Cover Reveal! Pallas! My debut novel!

Holy crow, the release is getting nearer!

I won't keep you long, I’m just here to give hype!

I like it, how ‘bout you?

Science fiction! Horror! Wow!

The blurb is still being tweaked, but:

For Kylan Bence, hauling freight through the Belt is lonely work, and when his ship malfunctions that loneliness might kill him. Stranded on the asteroid Pallas, in view of a concrete dome long thought abandoned, he chances a distress signal—and gets a response.

As he enters the settlement, a secret paradise greets him. Lush and vibrant plants, real food, clean water—and a population desperate to keep him inside… with everything else kept hidden in the soil, the air, and under the skin.

(For those who read my previous post regarding Pallas, or even those who didn’t, I’d love to get your thoughts on this version of the blurb! Pretty soon I’ll be throwing my hands up about it, so I can finish the full wrap. Great thing about going indie, anything can be changed, at any time.)

I wanted an abstract cover that still gave the vibe of the book. I love vintage SFF paperbacks for their sometimes wild, abstract covers, and I hope I was able to harness that. A typical scifi these days might have spaceships or floaty rocks—instant signals that “this is a science fiction novel” but that didn’t seem to suit... Yeah, it’s in space (on a floaty rock, even) but that “typical” scifi cover might be deceptive. And I wanted my readers to be able to imagine the characters on their own, instead of featuring my/an artist’s vision of them on the cover. I told my designer to have fun with it, she typically does romance so I hope she enjoyed going outside her comfort zone. Lucky for me, her husband read the book so he was able to give input on the design, too.

I specifically requested:

Trippy ✅️

Sense of dread ✅️

A reference to a set piece ✅️

If I had done it myself, I’m too close to the narrative and that might have turned out muddy. I think it’s really important for authors to hire out if they can, an outside perspective can prevent you from trying to stick too many of your ideas all together in a big mess. (“My book is ALL THESE THINGS! And they’re ALL VITAL TO DISPLAY!”) I know some authors can do their own covers and get away with it, but they’re the exception that proves the rule, in my opinion.

I’m aiming for a release date of July 18th 2023, two months from yesterday (what‽) so mark your calendars. I’m still deciding on prices.

As soon as I get and approve the paperback proofs, I’ll have pre-orders up. Hopefully by then the Goodreads listing will be up, too.

Amazon and Kobo for ebooks, but if everything goes to plan you should be able to order the paperbacks wherever books are sold!

For those who are new here, and would like to know more, check out this post!

Also, check out

Samuraipunk

for the first official review, coming very soon! right here!

Do you also want a free copy in exchange for an honest review? Email me to request an ARC! lisakuznakbooks@proton.me