Heads up– if you’re interested in my 1000 Words short stories, “Ashes” (a spin-off prequel for “Socks”) is available for free on Smashwords today and tomorrow as part of their Read An Ebook week. After that, it goes back to its usual .99 cent price. 🙂
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/249071
When rebels attack the city, two teens race to save the last existing library before it is destroyed.
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This is the third and final book cover for Rebekkah Ford’s Beyond the Eyes trilogy, as well as a few of the promo pieces I put together for it. You can see the wrap-around cover here: http://sbibb.deviantart.com/art/The-Devil-s-Third-Book-Cover-423981244?q=gallery%3ASBibb&qo=0
Facebook Banner:
Bookmarks:
A bit about the cover: All images are my own, and I used the camera’s timer to get a few shots of me posing for the main character. We had a couple different ideas to work from, and when the first didn’t work out, it turned out handy that I’d done a few standing poses as well. Side note for photography– it can help to take multiple angles and poses in case one doesn’t have the desired effect. Photoshop CS6 to blend everything and photomanipulate the hand reaching out from the text.
(See the the previous covers for the series: https://sbibb.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/dark-spirits-cover-reveal/ and http://sbibb.deviantart.com/art/Beyond-the-Eyes-Wrap-Around-309769699 )
And now for the review. 😀
Disclaimer: Paranormal romance isn’t my preferred genre, and therefore, my opinions may be skewed compared to that of someone who regularly enjoys paranormal romance.
Overall, an enjoyable read. The characters have a realness about them that I enjoyed, and the description of setting was wonderful. (Seriously, I read one passage that made me think I could smell a rainy autumn day. Descriptions that really engage the senses like that make me a happy camper).
My favorite part of the story was where Paige goes into Carrie’s memories (so-to-speak, trying not to give away spoilers). The visuals were awesome, the pace really picked up (the beginning was just a bit slow, but served well to remind me what happened in the previous book), and the plot revealed a few nice tid-bits of information about the dark spirits.
I also enjoyed the magic system and finding out more about their world and <spoiler>the different doorways Paige can open. I actually would have been interested in seeing more of the different dimensions</spoiler> but we also got to see other new abilities, as well, which I enjoyed reading about.
That being said, there were a few downsides for me. A minor thing, but I did notice more typos in this story than in the previous ones. Also, there were several times I felt like something convenient happened or wasn’t fully explained. In all fairness, I was reading this in ten minute intervals while on break at work, so my attention wasn’t completely focused. Might have been different if I’d been able to read it in longer intervals.
I didn’t really get into the romance between Nathan and Paige, but then, I don’t typically read stories for the romance. And Brayden… I still kind of want to strangle him. I did, however, like seeing more of Ameerah’s character, and I also liked seeing the new characters, like Pip.
For me, I think my favorite book out of this trilogy was actually Dark Spirits. I really liked the interactions between Bael and Paige in that story, but I liked seeing Paige’s new powers in this one. Overall, though, I think this was a good series that paranormal romance readers are likely to enjoy. 🙂
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Alert to cover designers using stock sites (nothing too horrible, just thought you might want to know):
I’ve been looking into the idea of doing premade book cover designs, and have thought about picking up a subscription plan at a stock site to do so. However, I was recently alerted to terms in several stock sites that make this a less feasible option. Subscription plans (at least at Dreamstime and Shutterstock) only include the basic or Royalty Free licences. Premade book covers are often considered “merchandise made for resale,” even if you plan to only sell them to one client. Different sites require different licences, so be sure to check with the site (possibly contact them directly, which I did), to check their terms of use.
I try to note any special terms (like number of copies permitted, and what an image can be used for) in my contract. 🙂
Just a heads up, whenever you’re planning on using stock sites, be sure to check their terms, and verify the terms that may be an issue for your work. For example, be warned that some stock sites don’t want their models being used on erotica book covers. You may want to go to a site specifically based on selling romance covers for models in this case. Same goes with “sensitive subjects.”
