DANA COPITHORNE BLOGGING

Hello, Readers! Welcome to my week of guest blogging on Vanderworld. My great thanks to Jeff and to Zoran Zivkovic setting this up. As Jeff said, I’m a first time novelist as well as the cover artist and illustrator for my novel, “The Steam Magnate”. Aio Publishing took the very innovative step of contracting me as author to supply artwork for my own book! We’ve had really positive feedback on the unity between the writing and the visual mood of the book, which is elegant, toned-down and literary in feel.

Check out the Aio site and follow the links for a sample of the cover painting, as well as an excerpt from the book and ordering information.

I’ll be posting some short excerpts from the book this week, to give everyone a sense of my work and of what readers can expect in books to come. (I’m at work on a second one right now!). To see some of my other artwork, please visit my art portfolio site .


So, what can you expect when you pick up “The Steam Magnate”?

The characters:

Eson- Eson is “The Steam Magnate”. He inherited a steam power legacy, and has amazing powers of influence over others. Is he a supernatural being, or merely a person of unusual talents? He is a sort of ‘demon lover’ character, romancing others toward his own ends, yet is vulnerable to both his own weaknesses and to the ill intents of others.

Kyra- Kyra is mysterious, young and enigmatic. We know little of her past, only that she has been sent on a mission by a powerful woman who wishes vengeance against Eson. Kyra walks the dangerous ground between Eson, the people he holds power over, and the people he fears. She is called upon to make ingenious use of her growing strength of character.

Jado- Jado is also young, and comes from a culture with strong ties to family and place. He takes a chance in working with Eson on a clandestine tidal power deal, compromising his values and facing dangers to his life as he ventures beyond the sheltering world of his community. Jado dreams of crossing the ocean in a solar powered boat, to the land of his ancestors.

The Story:

Reviewers have described the book as a story of power and personal transformation:

Heartland Reviews: "A literary fantasy, this story is about power, both environmental, magical, and interpersonal. The author has created an unusual world of forces both elemental and societal. The story is subtle and well-crafted—a truly literary work. Its complexities of relationships and politics make for an interesting read. We applaud the publisher for taking on a delicate work of this nature, providing a platform for a new and deserving talent."

Reader Views: "The author does an extraordinary job of illustrating the world of Eson and Kyra in both language and simple line drawings throughout the book. I would highly recommend this book for readers of all ages, from teens through adult. While The Steam Magnate has an engaging, somewhat wistful storyline that many would appreciate, it also gives pause for other readers who find within the story many aspects of their own lives as well... and it is such books that can draw the reader from their world into that of the characters; books that are to be both read and treasured."

Visit Aio's site for a full set of reviews.

Thanks for reading and visit again tomorrow for excerpts from “The Steam Magnate”!