Phantom Cover reveal
Tour date:
Monday, March 25
genre:
Dark academia,
retelling,
romance
The Muses have made a habit of damning those they inspire—Phantom knows this, but Maeve Johnson does not.
Book Release Date: August 20
Spice Level: Low to moderate
WHAT YOU’LL FIND:
Love Interest falls first, Main Character falls harder
Hidden identity
"Who did this to you?"
Emotional hurt x comfort
Dark art academia
Almost entirely LGBTQIA+ cast
Mental health & disability rep
Synopsis:
Disheartened by the lack of support and recognition she receives from her friends and family, Maeve is overjoyed when an anonymous user leaves an online comment praising her artwork, thereupon changing her life forever.
Overnight, her world spirals into welcome chaos; she becomes a viral sensation and is accepted to a prestigious university for the arts. But when she arrives on campus, she quickly realizes that success and popularity aren’t at all what society chalked them up to be.
Feeling more lost than ever, Maeve considers walking away from painting altogether until she meets the mysterious orchestrator of her newfound popularity, Phantom, and rediscovers her passion for art. Through their friendship and rapidly budding romance, Maeve learns that fame and fortune can’t save you from your demons—but love and art can.
Author's Note:
"This is a story that has ensnared my heart since its conception. Though inspired by The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, it is an original story that explores similarly dark themes in a more modern and relevant light. When penning the first draft, I was haunted by a singular thought, a question I felt feverishly desperate to answer: What if the Phantom of the Opera was offered help?
As the author of this story, it is my responsibility to inform prospective readers of the sensitive material that is portrayed, described, or otherwise mentioned within these pages. This story contains portrayals of mental health disorders, suicidal ideation and attempt (on page 295) without gore, non-consensual confinement and abduction, non-consensual prescription drug use, physical harassment/assault, grief and bereavement, online harassment, alcohol use, and descriptions of past trauma that include instances of verbal and physical child abuse, cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as attempted date rape.
Please read with care and know that there are resources available to you, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), should you need immediate assistance with your mental health.
Additionally, it is important to note that many of the characteristics of the mental illnesses portrayed in this novel are done so fictitiously, and should not be analyzed in comparison to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This choice was made intentionally, as it allowed me to take symbolic and creative liberties to better serve the characters and their story.
While this is indeed a love story, its purpose is not to glorify the toxic nature of romantic relationships that can sometimes form between individuals with mental health disorders, but rather its purpose is to explore the nuances within these relationships while stressing the importance of seeking individual care and treatment. In a way, this is my love letter to anyone who feels unworthy of love due to the imbalance of chemicals in their brain. And it’s also a letter to those individuals’ partners, who love them regardless, because they know what I do: That we are so much more than the product of our trauma.
Life is hard. Sometimes love is even harder. But I hope that between the pages of this story, you find a reason to keep fighting for both."
