Dear Readers,
This reveal is a unique event.
‘Why?’ I hear you ask. ‘You’ve done 8 cover reveals in the past.’
A First?
True, but this is a first for me. It is the first Amanda Cadabra with a cover done by … me. ‘How and why has such a phenomenon come to pass?’ you may enquire.
It was for the best of reasons. At the time of writing, Tim, who got me into novel writing in the first place and designed the very first cover of the first book, was head-down industriously illustrating a set of brand-new jackets for the entire series.
But let me go back to how I came to write the first of the Trilogy. Here’s the secret: it wasn’t originally intended for publication at all. So, how did it come to be written?
A Private Manuscript
At the time, my dearest of friends Ann, over in the States, knew I’d hit rather a bump in the road internally and suggested that I take time off and out and write, just for myself, just for fun, not for anyone else, a short story around one of the supporting characters in the series. Within hours, the idea came, then ideas came, then the plot began to form, and my fingers found themselves pattering away rapidly on the keys and before I knew it ….
But it wasn’t just that writing the new story was exactly the flow I needed. Ann was having a difficult time, embarking on treatment for a serious health issue. With the wide Atlantic sea between us, I felt helpless to support her … but then … maybe there was a way after all. What I could offer was some distraction, some entertainment, with a brand new story written just for her. And so you will see the dedication.
From Flow to Torrent
Ann loved it! And within hours, the next story had come to me, and then the final one flowed effortlessly from that. Now, because I was writing it for Ann, I wanted it to be as edited and polished as possible, only the best for Ann. Which meant, that by the end of the third book, I had a little something new I could offer you and fellow readers: a free story: Gwendolen. And if you haven’t read it, you can get it right here.
Needs Must
But, before I could offer it to you, it needed a cover. With Tim up to his ears in the new series jackets and his own work, what to do? Tim, as highly skilled and experienced professionals invariably do, told me: It’s easy! You can do it!’ And with a great deal of research and a certain amount of mentoring … I did.  Having produced the cover for Gwendolen, it was easy to go on to Moffat and Cynthia using the same style. But how to combine the three for the cover of The Grange Trilogy? Well … you’ll have seen that in the last Letter to Readers: stamps.
So there you have the cover story. And here it is:
To …
When you get to read the book, you’ll notice the dedication at the front of Gwendolen, which is also at the beginning of The Grange Trilogy. Ann, as Amanda would say, transitioned to the next plane of existence before she read the last story, but they were all, in the beginning, written for my beloved friend, confidante, font of wisdom and encouragement, still with me in spirit. These stories exist because of her. Hence, you’ll see: To Ann, with love.
Preorder Coming
The Grange Trilogy will be available for preorder … hopefully within the next three days. And the launch date? Well, you can either go and take a peek to see if the book is up for preorder on your favourite online bookshop or wait until the next Letter to Readers. And if you really want to be ahead of the curve, then you can plenty titbits and goodies early by joining the subscribers here.
The Question, and Coming Up
So, I hope you like the results of my labours and the inspiration that came from Ann. Do let me know. Does it hit the mark for you?
Next time … I will be bringing you a video, voiced over by me, of a chapter 1 (not Gwendolen) from The Grange Trilogy with some scene-setting visuals to entertain you while you listen. And the launch date will be officially announced. Plus the answer to the question: does the new book take us to Cornwall?
Back soon.
Happy viewing,
Holly
PS If you want to start the series now:
