A cover for Melange Books. For this one, they already had the main art they wanted on the cover, but they wanted the title redone and a few adjustments made in regards to the overall effects. For this one, I mostly played with adding color to the dark halo around the model’s head, and played with the placement and color of the text so that it felt like part of the cover. This is the result:
The publisher provided the image to be used on the cover.
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
This is a cover for Barking Rain Press.
For this cover, the third in the Crime Fighting Bluesmen series, we decided to model it after a Blues poster. For that, I stuck with more illustrated effects and textures, and stuck with a limited color scale, rather than the photo-realism I typically go for. I also played with juxtaposition, placing the monkey on top of the harmonica. In order to get the illustrated effect (which came from photos), I masked out the unnecessary portions of the photos, then used the threshold adjustment tool in Photoshop CS6, linked by a clipping mask to the photo, to make it black and white, then copied those layers and deleted out the extra color. I used the magic wand, without contiguous selected so I could make sure I could get all the excess black “paint” out.
This is the result:
Stock images from Shutterstock:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-143096134/stock-photo-man-sitting-on-stool-in-dark-room-playing-guitar.html?src=YXC4bJk9QY4AHuec3KmbMw-1-45
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-105812573/stock-photo-m-carbine-isolated-on-a-white-background.html?src=1XhlIKJOIrcMv9LG0tUqiA-1-57
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-128205749/stock-photo-harmonica-isolated-on-white-background.html?src=FkpC4FBCUaA1D1HeIEzIAg-1-1
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-150340748/stock-photo-black-howler-monkey.html?src=FeKPz55ibOJQ8jx5X6aLmg-1-32
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-41437732/stock-photo-the-painted-jungle.html?src=id&ws=1
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-99005135/stock-vector-vector-of-ancient-american-ornaments-on-white.html?src=id&ws=1
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-125309489/stock-photo-yellow-plastic-guitar-plectrum-isolated-on-white.html?src=DJCaLEQMiXkeNAk2HzB1nw-1-26&ws=1
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
Today we have an author interview with Jordan Elizabeth, the author of the upcoming book, Treasure Darkly. 😀
***
Beware a Treasure Darkly…
(The stunning cover art is thanks to Amalia Chitulescu– find her here)
Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe… until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead. A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.
And he is not alone. His new found sister, Amethyst, thinks that’s rather dashing, until Horan kidnaps her, and all she gets is a bullet through her heart. When Clark brings her back to life, she realizes he’s more than just street-smart – and he’s not really a Treasure. Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.
TREASURE DARKLY, Book 1 of the Treasure Chronicles
The young adult novel is a dark mix of steampunk, the paranormal and romance in a “Wild West” setting.
Below is an excerpt from TREASURE DARKLY. You can read more on the Curiosity Quills Press website.
“Looks like he did drink it up.” The general client spoke from the right. “Must’ve interacted with all that bloody hertum. Look at ‘im, he’s bleeding already.”
“What’s it gonna do to him?” the guard from the morning asked.
“Lots of stuff.” The general laughed. “When he touches the dead, he’ll be able to bring them back, and exchange that life for another. Perfect soldier, huh? We only have one vial ready and I was going to give it to a lucky fellow. Guess it will be this boy.”
“Whatcha gonna do with him?” The guard snickered.
“Have to be a test subject,” the general said. “Sure thought it was that Judy who stole my bottle. Pity I killed her. She sure knew how to make my pecker sing.”
Judy.Clark’s mother.
Clark bolted off the ground and ran. He could hide in the hole under the shed behind the brothel. Mable never found him under there. He might be cursed with raising the dead—he’d already done that to the poor mine worker—but it didn’t mean he’d let them take him for tests.
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And now for the interview with Jordan Elizabeth:
Tell us about your latest book:
Right now I’m working on Book 4 in the Treasure Chronicles, for those who want more of Clark and Amethyst!
How did you get your start writing?
I wrote my first novel back in high school. When I looked into how to get published, I saw that I needed credentials for agents to even look at my work. I started submitting short stories anywhere I could.
What publishing credits do you have under your belt?
