The Temple of the Exploding Head

At long last, Book VI of the LoE series, The Sands of the Solar Empire is underway. Carol Phillips is beginning work painting the cover and, to me, the cover is the heart of the book and its completion is a huge ceremonial step toward publication.

A few things about the Sands. As with the Temple trilogy before it, the Sands was too large to be published as one self-contained book. At 200,000 words, I had to divide it right down the center, with the Sands comprising the first part and Book VII “Against the Druries” being the second. The Sands mostly explores the main character, Lord Stenstrom of Belmont-South Tyrol and how he came to be. He has many secrets (you might notice he’s wearing a mask on the sketch).

The cover depicts a scene from the book where Lord Stenstrom, or “Bel” as he’s known is facing death at the Bones Club, a place where the members openly mock and disparage the Sisterhood of Light (If you look carefully at the chairs in the background, you’ll see several Sisters carved in demeaning positions).

The Sands is the first book in the League of Elder Second Series, where a new slew of characters are introduced.

Bel is the first of many new characters. Also is Josephus, Lord of A-Ram, a man from Calvert, the brooding Lt. Gwendolyn and, my personal favorite, Private Taara de la Anderson from Bazz. I can’t wait to share them with the world.

It should take Carol about a month and a half to complete the cover. By then, with luck, most of the interior artwork will be completed. As with previous LoE books, the Sands will be well-appointed with artwork.

It should be a fun ride.

Bowl Naked

RG

copyright 2012, Ren Garcia, Carol Phillips, Eve Ventrue