Gwen Gardner's Blog, page 34

Illustrator Spotlight: Corona Zschusschen

I don’t have to tell you all that I have some major Cover-Lovin’ going on for my book, Givin’ Up The Ghost. I finally got to show the front cover off last week during my cover reveal.


You know what else is awesome?The back cover!Check it out.


Of course, it’s all attributed to my very talented illustrator, Corona Zschusschen, who I am thrilled to be spotlighting and interviewing today.
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Illustrator Spotlight

Name: Corona Zschusschen
Nationality: Dutch
Occupation: Illustrator and graphic designer
Lover of: Nature, stars, books-books-books, sci-fi and cats

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Welcome Corona! Tell me something about yourself.

I'm Corona, 30 years young and I'm from the Netherlands. I live in a medium sized town called Enschede, with 2 cats and a great guy. Especially great, because without him I wouldn't be able to chase my dream of being an illustrator.

How long have you been illustrating?

I think I've been drawing all my life. As a child I moved around a lot. Drawing was one of the steady, constant things in my life. Something I could do anywhere at any time. Even though I've been drawing all my life, I've only started being serious about it the past few years. Now I feel confident enough to call myself an illustrator (Explaining you're an illustrator works better at parties than telling you draw things). At the same time I'm never done learning, you have to keep practicing to get better.

How do you start a new illustration?

I also do research and search for inspiration. Mostly online, but sometimes I go somewhere, take a walk after sundown, take pictures of things I see that may be relevant. Often I ask a friend to pose, so I see what gesture or angle works best. But sometimes, when I'm really lucky, it just happens. I sit behind my computer and I start drawing. It's rare when I use paper and pencils, I've become quite dependent on using my drawing tablet to sketch out ideas.

A drawing tablet? How does that work? I’m envisioning etch-a-sketch on a computer, but I imagine it’s a little more complicated than that. (Do they have etch-a-sketch in the Netherlands? Or is it something like Paintbrush in Microsoft?

I'm not sure if they have Etch a Sketch here, they do have this toy that has a white board with iron particles, and you use a magnetic pen to bring the particles up to the surface. Much easier than turning two knobs I think ;) A drawing tablet is a device that you can connect to the computer (see the picture attached, this is my current desk setup :).
It has a pressure (and angle) sensitive pen. The tablet can mimic brush and paint-like strokes. I use it in combination with Photoshop. The only thing you have to get used to when using a tablet like this, is that you have to look up at your computer screen instead of down at your paper.

That is amazing. And how do you color it in?

The same way I've drawn it. Also digital. The program I use (Photoshop) has a digital equivalent of a colour palette. So I can choose colours and paint those in. For me the process is similar to painting traditionally, except that the computer offers the (awesome) 'Ctrl+z' option. This means that when you make a mistake you can simply return to a previous non-mistake version. I once spilled a pot of black ink all over a drawing on paper, oh how I missed 'Ctrl+z' buttons.

How did you come up with the idea for my book cover?
I have to let things sink in and settle before I have any ideas. The best ideas happen in those few minutes before you fall asleep. After you mailed me I printed out the chapter and scenes you had on your website. I read them several times before I went to bed and underlined passages that described atmosphere, mood and appearance. I wanted your cover to tell a story, convey a sense of excitement and mystery, not to be just a static image. I hope I succeeded in bringing that message to the reader.
What also helped is that you clearly knew what you want and didn't want in a cover. This made it easier for me to think up a concept.
For example, the design of Indigo Eady was very important. Not just looks-wise, but also her facial expression and placement on the cover. Do we want her to look at us (the reader) or back at the mysterious people who are chasing her? Is she scared or confident? I went through several designs until Gwen gave the thumbs-up.



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And there you have it folks, the very talented illustrator, Corona Zschusschen!
How did I find this whole process?
Fascinating!
How did I choose my illustrator?
For my part, I knew I wanted something different than the usual young adult cover. I write what I consider Young Adult Paranormal Cozy Mysteries. The emphasis is on “cozy,” which I haven’t really seen in young adult fiction.
Lovely as they are, I knew I didn’t want the edgier, realistic photographic cover. I wanted something softer, cozier. I wanted middle-grade for young adult.
I found Corona's artwork as a heading/banner on another blog months and months before I even started thinking about a cover. I added the page to my favorites, and when it was time, I approached her for an estimte.

