Well, this past month has been yet another roller coaster of chaos. Thankfully, it’s been the good kind (mostly, anyway). Today I’m pretty useless at work because I’m hella distracted by book updates, and I’m thrilled to share with you another little tale of impossible encounters. But first. . . the book is available for pre-order on Amazon! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Llewellyn’s marketing team wrote a delightfully flattering synopsis, and I’m thrilled to finally be able to share this with you! Loki and Sigyn: Lessons on Chaos, Laughter, and Loyalty from the Norse Gods will be released on 08 Feb 2022!

!!!!!!!!

I recently hinted at a clue about the cover art. It’s no secret that Hellanim on DeviantArt has long been my favorite heathen artist. I’ve got many of her framed prints in my house (and someday they’ll make their way onto the walls. It’s been several years, but someday. . . ), and I’ve shared a lot of her work on this blog, as well. In preparation for the launch meeting, I was asked to send images for inspiration so the art department had an idea of what kind of look I wanted for the cover. Naturally, most of the images were Hellanim’s. My editor asked if I happened to know the artist personally, but alas, the DA profile was the only thing that came up, and I couldn’t find any contact info whatsoever.

Of course, when Loki wants something, he’ll make it happen. I’m no stranger to his influence and interference, and people in my life have learned a thing or two about how persistent he can be. As always, I apologize to anyone who has to deal with him because of me. He’s a delight, but he can be a bit much, and while I knowingly entered into oath with him, I always feel a little bad when others are haunted by him for a bit. E once accused me (in the most loving way) of being a “Lokian frat boy, spreading Loki like an STD,” and to be fair, I can’t defend myself against that. I don’t actively try to Preach and Witness the Word of Loki, but being Oathbound to the Bound God does seem to entail a lot of Loki energy leaking out into other people’s personal bubbles. It’s a wonder I have any friends.

In any case, shortly after the launch meeting and the query about how to get in touch with the mysterious Hellanim, I opened my Facebook app and was greeted with a post by the artist herself! I just happened to hop online 2 minutes after she’d made her first post to a Loki group I follow. I’ve never in my life smashed the friend request button so hard and so fast. Amazingly, she immediately accepted, so of course I sent a message full of fangirl glee with the vague promise there was a point to all of it. Told her about the book, got her contact info, and sent it to my editor with the frantic hopes that Llewellyn would reach out to her and offer her a deal.

Y’all, aside from the author photo nonsense (ugh), the cover art for the book was my biggest worry. I’ve seen some bad book covers, and I was terrified that this book, this gift for Loki and Sigyn, would have an utterly cringe-tastic cover. Hellanim turned that fear into ecstasy when she told me she was entrusted with the cover art. Hail the gods, now I just had to wait patiently to see the sure-to-be GLORIOUS results. So. Freaking. Excited.

She lives half a world away, and despite years of my obsessing over her artwork, I’ve never had any idea how to get in touch with her. Then one happy day while working on revisions, our paths crossed and the rest is history. In this instance, I’m not entirely sure if it’s a case of Loki getting what he wants or if he was just throwing me a bone, but either way I’m blissed out. The Twerp’s been pretty hands-on with a lot of things involving this book, making it more of a whirlwind adventure than I anticipated, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he also wanted his beloved Hellanim to be involved with this gift for him and Sigyn. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is A Thing he wanted, or else it wouldn’t have played out the way it did.

Yesterday, I was delighted to discover the Amazon listing for the book, and this morning I was even more excited to see it on Goodreads. . . with the cover art! I’ve been absolutely insufferable all day because I’m so overjoyed with the art, and it’s an extraordinary honor to have my name share space with Hellanim’s talent. She did an updated, reworked painting of my all-time favorite piece of hers, the painting of Loki and Sigyn that I display at public altars and ves.

Honestly, my head is still spinning from the blessings that I’ve savored these last several months. I’m somewhat anxious wondering when the other shoe will drop, but I’ll appreciate every moment I can while I can. I’m more grateful than ever for Loki’s influence in my life and for Sigyn’s love and loyalty, and I really, truly hope that this book is well received by others who love them.

Hail Loki! Hail Sigyn! Hail the gods and goddesses all!