C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 70

Another week, another behind the scenes peek at a Byways cover illustration! This one’s a milestone of sorts since it’s the first time one of the brothers appears in his animal form. Ewan (the eldest) can Change into an elk. Fun Fact: All the Johns family members who can Change will shift into the form of an animal that’s native to North America. It’s just one more way the series ties to the 50 States.

Here’s what’s behind the header on the cov...

So happy I bought The Tapestry series. Finished Bk1: The Hound of Rowan and immediately grabbed Bk2 off my shelf. Mr. Neff’s story does not disappoint! (And yes, that is a Vietnamese Coffee Smoothie w/ Boba from my favorite local shop.)

Oh, yes! I also have a snapshot “in the wild” from when I was reading Bk1.

That’s my “Ganix” backpack. : 3

Tupper no longer blended in with the rest of the Flox. He dressed too well, walked too carefully, and wore his hair in the Pred manner.

—RAKEFANG by C. J. Milbrandt

I’m back with another peek behind the scenes on the Byways book covers. One of the unchanging features on the header is the circle of stars that surrounds the volume number. If you take a quick tally, you’ll find there are thirteen stars. It’s a nod to the original thirteen colonies. The thirteen stars also show up on the cloak pins worn by Liberty’s rangers.

This time around, I’m letting you see more of the huge griffin that’s partly obscured by the header on Byways #4, Up the Mountain: A...

I like mail. They say you can learn a lot about an author by their books. If nothing else, mine reveal a fondness for the post office. For example, one of the main characters in my Threshold Series (published as Christa Kinde) is a mailman, and the three Byways brothers are sons of Liberty’s postmaster.

Teammates by Hannah Christenson
Milo Leggett, small town mailman & angel-in-disguise

I enjoy dropping little notes in the mail. Postcards from far-off places warm my heart. My stamp collect...

The Hound of Rowan by Henry H. Neff is another library find. I spotted the first volume on the shelves in our YA section and picked it up for a closer look at the art. Six pages into the story—I’m not kidding, it only took six pages—I bought the whole Tapestry series. I get pretty excited when I find a book that doesn’t require my patience, only my attention. I’ll keep you posted as I work my way through this five-book series.

Fun Detail: That gorgeous art that had me wanting a closer look?...

The latest batch of books went out to the winners of the GoodReads giveaways for Byways Book #8, #9, and #10. Congratulations!

For notification of new giveaways, be sure to
follow C.J. Milbrandt on GoodReads!

Galleries of Stone. All three books in my fantasy trilogy have giveaways underway on GoodReads. Are you a friend or follower? You should get in there and follow all your favorite authors! GoodReads is amazing about letting you know when they have a new book out … when they have titles on sale … or when there’s a giveaway for one of the titles sitting on your To Read List.

Sign up for these giveaways, and you could win a signed copy!

Let’s take a look behind another header on the Byways Books! Say, have you noticed the change that occurs from book to book depending on which brother’s adventure is featured? My illustrator and I worked out that little detail (among others) even before the first book in the series released. Ewan gets his antlers, Zane is on the run, and Ganix is a ring-tailed mischief-maker.

This time around, I’m letting you see the city of bridges that’s hiding behind the header for Byways #3, Over the Br...

You listen to me, sprat. The twelve mountains are miraculous places, and their Keepers are venerable souls at the pinnacle of their craft. The acclaim of every master sculptor reaches to the farthest corner of the four continents!”

—MEADOWSWEET by C. J. Milbrandt