Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Who Wants to See Mechanical Heart's Cover?

Hey'a, everyone! Last night, over on Facebook, we had the cover reveal for the Golden Braids group release, this year's Arista Challenge group release. It was a great time, but since I know not everyone could make it out there, I'm sharing the shinies here too.

And, yes, if you were wondering, this means that I am officially publishing Mechanical Heart with the Arista Challenge this summer. I mean, I was going to publish it sometime soon no matter what happened; I've put in too much work not to. But I'm excited to be joining Kendra's group again. The group release will run from August 5th to August 9th, and Mechanical Heart specifically releases on August 7th.

Ok, enough of me trying to increase the suspense. Let's see the shiny!

Can you save someone who doesn’t know if she’s alive?

Breen lives locked away, separated from the world by the walls of her clock tower and the machine of gems, gears, and magic that replaces her heart. That is, until an unexpected visitor appears in her tower, offering a dangerous gift: freedom. His promises awaken hope for a life unbound by the tower walls — but she knows that if he learns about her heart, it’s only a matter of time before he turns on her.

Josiah is powerless. Though he’s the crown prince of the mighty Chanian empire, he feels stifled by his inability to protect his people from the schemes of corrupt nobles. When he discovers a girl trapped in a locked clock tower, he thinks he’s finally found a problem he can solve . . . but more than just walls keep her captive.

From the royal palace to the streets of Rivenford to the tops of clock towers, secrets hide around every corner in this steampunk retelling of Rapunzel. Breen and Josiah hold the keys to each other's struggles — if they can break down the barriers that divide them.


As those of you who've been reading my blog for a while might know, this is a story that's been in the works for a while. I mean, obviously I've been rewriting and editing like mad over the course of the last year, trying to weave all the plot threads and characters and details into their proper form. But I first drafted this back in summer of 2016 — and I came up with the earliest version of the story all the way back in 2014! It's not the earliest story that I eventually want to share, but it's definitely a good bit older than Blood in the Snow. And now I finally get to share it with you. I'm so excited!

Oh, and while I have you here, can I just say how much I love my cover? Savannah Jezowski of Dragonpen Press/Dragonpen Designs created it for me, and I think she did an amazing job. No lie; she emailed me the very first iteration and I did a legit happy dance. I was that excited — and it just got better from there. If you're also looking for a cover, I absolutely recommend her services. She's a storming magician, and I say this as someone who knows how to use Photoshop fairly well herself.
Ok, I'm done. Go preorder Mechanical Heart, if you don't mind. Or at least add it to your Goodreads shelves. Thanks muchly. And while you're at it, go check out the other Golden Braids books: Hair We Go Again, Rebekah's Refuge, Molly Storm, and The Dragon's Flower.
Have a lovely day!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

5 comments:

  1. Hi there. :) I haven't commented here before but I see your books around Goodreads all the time. This cover is amazing! The story wouldn't happen to be inspired by Lindsey Stirling's "Shatter Me" would it? The second I saw the title, that song started playing in my head, and the synopsis goes perfectly with it. :D

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    1. *I meant book singular, not book plural, LOL. I remember that Blood in the Snow was a special unicorn in the Rooglewood contest. :)

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    2. Hey'a! Yes, "Shatter Me" (the song) was the original inspiration for Mechanical Heart, and both it and the other lyrical song on the album ("We Are Giants") still express some of the same themes and ideas present in the story. Thanks for asking!

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