Six Years In The Making!
Goooood afternoon all! I've been a member of this sub for several years and like you, love OZ! Some of you may know I'm a published children's book author and illustrator. In my spare time of just trying to make a living, I've been working on a trilogy of books that, while adult, are more geared toward Baum's original magic and 'fun' of Oz. Two weeks ago, I completed the manuscript of Book One and it's currently with the editor for revision. Keep your fingers crossed...I'm hoping for end of year publishing. I'm taking a huge step by posting this here, so please, PLEASE be kind! I hope you can share in my excitement. Above is the dust jacket concept sent by the designer earlier this week. Here is the Synopsis of Book One;
Millennia before Dorothy and the Wizard, centuries before the word ‘wicked’ would conjure visions of fear within the minds of the inhabitants of Oz, decades before the Ozma line of Queens would rise from obscurity, two of the most iconic artifacts of a fledgling realm were forged by fire in the reviled mines of Eden lying northeastward over the snow-laden peaks of the Silver Mountains. The first; a peculiarly shaped crown of the finest gold chain mail for a newly anointed king, chosen to rule over the tribe of hermit-like Winged Monkeys, and the second; an ostentatious pair of iconic, delicate slippers encrusted with shimmering diamonds and sparkling crystal sapphires. Volume One of The Silver Shoes series transports the reader back to the magical land of Oz, pulling back the curtain to reveal a primordial world at the dawn of creation where the heart of Oz took its first beat, setting forever into motion the eternal battle between good and evil; a fight between Quox the Dragon - an eternal being of the underworld - and the benevolent Fa-R’e or ‘Fairie’ Mother, Lurline. Here, the origins of Oz’s most celebrated silver coated relics are revealed; specifically, who created them, why they were created, and the most pressing question of all; who they were created for. Follow the tenuous trappings of a truly epic love story between an unassuming gardener and a privileged young woman, simultaneously discovering not only the origins of the families from which Oz's maternal line of Witches would rise, but how the Ozma line of Queens rose to power as well, exposing once and for all the driving force behind the long simmering feud between the underworld dwelling Gnomes and the more widely acknowledged rulers of the overworld domain. This series of novels peels back the layers of deceit and lies, revealing the ultimate control of the enchanted silver slippers of power with many of the passages written from their point of view, showing them to be much more than merely casual bystanders. This is their story - a story that until now has never fully been told. A story of the most powerful pair of shoes covered with white diamonds and crystal sapphires ever to exist in all the known worlds - be they above or below. This is the story of The Silver Shoes.