The Indie Fantasy Club Awards
Design of Darkness has won a ‘Hidden Gem Award’ from the Indie Fantasy Club (IFC)!
This is a fledgling award launched this year by the creator of the Indie Fantasy Club channel on YouTube. Given to books that meet a standard set of criteria, the award matches the IFC rating (of which, Design of Darkness received a 9.1 out of 10) with the book’s reach as an independent/self-published work.
Design of Darkness received a Ruby tier award, which is the second highest tier behind only the coveted Diamond award, which this year went to Rotten Gods by Jeremy Bruce Adams.
Congratulations, Jeremy! And thank you to the IFC for the honor.
Progress Report
We are quickly approaching the reveal for the first new cover in The Tides That Reign series re-launch.
Illustrated by the incredible Maria Areta (@marosar_art on Instagram), this beautiful piece is just the first of three gorgeous designs that truly capture both the grandeur and intimacy of the story.
It bears repeating that these fantastic covers will be made available first through my Kickstarter in Q1 of 2026. I highly encourage you to support my campaign to get your hands on these stunning editions.
Elsewhere, the copyedits for book 3, Before the Ghost Sea, are nearing completion. This is the final step in the editing process before I can begin designing the interior files for all formats.
If you would like to receive a FREE e-book Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review, sign up to join my Street Team! Advance reviews are some of the best tools Indie Authors can use to generate excitement for their books.
Robby Recommends
We’ve got a RELEASE DAY recommendation this time around!
Invasive, the latest sci-fi thriller by Sheila Jenné, is sure to get your blood pumping.
Robin chose to join a new colony to give her children a safe home and wide-open spaces. But soon it becomes clear that this planet doesn’t welcome them, and the colony’s religious leadership isn’t to be trusted.
When Robin ventures into the forest to find out what threatens her people, she finds the line between peaceful pilgrims and rapacious invaders is thinner than she realized.
Perfect for fans of Sue Burke’s Semiosis, Invasive is out today!
RD Pires 