Now my editing itch has gotten to me, mostly because "sense of foreboding" was bothering me:
Humanity exists on the brink, hunted by demons and a savage race known as the Fari. Mystical barriers protect the few isolated human enclaves, but their very survival is threatened as the demons increase in number and strength.
That survival rests on Aimee Fallon, an unlikely heroine who spends her days creating magical gadgets. She discovers a mysterious artifact that is the key to stopping the source of the growing demon threat, a corrupting power awakened after centuries of dormancy. With a group led by her mentor, she leaves the safety of the city to try to put that power back to rest.
However, Aimee soon discovers that neither friends nor enemies are what she thought they were. She finds herself alone against the new master of the ancient magic, the hostile lands of the wild, and a forbidden lover who suspects her of murdering his kin. The cause seems lost, especially because Aimee doesn’t believe she has a heroic bone in her body. But fate isn’t consulting her.
THE DEAD MOUNTAIN is a 120,000-word tale blending fast-paced adventure, romance, and betrayal. It’s a story in the tradition of epic fantasy, but with a female hero who relies more on her wits and determination than on swinging swords and slinging spells.
I'm very shallow, I admit it, but the last line about wits and determination vs. swords and spells made me plaintively think "but there will be some sword swinging, won't there?" But then my favorite movie genre is Things Blow Up.
Ah, but that's what makes it such a good line for a query, Connie. It lets the agent/editor know that all possibilities exist. That it's NOT just about swords & spells.
Thanks Ginger.
Fear not for there is sword swinging, it's just not the protagonist's forte. She's more gadget and wits oriented.
Ii'm ready to buy the book, Gud.
Cool! Now I just need to make it buyable.
Eeee, I got my erika issue of EQ! I like the bio, btw.
Okay, I have yet another version with bits and pieces taken from various places and with some different details highlighted than the first one. I hope I'm not driving y'all crazy.
Humanity teeters on the brink, hunted by demons and a savage race called the Fari. Mystical barriers protect the few cities left, but a mad priest threatens their survival when he reawakens the ancient power of the Dead Mountain to bring forth an apocalyptic battle.
Aimee Fallon, a sheltered creator of magical gadgets, discovers a mysterious artifact—the key to stopping the Mountain’s magic—and joins an expedition to destroy the power’s threat, but little is as it seems. Along the way, she is betrayed by those she trusts and finds herself abandoned in hostile Fari lands with a forbidden lover who suspects her of murdering his kin. Her only help is an assassin: a woman with a tongue as sharp as her knives who once nearly killed her. The cause seems lost, especially because Aimee doesn’t believe she has a heroic bone in her body. But fate isn’t consulting her.
THE DEAD MOUNTAIN is a fast-paced 120,000-word fantasy adventure mixed with romance and betrayal and a female hero who relies on her wits and determination rather than swords and spells.
I like that, it focuses on the peril and the solution.
