Indy Book Fairy: Shadows on Snow Spotlight~Guest Post~Giveaway

Title: Shadows on Snow

Author: Starla Huchton

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Fantasy /YA

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: Nov 3 2014

Edition/Formats: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a dark evil crept into my kingdom, stealing my loved ones and the happy life I knew. The world turned against me, and I swore to become stronger, to keep myself safe.

Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince, hair dark as ebony, skin as pure as the freshly driven snow, and I became the only one who stood between him and death.

Once upon a time, our stories intertwined, and now, healing my heart may be the only way to save us all from the evil that threatens to destroy what little we have left.

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I slept so soundly, so thoroughly warm, that it took a cacophony of birds to wake me. But as conscious thought returned, immediate panic overtook me.

“Good morning,” his voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating against my cheek.

A surge of fear gripped my heart, and I jerked, attempting to pull away, but his arm wrapped around me, his strength pinning me to his side.

“I believe there are a few more details you’ve neglected to share with me.”

I swallowed, attempting to control my trembling. How the devil I ended up snuggled in beside him left me baffled. Was I so tired that I had no recollection of moving into this position? “Sire?”

“For example, how it is that your hair brushes my face when I can see plainly that it rests against your head, undisturbed. Or perhaps how it is that what my eyes tell me your shape is, my other senses find quite the opposite.”

I squirmed, attempting to pull away again, but he held me fast.

“Who are you, Rae?” he asked, his voice low and edgy.

In a last effort, I relaxed my entire body before pushing myself down and away from him. I was nearly to my feet before he grabbed my arm and jerked me back to the ground, pinning me by the shoulders as he hovered over me.

“I will not be lied to. What trickery is this? Show me who you are or I’ll not release you.”

I pinched my eyes shut, willing past events to stay buried, to not invade this moment, but the more I struggled against them, the more terrified I became. That horrible night, every second of the assault on my body, exploded in my head, overlaying the present with its ghost. I needed a new face to give him, but my mind was jumbled. Images flashed by me faster than I could grab hold of them, and my grip on my magic crumbled. When his breath caught, I knew my glamour was gone.

“You…” he whispered.

The prince’s iron hold loosened a little, and I took the advantage. Displacing his center of balance, I kicked him from me and rolled away, snatching up my bow. I nocked an arrow and aimed it directly at him.

Slowly, he raised his hands, palms facing me in surrender. “I won’t hurt you.”

My chest heaved as I tried to take in enough air to calm myself. “Do not touch me again.”

“I would not think to,” he said, “but I prefer to know the truth about whom I travel with. It’s a matter of trust.”

“I saved your life, Highness,” I said, my words laced with anger. “I hardly see how my face, true or otherwise, factors into your opinion of me.”

“I would’ve better understood your hesitation over our sleeping arrangements, for starters.”

“I don’t ask for special consideration because of my gender.”

“But I would give it all the same.”

I gritted my teeth. “Precisely why I chose another form.”

We stared at each other in silence for a moment, him calm against the force of my glare. As the rush of defending myself ebbed away, my hands trembled, and I lowered my weapon. In a hurry to be away from him, hopefully to rein in my terror from reliving past tortures, I turned.

“Build a fire,” I said over my shoulder as I walked away.

“Where are you going?”

Not giving him an answer, I slipped out of our shelter.

With half a mile between us, I sank to the ground behind a large tree. My shoulders shook with silent sobs. This enduring feeling of helplessness, of revulsion at my own weaknesses and failures, consumed me for a good quarter hour before I could catch my breath. I was exhausted after living with this so long. Was there no respite? Was there no way to keep from reliving that night every time someone came too close? Would it ever fade to match the pale scar that man left on my side with his blade, or would the memory remain, raw and angry as a festering wound?

Shaky, I got to my feet once more. The road ahead was a long one, and we needed breakfast to keep us moving.

Why are Book Covers So Important?

This is a topic many, many people have spoken on over the years, so I feel a bit like I’m rehashing stuff folks probably already know. Book covers are a bit more important to me, however, as I’m also a freelance designer, so I may have more insight than some on why a quality cover can define a book’s success.

First and foremost, it’s all about marketing. On average, an author might get 2-3 seconds of eyeball time from someone who’s scrolling through a page online. If all you get is 2-3 seconds, you need a cover that will make them pause and look closer.

Once you’ve handled catching their attention is when the cover really goes to work. What does the imagery say to a potential reader? The cover needs to give a clear message about the story inside, both for reading level and genre. For example, I don’t think there’d be much question about the type of story Shadows on Snow is. It speaks of something a little magical, a little dark, and plays into the premise of Snow White by hinting at the poisonous red apples. While Snow White is definitely a tale of true love conquering all, that’s also inherent in the implication with the apples on this cover. The heat level is directly in line with the original fairy tale, so an embracing couple or scantily clad man would set a false expectation for the book. That isn’t the type of story this is, and, as the author, I wanted to be explicitly clear about that. Its slightly painted look also sets it up for a younger audience, though not too young, as it’s suitable for YA, though not restrictively so. An adult should also feel completely comfortable picking up this title. This is a book I’ll happily share with my two middle school-aged daughters, but ones my friends, relatives, and established audience could enjoy equally.

A quality cover will do all of this for an author, but, even more importantly, it will give a reader expectations for the quality of a story inside. A sharp, professional cover should tell them the words within have been edited properly, as free of mistakes as humans can make it, and that they’re about to embark on a rewarding journey between the pages. What’s on the outside should reflect what’s on the inside.

Folks definitely judge books by their covers, but unlike when they do so with other people, your cover should be an accurate reflection of what’s inside. It’s an excellent chance to show others that what they see is what they’re going to get. It should hint at the story without giving away every character and plot point, and make readers curious to know more. Much like the biblical apple, the cover should invite and tempt and beckon. It’s the very first impression a book will give. And, as we all know, first impressions can make or break you.

\A geek of all trades, Starla Huchton has been crafting stories in various genres since 2007. Her first novel, The Dreamer’s Thread, was released as a full cast audiobook podcast, becoming a double-nominee and finalist for the 2010 Parsec Awards. After releasing short fiction of steampunk, noir fantasy, and other varieties, she released the first three books of the Sci-Fi Romance Endure series in 2013. All three books of the Evolution series, a New Adult Superhero Romance series, were released in 2014, as well as a Steampunk Fantasy novel, Master of Myth (the Antigone’s Wrath series, book 1), which was the first place winner of the Crested Butte Writers’ contest, The Sandy, in 2012. Shadows on Snow, a gender-flipped retelling of Snow White, releases in November 2014.

When not writing, Starla trains three Minions, a black lab, and a military husband whilst designing book covers for independent authors and publishers at DesignedByStarla.com.

Author Links

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Other Works by Starla A.K.A S.A.

Evolution Series

Evolution Angel #1

Evolution Sage #2