Kim Iverson Headlee's Blog: Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages, page 24
November 21, 2015
Who killed Jack? Spotlight on The End of Camelot by @DianaLRubino #romanticsuspense
November 22, 1963,
a day that changed America forever.
Who killed President Kennedy?
Guest post by Diana Rubino,
author of The End of Camelot.
This is going to date me, but I was six years old when President Kennedy was assassinated. Everyone who was alive that day knew exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. I was in my first grade classroom. The teacher got a call on the classroom phone and told us "the president was shot." A collective gasp went around the room. My grandmother was a huge JFK assassination buff. She’s the one who got me fascinated with this tragic event, at the time the biggest mystery since "who killed the princes in the Tower?" (I'm a Ricardian; that's for another post). She got me embroiled right along with her.
She listened to all the radio talk shows (those who lived in the New York area might remember Long John Nebel, on WOR, WNBC, and WMCA, all on AM radio (FM was really "out there" at that time). She bought whatever books came out over the years, along with the Warren Commission Report, which I couldn't lift at the time, it was so heavy. But my interest never waned in the 52 years that followed.
In 2000, I began the third book of my New York Saga, set in 1963. The heroine is Vikki McGlory Ward, daughter of Billy McGlory, hero of the second book, BOOTLEG BROADWAY, set during Prohibition. This was my opportunity to write a novel showcasing all my current theories, and continue the saga. It took a minimum of research, since I remember all the 60's brands, (Bosco, Yum Berry, Mr. Bubble...), the fashions, the songs, and I even included a scene set on that unforgettable night when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964.
About THE END OF CAMELOT:
The third in the New York Saga, The End of Camelot centers on Billy McGlory’s daughter Vikki, whose husband is murdered trying to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Vikki uses her detective skills to trace the conspiracy, from New York to New Orleans to Dallas, and at the same time, tricks her husband’s murderer into a confession. A romance with her bodyguard makes her life complete.
November 22, 1963: The assassination of a president devastates America. But a phone call brings even more tragic news to Vikki Ward—her TV reporter husband was found dead in his Dallas hotel room that morning.
Finding his notes, Vikki realizes her husband was embroiled in the plot to kill JFK—but his mission was to prevent it. When the Dallas police rule his death accidental, Vikki vows to find out who was behind the murders of JFK and her husband. With the help of her father and godfather, she sets out to uncover the truth.
Aldobrandi Po, the bodyguard hired to protect Vikki, falls in love with her almost as soon as he sets eyes on her. But he's engaged to be married, and she’s still mourning her husband. Can they ever hope to find happiness in the wake of all this tragedy?
An excerpt from THE END OF CAMELOT:
November 22, 1963
Larchmont, New York
Vikki entered her foyer and dropped her shopping bags on the floor. As she locked the door and kicked off her alligator pumps, the phone rang. She answered it in the kitchen, so she could raid the pastry box while she chatted.
“Vikki, it’s Linc Benjamin.” His ragged voice came over the line. “I have terrible news. Jack is dead.”
“What?” She couldn’t have heard right. “What did you say?”
“Jack was found in the bathtub of his hotel room this morning—”
She dropped the phone and slid down against the wall. Her glasses fell off her face. The room spun. Sunlight glared. She smelled the new coat of wax on the kitchen floor.
“Vikki? Vikki?” came faintly from the dangling receiver. She crawled over and grasped it. He would tell her it was a mistake, they had the wrong man, or it was another of Jack’s practical jokes.
“My Jack?” she whispered.
“Vikki, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed.
“Linc—no, please. Tell me it wasn’t Jack. Are you sure? There must be a mistake. Not Jack.” Her heart thudded like a hammer. A stabbing pain pierced her chest. She held the receiver away from her ear.
“Vikki, are you there?” His voice came through the earpiece. “If you want, I’ll be right over. I can tell you everything when I get there, or right now, whatever you want.”
“Now!” she demanded.
“The Dallas police found him drowned in his hotel bathtub—”
“Dallas? What was he doing in Dallas? He’s supposed to be in Chicago doing a story on the FBI!” she screeched, beyond rational thought. No, this had to be a mistake!
“I don’t know, Vikki. The maid found him. The Dallas police tried to call you all morning, but you weren’t home, so they called here, at the network. Do you want me to come over and—”
“Wait!” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Now—where is he now?”
“Parkland Hospital. They’re going to bring the bod—er, bring him back to New York after the autopsy.” His voice broke again. “God, Vikki, I’m so sorry. I feel like I lost my brother.”
