u/Cautious-Mission-104

Hey guys, posting my new cover art for my fantasy book here. I'm a new author and I feel part and parcel of what makes self publishing most fun is all the other bits that come with it. I felt my original cover was a bit boring so decided to switch it up!

I know it's not on the level of professional designers, or some of the AI stuff people have started churning out, but it's something I made and I thought it was cool.

I was going for the 1970's folk horror vibe, as I've recently been going back over the old cult classics like Captain Kronos and The Wicker Man.

https://preview.redd.it/kdl1w9h41zjh1.jpg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cdbb594aa1fb037a7969422aaa3f03f6d34f4899

All the art is all hand drawn and painted. I purposefully went for the old collage poster style from cinema posters.

Anyway, I think it looks cool and I hope you do too :)

https://preview.redd.it/0ucf3utllydh1.jpg?width=1410&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99b2b7f45de5ee6b3a2e1c918541b9bf872fdeeb

Hi All,

My names L A Saltmorris, long time writer, first time author.

I live in Southsea UK, by the sea, not too far from where Neil Gaiman grew up. I have always loved to read and tell stories and spend a lot of my time researching historical facts, mysticism, and folklore.

My family are a melting pot of Eastern European, Asian, and Western cultures, so my writing is often described as having mixtures of styles that writers from those groups have. Writers like Andrei Sapkovsky or Banana Yoshimoto.

Anyway, enough about me, my book is the culmination of the last few years writing the story I wanted to read but couldn't find on the bookshelf. A Faithless Pilgrimage is about the people who live in my fantastical world, and the moral dilemmas and difficulties that come from navigating a place where myths and monsters are very much a part of everyday life.

This book is about journeys we don’t want to take on behalf of powerful people we don’t want to succeed. Set in a folklore fantasy realm, the heroin Cliodana, a powerful warrior, is unlucky enough to be captured by a power hungry lord and enthralled to his will by means of a magical torc.

She and her comrades, Dofian, and Arik must then help the megalomaniac secure power, or die failing! It’s a lose/lose story where the outcome isn't certain and the bad guy will probably succeed.

My book is available on Kindle unlimited, Kindle, and paperback as well. If you enjoy contemporary fantasy literature, you will enjoy my story, so please give it a read.

A Faithless Pilgrimage - Kindle page

I read this about 10 years ago. It was bought from an antique book shop, probably written around the 1920’s and had a red cover but I do not recall the name. A friend borrowed it with some other books that I never saw again.

The plot is thus: Lucifer is in heaven and is incredibly bored. Yahweh approaches them with a job but frames it as a wager. Lucifer must create a place for souls who feel they were evil on Earth to be penitent and tormented until they feel they have paid for their sins.

I believe Lucifer thinks no-one would choose to be tortured over “perceived” sins and this is where the bet comes into play. Whoever has the most souls when god ends Earth, is the winner.

Lucifer his close friend Lilith and a bunch of other angels then create hell. From here it takes on a “new business” biopic kind of story while they figure stuff out.

There’s a lot of humorous drama surrounding things like getting the temperature hot enough and not having enough sulphur pits. The main bulk of the story is a bit like an espionage book, where the angels and demons are subtly fighting each-other for the souls of humanity on earth.

There are three big stories I remember. There’s a sainted priest falling in love with a woman and falling from grace on earth because they succumb to their passion. I think they are called “The beatitude saint Marmaduke”.

There is a pious man who has to sit in a mustard sulphur bath for eternity for helping two thieves, who gets interviewed by a demon as they can’t understand why they would continue to think they are evil when the other two thieves went to heaven because they didn’t believe they had sinned.

I also remember there’s a court case with Lilith as the judge because this woman who is stuffed with pins is being an absolute Karen about going to hell, even though she would only be there if she felt her actions were evil.

I really cannot remember the name but it was such a good book and I have been trying to find it for a decade. I’m not really friends with the person who borrowed it anymore and although I did reach out, they didn’t respond.

Please help!

Hi all, first time author here looking to promote my new book on kindle. It’s called “A Faithless Pilgrimage” and is the first in a fantasy series.

The story follows a strong female lead called Cliodana, who is beholden to the whims of a megalomaniac.

She rescues a young teen who latches on to her party and this gives her lord leverage. They force her on a quest to find an all powerful gem to further their plans of domination.

It’s got swords, sorcery, and monsters. The pacing is very good for a fantasy and It’s been compared to books like “The Witcher” and “Tales from Earthsea”

I’m open to questions if anyone is interested. I just want to get my name out there and get people reading it as I know it’s a good book!

Hi all, first time author here looking to promote my new book on kindle. It’s called “A Faithless Pilgrimage” and is the first in a fantasy series.

The story follows a strong female lead called Cliodana, who is beholden to the whims of a megalomaniac.

She rescues a young teen who latches on to her party and this gives her lord leverage. They force her on a quest to find an all powerful gem to further their plans of domination.

It’s got swords, sorcery, and monsters. The pacing is very good for a fantasy and It’s been compared to books like “The Witcher” and “Tales from Earthsea”

I’m open to questions if anyone is interested. I just want to get my name out there and get people reading it as I know it’s a good book!