I couldn’t have imagined a better cover than what Corona created for me. It was exactly what I wanted!

Thank you for being here today, Corona. And thank you so much for creating my awesome cover and being part of my exciting journey.

You can find Corona at:


Her websites:

http://www.sjusjun.com/


http://www.afterhorizon.com/


Email:  sjusjun@gmail.com


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/corona.zschusschen

Twitter: @sjusjun

Friday Funnies: All's Fair in NaNoWriMo

Thank you Debbie Ohi

I've never done NaNoWriMo, but I did BuNoWriMo - 50K during the month of June. My carefully planned outline was too short and I was writing all kinds of crazy stuff to meet my word count. Seriously, I almost wrote a sex scene! Okay, not. But my character was sashaying quite a bit and people noticed!
I know that some of you just finished NaNo.
How crazy did you get?
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Part II of Today's Blog Post
Just some reminders, so if you're tired of hearing it, just skip this part and go directly to the comment blocks below.
If you're looking for things to do in Blogtown, here are some shameless plugs unbiased lovely suggestions:

1.  You can still sign up to host our Partners in ParanormYA blog tour (Oct 8 - 31) below on the comment linky:
 

2.  You can grab our tour badge and put it in your sidebar with this link http://partnersinparanormya.blogspot.com:


3. You can - only if you want to, mind - visit GoodReads and put Givin' Up The Ghost on your TBR list HERE, or Neverlove HERE.
4. I am still posting, or rather started posting again, over at Run Gwen, Run! as a health and inspiration blog every Friday.
5.  If you haven't visited our new blog (a combined effort between Angela Brown and I), Partners in ParanormYA, you can check it out and follow HERE.
6. And you can visit and re-follow our blogging buddy, Millie Holmes,

over at her new digs HERE and find out about the changes she's making to get ready for publishing.

Insecure Writer's Support Group: The "R" Word

Hello, my Insecure Writer's Support Group peeps! A month has passed already since our last meeting. Where did the time go?!

For those who are new here, the Insecure Writer's Support Group posts on the first Wednesday of every month. Our premise is self-explanatory, but if you'd like to learn more or sign up, go HERE.

Many thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for being our gracious host.

What am I feeling insecure about this month? You know, the same ol' writerly things. Is my writing good enough? Will people want to read what I write? Will they like it? Am I ready to self-publish?

Yeah. It's the self-publishing thing again. Or I should say, still. But I'm ready. I know I am. The awesomely talented Angela Brown and I are releasing our books and touring together under the Partners in ParanormYA banner. We're going over our manuscripts one last time. Our cover reveals began on Monday, September 3rd - 7th. We've had a great response from all our awesome, blogsome buddies around Blogtown and lots of support for our endeavor.

So what's making me nervous?
I have tons of work to do before my book release on October 8th. I'll be contacting our volunteers next week to firm up hosting dates. Then I have to start pre-writing posts for the tour. You know - try to write about 20 posts and be all creative at the same time. Keep up with my regular posting schedule. Learn how to format for Amazon and download my book. Try to line up ARC reviewers.

There. I just said the "R" word.
That. Is. So. Scary.

The scariest thing of all!

What are you feeling insecure about?

Finally! Partners In ParanormYA Cover Reveals


   It's that time folks, the moment Gwen and I have been so excited for.  Well, one of the moments.  This Indie publishing adventure has been one thrilling moment after another.  So here they are, our covers for GIVIN' UP THE GHOST and NEVERLOVE by Gwen Gardner and Angela Brown, respectively.


Corona ZschusschenFriend or Foe?

Murder victim Bart Bagley is not content to merely roll over in his grave. He wants his murderer caught and he wants teenage ghost whisperer, Indigo Eady, to help him.

It becomes obvious that Bart’s temper lead to more than one disagreement, but is it enough to want him dead? With nothing but a cold trail and a hot list of “friendly” suspects, Indigo and her friends race to find the killer before they become the next victims.

