Prince of Shadow and Ash: Coming Summer 2020

Ahhhhh! I’m so excited to officially announce that I am independently publishing Prince of Shadow and Ash, book one of The Mercenary & the Mage duology, in early summer (possibly late spring…exact dates coming sometime next year) of 2020! Synopsis at the end of this post.

The Mercenary and the Mage duology is a medieval romantic fantasy. It’s my heart story that I’ve been working on for over a year. I had the initial idea I believe in December of 2017, and worked on it a bit here and there until I finished it for NaNoWriMo 2018. Since then, I’ve written the sequel and done so many revisions and edits of both books I’ve lost count.

Over the last few months I’ve compared publishing routes and thought about my goals and options. There was a lot of researching, a lot of paralyzing self-doubt, comparisons and spreadsheets weighing pros and cons, talking to friends and family, and prayer. And I’ve decided that I want to pursue independent (or self) publishing, at least for this duology.

I know I’m announcing this really early. I’ll likely be publishing in May or June. “But Selina,” you say, “that’s over half a year away!” Yes, I know. But there is a reason why I’m waiting so long–and why I’m announcing it now.

First, I want to do this right. That means giving myself time to learn more about independent publishing and marketing. That means giving myself enough time to make sure my books are edited, polished, and publication-ready. That means getting a good cover–and that can take time. In fact, I have hired a cover design team…who is booked out until March. So the earliest I’ll have a cover for Prince of Shadow and Ash is the end of March/beginning of April.

Second, I am super excited and impatient, and I am dying to tell everyone. Since I know I’d let it slip anyway, I decided to make an official announcement sooner rather than later. 🙂

If you would like to make sure you don’t miss any big announcements, you can subscribe to my e-newsletter here.

If you would like inside details, exclusive snippets, to make sure you don’t miss more frequent updates, and to know about opportunities for things like cover reveals and eARCs, you can join my Facebook group, Selina R. Gonzalez’s Mercenary Readers, here. (Why mercenary readers? 1. Regulus and his knights used to be mercenaries [hence The Mercenary and the Mage as the series title]. 2. Mercenaries can be mobilized. 😉 And 3. It just sounds cool. ^_^)

About Prince of Shadow and Ash:

She could be his light–if his darkness doesn’t destroy them both.

Bastard and former mercenary Lord Regulus Hargreaves just wants to earn his freedom from the sorcerer who enslaved him. When the charming Lady Adelaide sees past his scarred face and shadowed past, Regulus’ dying hope rekindles. But will loving Adelaide while serving the Prince of Shadow and Ash put her in danger?

Adelaide Belanger longs to use the magical energy within her. However, telling the wrong person could get her killed, like every other mage in Monparth before her birth. Then she meets kind and rugged Regulus and wonders if she has finally found someone to trust with her secret—and her heart.

Regulus and Adelaide struggle to build a relationship and keep their secrets from those who would use or harm them. By the time Regulus’ and Adelaide’s secrets are revealed, it may be too late for them both.

A medieval romantic fantasy filled with magic, monsters, and jousts, with a message of acceptance, selflessness, and hope. Perfect for fans of A Knights Tale, BBC’s Merlin, A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Kemmerer, and The Blood of Kings trilogy by Williamson.

Cheers, and thank you for reading!

Selina R. Gonzalez