Thursday, November 8, 2012

Camdeboo Nights cover reveal

This novel's been sneaking up on me somewhat. I wrote Camdeboo Nights many, many years ago, shortly after I sold my very first novel, Khepera Rising, back in goodness knows when (I don't really keep track of these things anymore). I wrote another novel between the two, but it will remain forever buried at the bottom of a box I kinda lost somewhere (and for very good reason). Camdeboo Nights is so old I'm already rebooting the Khepera books, but it's one of my favourites, and was a quarter finalist in the ABNA Awards thingie way back when (2009, I think, I might be wrong). Subsequently it did the whole submissions mill but then stalled when a publisher had it on full sub for half a year. They eventually said no... and then I just didn't do anything with the novel until Lyrical Press started accepting YA subs and it was a case of "Oh, ja, there's this novel on my hard drive I've done nothing with". (really, I forgot I had it--ooh, look! Bright-shiny.)

So here's the cover for Camdeboo Nights, to be published by Lyrical Press. I'll give you a little hint: I wrote part of it in Nieu Bethesda while on holiday with good friends. Incidentally, HJ Lombard, the photographer who provided the background image of the Karoo landscape, was on holiday with me at the time. (Thank you, HJ, for allowing me the use of the image, you're the best.) Now go check out his studio here. He's an awesome photographer.

Then, a little bit about the actual cover design. When I found out that Valerie Tibbs was doing my cover, I knew I was in good hands. She's done a number of covers for some of the authors I've edited, so I consider it an absolute honour to have her do the cover for this novel. Now, go check out her website here.

So, when's the novel releasing, and what is it about? I'll say this much: it's a YA urban fantasy road trip that involves an entire menagerie of supernatural oddness, that takes place in South Africa. I blend a little African myth and magic with the standard tropes we've all come to know and love. We're still busy with the edits (at time of writing, the MS has gone to line edits.) The release date will only be finalised once I've signed off on the galley, and that's a while yet. Good things should never be rushed. ;-)

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