laurensevier
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/laurensevier
BookBub Author Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lauren-sevier
BookBub Book Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/books/songs-of-autumn-songs-series-1-by-lauren-sevier
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19812178.Lauren_Sevier
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49204479-songs-of-autumn
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Amazon Paperback:
Amazon Hardcover:
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-autumn-lauren-sevier/1136242243?ean=2940162914020
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-autumn-lauren-sevier/1136242243?ean=9781734402315
Barnes and Noble Hardcover:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-autumn-lauren-sevier/1136242243?ean=9781734402322
The Book Depository Paperback:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Songs-Autumn-Lauren-Sevier/9781734402315
The Book Depository Hardcover:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Songs-Autumn-Lauren-Sevier/9781734402322
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Songs-Autumn/Lauren-Sevier/9781734402315
BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Songs-Autumn/Lauren-Sevier/9781734402322
Kobo eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/songs-of-autumn
Books2Read Additional eBooks/Paperbacks:
https://books2read.com/u/3LDDkJ
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Lauren will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this
blog. This does not cost you anything,
it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
Lauren ~ Good morning! Welcome to FAB! It is so great to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me! I'll be in and out all day to answer any questions. <3
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and your guest post, sounds like a great read, one that I will enjoy! Thanks for sharing with me and good luck with the tour!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I hope you enjoy the book <3
DeleteI like the cover a lot.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a fascinating book. I love the cover!
ReplyDelete