Mark Mackey's Blog, page 2
November 26, 2012
Family Tree: Tobias' Story cover reveal
First of all, what I’d like to say about Alison Davis and her first attempt at writing a book, it’s quite clear she has a tremendous talent as a writer.
It’s quite clear to me that the artist who created the cover for the upcoming book by author Alison Davis, entitled Hanging From the Family Tree: Tobias' Story is quite talented. The cover artist with the use of warm colors and tone, suggests to me the feeling and theme Alison intended, romance.
One thing I found appealing overall about this cover is since it’s about Tobias, first introduced in Whispers in the Wind: Ari’s story he’s the main character you see when you glance at this cover. The indication that the face signifying Tobias has a youthful, blemish free face, which gives me full indication this book is geared towards youth and romance.
Studying the way the title was placed on this cover, what I felt bothered me about it was the way Tobias’ story is placed practically right over his face. If you shoot a glance to the left of the picture where you see just a hint of Ari’s strands of hair, I honestly felt Tobias’ story would have been better suited placed just above Hanging from the Family Tree, if this was moved downward.
To wrap this up, overall despite the one problem I pointed out this cover has, the artist has created an appealing, worthy image for Alison’s forth coming second book. I would have to give the cover an overall A grade.
Below is some information about the book and the author herself.
Title: Hanging From the Family Tree: Tobias’ Story (#2)
Author: Alison Davis
Short Synopsis:
Tobias lives under the shadow of his family name. As he learns more of the new girl to the area, he discovers secrets from his family's past and falls deeper into his own depression. Is there any way to stop him repeating his ancestors mistakes...
Full Synopsis:
Hanging from the Family Tree: Tobias’ Story, is a Young Adult fiction novel, based in a fictional English coastal town.
Hidden letters from 1812, the British Regency, tell the story of Alexander Ventus, member of a very rich and influential local family. Besotted with a local women, Elizabeth, who is deemed beneath him, he is forced into a marriage with another woman. Distraught she throws herself from a cliff. Followed years later by Alexander, burdened by his guilt.
Alexander Ventus is Tobias’ great, great, grandfather, and there is an alarming likeness to their lives. Tobias’ Story tells of his struggle to find his place in his family and to discover what it truly means to be a Ventus.
Excerpt:
I’d found the letters just when I needed them, but when I least expected them. The scrawled words that changed everything. The faded ink which pushed me closer to the edge. The echoes and ghosts of the past which haunted my summer, my home and my mind. Then I found her. My Her. And the past began to replay itself. In life you get one chance to write your story, it’s not always perfect and it doesn’t always have a happy ending. This is mine...
Tobias’ Story
The Seed.
I sat staring at the dark polished wood of the desk in front of me, the virgin white paper with small black printed letters, which both promised me hope and sealed my fate, now crumpled and torn. I reached out to smooth it flat.
Dear Mr Ventus,
We are writing to inform you that your application has been accepted...
That was all that was left on the torn scrap my father had ripped from my hand. His thundering voice echoed over and over through my head. He was angry a lot of the time, indignant, pompous, and bitter. Charles Henry Ventus the Second. Six foot of broad shouldered, smouldering resentment. His hair was greying and thinning. He hardly resembled the strapping, muscular young man from all the portraits, and photographs- he even smiled in those. A facial expression that had scarce graced his face in around thirty years, or these halls in thirteen. Not since when aged eight, my father had told me off for running around the halls, and laughing too loudly outside his study. He had roared at me so loudly and scared me so much that I had cried myself to sleep for two weeks, and tiptoed everywhere for at least two months.
Business was everything to him, the paperwork on my desk was testament to that. He had given me the written specifications for part of a holiday complex he wanted to open. He wanted to draw young tourists in, for surf, for group holidays. The surfing tourist industry near here was fairly big, but there was nowhere for nights out, no trendy night scene. Not that one would do well here, the town was traditional, community based. If father ever went into town he would know that. Instead he just sat up here in his house, his castle, behind a desk, on a phone or out in a plane, a helicopter, meetings after meetings. His schedule was his bible.
About the Author:
Alison has been writing from an early age, stories, poems, novels, prose. After a 3 year sabbatical from writing she returned to her passion to write Whispers on the Wind: Ari's story.
Her first novel, Whispers on the Wind: Ari's Story, was published in August 2012 on Lulu.com. Hanging from the Family Tree: Tobias' Story, a companion/sequel to Whispers on the Wind, is to be published in November 2012
Spotlight: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/JustASo...
Goodreads Q&A:http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...
Goodreads Book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...
Hanging from the Family Tree: Tobias' Story
It’s quite clear to me that the artist who created the cover for the upcoming book by author Alison Davis, entitled Hanging From the Family Tree: Tobias' Story is quite talented. The cover artist with the use of warm colors and tone, suggests to me the feeling and theme Alison intended, romance.
One thing I found appealing overall about this cover is since it’s about Tobias, first introduced in Whispers in the Wind: Ari’s story he’s the main character you see when you glance at this cover. The indication that the face signifying Tobias has a youthful, blemish free face, which gives me full indication this book is geared towards youth and romance.
Studying the way the title was placed on this cover, what I felt bothered me about it was the way Tobias’ story is placed practically right over his face. If you shoot a glance to the left of the picture where you see just a hint of Ari’s strands of hair, I honestly felt Tobias’ story would have been better suited placed just above Hanging from the Family Tree, if this was moved downward.
To wrap this up, overall despite the one problem I pointed out this cover has, the artist has created an appealing, worthy image for Alison’s forth coming second book. I would have to give the cover an overall A grade.
Below is some information about the book and the author herself.
Title: Hanging From the Family Tree: Tobias’ Story (#2)
Author: Alison Davis
Short Synopsis:
Tobias lives under the shadow of his family name. As he learns more of the new girl to the area, he discovers secrets from his family's past and falls deeper into his own depression. Is there any way to stop him repeating his ancestors mistakes...
Full Synopsis:
Hanging from the Family Tree: Tobias’ Story, is a Young Adult fiction novel, based in a fictional English coastal town.
Hidden letters from 1812, the British Regency, tell the story of Alexander Ventus, member of a very rich and influential local family. Besotted with a local women, Elizabeth, who is deemed beneath him, he is forced into a marriage with another woman. Distraught she throws herself from a cliff. Followed years later by Alexander, burdened by his guilt.
Alexander Ventus is Tobias’ great, great, grandfather, and there is an alarming likeness to their lives. Tobias’ Story tells of his struggle to find his place in his family and to discover what it truly means to be a Ventus.
Excerpt:
I’d found the letters just when I needed them, but when I least expected them. The scrawled words that changed everything. The faded ink which pushed me closer to the edge. The echoes and ghosts of the past which haunted my summer, my home and my mind. Then I found her. My Her. And the past began to replay itself. In life you get one chance to write your story, it’s not always perfect and it doesn’t always have a happy ending. This is mine...
Tobias’ Story
The Seed.
I sat staring at the dark polished wood of the desk in front of me, the virgin white paper with small black printed letters, which both promised me hope and sealed my fate, now crumpled and torn. I reached out to smooth it flat.
Dear Mr Ventus,
We are writing to inform you that your application has been accepted...
That was all that was left on the torn scrap my father had ripped from my hand. His thundering voice echoed over and over through my head. He was angry a lot of the time, indignant, pompous, and bitter. Charles Henry Ventus the Second. Six foot of broad shouldered, smouldering resentment. His hair was greying and thinning. He hardly resembled the strapping, muscular young man from all the portraits, and photographs- he even smiled in those. A facial expression that had scarce graced his face in around thirty years, or these halls in thirteen. Not since when aged eight, my father had told me off for running around the halls, and laughing too loudly outside his study. He had roared at me so loudly and scared me so much that I had cried myself to sleep for two weeks, and tiptoed everywhere for at least two months.
Business was everything to him, the paperwork on my desk was testament to that. He had given me the written specifications for part of a holiday complex he wanted to open. He wanted to draw young tourists in, for surf, for group holidays. The surfing tourist industry near here was fairly big, but there was nowhere for nights out, no trendy night scene. Not that one would do well here, the town was traditional, community based. If father ever went into town he would know that. Instead he just sat up here in his house, his castle, behind a desk, on a phone or out in a plane, a helicopter, meetings after meetings. His schedule was his bible.
About the Author:
Alison has been writing from an early age, stories, poems, novels, prose. After a 3 year sabbatical from writing she returned to her passion to write Whispers on the Wind: Ari's story.
Her first novel, Whispers on the Wind: Ari's Story, was published in August 2012 on Lulu.com. Hanging from the Family Tree: Tobias' Story, a companion/sequel to Whispers on the Wind, is to be published in November 2012
Spotlight: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/JustASo...
Goodreads Q&A:http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...
Goodreads Book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...
Hanging from the Family Tree: Tobias' Story
November 11, 2011
Choose your favorite Indie novel
My novel Maureen: A Vampire Tale has been posted on this website and I'd really appreciate if you'd go and vote for it, thanks.
Poll: Choose Your Favorite Indie Novel
Poll: Choose Your Favorite Indie Novel