Indigo Eady is not clumsy. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Can she help that the overactive spirit community of Sabrina Shores causes her psychic abilities to short-circuit? It’s unfortunate that her cute new friend Badger is often on the receiving end of her mishaps. At times, she is positively hazardous to his health. Even so, sparks start to fly in more than one direction...


Heather McCorckle of CP Designs
For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V'Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.

Basil's off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.

Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.

Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE?



About the authors:
Haunt me: FB, Blog, Goodreads
Gwen Gardner

Running, writing and reading are my favorite things.

I am also a dreamer.

Have you ever told yourself that "some day" I'm going to travel or write or whatever it is that you are passionate about but can't do right now for whatever reason? You can go for years and years and keep telling yourself that "some day" you'll do it. Too often "some day" never comes. But mine did. I am a former Administrative Manager and Vice President of a successful swimming pool plastering company - until I woke up one day and realized that my "some day" had arrived. I quit my job, moved to the mountains and began to write. Crazy, I know. But even crazier? Is when you get to the end of your life and realize that your "some day" is too late. Life is much too short for that! So the adventure has begun.

GIVIN' UP THE GHOST is a YA paranormYA cozy mystery, the first in the Indigo Eady series, due out October 8, 2012.


Haunt me FB, Blog, Goodreads
Angela Brown

Reading and writing have been lifelong passions. It was around the time I gave birth to my forever-love, nicknamed Chipmunk, that I really took writing seriously. After all, how could I teach my child to follow her dreams if I hadn't tried myself?

As a YA fantasy/sci-fi reader and author, I favor the magical, mysterious, the darker side of life...even harbor a secret fright for things that go bump in the night.

NEVERLOVE is a special project spawned from a blog-challenge-turned-blog-opera, the Abby and Basil affair. It is the first in the Shadow Jumpers series and due out October 8, 2012.

Friday Funnies: Sharing News

Thank you Debbie Ohi

I'm not much of a talker.I used to be pretty introverted. I used to hold my cards close to my chest. But I'm never going to admit to being this bad. But *snort* this is pretty funny!
Happy Friday Everyone!

Guesting and Other Cool Stuff

Today I'm doing my first guest post (ever!) over at Still Writing so Jeanne can go and enjoy her birthday week. Please stop by and check it out.

Happy Birthday, Jeanne. I hope you have a great day!

Thank you Tara Tyler!

Also, my PIP Angela Brown, posted some interesting stuff about different paranormal realms over at our Partners in ParanormYA blog today. The possibilities are endless and scary and exciting! You won't want to miss it.

We're still in full swing planning our Partners in ParanormYA blog tour and you can read about it or sign up to host HERE. We are so grateful for the response and support we've received. Thank you all!

Our cover reveals (Neverlove and Givin' Up The Ghost) are next week (EEEP!) and you can still sign up. Just drop me or Angela a line, or use the comment linky below.



The week after the cover reveal I am so excited to interview my illustrator, Corona Zschusschen. Please stop by to see how she created my awesome cover.

And that's it for today folks - Have a great day!

F-Bombing In YA Fiction

I recently read an article about profanity in young adult fiction. Since I write YA, I am conscious of it in my own work, and try to think of alternate ways to cuss. But let's face it, cussing is a stress reliever. And for whatever reason, it's cool. And you know how important it is to be cool in junior high and high school.
This is from the article in Time Healthland: "The researchers defined profanity as any language considered obscene, offensive, taboo or vulgar by the American public. They categorized profanities into five groups:

The Seven Dirty Words: Words the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) considers unspeakable for broadcast television.Sexual Words: Words describing body parts or sexual behavior in a coarse way.Excretory Words: Words that have direct or literal reference to human waste.Strong Others: Words defined as strong based on their level of offensiveness or “taboo-ness.”Mild Others: Words that are mild based on their level of offensiveness or “taboo-ness.”"

