Oceans of Sand comes out NEXT MONTH!!! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. Someone pinch me. The publishing industry is super tough to break into, so needless to say this is a dream come true! I can't believe next month I'll be a published author - eeek!
Below I've got for you the back cover blurb - the short synopsis that goes on the back cover to give you a quick intro to the book and get you interested - and some main character sketches. Enjoy!
Oceans of Sand Back Cover Blurb
One girl. Her boat. An ocean of sand to cross.
Norah’s desert world has always been treacherous, with the roiling ocean of sand, giant scorpions, and brutal sandstorms—but now an unnatural famine plagues the desert nations and threatens to destroy all.
Despite being the only one in her village without a sand gift, Norah is chosen with her best friend, Zadock, to sail across the ocean of sand in search of the legendary moonstone, an artifact that could end the famine.
As Norah and Zadock set off on their journey, secret romantic feelings each has suppressed for years rise to the surface. Love weakens sand gifts, and if they act on their feelings, Zadock's sand gift will disappear.
Caught in a crossfire between forbidden feelings, an unforgiving desert, and starving nations willing to do anything to survive, Norah and Zadock discover the true meaning of sacrifice—and the power that love has to heal the world.
Blurbs are notoriously difficult to write. (Distill your 80,000 word novel into a couple of paragraphs. Uhhhh . . .) This took several drafts to get right. Hopefully it does its job and peaks your interest!
Now for more fun to get you excited - let's go over some of Oceans of Sand's main characters! There are three viewpoints in Oceans of Sand - Norah, Zadock, and Imwraeth. Here's a brief little intro into each of them.
Norah
Norah inherited a love of the stars from her dad, and she's got a gift for navigating by them. She could be out sailing the ocean of sand all day and be happy. However, she has no sand gift (the magic of the land). As far as she knows, she's the only one in the world without a sand gift. This makes her feel isolated and alone, but she's always got her best friend, Zadock. He's been there for her since they were young.
Norah loves her little sister, Shrey, but she's got a prickly relationship with her mom. Norah's mom thinks that if Norah just tried a little harder she could develop a sand gift. This leads to a lot of conflict in their home, and Norah's holding on to more than a little resentment.
Zadock
Zadock is Norah's best friend and has been since they were young. He's always stood up for her and defended her. Determined, kind, and fun-loving, Zadock is a strong sand Shaker, with a sand gift that lets him manipulate the sand. He's strong, the strongest their village has seen in generations, and a lot of people are counting on him in the struggles ahead.
Zadock wants to be an engineer. He's always had a knack and a love for building and fixing things. But Zadock's dad wants his son to follow in his footsteps and lead the village council. Zadock craves his dad's love and doesn't know how to say what he really wants.
Imwraeth
Imwraeth is the teenage leader of a war-faring nation adjacent to Norah and Zadock's home. With the famine going on for so long, he's under a lot of pressure to keep his people alive. Imwraeth's councilors pressure him to pillage and raid from other nations. Imwraeth doesn't want war, but what else is he supposed to do?
Plus there's the issue of his heart. It just doesn't work quite like it's supposed to. If it wasn't for his ability to extract energy from the sand and keep himself alive, he would've been dead a long time ago. His people see this as a major weakness, and Imwraeth is determined to prove them wrong and be the leader they need.
Imwraeth still has a lot going for him - like the fact that he can always, always tell when someone is lying.
There you have it!
Those are the three main characters in Oceans of Sand. They each have strengths and weaknesses that really drew me in to them and were a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy going on these characters' journeys as much as I did.
Mark your calendars for Oceans of Sand's release date - June 20th!! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter for announcements, giveaways, and freebies. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more author fun!