I was published in numerous online journals before signing with Curiosity Quills Press. I like to embark upon writing exercises by working on short stories; you can find them in anthologies published by Horrified Press and in the anthology 13 HAUNTING TALES.
What is your writing process?
I take an idea and run with it. I only make notes as I write, so I can keep track of names, locations, appearances…
What has been your most rewarding writing experience?
That has to do with my story TABITHA’S DEATH (you can find the first three chapters on WATTPAD). One of my critique partners contacted me a year after reading it to say it still gives her nightmares! Now, I don’t want to give people nightmares (insert malicious laugh), but I was delighted that something I wrote stuck with someone for so long.
What writing projects are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on Book 4 in the Treasure Chronicles, for those who want more of Clark and Amethyst!
What is your favorite thing about writing?
Creating worlds. All day I think about characters, settings, and adventures, so it is a great release to get home from work and be able to write.
What was your favorite thing about writing this book?
One of the main characters, Amethyst. She’s so selfish and flighty – I had a blast writing about her!
Was there anything you found particularly difficult about writing this book?
Pleasing my critique partners. I don’t always have this problem, but for this book, my critique partners each wanted something different. I love my critique partners, and I hope they’re happy with the final product. Their excitement for different characters is what inspired me to create books 2, 3, and now 4 in the series.
What was the process like for writing, editing, then finally publishing the book?
The process for this book was the quickest! I wrote it, and along the way I shared snipets with my critique partners. Curiosity Quills Press accepted it, it was edited, and now it is published. TREASURE DARKLY really flew…like the airship I’m including in book 4.
Who’s your favorite character in the book? Why?
Although I loved writing about Amethyst, Clark is my favorite. He’s a handsome rogue, who knows how to be bada** while still being a gentleman. Plus he’s sexy as all brass glass.
Since every author wonders… how did you find the publisher for your book?
I’m honored to be critique partners with Eliza Tilton, who is published through Curiosity Quills Press. I compiled GEARS OF BRASS and Eliza contributed to it. She showed it to the publisher, they accepted it, and I was able to show them more of my work.
What’s the cover creation process like?
I explained to the cover artist what the characters looked like and an idea of the story. She came up with the rest.
Anything else you want to tell us?
The sequel, BORN OF TREASURE, comes out September 21, 2015. You will get to see more of the Steampunk Wild West world and there will be plenty of ghosts. The romance will be even hotter.
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You can read more about Amethyst Treasure in GEARS OF BRASS, a steampunk anthology from Curiosity Quills Press available now from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, is the author of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, available from Curiosity Quills Press. Check out Jordan’s website, JordanElizabethMierek.com, for contests and book signing locales. Jordan is represented by Belcastro Agency and she is president of the Utica Writers Club.
No blog tour is complete without a giveaway. Enter here for a chance to win a paperback copy of GEARS OF BRASS.
***
Thanks so much for the interview, Jordan, and good luck with your book! 😀
Filed under Writing
For this cover (Melange Books), I started with a similar concept to the final image here, but different models. To create the characters described on the art form, I originally did quite a bit of piecing various stock images together. But since the publisher wanted to try to stick with stock images they’d already purchased, I took a look through the available options. Turned out we had one that worked quite well, and only used one stock piece instead of… five? I think? There were several.
Sometimes it’s better to go simple.
For the rest of the cover, I worked on blending everything to have a wintery romance feel, and used Christmas textures to add to the feel of the cover and enhance the title. I kept the back and front covers to a similar color scheme, but I changed the position of the texture images to create the back cover.
This is the result:
Stock images from Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-red-barn-farm-yard-wind-mill-other-buildings-image33905325
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-little-cute-girl-butterfly-wings-adorable-girls-under-blossoming-apple-tree-image40844285
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-magic-wand-image23000346
2380782 – No longer on Dreamstime?
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-gallic-rooster-5-years-old-image14539620
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-simple-rustic-christmas-trees-snow-two-cut-out-wood-standing-front-wooden-wall-falling-snowflakes-festive-image34089609
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-red-christmas-lights-abstract-background-made-material-image32919894
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
This is a cover for Melange Books.