Profanity in my novels fits into the Sexual Words (I use arse because the setting is England) and surprisingly, Excretory Words (my MC uses crap a lot) categories.
My characters do not drop the F-Bomb. Instead, they use flippin' or freaking. I have nothing against the F-Bomb - I have been known to drop a few here and there. But for myself as a reader, strong language is a distraction, unless it's used in a frantic or high conflict situation.
I'm not familiar with the YA novel Tweak, but apparently 500 instances of profanity were used, 139 of them the F-Bomb. Whoa. Somebody had a good ol' time!
Now Kiersten White, the author of Paranormalcy had a really awesome way of getting around the dirty word issue. One of her characters is a mermaid called Lish, who works the central information center for the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA). Being a mermaid, Lish lives in/under water and speaks through some kind of electronic translation apparatus. When she cusses, it's bleeped out, much like the reality shows on television. So Evie, who is the MC and Lish's best friend, always says bleep when she cusses. That was so clever of Ms. White.
What's interesting is that if these YA novels were television or movies, they'd be rated "R." As of yet, books are not regulated or given a rating.
What do you think about profanity in young adult fiction? Do you use the F-Bomb in your novels? Should it be regulated or censored?

Friday Funnies: Fantasies and D'oh Moments!

Thank you Debbie Ohi!

If you've written a fantasy, raise your hand! LOL!

Seriously, though. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd written the perfect novel. I'm way too realistic for that.

I have had plenty of "d'oh!" moments. Like naming one of my characters something that would have been offensive in another country.

Homer's Tobacco Field

How about you? Any d'oh moments you want to share?
Have a safe and fun weekend everyone!

Honoring Indie Authors

It can sometimes be tough figuring out what to post about. I know, I know, I call myself a writer!

Mostly, I post about what I'm working on. And since I'm working on self-publishing, I'd like to honor the Indie authors out there with a warm, fuzzy, shout-out.

Going back over the books I read last month, they were all by Indie authors!
And so here they are, in no particular order:

 Urchin King
For fourteen years, street-urchin Paul's miserable existence has kept him safe from an ancient law that sentences all second-born twins to death.... He knows if he is discovered, he will be executed like all second-born twins.By Katharina GerlachAvailable at Amazon


On A Hot August Afternoon

Stacey is an artist with a rock star husband, Pete, whom she loves with all of her heart...she is blindsided when she goes to her mailbox and discovers an envelope of photographs, explicit photographs of her husband and another woman...As this tangled web unweaves, both sides of the family get involved, revealing a history of ups and downs.
By Bridget StraubAvailable at Amazon

 
End of Days

St. Marrok's. The Most eerie High school in which you will ever die. Its curriculum?The End of Days.By Roland YeomansAvailable at Amazon.  I do so enjoy Indie authors. Thanks for the hours of entertainment! 

The Secret is Out! Partners In ParanormYA

It's been whispered here and there, hinted at, but no real details given.

Well...

Here it is everyone.  Gwen Gardner + Angela Brown = Partners in ParanormYA
Thank you Tara for our custom ParanormYA tag!
That's right.  Two heads really ARE better than one :-)  We've joined forces to self-publish our paranormal-themed novels, both with romantic elements.  Because tastes in reading varies, so do our writing and the stories we've penned.

Gwen's GIVIN' UP THE GHOST is a wonderful YA tale of mystery and suspense.  It has a Ghost Whisperer meets Nancy Drew appeal.

Angela's NEVERLOVE explores the path where heartache and secrets abound for a pair of teens fated for forbidden love.  It has a Gothic appeal with heaven and hell agents reminiscent of Constantine.

We're planning a cover reveal and a blogtown tour.  That's where YOU come in to play.  Together, we are mighty, but we both know that without the support of you, our community mates, progress forward is difficult.  So we humbly ask that if any of our blogging buddies are willing to assist, we'd truly appreciate it :-)

The comment linky is below. Please sign in and indicate whether you're up for the ParanormYA cover reveal, the blog tour host, or both. Should you choose to host, please indicate your area of interest, i.e., interview, book review, guest post, and date available.

The break-out cover reveal is September 3 - September 7, 2012.

The blogtown tour is October 8 - October 31, 2012.
 

***Please be sure to follow Partners in ParanormYA (pronounced 'paranormia' for those who get tickled by funny sounding words).  Or you can certainly follow by e-mail.  And please, don't let the fun stop here.  Copy the comment linky and share this exciting news at your blog, through Twitter or the social media of your choice.  We'd love for this to be an exciting and fun time for as many people as possible. Remember, the more the scarier - erm - merrier.***