To celebrate this little milestone, I thought it might be fun to share the assets I created for the pitch proposal of WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON before it went out on submission. As those who have been following along for a while know, being the illustrator for this story wasn’t always a given, but my wise agent Saritza Hernández encouraged me to prepare some sketches that would help convince prospective publishers that an illustrated novel was a risk worth taking — and I’m so glad I did!
I had about a week or so to pull the art together which is why they’re a bit rough, and as those who have held the physical ARC can attest to, we made different decisions about the artistic treatment of the interiors that better served the look and feel we were going for. That said, even after all this time, I enjoy looking at these as a reminder that some risks are worth taking. You just never know what’s possible!
I’ll always be grateful to Diana Pho, Erewhon Books & Kensington Books for taking a chance on a fully illustrated queer historical romantasy. I hope you’ll take a chance on it too when it releases in two weeks!
Happy release day (and belated birthday) to my dear friend @vkelleyart!
I was so happy to be able to get an early release of this book at Awesome Con a few weeks ago. I haven’t had a chance to dive in yet (wordplay intended), but I still wanted to take a moment to share this absolutely gorgeous book on my feed. I mean, just look at all of these wonderful details. This is definitely one of the most unique books on my shelves (and I have a crap load of books, y’all).
Venessa, I am so proud of you. I know how much work you put into the creation of this book. You deserve every bit of success I’m sure will come from these beautiful characters.
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
Voting ended onJul 12, 2025
Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:
The Sworn Soldier series (What Moves the Dead, What Feasts at Night, What Stalks the Deep) by T. Kingfisher
When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruravia.
What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.
Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
Endorsement from submitter: "One of those books I instantly knew would be an all-time favorite. It’s an absolutely beautiful, moving story about belonging, guardedness and trust, the way we hold ourselves captive, and letting go of the breath you’ve been holding. The historical time period of turn-of-the-century Coney Island is meticulously researched and exceptionally brought to life. With illustrations from the author sprinkled throughout, the book itself is a thing of beauty—trust me, you’ll want a physical copy for this one!"
Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River.
More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.
Releasing Río could mean losing his found family, his new home, and his soulmate forever. Yet Benny’s courageous choice may just reveal a love strong enough to free them both.
I got to read an ARC of this book and now I have it in my hands!!!
This book captured me.
There is so much beauty in it. Beauty in the poetry and lyricism of the words themselves, sure, but also beauty in the messages and crafting and patterns throughout the story; like rhyme and meter in scenes and themes, rather than in syllables and sounds, and how fitting for a story of a siren to be told like a song.
The secrets are dropped like precious pearls, each one drifting lazily through the currents until they nestle in the sands in the depths of the heart. Perfectly timed and elegantly delivered--foreshadowed enough to be guessed at in some cases, and in others, unexpected and all the more beautiful for it. Nothing in the book feels unearned or forced, like the push and pull of a gentle tide, tugging the reader further and further out to sea, drifting safe in the arms of the Currents.
I both long for more of this world and these characters, to know more of the detail of the Currents and the society of mers, and also am so blissfully content with the amount that is shown. The cast is rich and diverse and authentic, every single character shining in their own voice on the page whether their accent is represented in their words or not. The found family feels real, as does the way they find themselves, and comparisons of the book to The Greatest Showman are not unearned. There is a beating, beautiful heart to this story and it bleeds from every pore with what it means to love, to know oneself, to be free.
This book takes my highest honour which is--I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Delighted to have picked up When The Tides Held The Moon yesterday! Seventy pages in and I'm enchanted. @vkelleyart has truly elevated this story. And I've never seen a novel so beautifully presented. So far, worth every penny!
