Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer's Blog, page 8
July 15, 2018
Mystic Evermore is competing in Author Shout Cover Wars ...
Mystic Evermore is competing in Author Shout Cover Wars for 1 week from 15/7/2018, US time. Please vote. http://authorshout.com/cover-wars/
July 5, 2018
Interview and dialogue with Stefan Vucak
This interview is on writer Stefan Vucak's blog. Stefan is a very exciting writer of thrillers and science fiction, as well as an editor and reviewer!
https://www.stefanvucak.com/interview-with-cecelia-hopkins-drewer/
During the interview, I discuss my participation in Australian writers' and artists' groups: including the Sydney Horror Writers Association (Gargoyle Club) and the Folk Federation of South Australia.
I also identify two emerging trends in my current works.
1) Where I set the story in Australia / Oceana: e.g. The Silver Springs Christian University romance series. "Silver Springtime" and "Faith and Love". And the media spin-offs "All for Love: on The Charity Dating Show" and possible sequel.
2) Where I set the story in the United States of America as deliberate Americana. This includes Mystic Evermore and a few envisioned werewolf-shifter sequels.
I had an opportunity to ask Stefan a number of searching questions in return.
My interview of Stefan was published by Weekend Notes.
https://www.weekendnotes.com/interview-stefan-vucak/
https://www.stefanvucak.com/interview-with-cecelia-hopkins-drewer/
During the interview, I discuss my participation in Australian writers' and artists' groups: including the Sydney Horror Writers Association (Gargoyle Club) and the Folk Federation of South Australia.
I also identify two emerging trends in my current works.
1) Where I set the story in Australia / Oceana: e.g. The Silver Springs Christian University romance series. "Silver Springtime" and "Faith and Love". And the media spin-offs "All for Love: on The Charity Dating Show" and possible sequel.
2) Where I set the story in the United States of America as deliberate Americana. This includes Mystic Evermore and a few envisioned werewolf-shifter sequels.
I had an opportunity to ask Stefan a number of searching questions in return.
My interview of Stefan was published by Weekend Notes.
https://www.weekendnotes.com/interview-stefan-vucak/
Interview with Stefan Vucak
July 3, 2018
My July Project
I am editing Faith and Love hopefully this book will be released soon!
Kathy is a sincere Christian girl seeking love and laughter in the 1980s.
After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Kathy just wants to have fun! She declares to her friends that she would never go out with a ministerial candidate - so what is she to do about Andrew who appears to be waiting patiently for her to notice him?
Faith and Love continues to tell the story of the loves and losses of the students you met in the first Silver Springs University story: Silver Springtime. If you thought you knew where everyone was heading - expect some surprises and changes!
ISBN: 978-0-6481160-3-5
P.S. I am pleased to announce this book is now available on Amazon and other sites as an ebook or paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G1ZCR22/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6
About the Previous book: Silver Springtime by Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer
A novel of coming of age in the 1980s.
The agony of unrequited love, dates, dresses and exams all make life confusing during the teen years... Are there answers to be found in the social conventions of the previous generation, the developments of modern psychology taught in class, the theology touted at worship or in the depths of soul searching and personal experience?
This story belongs to the genre known as "Bildungsroman" or novel of development. It covers one very significant year in the life of a young female by the name of Stephanie Lowood, and is presented a diary, which was discovered in a chest by the heroine's daughter and young grandchildren. The grandchildren are curious to hear how Grandma met Grandpa and what life was like in the 1980s!
Kathy is a sincere Christian girl seeking love and laughter in the 1980s.
After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Kathy just wants to have fun! She declares to her friends that she would never go out with a ministerial candidate - so what is she to do about Andrew who appears to be waiting patiently for her to notice him?
Faith and Love continues to tell the story of the loves and losses of the students you met in the first Silver Springs University story: Silver Springtime. If you thought you knew where everyone was heading - expect some surprises and changes!
ISBN: 978-0-6481160-3-5
P.S. I am pleased to announce this book is now available on Amazon and other sites as an ebook or paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G1ZCR22/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6
About the Previous book: Silver Springtime by Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer
A novel of coming of age in the 1980s.
The agony of unrequited love, dates, dresses and exams all make life confusing during the teen years... Are there answers to be found in the social conventions of the previous generation, the developments of modern psychology taught in class, the theology touted at worship or in the depths of soul searching and personal experience?
This story belongs to the genre known as "Bildungsroman" or novel of development. It covers one very significant year in the life of a young female by the name of Stephanie Lowood, and is presented a diary, which was discovered in a chest by the heroine's daughter and young grandchildren. The grandchildren are curious to hear how Grandma met Grandpa and what life was like in the 1980s!
My Current July Project
I am editing Faith and Love hopefully this book will be released soon!
Kathy is a sincere Christian girl seeking love and laughter in the 1980s.
After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Kathy just wants to have fun! She declares to her friends that she would never go out with a ministerial candidate - so what is she to do about Andrew who appears to be waiting patiently for her to notice him?
Faith and Love continues to tell the story of the loves and losses of the students you met in the first Silver Springs University story: Silver Springtime. If you thought you knew where everyone was heading - expect some surprises and changes!
ISBN: 978-0-6481160-3-5
P.S. I am pleased to announce this book is now available on Amazon and other sites as an ebook or paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G1ZCR22/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6
Kathy is a sincere Christian girl seeking love and laughter in the 1980s.
After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Kathy just wants to have fun! She declares to her friends that she would never go out with a ministerial candidate - so what is she to do about Andrew who appears to be waiting patiently for her to notice him?
Faith and Love continues to tell the story of the loves and losses of the students you met in the first Silver Springs University story: Silver Springtime. If you thought you knew where everyone was heading - expect some surprises and changes!
ISBN: 978-0-6481160-3-5
P.S. I am pleased to announce this book is now available on Amazon and other sites as an ebook or paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G1ZCR22/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6
My Current Project
I am editing Faith and Love hopefully this will be released soon!
June 29, 2018
Cover contests inspire appreciation of cover art.
The Kindle Scout programme provided me with publicity for my manuscripts and excitement that motivated me to write at a great rate. I never "won" Kindle Scout, but I always felt that I had got good value from my free participation. Sadly, however, Kindle Scout is no more (as is Kindle Worlds - which inspired me to start my vampire/shifter series although I went independent with them); and I need to find a new source of "buzz" for my writing.
In desperation, I turn to "Cover Wars" by Author Shout. Author Shout also create promotional posters for authors to use online and after viewing a few, I was inspired to create my own from some photographs taken especially by my friend Allan.
I made a poster for Silver Springtime: This features a background image taken by Allan Schultz as well as the cover image of a tree which features his photography. The cover image represents two lovers carving their name on a tree. The setting is tropical because the story is located in SE Queensland, Australia.
Mystic Evermore is competing in Author Shout Cover Wars for 1 week from 15/7/2018, US time. Please vote. http://authorshout.com/cover-wars/
My book Mystic Evermore is a vampire/shifter teen romance for which I was inspired to do a hand-drawn cover.
The design story of my cover.Q: How did you develop the cover?A. I can't REALLY draw, but in an emergency I try! I had an image in my head of a boy and wolf companion, high on the side of a mountain, with the werewolf sitting on a rock, howling to the moon. I roughed this out to show an artist friend, hoping they could do better with a nice background too. They said they liked it - but didn't have the time. This left me attempting to turn my rough concept sketch into a cover.Q: Did you use any technology to help you create the cover?
Yes! I traced silhouettes, coloured them by hand, scanned and adjusted using 'Paint'. Then I made a colorful background in 'Paint' using geometric shapes. Finally 'Paint 3D' helped me put it all together. 'Covermaker' added the titles and made it more professional.
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I have also been doing a "Cover War" with Author Shout for Silver Springtime:
Please vote online before Sunday 1/7/2018! http://authorshout.com/cover-wars/
The design story of this cover.
Q: How did you develop the cover?A. I Wanted a tropical rain-forest scene for the cover of my novel to fit the setting of SE Queensland. At the time I was unable to travel, so this picture was taken at a nursery that specialises in tropical plants and ferns!Q: Did you use any technology to help you create the cover?
I used the "cover creator" provided by Kindle Direct, which gave me the initial design. However, each cover creator I loaded the image into made a slightly different cover. The final cover ended up being designed in Create Space's cover maker. However, then I made a cover in Open Office, which could generate a PDF version suitable for Ingram Spark and some other publishers.
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AUTHORSdb Cover Contest
AUTHORSdb stands for "Authors Database". Membership is free and authors can self-list their own books. It appears to be a friendly site because I have received a number of spontaneous friend requests, which is something that has not happened at Goodreads or most other author sites. AUTHORSdb is also a site for reviewers, promotions and giveaways, so there could be a few reasons for the friend requests. However, the site appears friendly and interactive. AUTHORSdb has several types of contests and I have checked them out because contests do represent good publicity opportunities.
The first lines contest sounds great - but my books start where they start - strangely enough! I used to get great first lines in my head once... but found those ideas rarely went past a hundred words or so. If I have a book which starts in such a poetic fashion, I will consider entering it.
Mystic Evermore is doing the "Cover Contest 2018". I entered this title because I am most proud of my hand drawing and computer compilation of this cover. (Several of my covers feature high quality photographs by my friend Allan, so I am actually proud of them all.)
Please visit to vote for my entry and feel free to browse through the fascinating entries and titles competing in 2018. http://authorsdb.com/2018-cover-contest-results/27325-cover-contest-2018-mystic-evermore
Cover Wars Inspires Appreciation of Cover Art.
I made a poster for Silver Springtime: This features a background image taken by Allan Scjhultz as well as the cover image of a tree which features his photography. The cover image represents two lovers carving their name on a tree. The setting is tropical because the story is located in SE Queensland, Australia.
I have also been doing a "Cover War" with Author Shout. Please vote online before Sunday 1/7/2018! http://authorshout.com/cover-wars/
I have also been doing a "Cover War" with Author Shout. Please vote online before Sunday 1/7/2018! http://authorshout.com/cover-wars/