Either way, it doesn’t hurt to ask, and if you’re using your own photography or collaborating with another artist, premade covers shouldn’t be a problem. 🙂
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“Ashes,” my prequel short story to “Socks” (1000 Words project) is now available on Kindle. I’ve been meaning to upload it for some time, but never did. Until now! So, not only can you find it on Smashwords, you can also find it on Amazon for 99 cents. 🙂
A 7,500-word young adult, post-apocalyptic romance: When rebels attack the city, two teens race to save the last existing library before it is destroyed.
An Excerpt:
The sky is darker than I remember, and a shape forms above me, blurry. “Matthew?” I ask. My head smarts. I cough, tasting acrid smoke, and my fingers touch a sticky warmness on my forehead. There’s a cut there; I don’t remember why. The gray metal of a helicopter glints in the fire from the building a block away. The warning system is playing repeatedly, but for the life of me, I can’t tell what it says. A firm hand grips mine and then it’s Cory who yanks me to my feet, not Matthew. “Come on!” he says. “We’ve got to get inside.”
What else is there to do? He half drags me into the lobby of a restaurant. Traces of fresh pancakes and hot maple syrup and pungent coffee smells mix with the ashy gunpowder odor from outside. The place is astonishingly empty for the morning hour. We navigate past upturned chairs and coffee stains, broken mugs lying forgotten on the floor.
Then we’re in the kitchen, where thick ceramic tiles block out the sounds of chaos. Cory grabs the handle of the bunker and twists it, praying for it to turn. He pulls me to him, holding me tight as another explosion rattles the foundation. My head against his chest; his heart beat competes with the explosions like a drum.
“You okay, Serena?” he asks.
I’m not sure. “What happened?” I can’t seem to remember why Cory is here. All I know is that I trust him more than Matthew, and there’s a sickness in the pit of my stomach at the thought of the other.”
“Socks” is available on Smashwords for free
Enjoy. 🙂
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Hello there. You may have noticed my blog got slightly reorganized. Added a page for my short stories, removed the pages about my portrait work (can still be accessed via http://www.sbibbphoto.com), and redid the pricing page. Thought it was time to do a little organization. 🙂
The good news is that the pricing page should be easier to read, and also shows examples for the different types of book covers. If you’re looking for a new book cover, be sure to take a look. Prices start at $50.00 plus the cost of stock images.
Please let me know if there’s anything you’ve found particularly helpful on this blog, or anything you’d like to see more of. 🙂
Filed under Book Covers, Business Ventures, Personal Work, Photo Illustration, Writing
This is a cover for Barking Rain Press.
You can find information about the book here: http://www.barkingrainpress.org/products/eine-kleine-murder/
Stock from Shutterstock:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-8152831/stock-photo-music-with-antiqued-finish.html?src=lb-17693636
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-70536322/stock-photo-black-ink-spill-near-red-pen-on-table.html?src=lb-17693636
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-127477826/stock-photo-conductor-s-baton-and-music-score.html?src=lb-17693636
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-114364699/stock-photo-vintage-heart-chain-locket.html?src=lb-17693636
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-58387336/stock-photo-open-bottle-of-red-ink-isolated-on-white.html?src=lb-17693636
Photoshop CS6.
For this cover, the Photoshop puppet warp tool came in extremely handy. If you want to know what I mean, take a look at the stock photos, the locket in particular. That chain was straight when I started, but I wanted it to curve around the baton, as if it were laying against a table. Yay for photoshop. Also applied various filters and did overlay for dodging and burning, and even added in the shadows on the inkwell. 🙂
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This is cover for Melange Books.
Had a bit of fun with this one, since I’d done something similar with the numbers effect before, and it gave me a chance to work with more of a “movie cover” style image. 😀
Photoshop CS6.
