Looking forward to DC Petterson's Lupa Bella

Okay, I'm pleased as punch about Lupa Bella by DC Petterson. David and I've known each other for ages, and we recently worked together on his novel, A Melancholy Humour, which was published as an ebook through Lyrical Press. Seriously, if you're looking for a contemporary werewolf novel that recalls the very classic styles of masters such as Alice Borchardt and SP Somtow, *do* pick this book up. I promise you'll enjoy it if wolves are your thing. But back to Lupa Bella. It goes as follows...

For a thousand years, the de Luna family has protected the slopes of Santo Stefano from the outside world. Magic wanders through the woodlands, electricity is but a distant rumour, and werewolves are still secretly fostered to human families. It is 1962, and that’s all about to change. One young wolf struggles to understand the threats of the new age, while protecting her brother, her lover, her secret, her birthright, and the feudal lord who still knows the Old Ways.

What must she lose, and what will survive?

Lupa Bella is being released in the Tales of Darkness and Dismay line, which falls under the Dark Continents Publishing umbrella. Lupa Bella is a historical fantasy novel that DC Petterson wrote as a bit of prequel about his wolves, if you will. You don't have to read the books in order, but they are definitely complementary.

In addition, DC Petterson is the author of Still Life (Lillibridge Press) in addition to A Melancholy Humour. He says: “I wanted to tell a compelling story about the tragedy of abandoning our instinctual, sensual, animal nature in the face of technology and so-called ‘progress’. If we deny our animal selves, we lose our humanity. Passion drives us whether we acknowledge it or not, and passion repressed is a sterile psychosis. We fear and shun the beast, yet turning away from her leads always to greater sins and worse horrors. This can’t be expressed as a rational argument; it has to be told as a seductive tale.”

The cover illustration is by non other than the rather talented Milan Colovic, who's a very talented artist currently operating out of Serbia. He's an absolute dream to work with, and if you're looking for high-quality art, go find him here at eLance. I'll certainly be sending work his way again. Cover treatment and layout is by none other than the awesomely fantastic Donnie Light, who knows the ins and outs of formatting too. If you're stuck for someone to help you produce your novel for indie publishing, he's your go-to man. Drop him a mail and tell him I referred you.

Well, folks, there you have it. Lupa Bella releases on October 31 and will be available in ebook format as well as in print via Amazon. Now go stalk David on Twitter and tell him I sent you.