new adult – Kate M. Colby

Pardon the cheesy banner, I am just so thrilled to reveal to you my cover for my debut novel, The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1)! The novel is not available for purchase yet (stay near the site for updates later this week!), but you can add it to your “to-read” shelf on Goodreads by clicking HERE.

Of course, if you want to read The Cogsmith’s Daughter before anyone else, it just may be a good idea to sign up for my author newsletter. You can get all the info HERE.

Daughter -C2 — Cover designed by Damonza.com

WHEN THE STEAM-POWERED WORLD DRIES UP…

Two-hundred years ago, the steam-powered world experienced an apocalyptic flood. When the waters dried up, the survivors settled around their steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera. Believing the flood and drought were caused by a scorned goddess, the monarchs demanded execution for anyone who commits the unforgivable sin—adultery.

ONE KING RULES WITH ABSOLUTE POWER AND UNQUENCHABLE LUST…

Today, King Archon entraps his wives in the crime of adultery, executing each boring bride to pursue his next infatuation. Most nobles overlook King Archon’s behavior, but when Lord Varick’s daughter falls victim to the king’s schemes, he vows revenge.

UNTIL THE COGSMITH’S DAUGHTER RISKS EVERYTHING FOR VENGEANCE.

When Aya Cogsmith is thirteen, King Archon has her father executed for treason. Orphaned and forced to turn to prostitution for survival, Aya dreams of avenging her father’s death. When Lord Varick approaches Aya with plans for vengeance, she agrees to play the king’s seductress—even though it puts her at risk for execution.

Packed with high-society intrigue, dappled with seduction, and driven by revenge, The Cogsmith’s Daughter is a steampunk dystopian novel with the perfect mixture of conspiracy and romance.

Thank you all for your support for my indie author journey! As I said at the top, don’t wander too far away…there is much more exciting news to come this week!

Okay, friends, here is the official announcement: I’m doing Camp NaNoWriMo this April. I also plan to participate in the Camp NaNoWriMo in July, but that is Summer Kate’s issue.

For those of you who don’t know, Camp NaNoWriMo is a month-long event in which writers commit to their personal writing goals. Unlike National Novel Writing Month in November, where writers challenge themselves to write 50,000 words, during Camp NaNoWriMo, writers can write, edit, revise, plot, etc. however much or little they like.

My goal for April is to write the first draft of my next novel. Logically, I should probably be writing the sequel to The Cogsmith’s Daughter. However, I have decided to postpone writing book two in The Desertera Series until The Cogsmith’s Daughter has been finalized and is on its way to publication. Instead, I will be writing the first book in an intended trilogy, titled Desert Child.

Desert Child will be (I think) a young adult (or new adult) dystopian novel. I’m also thinking about writing it in first person, which will be a drastic change from The Cogsmith’s Daughter, but it feels right so far.

Desert Child follows the life of Izel, who lives in a small village in the desert – a la the Native Americans of the U.S. Southwest. The novel opens with the death of the village’s high priestess. After her funeral, the witch doctor (better name to be constructed) declares that the high priestess must be replaced. He summons Izel and other young women from the village to go through a series of spiritual and physical trials to determine which one of them is destined to be the next high priestess. Magic, near-death experiences, and teenage angst ensue.

There’s also a pretty cool twist at the end. But, obviously, I can’t tell you that.

To get a better feel for Desert Child, check out my inspiration board on Pinterest.

Supporting me during Camp NaNoWriMo journey is my writing mascot, Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. This Baby Groot figurine was a Valentine’s Day gift from Daniel, and I cannot wait to write with him. You can follow our writing adventures on Instagram at #babygrootwrites (even though I’m probably the only person on the planet who will use it).

My other support will come from my cabin of groovy gals (guys allowed, just unrepresented). The Camp NaNoWriMo website encourages writers to join or gather “cabins,” which are basically virtual support groups. There are seven of us in the cabin right now, but I believe Camp allows 12 in a group. So, if you are doing Camp NaNoWriMo and want to join us, leave your username in the comments and I’ll add you!

Well, that’s it for me today! Feel free to give me your initial reactions to my next novel idea, and let me know if you’ll be at Camp this April, too!