Stock Photos from Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-man-holding-gun-image24841327
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-seattle-skyline-sunset-washington-state-image16298240
For my bits of insight on this one, I’d say that this is one that reminded me of playing with style and effects with lighting. I got really lucky with the stock image of the man, which is extremely sharp. However, when I was first creating the image, the draft felt a bit dull and lifeless. For whatever reason, I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t looking like the earlier covers I’d created.
This was the final proof I’d created, before we’d decided to use the stocks. Problem was, it wasn’t popping.
So I went back through my old portfolio and looked to see what was different. The one that really stood out to me was a cover I did for my 1000 Words project: http://sbibb.deviantart.com/art/The-Magician-Cover-297327050?q=gallery%3Asbibb%2F33403924&qo=4
Then it hit me. I went back to the Project Northwest cover, and applied the same type of lighting techniques (using overlay to dodge and burn, as well as the high past filter for sharpness). It made a world of difference. I guess the moral of the story is, sometimes it’s good to look back at what you’ve done in the past to see what did and didn’t work, and lighting can make a scene completely different. 🙂
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Hello, there. Uploading another cover for Melange Books.
This is a bit different from my usual covers, in that only one photo was used (though I did do a bit of manipulation to it), and I used the color overlay and texture to add special effect to it. Photoshop CS6.
Stock Photo from: Dreamstime: http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-roundup-image12597472
As a sidenote, since I’m wanting to get back into adding bits of insight I gathered from the project when I post these covers, I thought I’d share a few things.
With this being a single photo, I went about the process a bit differently than usual. The author wanted a picture of a working cowboy, so I ended up selecting a stock photo and choosing a single element to focus on (take a look at the original, linked above, and you’ll notice there were originally more cowboys in the picture). I also did some photoshop to edit the man’s appearance to make him look a bit more like the character she described in the book, then added special lighting and effects. Just because it was a single photo didn’t mean it couldn’t benefit from some editing, especially to give it a more romantic look (the book is a romance).
Not only that, but I also played more with text placement and creating a border overlay. I was reminded of how some covers will have that border around them, and wanted to play with that idea.
Anyways, I hope this has been helpful. 🙂
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Just thought I’d mention that Peter Kassan, the author of Lightpoints (I did the cover) has recently posted a blog post about the cover creation process. Thought others might be interested. 🙂
Read about the process here: http://peterkassan.com/2013/03/blog/
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Hello, everybody. Today we have an interview with Rebekkah Ford, the author of Beyond the Eyes, and most recently, Dark Spirits. For today’s interview, we’ll look at both Dark Spirits and the self-publishing process. So, without further ado, please welcome Rebekkah Ford to the blog! 😀
***
What was the inspiration for Dark Spirits?
Well, the whole series was created from an idea I came up with from the beginning. The movie that scares me the most—The Exorcist, my love for history, my experience with the paranormal world, and the out-of-box ideas I have about it.
Was it easier or more challenging to write Dark Spirits than Beyond the Eyes?
I think it was harder because I had to recount some of the things I wrote in Beyond the Eyes to keep the continuity of it all and to remind readers of events that happened in that first book. It’s more time consuming I think.
Who is your favorite character to write?
Nathan. He’s fun to write, and I enjoy writing in the male POV.
Anything we should look forward to in book three, The Devil’s Third?
Yes, the reader will finally get to discover what Paige is, there will be magic, and shocking revelations.
Why did you decide to write the Beyond the Eyes trilogy?
Because I grew up in a family that dealt with the paranormal and the unknown fascinates me.
What was your process for writing Dark Spirits?
I wrote every chance I got. I have a f/t day job, so I would get up extra early in the morning just so I could write before I had to go to work, and then in the evening I would write as well. I also spent most of my whole weekend writing. I still keep to that routine.
What made you decide to self-publish?
It felt like the right thing for me to do. Beforehand, I did a lot of research on it and the pros outweighed the cons. I did have some agents interested in Beyond the Eyes, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. So I decided to take the plunge and self-publish.
Have you been satisfied with the experience?
