It's Here! D.M. Cain's 'The Phoenix Project' Just Re-Released!
The brand new edition of dystopian, psychological thriller The Phoenix Project by D.M. Cain has just be re-released! Originally published in May 2014, this new Booktrope edition has had a complete editing overhaul plus a stunning new cover design.
There are many other great changes and additions, so I'll let D.M. tell you in her own words:
The Phoenix project was originally released through Amazon KDP in May 2014. This was my first novel and I was doing everything on my own, tentatively finding my way around the independent publishing world. Although I was happy with the first edition release, I still felt that there were things that could be improved. I just didn't know how to go about changing them! In January 2015, I submitted to US publisher Booktrope and was accepted. This began the nine month-long process of thoroughly re-editing the content and redesigning the front cover. The finished result is now significantly better than the original version!
So, what exactly has changed from the first to the second edition?
My editor and I felt that, although Raven's character was explored thoroughly, some of the secondary characters needed a little more back-story. Due to this, young Italian terrorist Alexia, and Khan, the poster boy of Salverford, are now much more developed. We learn more about Khan's childhood, where he comes from and why he is the way he is. I also took the time to explain more about Alexia's faith and the psychological impact of the horrific events she witnessed as a child.
One of the comments that I received frequently about the book was that Raven's character was complex and deep, however, he did a little too much moping! Some people found him unlikeable and so the character is still moody, dark, silent and depressed, but now he whines less about his predicament and is less self-indulgent!
Around 20,000 words have been cut from the first edition to the second edition and a lot of this was due to repetition. Upon reading through the book again, I felt that some plot points could be more subtle. I even totally removed two or three chapters that focused entirely upon Raven's thought processes and instead incorporated this information throughout action scenes to maintain the readers’ interest.
The biggest change to The Phoenix Project is the epilogue. Loved and detested by readers in equal measure, it was always a point of contention. Some felt it polished the book off nicely, other felt it ruined it! Therefore, I decided to put more emphasis on the final chapter before the epilogue and turned this into a conclusive ending, and remove the epilogue entirely. However, after the final chapter there is a note to the reader where I mention that the controversial epilogue can still be accessed on my website for any readers who felt short-changed!
All of these changes plus the general improvements in editing, proofing and cover design have significantly improved this book and I can now say that I am satisfied with the finished product!
I would love to know what readers feel about the changes from the first to the second editions so why not take a look and drop me a line to let me what you think?
The book is available to buy from a wide range of digital and paperback distributors, including Amazon:
Author: D.M. Cain
Title: The Phoenix Project
Genre: Psychological thriller/Dark thriller/Dystopian
Book Content: Occasional adult language, graphic violence, and mild sexual content.
Original Cover Design from the first edition:
Synopsis:
How can you fight to the death, when you’ve given up on life?
A thought provoking and compelling dystopian world that will change the way you view justice...
A man fights for life—and redemption—in D. M. Cain’s riveting re-released novel, The Phoenix Project.
Britain has descended into chaos as violence and terrorist attacks seethe across this once-peaceful country. Outraged by the steady stream of lawlessness, citizens demand a harsher penal system, and the Phoenix Project is born.--+
In prisons across the country, inmates fight to the death in a weekly bloodbath while the nation cheers them on.
Raven Kennedy, a prisoner who has never forgiven himself for his unspeakable crime, struggles against his own guilt and self-loathing. But even as the real war wages on within himself, Raven is forced to battle some of the prison’s most ruthless killing machines. Can he survive long enough to unravel the anger and regret that shackle him—and one day find the forgiveness he seeks?
‘The Phoenix Project by D.M. Cain is a superbly written debut, soaked in tension and intrigue,’ Jack Croxall, author of the ‘Tethers’ trilogy.
An interesting fact about The Phoenix Project: The horrifying ‘dark room’ in The Phoenix Project (a pitch-black sensory deprivation cell) was inspired by D.M. Cain’s visit to the Terror Haza in Budapest—a museum dedicated to the fascistic and communistic regimes that operated from the building. In the cellar of the Terror Haza are the old cells used to imprison and torture inmates. D.M. crawled inside a very low cell and shut the door, casting herself into total darkness. It was terrifying and claustrophobic, and she only lasted five minutes in there!
D.M. Cain Biography
D.M. Cain is a dystopian and fantasy author working for US publisher Booktrope. She has released three novels: The Phoenix Project - a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future, Soren – a middle-grade fantasy, and A Chronicle of Chaos – the first in a dark fantasy series. She is currently working on the next novel in the series, 'The Shield of Soren', and a novella to accompany it.
D.M. Cain is also a member of the International Thriller Writers and is one of the creators and administrators of the online author group #Awethors. Her short story ‘The End’ was published in Awethology Dark – an anthology by the #Awethors.
Cain lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband and young son, and spends her time reading, writing and reviewing books, playing RPGs and listening to symphonic metal.
Links
Website: www.dmcain84.com
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/XevZH
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195A6AYK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMCain84
