The idea here is generate some merch for readers to buy.
The rules are simple - just send me (empire_of_thorns@yahoo.co.uk) a T-shirt design that includes the first line of any of my books. Let's avoid AI.
Remember that these custom T-shirt places put the design in a box on the front (sometimes back too), so whilst coiling stuff all around etc look great, they're not things I can implement.
Any design must be sent in with the understanding that I can use it on T-shirts, hoodies and similar. I don't expect to sell a significant number of these, so the prize is the sole reward.
The winner/s will get a free copy of their design on a garment, plus a signed book, chosen from my stock pile. And of course the endless honour of victory, the tears of the vanquished, and the knowledge that a handful of dedicated readers will sport your creativity on special occasions!
I will post the entries here.
#15-16 Rachel
#7-13 Jade
#6 Tammy G
#5 Tammy G
#4 Tammy G
#3 Regina
#2 Saeed
#1 Rae
Here are some examples from over the years:
First lines you might consider using:
Prince of Thorns
- Ravens! Always the ravens. They settled on the gables of the church even before the injured became the dead.
King of Thorns
- Open the box, Jorg. I watched it. A copper box, thorn patterned, no lock or latch.
Emperor of Thorns
- I failed my brother. I hung in the thorns and let him die and the world has been wrong since that night.
Prince of Fools
- I’m a liar and a cheat and a coward, but I will never, ever, let a friend down. Unless of course not letting them down requires honesty, fair play, or bravery.
The Liar’s Key
- Petals rained down amid cheers of adoration.
The Wheel of Osheim
- All I had to do was walk the length of the temple and not be seduced from the path.
Red Sister (prologue & chapter 1)
- It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.
- No child truly believes they will be hanged.
Grey Sister
- There are many poisons that will induce madness but none perhaps quite so effective as love.
Holy Sister
- Markus had grown beyond Nona’s expectations.
One Word Kill
- When Dr Parsons finally ran out of alternatives and reached the word ‘cancer’ he moved past it so quickly I almost thought I’d imagined it.
Limited Wish
- I never expected to die in a punt chase.
Dispel Illusion
- The two saving graces of explosions are that from the outside they’re pretty and from the inside they’re quick.
The Girl And The Stars
- In the ice, east of Black Rock, there is a hole into which broken children are thrown.
The Girl And The Mountain
- There had been a great fire and there had been a great flood.
The Girl And The Moon
- Yaz had walked on water her entire life, and now in this place where it fell molten from the skies they planned to drown her in the stuff.
The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (prologue & chapter 1)
- The first arrow hit a child.
- They named Livira after a weed.
The Book That Broke The World
- Being able to see the walls of your prison is a luxury that few are afforded. Make no mistake though: every one of us is trapped.
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