They made her a monster, so she became their worst nightmare.

Cora Ravenell has survived the loss of her family, her home, her name, even her freedom. Her enemies have tried to strip away everything she cares about, but she's not giving up.

Set against the backdrop of an oppressive Empire, the Lady Raven series is a rich coming-of-age fantasy, where the damsel in distress must become the hero of her own story. Swashbuckling adventure and flying pirate ships meet ancient magic and dark secrets.

It all begins in Lady Raven, the story of a young noblewoman forced to become a pirate and an outlaw after her mother is accused of treason. Cora Ravenell seeks out allies and forbidden magic, while her former fiancee is conscripted to lead the hunt against her.

In Red Skies, Cora leads her pirate crew to join the growing Rebellion against the Empire, and must master her new powers before they consume her, while somehow helping to turn a scattered band of insurgents into an army.

In Blackened Wings, the Empire shows its might and exacts merciless revenge upon the Rebellion. Cora and her crew must embark on a desperate mission to find the last masters of the ancient magical arts, and discover a way to stop the Emperor's latest devastating weapon.

And now, in The White Raven, when all seems lost, Cora must fight harder than she ever has before. The Rebels are scattered. The Emperor is on the verge of victory. Cora is alone, and all but broken. Will she succumb to her ordeal, or find the strength to rise again and take flight one last time?

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About:

The White Raven will be my seventh published novel. I have already released an urban fantasy trilogy, The Memory Wars, with WiDo Publishing, and I ventured into self-publishing with Lady Raven in 2014. In 2015, I released the sequel, Red Skies, and Blackened Wings came the following year. 

On my website, the first thing visitors will see under my name is the phrase "Stories to show that monsters can be beaten." This is the core foundation of all my work. I believe stories, particularly adventure stories, are important for showing us that we can be better people. When we read an adventure story, we stop thinking and start feeling. We get swept up in the excitement and emotion, forgetting about the ordinary world. In essence, we join the hero on their journey through the world fantastic. When we return, as does the hero, we bring with us what we've learned. We can take lessons from stories and apply them to our own lives.

With the Lady Raven series, I explore themes of religion and myth, and how they can be used both to oppress and to educate. The Empire Cora has grown up in is fiercely patriarchal, and treats women as little better than property. It also subjugates other nations, assured of its divine right to rule over "lesser" peoples. 

During this campaign I'll be posting updates with excerpts from the first three books in the series, as well as tidbits from the new book. The cover art above was all made by me, and while I'm proud of them, I know they make the books stand out as self-published. I want to give the series every chance it deserves, and that means accepting my own creative limitations. I have a great artist lined up, and I'm confident the new covers will blow everyone away.

What I'm asking for is your help to bring Cora's story to as many readers as possible. I've learned a lot from her over the last few years, facing my own monsters and learing my own hidden strengths. 

And for those of you who've been with me all the way, or who just prefer the original covers, don't worry. I'll be including pledge levels that let you get the complete matching set.

Monsters can be beaten

I've opted for the flexible funding option, which means that even if I don't hit my target, your contribution will still go towards the release of The White Raven and the re-launch of the series. The White Raven is currently under revisions before going to my editor, and I'm aiming for a release in July. With your help, I can bring this saga to a fitting close.

"Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen. A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever. A happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story." - Prince Lir, The Last Unicorn