She went blank, too stunned to think. Her hands shook so much she could hardly hold the phone.
“Vikki, do you want me to come over—”
“No.” She released the receiver. It swung away and banged against the wall. She curled up on the floor as the ticking clock echoed the thudding of her heart.
She wept in unbearable grief. Shutting her eyes tight, she cradled her head in her arms. A jumble of thoughts rendered her helpless.
“Please, God,” she prayed, “Let it be a mistake and Jack will come walking through the door.”
The doorbell rang. “Jack?” She forced her eyes open.
“Vikki!”
Her head throbbed with each pound on the door.
“Vikki! Are you okay? Can you hear me?”
The voice was her father’s, and as much as she wanted him with her, holding her, rocking her, the present was too much to bear. She wanted one last visit to the past with Jack, happy and alive and free from harm.
But the raw truth seared her soul: The past is gone, and so is your beloved Jack!
Too weak to walk, she crawled to the door, reached up, and unlocked it.
Her father rushed in and knelt beside her. “Vikki, honey?”
She collapsed into his arms, heaving gut-wrenching sobs.
“It’s okay, I’m here,” he crooned, like he was singing the songs he wrote for her.
“Dad, Jack—” She couldn’t bring herself to say it yet. The words were too ugly, too real.
“Yeah, I know. He got shot. When I looked in the sidelight and saw you lying on the floor, I thought you were hurt.”
She gulped. “I answered the phone and it was…” That seemed like a hundred years ago already.
He helped her up, and she forced herself to gulp enough air to stay conscious while he said, “I’ll turn on the TV and see what the news says about the shooting—”
“No, he wasn’t shot! They found him in the tub—”
“Vikki, here, let me get you on the couch. Come on, babe, that’s it.” He helped her off with her coat. “Now, what are you saying?”
“Dad—Jack…”
“I know.” He nodded. “JFK was shot in the head. The governor of Texas was shot, too.”
“No. My Jack! They found him—” Sobs burst from the depths of her soul.
“Huh? What…your Jack?”
Unable to speak any further, she nodded.
“Something happened to him?” He sat her down on the couch.
She drew in a ragged breath and he grasped her hands.
“Oh, God. Oh, Jesus Christ, Vikki.” He held her and stroked her hair as she sobbed, her tears staining his scarf. “Okay, Dad’s here, I’ll stay with you. I’m sorry, I thought you were talking about President Kennedy. He just got shot.”
“President Kennedy?” She shook her head in disbelief. “No. Jack’s friend from the network called, and—” She couldn’t go on.
“Don’t talk. I’ll get you a brandy or something.” He glanced over at her liquor cabinet.
She didn’t even want him leaving her for a few seconds. He hung her phone up and it started ringing instantly. She heard spurts of conversation. His voice sounded like an echo in a marble tomb. He finally stopped talking and came back with a brandy bottle, a snifter, and her eyeglasses. “I found your glasses on the floor.” He took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth. “You’ll be okay, you’re strong, you’re my girl,” he murmured, and she wished he’d sing to her.
Instead he explained that President Kennedy had been shot on the motorcade route in Dallas.
Purchase The End of Camelot
Kindle | Amazon Paperback |
The Wild Rose Press Paperback | The Wild Rose Press Ebook
Barnes & Noble Nook
Visit Diana:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | GooglePlus |
Goodreads Author Page | Goodreads Diana's Books |
The Wild Rose Press | Amazon Author Page |
***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
a Rafflecopter giveaway
***
All this month, you are invited to...
— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
a day that changed America forever.
Who killed President Kennedy?
Guest post by Diana Rubino,
author of The End of Camelot.
This is going to date me, but I was six years old when President Kennedy was assassinated. Everyone who was alive that day knew exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. I was in my first grade classroom. The teacher got a call on the classroom phone and told us "the president was shot." A collective gasp went around the room. My grandmother was a huge JFK assassination buff. She’s the one who got me fascinated with this tragic event, at the time the biggest mystery since "who killed the princes in the Tower?" (I'm a Ricardian; that's for another post). She got me embroiled right along with her.
She listened to all the radio talk shows (those who lived in the New York area might remember Long John Nebel, on WOR, WNBC, and WMCA, all on AM radio (FM was really "out there" at that time). She bought whatever books came out over the years, along with the Warren Commission Report, which I couldn't lift at the time, it was so heavy. But my interest never waned in the 52 years that followed.