For this cover, I wanted to portray a happy, light-hearted tone, so I used bright, vivid colors. I also used a font with a swirly influence to give the title and author name a fun, romantic feel. The pig is Ruthie, so I gave it a prominent place on the cover. The text I wrapped around the couple in the scene so that the faces remained clear. The author requested that there also be a cat and tri-colored basset hound pup on the cover, so I included them near the couple’s feet.
Once the concept was approved, I blended the full-sized stock images together (using multiple layers and masking, and retouching the background between layers).
This is the result:
Stock images from Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-young-couple-standing-over-white-background-image37973502
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-cute-basset-puppy-image23115808
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-pink-pot-bellied-pig-image29172888
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-abandoned-wooden-farm-house-image23179806
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-cat-yawning-image19233539
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
This is a cover for Rebekkah Ford. I’ve created the cover for her Beyond the Eyes trilogy, and this is a New Adult companion novel. Unlike the previous covers, this one uses primarily stock images. We tinkered a lot with finding the right font for the book. I also played a lot with creating the right mood for the cover. I ended up finding a decent tutorial on how to turn a day shot into night (see the end of the post for a link). I also used a bit of digital illustration to get everything blended right and to add the roots around the girl on the cover.
And this is a promo piece (a rack card) I did for this book:
You can buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Roots-Rebekkah-Ford-ebook/dp/B00NH84NNW/ref=la_B00896OMB0_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414362849&sr=1-1
Stock images from iStock:
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-3484986-sad.php?st=bf175e0
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-24247276-south-carolina-lowcountry-angel-oak-tree-charleston-sc-nature-scenic.php?st=3795837
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-36846782-full-moon.php?st=4df0d5b
Useful tutorial for making a day image look like night: http://www.ephotozine.com/article/how-to-turn-your-day-shot-into-night-with-photoshop-14852
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
This is a cover for Melange Books.
For this one, I used texture overlay (the mosaic around the edge), as well as scene creation to create the desired stormy atmosphere and remove some of the birds from the original haunted house stock photo. I added in the girl, then at the author’s request, gave her longer hair. There are benefits to finding pictures where the hair is similar in color and goes roughly the desired direction you want it to go.
My original proof for this cover was too dark and gray, looking more like a horror novel than paranormal, so I lightened it a bit with the various blue and green tones to give it the sea/ocean-side feel, while still keeping the stormy atmosphere.
For this blog post, I’ve also included what I did for the back of the book. I usually keep these fairly simple, and in this case, I took part of the stock image that wasn’t used on the front cover to complete the back. That way the atmosphere remained consistent, while offering something a little different to look at. I used the same texture overlays and adjustment modes to keep the covers consistent, and included the publisher’s logo and barcode information on the back. I also include a separate layer with the author name and book title, that way the publisher can adjust for the spine as needed. I also flipped the back cover image so the white clouds act as a line, leading the eye back to the spine, and so that the dark blue mosaic would act as a frame.
Stock images from Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-man-walking-field-towards-haunted-house-scary-dark-atmosphere-image35050105
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-dark-storm-clouds-image2046209
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-calgary-beach-mull-scotland-bay-located-north-west-framed-low-hills-broad-area-machair-grassy-meadow-image42890362
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-beautiful-teenage-girl-outdoors-portrait-jeans-wear-looking-away-image36670484
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-broken-green-wall-tiles-image19929346
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-sad-girl-image22656428
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
Today we have a guest post with Jordan Elizabeth, an author for whom I’ve beta read one of her manuscripts. She’ll be talking about her history as a writer below. 🙂
How far into the hollow would you go?
“After losing her parents in a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria escapes New York City to Arnn—a farming town with more legends than residents, and a history of witchcraft and secrets best left buried.
Everyone in Arnn knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope when she should be afraid, and a past of missing children and broken promises. To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness. How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?
ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW is Jordan Elizabeth’s first novel. This young adult fantasy, published through Curiosity Quills Press, is now available for purchase.
https://curiosityquills.com/books/escape-witchwood-hollow/
Jordan Elizabeth, formally Jordan Elizabeth Mierek, can’t get enough of the woods, be it splashing through a stream, sitting beneath an ancient oak, or following a path up a hill. Some of those adventures have led to abandoned foundations. Exploring the rocks and crumbling bricks sparked Jordan to imagine who might have lived there before, and that train of thought carried her to a wicked legend and an enchanted hollow. You can contact Jordan via her website, JordanElizabethMierek.com.
