Story of My Book
Chasing Fae is an epic fantasy novel about finding yourself when everything else is against you and learning how to trust after loss.
My name is Cady Hammer, and I am the author of Chasing Fae. I started Chasing Fae midway through my senior year of high school. There was an incident with a group of people, typical high school drama, but I ended up losing contact with a very good friend of mine whom I considered a brother. I was tired of feeling left behind, abandoned, so I decided to take my pain and frustration and turn it into something productive.
Chasing Fae was born out of a need to preserve that sibling-like relationship. But as I began to draft, it became so much more than that. The world came to life, the characters took their first breaths, and I watched a whole new story rise.
My main character, Grace, is an introverted young woman who recharges on her own and tends to keep to herself. But she’s a leader in her own right; when faced with a challenge, she attacks it head-on with a stubborn fierceness that will inspire. The universe that Chasing Fae is set in involves three distinct realms, each with their own appeal. The Upper Realm is Fae and made up of twelve distinct Noble Houses with their own cultures and magical qualities. The Middle Realm is mortal and in a struggle to survive. The Lower Realm is the demon realm, a forbidden space to both mortals and Fae and a land wrapped up in secrets.
My hope is that, in reading this book, you will be captivated by the strong protagonist and the fantastic, immersive universe.
Chasing Fae is a young adult fantasy novel and the first of a planned trilogy. You will love this book if you’re a fantasy person, if you’re a fan of work by Sarah J. Maas or Cassandra Clare. If you want to get hooked on a new series, this book is for you. If you’re looking for political intrigue with a side of budding romance, pick up a copy. If you want a fierce introverted leader who takes life into her own hands, Chasing Fae is what you’re looking for.
The Book - Chasing Fae
Grace Richardson is a young mortal woman whose only concerns are providing for her family, playing her violin, and spending as much time as possible with her brother, Leo. When Leo goes into service in the Fae’s world as a mercenary, she expects him to return with the honor that he deserves.
When Leo suddenly dies in an unspecified accident, not a word, medal, or penny comes down from the higher ups. Suspecting foul play, Grace disguises herself as a Fae and sneaks into the Upper Realm to get some answers. She anticipated being in way over her head. But did she anticipate a Fae soldier who catches her fleeing an angry bar and discovers her identity only a day in? Not so much.
Now Grace is forced to drag this Fae soldier, Aiden, along as she tries to work out exactly how and why her brother died. Along the way, she has no choice but to confront her prejudices against the Fae as she attempts to sort out the difference between the honest and the dishonest. Political conspiracies, demon realm escapades, and family secrets will all lead Grace to the answers she’s looking for… and some that she isn’t.
What I Need & What You'll Get
This book will be published with New Degree Press. I set up the pre-order tiers to help cover the costs for publishing my book. Money raised will go towards the following:
- The Editor I will work with to revise and publish my manuscript in July 2020
- The Cover Design of my Book - the mockups you see currently are a placeholder!
- The Layout Design for the interior of my book (Physical Copy, Ebook Formats)
- The Copyediting for My Book - to help polish the grammar and spelling prior to publication
- The Launch & Promotion Efforts for my book - when I ultimately publish this summer!
When I pre-sell 134 copies of my book, I will publish. When I pre-sell 200 copies of my book, I will also publish an audiobook. When I pre-sell 267 copies of my book, I will publish a hardcover edition.
I am also offering some exclusive rewards for people who pre-order my book now:
- You will receive a personally signed copy of my book when I publish.
- A Personal, handwritten thank you note for pre-ordering my book
- Your Name will appear in a Special, Acknowledgements Section of my book (“with Special Thanks to”)
- Early access to the Introduction of my Book and my entire manuscript, with the opportunity to review it and give me early feedback
- The opportunity to help give me feedback and be involved in selecting my cover
- And more...
About the Author
Cady Hammer is a college student studying history and anthropology at the College of William and Mary. Cady spent much of her childhood coming up with stories and plays to put on with her friends and her younger sister, Morgan. Everything from a story about a girl locked in a tower that she and her friends performed in the sandbox, to Uglydoll stories amid the highest playground structure, and plenty of doll plays with her sister (though Cady will never take credit for the few she came up with; she prefers to let people think Morgan is the only one with the crazy ideas).
She wrote her first novel when she was eleven years old between classes and during her lunch period (a piece of work that will never again see the light of day), and since then, she has been determined to publish a book someday. She constantly toyed around with ideas from contemporary romance to dramatic adventure stories until she finally settled on writing a fantasy novel, which really, she always knew would eventually be her desired genre. Cady Hammer is so excited to bring Chasing Fae to the world, the incredible fantastical culmination of a two-year effort.
For more information you can connect with Cady at cadyahammer@gmail.com, on her website at www.fluffaboutfantasy.com, or on her social media platforms on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Risks & Challenges
The biggest challenge with publishing a book is delivering the finished book to the backer, specifically my mailing of the book to you. I have eliminated this risk by building into the campaign the mailing and shipping costs of your signed copies to you within each pre-order tier.
The risk of delivering the pre-sale copies of my book is contingent on the publisher we use. I will be working closely with New Degree Press to make sure we get the earliest possible ship date of the signed book copy to you. We will keep all pre-sale backers up-to-date as my book hits each key milestone and publishes. You will know when the copies of my book you pre-ordered are expected to ship.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:
- Please Share my Pre-sale Campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with your friends, family and network. Please use #ChasingFae and tag me as well as my publisher, New Degree Press so we can help amplify your efforts.
- You can easily share my Pre-Sale Campaign Page via Indiegogo at the top of the page
- Please share my book to 5 friends, family members, or co-workers who you think would enjoy it. Please do this as a text message or Direct Message on social media.
Thank you so much of all of your love and support!
Best,
Cady Hammer