"With Blossoms Gold" by Hayden Wand -- Cover Reveal!

This is my first time participating in a "cover reveal" where an author gives us an advance look at the cover art for their upcoming release.  It's very exciting!  I've already read With Blossoms Gold as a part of the Once collection, but Hayden Wand is releasing it as a stand-alone work on April 2, 2017.

Before we get to the cover, here's the official synopsis:

She never wanted to leave the tower. He never wanted to rule the country.

Nella has lived quietly in her tower in the woods for over a decade. After dangerous accusations drove her and her grandmother away from their village, they escaped deep into the forest where no one would try to harm them. Now, after her grandmother's death, Nella is alone, and she is determined to stay that way. She has no patience for a world she deems judgmental and ignorant.

Or so she tells herself. In reality, her paralyzing fear prevents her from stepping foot outside of the tower.

Prince Benedict Allesandro is an adventurer- a rescuer who prides himself on saving the weak and unfortunate. When he hears rumors of a beautiful damsel trapped in a tower, he rushes to her rescue...only to find a woman who most definitely does not wish to be saved.

But when war breaks out, this reckless prince and reclusive maiden are faced with overcoming their deepest fears in order to determine not only their own fate, but that of their entire country.

Now, here's the cover:

Isn't it sumptuous?  I am agog.

Here are my own thoughts on With Blossoms Gold, which I posted previously as part of my review of Once as a whole:  

This is a Rapunzel retelling with some amazing twists.  For one, the girl hasn't been imprisoned in a tower, she's staying there for her own safety.   And for another, it tackles head-on what it's like to live with panic attacks.  I have friends who suffer from panic attacks, anxiety, and depression in one form or another, and I absolutely loved the way Hayden Wand compassionately described how debilitating these can be, what a real problem they are, how they are not just imaginary things people could "get over" if they tried hard enough.  Also, both of the main characters had wonderful character arcs and truly grew as people over the course of the story, facing fears, sacrificing things for each other, and ultimately learning to understand both each other and themselves so beautifully.  

If you want to add this to your GoodReads list, here's a link.  

And if you want to get to know Hayden better, she blogs here at A Singular and Whimsical Problem.  But here's her official author bio, if you're curious:  Hayden Wand is the author of the novel Hidden Pearls as well as the novella "The Wulver's Rose," which was published in the Five Enchanted Roses collection. A Christian and a 2012 homeschool graduate, she currently attends a local college where she studies history and haunts the campus library.