September 26, 2017, is the official publication date for Children of the Salt Road.
Maybe you remember I announced that the manuscript had been through all its copyediting and proofing last October—even the Italian copy editor had a go—and it would be coming “soon.” Then, there was a delay and I had to keep the reason secret. Now, I can tell you what’s been happening.
Little A, who is publishing Children of the Salt Road as a Kindle, paperback and audio book, selected it for a special new program—Kindle in Motion.
Kindle in Motion adds art and animation features that you can view on Fire Tablets and with the free Kindle App for IOS and Android. You’re free to turn it on or off at any point. But it’s awfully pretty and I’m willing to bet you’ll want to leave it on.
Here’s the first sample I looked at, The Secret Garden, one of my favorite childhood books with new illustrations and animations. I loved it and ended up reading the book again.
The process took a while. Some books have photography and short videos. Mine has art and small, subtle animations. The page backgrounds are fancy, too. Little A suggested two artists, one representing the point of view of each of the two main POV characters, Catherine and Mark. I liked their suggestions very much and we began the process of creating a visual world for the story. Well, they did and I kibitzed. The styles of the two artists are very different from one another, one more lush and painterly and the other more graphic and color-wash. The latter did some illustration work for Murakami’s Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. I’ll say more about the artists in the future.
The team at Amazon–who have been incredible–consulted with me at every step. There were many people involved and a lot of work. I’m a little bit speechless at all of it. It’s almost finished now and looking pretty darn spiffy. I was honored to be chosen as one of the first titles for Kindle in Motion and can’t wait to be able to give you a peek at the result.
The audio book is underway right now and as soon as I can reveal the cover, which will have subtle animation as well—not in the print version, of course!–I will.
Children of the Salt Road
For New Yorkers Catherine and Mark, a picturesque coastal village in 1993 Sicily offers an escape from the shadow over Catherine’s career and a chance to rebuild their eroding marriage. Catherine sets up an art studio, while Mark explores the exciting potential of Italy’s languishing agricultural regions. For a moment, there’s hope for healing on the banks of the sparkling lagoon . . .
But the appearance of a mysterious young boy shakes their relationship to its core. As Catherine begins to devote her attention to the child, Mark follows a troubling path of destruction, betraying Catherine’s trust in immense ways. Catherine discovers their idyllic surroundings also belie a sinister history, driving the couple further apart. As they delve deeper into the secrets in their town and in their marriage, will the truths they uncover separate them for good?
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Looking forward to the release of your book, Lydia!
Thank you, Diane!