"The Raven and the Crown" Synopsis & PREORDER
Dec 10th RELEASE, FAQ's and a SURPRISE
Kate Alexander has two goals for her return to Scotland:
#1. Stop Derek from spending the entire summer wallowing in heartbreak.
#2. Uncover the secret magic hidden in my past.
But when a raven’s warning sets them on the trail of the Faerie Queen, Kate and Derek get more than they ever bargained for. A terrible curse lies upon Kate’s bloodline—the reckoning of which is swiftly approaching—and now a bounty is laid on her head! The prize? A moonstone crown that no Fay of Scotland can resist.
As faith and fairy tales intertwine, the friends find themselves caught in a web of oaths and trickery. Will the magical godmother, snarky cat, and handsome musician be able to help them along . . . or will one prove a traitor in their midst? Can Kate escape the tangled melody of her parents’ legacy and uncover the secrets in the songs of the Fay?
And most importantly, will True Love triumph . . . or ultimately doom them all?
Less than a week, folks, and we’ll be off to the Highlands of Scotland! I cannot wait to reintroduce you to Kate and Derek, as well as the wide cast of new characters accompanying their journey. Wow. What a crazy month it’s been. Finishing up this book while the holidays begin has been wild, but I really wanted to get it into your hands this season.
And guess what? It’s almost here! You can even preorder the e-book right now!
E-book preorders will be automatically delivered to your kindle app/device on December 10th, 2024. Preorders help a ton with book visibility, so it is a fantastic way to help out any of your favorite authors and series!
Oddly, Amazon does not yet offer preorder print options for self-published authors, so if you are only hoping for the paperback, you’ll have to wait for release day to order, and another few days for shipping. Which isn’t as awesome as having it in your hands on release day, but does give plenty of time for Christmas orders! And, R&C will be available in Kindle Unlimited, just as “The Mermaid and the Unicorn” is.
Speaking of M&U, let’s answer some questions.
FAQ’s
#1. Should I reread “The Mermaid and the Unicorn” first?
Ideally, yes. I had beta readers for R&C who had not read M&U and enjoyed R&C just fine. However, I also had readers tell me they had trouble tracking what was going on since it’d been so long since they’d read M&U. I got the sense that those with a broader fantasy repertoire under their belt had an easier time just picking up R&C, while those who tend more toward other types of fiction did better getting a refresher on the world-building aspects. I do recap major plot points of M&U within the narrative so if you haven’t read that book first, it WILL be spoiled for you.
#2. Why does R&C cost more than M&U?
R&C is about 100 pages longer than M&U! For the print copy, I simply can’t offer it cheaper, especially if I want to make it available for libraries to purchase. In fact, I recently had to bump up the cost for the M&U paperback. I really should have done so several years ago, but I did not want to charge more for that until I was able to complete the professional proofing.
However, I intend to always keep the M&U e-book as low as I can within Amazon’s perimeters, as I am a big fan of keeping series entry costs low. And both books are in the Kindle Unlimited program and I hope to continue to offer them there for a long time. (You can find Lilibet there as well!)
#3. Why does the subtitle mention Vol. 1? I thought this was the second book of the series?
“The Raven and the Crown” is indeed book #2 in “The Song of the Fay.” However, I’ve been sitting on some big news:
There are going to be TWO books set in Scotland!
Derek and Kate’s story proved to be so expansive, and the threads so intricate, that I made the decision to split the story into two volumes. “The Raven and the Crown” tells the first half of the story, which will be continued in “The Selkie and the Queen.”
I adore Scotland and the characters in this story and I’m so happy to have the space to do justice to them all. While I can’t talk more here without revealing major spoilers, I wrote a detailed author’s note at the back of the book that explains this decision and its consequences in further detail.
#4. What age is this book appropriate for?
Like M&U, this is a New Adult novel. New Adult novels sit between YA and Adult Fiction, with a target audience of 18-25. The Song of the Fay runs cleaner than your typical New Adult novel, but still deals with the concerns that are somewhat older than those of YA teen protagonists.
M&U began life as a YA novel. The original series it was slotted to be a part of was to feature primarily highschoolers, and Daphne was specifically written as a nineteen-year-old in order to fit in this category. Her sheltered homeschooled background helped keep the book more appropriate and applicable to YA readers. However, I always wanted it to be more New Adult themed as I felt there was a huge gap in literature options in this category, specifically in Christian Fantasy.
R&C is New Adult. While I still am very mindful and restrained with language, graphic violence, and sexuality, I explore some harder truths and darker fairy tales in this story. Main characters are twenty, face greater perils and temptations than Daphne did, and engage in some tougher conversations. It’s still going to be tame for the New Adult category, but I would not hand this book to a tween or young teen without parental preview. (I think it will be a great book for exploring some tougher topics with young teens, but as a parent myself, I’d want to be forewarned about what conversations to expect.)
#5. It’s still Catholic, right?
Absolutely. Although a little less overtly Catholic due the differences between Daphne and Kate, (Daphne was a very traditional and observant Catholic), it is just as solidly Christ-centered. My beta readers were almost exclusively Catholic and gave me excellent feedback for ensuring accuracy in both culture and theology. At the same time, as a Protestant myself with many Protestant readers now, I focused a tad less on things that are specifically ‘Catholic’ and a bit more on those that are universally ‘Christian.’
#6. Can I get an autographed copy in time for Christmas?
I’d hoped to offer an autographed Christmas bundle of the books, but unfortunately author copies ship so slowly that it simply isn’t feasible this year. HOWEVER I still wanted to do something special to mark the occasion, so I’m working on a special swag bundle which will include a personalized autograph sticker which I’ll mail to you. More details about this option will come on release day, but for now, just know that you should plan to buy the paperback on Amazon if you want it ASAP or before Christmas. This swag bundles will also be a great way to own a physical autograph and cover art (via bookmarks) if you purchase the e-book!
#7. Who did the cover art?
Shaylynn Rackers did the gorgeous and intricate cover art as well as embellishments within the pages. I cannot wait to share them with you! (Sneak peeks coming on my Instagram soon!) Shaylynn will also be sharing process videos on her Instagram account. She also has some great posts from her time studying art in Italy last year that are well worth a look!
Any more questions? Drop them in the comments below or on Instagram! Don’t forget to preorder your e-book and subscribe to this newsletter so you get all the fresh details right away!