Special thanks to our host Alex Cavanaugh!
Alex's novel, CassaStorm, is up for a efestival of words award. Congratulations Alex! You can cast your vote HERE!!
Also, don't forget to stop by this month's guest hosts and say hi and thank you :)
Kim Van Sickler
Insecure much?
Not me. My life is perfect, as is my
house, my weight, and my sanity.
I have no worries. I'm living the
dream.
I wake every day on a cloud and get
transported to my always tidy work space where a pot of hot java is
waiting to keep me quenched as I write epic tomes that will then be
sold for thousands of dollars.
It's a good life.
One I won't complain about.
Because when I do admit that some days
I feel like I'm so far behind that I will NEVER catch up, I get
treated with sighs and eye rolls.
I play with imaginary people all day
and cash checks later.
That's NOT work.
Not in reality.
That's why I should never leave here
for long.
Remove yourself from the virtual world
and you start to doubt everything. You start to wonder if you're
still capable of tying your own shoes...if you could find the damn
things.
Complain and you will get no sympathy
from nine to fivers.
Come on...we sit on our bums for hours
and hours a day. Our occupational hazard is what? Carpal tunnel?
Waaaa!!!
Nope. If I want to whine, I've got to
bring it to the blogosphere.
You guys are the sanity line. You will
say, “Oh, we get it.” You'll pat me on the back and say there,
there it will be all right. “Yes, you feel crazy, but crazy writers
are better plotters.”
Then I will feel so much better.
It's an insecure writer's nightmare out
there!
Stay connected and never stay in the
real world very long.
Speaking of people in the virtual world who keep me up and going forward better than helium, Tara Tyler is all sorts of awesome, helpful, talented, and supportive. I'm lucky to call her a friend and wish her best of luck with her new book- Broken Branch Falls.
I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I think of Elizabeth – because I can say I actually know her in person. She's such a sweetie! And we moms of boys have a common bond in our ability to deal with disgustingness. Thanks for lending me some time on your blog and helping me spread the word about BROKEN BRANCH FALLS, Liz.
Liz and I showed off our new covers around the same time a couple months ago. This is her cover for BELLA'S POINT. Isn't it lovely!
During the A to Z challenge this year, I briefly touched on covers, but I think more should be said. They are the first thing a reader sees – and if they don't like the cover, they won't look at the back to read about what's inside. (Unfortunately, we usually do judge books by their covers!)
Covers set the tone for your book. The adorable flower of a girl on Elizabeth's cover reminds me of a fairer Scarlett O'Hara. Her almost-pout expression says to me, "I dare you to question me." But, she also teases and tempts just enough to keep her man wanting her.
At first, I thought mine might be too dark. But, it really grew on me. Those ogres are so realistic - mean and ugly! I think the cover enhances the fact that it's a fantasy adventure shadowed by dark feelings that need to be overcome.
Covers need to capture attention. That is hard with so many out there. Any of you get a daily offering of books, like from BookBub or the Fussy Librarian? It's like going to a bookstore and seeing what's new on the front shelves – if the cover catches my eye, I read the title and possibly the blurb. We all have so many books on our TBR lists, we can't add too many more, just the most promising!
Covers should be bold, yet simple. Many best sellers are only words or a single image. Too many details or colors can be confusing or distracting. And for goodness sake, make the title and author nice and big – and no crazy, hard to read fonts! (Unless it adds to the tone…)
Covers should look professional. If you can't tell your artist relative or friend what edits need to be made for fear of hurting their feelings, you better use a professional. And compare your cover to others in your genre. It should fit, yet stand out as unique (sounds easy, doesn't it!)
Here are just a few covers I recently added to my TBR list…
M.J. Fifield's
EFFIGY – the cover just came out. So desperately beautiful!
Enchanting. Perfect for an epic fantasy with a bit of romance.
– a time traveling western with intrigue and romance. Can you feel it?
William Massa's
SILICON MAN – a gritty sci fi android rebellion, my kind of fun!
(One of my Fussy Librarian's recommendations.)
Consider your covers wisely and don't skimp on them - they're a foot in readers' doors!
Thanks again, Elizabeth! This post made me want to get reading these and yours!
Do you all have any favorites covers? And why? Any pet peeves about covers?
(And don't forget to enter the giveaway below!)
BROKEN BRANCH FALLS (MG Fantasy)
by Tara Tyler
Release Date: June 24, 2014
B&N ~~~ Amazon ~~~ Kobo
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Gabe is an average fifteen-year-old goblin. He’s in the marching band, breezes through calculus, and gets picked on daily by the other kids at school, especially the ogres. But Gabe wants to break out of his nerdy stereotype and try other things. He has his eye on the new ogress at school. Though it’s against all beastly rules, there’s just something about her.
Gabe starts a fad of mingling with other species, forcing the High Council to step in and ruin things by threatening to destroy the school and split up Broken Branch Falls. With help from other outcast friends, Gabe sets out on a quest to save his town. They'll show 'em what different friends can do together!
Tara Tyler has had a hand at everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After living up and down the Eastern US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently, she has two series, The Cooper Chronicles (techno-thriller detective capers) and Beast World (MG fantasy) She's an adventure writer who believes every good story should have action, a moral, and a few laughs!
Also by Tara Tyler, techno-thriller detective series,
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