My History as a Writer
As told by Jordan Elizabeth
I like to think my history as a writer began as a storyteller. I would hold a picture book – or draw my own pictures – and then I would make up stories. My grandmother recorded them on a tape player. I still have them, although they sound like baby babble.
As I grew older, my grandmother wrote them down for me as my handwriting was, and still is, atrocious. I’m also a slow hand writer. In late elementary school, I discovered the joys of computer typing. My fingers could match the speed of my thoughts. I can now type 77 words per minutes and that’s with two fingers.
As time continued, I had my family read my stories and like all good families, they said it was great. Morbid, but great. I had no idea about solid editing or query letters. With great excitement, I sent off my manuscript to a leading publisher. A year later, the rejection letter came. I didn’t allow myself to be devastated – time to move on and stick to my dream.
I finally did my research – huzzah – and learned editing skills. My favorite writing website is Critiquecircle.com. I’ve learned valuable advice and made lasting friendships thanks to that site. I began to seriously query agents and I kept writing. There are 23 completed manuscripts now and one in the works.
I won first place in the Milton and Harriet Shaw Short Story contest through the Utica Writers Club. The prize consisted of $100 – my first pay as a writer – and year’s free membership. Since joining the club, I’ve gotten to meet some of my favorite authors: Tamora Pierce, Bruce Coville, and Maria V. Snyder. I’m the new president of the club.
After six years of querying agents, I finally landed one on my birthday! That “dream come true” feeling exists; it isn’t just in movies. I’ve switched agents since then and am pleased to be represented by the Belcastro Agency.
I’ve been published in numerous anthologies and have four other books coming out from Curiosity Quills Press. TREASURE DARKLY will be published February 16, 2015.
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Jordan Elizabeth is offering up a free eArc of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW. To enter for your chance to win a copy of ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, you will need to share the cover. This can be on your blog, Facebook, Twitter… Each time you share the cover image, log it into Rafflecoper to record it. It will give you more chances to win. There are other ways to enter. You’ll have to take a look to see what those are! The drawing for the winner will be held on November 16.
Filed under Writing
This is the cover for the sequel to Mira’s View, from Melange Books.
For this cover, I wanted to keep the same style as the first, with the prominent characters and soft background, as well as the text placement. I added in the snow (see the link at the bottom of this post for the tutorial I referenced) to bring everything together and add extra “oomph.” We experimented with a couple different backgrounds before choosing this one. I also included a second character who plays a large role in the story, and considered bringing in a third character, except that I worried the cover would look busy. I was able to use the same models (Yes, plural. Body and head were different, so as to fit the character description) for the female character, though I did use different stock images of them to help keep the covers varied. It’s the benefit to using Dreamtime’s “Other Stock Images With This Model” link when searching for suitable images. We also included a logline, provided by the author, to help create interest in the story. This is the result:
Stock images from Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-elf-image37703101
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-portrait-young-beautiful-woman-long-flowin-image24770171
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-old-rusted-broadsword-image24282162
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-snow-winter-wood-image13044892
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-man-long-hair-sword-down-holding-to-his-serious-expression-his-face-image36385946
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-attractive-young-man-long-hair-image23350511
Useful snow tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0-4p_65vxQ
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work, Photo Illustration
A cover for Melange Books, the sequel to Murder in her Dreams.
For this cover I kept to the same, dreamlike colors and textures as the previous book, only this time with symbolism from the second. I kept the same text placement and fonts (and border style), so series/brand recognition can be easily recognized. I also worked to have a central focus on the cover, while blending the various images so they would seamlessly morph from one image to the next.
This is the end result:
Stock images from Dreamstime:
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-old-grunge-creased-paper-texture-perfect-retro-vintage-background-image30556007
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-teen-witch-tarot-card-image8216840
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-cobra-2-image14695145
http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-man-running-work-out-image23320007
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-grunge-background-old-style-rusty-image35967692
Filed under Book Covers, Client Work
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 