Pretty much. It’s hard, hard, work though. I don’t care for the marketing aspect, but then again, even if I were to have taken the traditional route, I’d still have to market my books. So there’s really no way around it at this point in my life. I honestly would much rather write than try to sell my work.
How did you go about choosing an editor?
I was on Absolute Write, which is a wonderful writing forum. I saw an ad an editor posted for his services, so I emailed him, and the rest is history.
What kind of editing did you have done to your novel, and how was the process?
My editor and I have a process—I send him a chapter at a time. He line edits, checks for errors, and leaves comments. Once I receive my chapter back, I make the corrections, maybe do some rewrites, and send it back to him. He double checks it and sends it back to me. Afterwards, I send him the next chapter.
Did you do your own formatting, or hire someone to format the book for you?
No. I’m horrible when it comes to technology. I wish I knew how to format my book, but I don’t. I hired somebody else to do it for me. Tugboat Designs formatted Dark Spirits for me and did a wonderful job.
How have you gone about promoting your book?
I did a launch party on Facebook and next month I’m doing a couple blog tours. I’ve been using social media like Twitter and Facebook. I’ve been doing giveaways as well and getting reviews from readers who are already a fan of this series which is wonderful.
You mentioned enjoying writing Nathan’s POV. I personally enjoyed reading it. What was the best part about writing his POV, and what was the most challenging?
Thanks! The best part was stepping inside Nathan’s head, discovering what thoughts he had, and getting to know him on a much personal level. The most challenging was restraining myself from writing erotic thoughts about Paige. Nathan had them, but since this is a young adult series, I had to refrain from writing such naughty things. 🙂
Any idea when we can look forward to reading The Devil’s Third?
I’m not sure yet. I’m hoping before the end of this year.
You introduced the concept of parallel dimensions in Dark Spirits. Will we be seeing more of that?
Oh, yeah! 😀
What’s your favorite part of the magic system in the Beyond the Eyes trilogy?
I like that Paige is slowly discovering what she can do and Carrie has dabbled in elementary magic. It’s not like their characters woke up one day and BAM, they have all these powers. I like to keep it realistic, so my favorite part about the magic system is it’s not ostentatious.
Do you have any favorite books that helped inspire you to write the trilogy?
Believe it or not, Anne Rice’s vampire books. There are no vampires in my trilogy, but one of the many things I love about Anne Rice’s stories is how she spins realism into a fictional tale that’s dark, but yet alluring. If that makes sense? The cool thing about my Beyond the Eyes trilogy is, after The Devil’s Third, I still have the option to continue writing this trilogy if I wanted too. There are still endless avenues to explore without it being tiresome.
Anything you’d like to add (either about the books or self-publishing) before the interview concludes?
I just want to thank the fans of this series and future readers. Your support means the world to me. I could have went the traditional way and published this series through a publishing house. However, I had to find out if I could do this on my own. I also wanted complete creative control and to know that my books would never get pulled from the shelves. So I carved out my own path, and although it’s a lot of hard work, I have no regrets. I did this and nobody can ever take it away from me. That’s a feeling that money can’t buy, along with bringing enjoyment to the readers who fall in love with this trilogy and them telling me about it. So if you’re an author reading this, do what makes you happy and follow your heart. If you do those things, there will be no regrets. 😀
***
Great, thanks for the interview! You can find Dark Spirits at the links below. As a side note, Beyond the Eyes is currently available for 99 cents on Amazon, so get it while you can. 🙂
Beyond the Eyes: http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-the-Eyes-ebook/dp/B0088JF7HQ/
Rebekkah’s Blog: http://themusingwriter.blogspot.com
Rebekkah’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebekkahFord2012
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Spirits-Beyond-Eyes-ebook/dp/B00BEKJ9VG/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-spirits-rebekkah-ford/1114506937?ean=2940016397214
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/286383
Filed under Book Covers, Business Ventures, Client Work, Writing
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 