Cover Reveal: The Headlock Of Destiny (Titan Wars #1) by Samuel Gately

(Artwork courtesy of Rumbleslam kickstarter)

“The watching crowd held its breath as the Savage circled Troll-Blooded Thom, waiting to pounce. Cold mountain air wove between the two titans. The mat below them creaked and whispered with their heavy steps. The long fight was nearly done. The mighty titans stared at each other, moving in slow circles, until one showed the slightest downturn of the eyes, a glimmer of fear. The Savage smiled. Troll-Blooded Thom was his.”

Cover reveal time! I love cover reveals. I think one of the things that keeps me coming back to fantasy as my favorite genre again and again is the visual art that accompanies the medium. And one of my favorite parts of being a indie author is the opportunity to work with killer artists myself. To paint them a picture of what I want, realize I have no idea what I’m talking about, and then watch them deliver something totally unexpected yet still exactly what I wanted.

The Headlock of Destiny starts with those few lines above, and that theme of being alone in the midst of a crowd, lost in the lights, runs throughout the book. I had no idea how to capture that sentiment while taking care of the core business of the illustration – showing that this is about giant monsters/men beating the hell out of each other. I’ve worked with Dominik Mayer before, though, and I knew if any artist could nail it he could. I’m thrilled with what he’s done in his illustration. Note the flags hanging over the titan’s shoulder, a nod to the weight of nations watching the struggle. The way the yellow streaks crossing the titans hint at spotlights and elevate the sense of danger.

And I need to give a final thanks to HumbleNations for the custom typology. This book is an epic fantasy/pro wrestling mash-up (I know, yet another one of those) and I really liked the idea of locking that down with a championship belt theme for the title. Very happy with the results.

So with no further ado, here is the cover for The Headlock of Destiny, followed by the book’s blurb. I hope you are intriguedenough to check it out...

Pre-order The Headlock Of Destiny over HERE

Official Book Blurb: Some say titans are descended from giants. Others say they are risen from men. But there’s never any debate about where to find them. They will be in the center of a roaring crowd, beating the hell out of each other. From contenders like the Savage and Scott Flawless to pretenders like Richard the Living Portrait and Troll-Blooded Thom, a titan’s lot in life is the same: To wrestle for dominion and glory in the squared circle.

Van, a quiet titan from the brewery town of Headwaters, wants no part in this. He’d prefer to be left alone with a beer. But destiny has him in a headlock, and it is prepared to drag him into battles that will shake the land and change his world forever.

Step into the ring with this one-of-a-kind novel, brewed special for fans of epic fantasy, fans of professional wrestling from the Golden Era and beyond, or simply fans of a good tale.

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Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Night Of The Chalk
Pre-order The Headlock Of Destiny over HERE
Read "How Guitar Magazines Prepared Me for the Traditional vs. Self-Publishing Debate" by Samuel Gately (Guest Post)

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Samuel Gately is a fantasy writer. His Spies of Dragon and Chalk series imagines a world where James Bond carries a sword and works for a dragon army.