The Hearth and the Stone
by E.C. Ibes
Pakora has been summoned home for the Winter Harvest Festival. Her parents will be awaiting elegant offerings of spices, silks, gold, and copper to honor them. As a temple guard, Pakora has none of these expected riches. Only the Matriarch Goddess can help her now...
This Zoop campaign will bring this popular webcomic to print for the first time as a 200-page softcover graphic novel!
For fans of: a fantasy romance mix of “Ah! My Goddess” and “Spice and Wolf”
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The Hearth and the Stone
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Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone signed by the author!
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Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone signed by the author with a small sketch
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Softcover copy of The Hearth and the Stone, along with 2 exclusive postcards
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Digital full body sketch of an OC
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Story
For most people the Winter Festival is a time of dancing, drinking, and merriment. Many travel back to their hometowns to attend to the festivities, bringing gifts of silvers, furs, spices and wines for their families. Pakora, a temple guard, does not have the expected luxuries her parents want from her. What’s worse, she has no partner to being with her to be wed during the winter wedding ceremonies. Pakora remains the only unwed daughter, and her parents are not about to let her forget what a disappointment she is for it.
After putting off going home for the holidays for a few years, Pakora receives a message demanding her to attend this year’s festivities in her hometown of Morin. Reluctantly she agrees to make the journey back home. She decides she may as well face her parents’ wrath this year instead of holding it off for longer. That doesn’t mean she is going to leave the temple without leaving a prayer at the Stone Pillar of the Matriarch Goddess. Pakora pours out her fears and idly wishes for a bride to bring back home with her.
When she takes the trip down the mountain pass the next day she is surprised to find she has a stowaway, the Matriarch Goddess Audra herself! And if that’s not shocking enough, she’s claiming to be Pakora’s winter bride. Pakora, unbelieving at first, goes along with it. Slowly though, she finds herself drawing closer to the goddess, and digging up some pieces of her past she would rather leave alone.
Even with Audra by her side Pakora can’t help but feel dread mounting at the idea of facing her parents after putting it off for so long. After all, who would believe that the prodigal daughter could ever bring home a bride, let alone a goddess?
The Hearth and the Stone is a graphic novel that explores the ideas behind family expectations and self worth. It draws heavy inspiration from historical Normandy, viking myths, and romance novels. With the help of supporters like you The Hearth and the Stone will be able to be put onto bookshelves as a graphic novel!
Preview
The Book
The Hearth and the Stone will be printed in this book in its entirety, so you won’t have to worry about any cliffhangers! It will be a black and white, soft cover 6' x 9' graphic novel, approximately 200 pages. It will have several book exclusive chapter illustrations; and if we reach our stretch goal will include an exclusive epilogue!
Bio
E.C. Ibes is an illustrator and comic artist based in Minnesota. She’s been making webcomics since 2017, and has been published with Pomegranate Press and Tapas.io.
Testimonials
— Megan Comins, (Honey and Venom)
"E.C. Ibes has an incredible talent to intertwine the ordinary with the magical. All her stories manage to draw the reader in through relatable characters and worlds that feel inhabited and rich with life beyond what is drawn on the page. The Hearth and the Stone is no different. A story set in a world that seems rich with lore and myth, mixed with likable characters and an incredible attention to detail both in the character designs and the setting itself. E.C. Ibes writes stories that I want to linger in just a little longer than usual.
— Phineas Klier (Heirs of the Veil)
"E.C.Ibes is one of the most creative and talented comic creators I have ever worked with. It is always a pleasure to read her work, and The Hearth and The Stone is no exception. The Hearth and The Stone is a smart, funny, and sweet romance, and you will find yourself falling in love with the world and it's characters."
— Payton F (Help Wanted, Wola)
Stretch Goals
$4,600: New Merch, wooden pins
$5,600: Full color chapter covers
$6,600: Extra Chapter (Prologue)
Timeline
The Hearth and the Stone is a complete graphic novel. The last steps are to format the entire comic into a .PDF version that is accessible for both reading and printing. If the funding is completed I expect the .PDF version to be completed before the end of June.
Printing and mailing is a little more difficult to pin down due to COVID and possible delays due to shortages.
A few short answers to how this works.