I couldn’t wait that long (just a couple days) but it’s here! Isn’t the cover beautiful?

The prototype was emailed to me just this past Saturday, and we had some going back-and-forth, but I fell in love with this immediately. If you haven’t been able to tell, purple is one of my favorite colors, and this book just worked out that way.

The Name and the Key, the first book in The Darkening Gate, releases July 21, 2026. The eBook is available for preorder now. I originally thought we weren’t going to do preorders this time around, so this is a pleasant surprise, because preorders really help a book succeed.

According to Book Riot,

When you preorder a book, it’s a clear message to the publisher that there is demand for that author’s work, that series, and those characters.

Publishing first and foremost is a business, so if they see buzz and growing numbers surrounding a book–especially that of a lesser-known author’s–it’s a really good sign that the book’s run may be successful.

Penguin Random House says,

For an author, pre-orders can alert retailers and consumers that they should pay attention to your book. From the bookseller perspective, the pre-order quantity is a good early indicator of a book’s success, and can lead to retailers increasing their initial orders.

Additionally, pre-orders can have a ripple effect in the broader publishing industry, and a pre-publication buzz campaign in support of pre-orders can build anticipation for your book launch, allowing you to carry momentum through the weeks following your on-sale date. 

If you want to show The Name and the Key (and The Darkening Gate trilogy) some love, please preorder the eBook now! The book is currently being formatted, so the paperback will be available a little later. But go ahead and jump on that eBook now!