In which we reveal the cover for The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper by Carlie St. George
Today we are thrilled to share with you the cover of The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper by Carlie St. George, the first novelette in a series of three interconnected stories in The Spindle City Mysteries.
Without further ado, BEHOLD! The smugglerific cover!
About the Story
It was half past eleven when I saw her. She was standing at the top of the staircase, with restless fingers and defiant eyes, wrapped in blue silk that clung to her hips.
Jimmy Prince is a private detective with a tendency to make bad decisions, take on hopeless cases, and ask too many questions. But no one is answering his inquiries about Ella, the mysterious dame who slipped into the Prince family gala, stayed for a dance, then disappeared at midnight leaving just a single bloody glass slipper behind.
With the help of his trusty assistant Jack (a street-savvy teen runaway who is as tough as she is resourceful), Jimmy finally catches a break when one of Spindle City’s most powerful players, the Godmother, lets slip that Ella is part of a much larger conspiracy and not at all who she seems. With every new clue, Jimmy finds himself a step farther down a path that threatens to uncover some of the city’s best kept, and most deadly, secrets.
In Spindle City, all kinds of tales get told… for a price. Asking the wrong question is a guaranteed one-way ticket to the long and silent ever after.
Taking on this new case might just be Jimmy Prince’s biggest mistake yet.
A Word From Your Friendly Neighborhood Editors (and Book Smugglers)
The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper was originally submitted to us during our first-ever open call for short stories under our “Subversive Fairy Tales” theme. We fell for the story hard and fast–not only did it fit the theme with its masterful subversion of the classic Cinderella fable, but it also introduced us to a tantalising noir-inspired world, featuring an abundance awesome characters and fantastic writing.
We immediately knew three things about this first story, The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper:
First, that the hard-boiled, Chandler-esque detective angle was fun, authentic and addictive as hell–not to mention the conceit and narrative voice pairs perfectly with fairy tales;
Second, that the combination of Jimmy Prince, street-savvy sidekick Jack, and a deadly dame like Ella–who actually needs no saving–was intoxicating and addictive;
And Third, that there was SO MUCH POTENTIAL here for MORE.
Being the greedy, conniving Book Smugglers that we are, we decided not just to acquire Bloody Slipper, but commissioned two additional novelettes set in the same universe, following detective Jimmy Prince and his friends.
Suffice it to say, we’re very excited about these stories.
About the Author: Carlie St. George
Carlie St. George is a Clarion West graduate whose work has been published in Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Shock Totem, and Shimmer. Her obsession with noir can be linked to unfulfilled career aspirations as a private detective, and a love of stylish hats. Her obsession with fairy tales can be blamed almost entirely on her sister. Follow Carlie online on her website mygeekblasphemy.com.
About the Artist: Melanie Cook
Melanie Cook is an illustrator, concept artist and writer. She has produced storyboards for the likes of Ridley Scott Associates and concept art for the award-winning short film Payload and the science fiction project Restoration. Her current projects include The Tyger and the forthcoming webcomic The Death of Negative Man. You can find her on Twitter (@melicook), Tumblr (melliecook.tumblr.com) or her personal website www.melaniecook.com.
How to Get the Story
The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper will be published officially on November 3, 2015. You’ll be able to read the story in full for free here on The Book Smugglers, but we’ll also have a DRM-free ebook (EPUB & MOBI) that contains the story, a Q&A and an essay from the author, as well as fun extra materials about the series available for purchase on all major ebook retail sites.
Preorder the Ebook
Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords
Need a copy *right* now? Want to read it *today*? You can buy it directly from us!
Add the book on Goodreads, and read The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper for free online on November 3, 2015.
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“The Case of the Little Bloody Slipper” – Cover Reveal and Pre-Order! | My Geek Blasphemy
October 13, 2015 at 12:08 pm[…] exactly three weeks (November 3rd), and today the cover art by Melanie Cook has been unveiled here. I got a sneak peek at the cover a while ago, and guys, I was totally blown away by just how […]