Things change, right?
When I originally wrote From the Wreckage it was a trilogy following small-town sweetheart, Jules, and a somewhat complicated ex-football player named West. As West’s story developed, I met Dani, the scarred girl with an intriguing view on life.
What’s up, Dani? I had to know, and thus, Into the Fire was born.
Soon I decided Austin, West’s seemingly put-together party boy brother needed his own tale, and I wanted to write a story about Jess, a newcomer to West and Jules’ lives, too. Okay, cool, three more books. I would spin them off and call them the Wrecked series. Appropriate, no? Books about wrecked people from the From the Wreckage world.
Dani came first. I had the amazing Regina Wamba of Mae I Designs create her cover and I never looked back.
That’s a lie.
After publishing Into the Fire, I found myself living with a bought of ‘you’re a fraud’ for the better half of a year. After the success of From the Wreckage, I was sure nothing would be good enough again. It took going back to my boy West for me to find happiness writing again. Thus, West: a From the Wreckage POV novel was born.
Firmly back in the Rutledge boys’ headspace, After the Fall, Austin’s story, came easy. What didn’t come as easy was realizing Into the Fire had never picked up traction with readers. Did it suck? Was it the cover, the blurb? There are no concrete answers, but seeing Dani’s story—one I am very attached to—flounder made me change my marketing decisions. Austin’s cover/title, and that of West’s book, needed to be themed the same as the original trilogy.
I wanted readers to KNOW these books were related. So, out went the idea of the Wrecked series and in came one continuous series of books.
I had my fabulous designer friend Designed by Starla reimage the entire series, except Into the Fire, and was happy. Unfortunately, Into the Fire was a beautiful exclusive shot and design created by Regina that I could not adjust to Starla’s design. I decided to sit on it for a while because it’s a beautiful design.
Fast forward to now. 2020 (what!?). The cover of From the Wreckage is very symbolic—Jules’ narrates the entire story from that chair. The backpack, super important—but does it fit the genre? Books, even freebies, are hard to sell these days. I’m not only an author. I’m a marketing manager, a PR person, an accountant. I run this shop we have dubbed Enchanted Ink Press so I must do what’s best for these characters and my business.
Back to the drawing board.
From the Wreckage now has a new cover shot. One I hope speaks to readers as to exactly what type of story I told. This is a love story. Yes, there is drama and realism and a natural disaster, but above all, it is a story of two people overcoming great odds and falling in love.
Since I changed From the Wreckage, I figured it was time to adjust Dani’s cover too. I’m so happy I did. The ENTIRE series now shares the same fonts and esthetics. It’s so easy to see their connection. I hope this change makes it easier for readers to identify as a brand.
So, I gave you that entire story to basically say From the Wreckage and Into the Fire have NEW pretty covers! And I have updated the reading order in the blurbs on all sites to read as follows:
The From the Wreckage series is a Young Adult to New Adult series with one trilogy and multiple character spin-offs. Please see the reading order below:
Jules and West's story
1. From the Wreckage
2. Out of Ruins
3. All that Remains
Spin-offs best read in order but CAN be read alone
4. West: A POV novel of From the Wreckage
5. Into the Fire: Dani's story
6. After the Fall: Austin's story
I am working with Amazon to get the series numbering correct. They have never had it right to begin with and they wouldn’t add Into the Fire to the series because the cover previously said Wrecked series on it. Sigh.
This is my life. These are the issues that keep me from writing new words. Hopefully, we’ll get it straight soon. Until then check out the pretties—