In 2000, I began the third book of my New York Saga, set in 1963. The heroine is Vikki McGlory Ward, daughter of Billy McGlory, hero of the second book, BOOTLEG BROADWAY, set during Prohibition. This was my opportunity to write a novel showcasing all my current theories, and continue the saga. It took a minimum of research, since I remember all the 60's brands, (Bosco, Yum Berry, Mr. Bubble...), the fashions, the songs, and I even included a scene set on that unforgettable night when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964.
About THE END OF CAMELOT: The third in the New York Saga, The End of Camelot centers on Billy McGlory’s daughter Vikki, whose husband is murdered trying to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Vikki uses her detective skills to trace the conspiracy, from New York to New Orleans to Dallas, and at the same time, tricks her husband’s murderer into a confession. A romance with her bodyguard makes her life complete.
November 22, 1963: The assassination of a president devastates America. But a phone call brings even more tragic news to Vikki Ward—her TV reporter husband was found dead in his Dallas hotel room that morning.
Finding his notes, Vikki realizes her husband was embroiled in the plot to kill JFK—but his mission was to prevent it. When the Dallas police rule his death accidental, Vikki vows to find out who was behind the murders of JFK and her husband. With the help of her father and godfather, she sets out to uncover the truth.
Aldobrandi Po, the bodyguard hired to protect Vikki, falls in love with her almost as soon as he sets eyes on her. But he's engaged to be married, and she’s still mourning her husband. Can they ever hope to find happiness in the wake of all this tragedy?
An excerpt from THE END OF CAMELOT:
November 22, 1963
Larchmont, New York
Vikki entered her foyer and dropped her shopping bags on the floor. As she locked the door and kicked off her alligator pumps, the phone rang. She answered it in the kitchen, so she could raid the pastry box while she chatted.
“Vikki, it’s Linc Benjamin.” His ragged voice came over the line. “I have terrible news. Jack is dead.”
“What?” She couldn’t have heard right. “What did you say?”
“Jack was found in the bathtub of his hotel room this morning—”
She dropped the phone and slid down against the wall. Her glasses fell off her face. The room spun. Sunlight glared. She smelled the new coat of wax on the kitchen floor.
“Vikki? Vikki?” came faintly from the dangling receiver. She crawled over and grasped it. He would tell her it was a mistake, they had the wrong man, or it was another of Jack’s practical jokes.
“My Jack?” she whispered.
“Vikki, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed.
“Linc—no, please. Tell me it wasn’t Jack. Are you sure? There must be a mistake. Not Jack.” Her heart thudded like a hammer. A stabbing pain pierced her chest. She held the receiver away from her ear.
“Vikki, are you there?” His voice came through the earpiece. “If you want, I’ll be right over. I can tell you everything when I get there, or right now, whatever you want.”
“Now!” she demanded.
“The Dallas police found him drowned in his hotel bathtub—”
“Dallas? What was he doing in Dallas? He’s supposed to be in Chicago doing a story on the FBI!” she screeched, beyond rational thought. No, this had to be a mistake!
“I don’t know, Vikki. The maid found him. The Dallas police tried to call you all morning, but you weren’t home, so they called here, at the network. Do you want me to come over and—”
“Wait!” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Now—where is he now?”
“Parkland Hospital. They’re going to bring the bod—er, bring him back to New York after the autopsy.” His voice broke again. “God, Vikki, I’m so sorry. I feel like I lost my brother.”
She went blank, too stunned to think. Her hands shook so much she could hardly hold the phone.
“Vikki, do you want me to come over—”
“No.” She released the receiver. It swung away and banged against the wall. She curled up on the floor as the ticking clock echoed the thudding of her heart.
She wept in unbearable grief. Shutting her eyes tight, she cradled her head in her arms. A jumble of thoughts rendered her helpless.
“Please, God,” she prayed, “Let it be a mistake and Jack will come walking through the door.”
The doorbell rang. “Jack?” She forced her eyes open.
“Vikki!”
Her head throbbed with each pound on the door.
“Vikki! Are you okay? Can you hear me?”
The voice was her father’s, and as much as she wanted him with her, holding her, rocking her, the present was too much to bear. She wanted one last visit to the past with Jack, happy and alive and free from harm.
But the raw truth seared her soul: The past is gone, and so is your beloved Jack!
Too weak to walk, she crawled to the door, reached up, and unlocked it.
Her father rushed in and knelt beside her. “Vikki, honey?”
She collapsed into his arms, heaving gut-wrenching sobs.
“It’s okay, I’m here,” he crooned, like he was singing the songs he wrote for her.
“Dad, