Weekend Briefing: Cover Reveal

 

Welcome back, agents. Today I have a gorgeous cover to reveal. First, let's have a moment with my original cover . . .

Samurai. 

Ninja. 

Fraud.

Tora's murdered father's last wishes is that she finds his greatest samurai student, Niko, and instruct him to avenge his blood and protect his daughter. But Tora knows it is her duty to avenge him, if only a woman were allowed to fight . . . 

Disguised as the son her father never had, Tora apprentices herself to Niko and begins to learn the samurai arts under his tutelage. There is one thing she did not account for, though. How much she wants Niko to know she is a woman.

Read on Kindle Vella 

I really like the cover from GetCovers, but the one thing better than a stock cover is an illustrated cover! So I contracted KuriDraws and she made this gorgeous illustration.

🔥Tough female lead
❤️She's disguised as a boy
🔥Coming of age
❤️Age-gap
🔥Master/apprentice relationship
❤️Discovering secret magic
🔥Murder mystery
❤️Multiple secret identities
🔥Eastern-inspired fantasy
❤️Forced proximity

🔥Horror Comedy
❤️A kitsune! 

Excerpt:

Nikko gives her the barest of nods. “My apologies, Grandmother Ogawa, I meant no disrespect. But my new ward is too young for your machinations, so it did not seem pertinent to introduce you yet.”

“Too young? I’ll be the judge of that.” Grandmother Ogawa turns to me. Her gaze runs over me, but never meets mine.

I fidget. Something tells me that if anyone in this village will see through my disguise, it will be this matriarch.

Finally, our eyes meet, and I’m certain she knows my every secret, even the times I sneaked an extra helping of supper and Father didn’t even notice.

Grandmother Ogawa’s expression remains unchanged from its slight frown as she began the perusal with, giving no indication of how she will react to knowing my very soul.

She turns to Nikko, and I suck in my breath. I take one step forward, reaching for her shoulder. Is there a way for me to beg her for secrecy without appearing suspicious?

The woman does not seem to notice my approach at all, she’s dismissed me so thoroughly. Her focus turns instead to Nikko. “It is never too early for me to start searching for a match. He will need a special one, I think. One much older and wiser than he to teach him the ways of the world and protect him from its more treacherous paths.”

Nikko grunts. “Right now, that responsibility falls on me.”

“Indeed.” Grandmother Ogawa glances at me side-wise for only a moment. Then, without another word, she turns and waddles away.

“That was our town matchmaker,” Nikko says, turning back to his path.

I pick up my pace to walk beside him. “Did she match you?” 

“I have no time for such things.”

 

Read the first 11 chapters now!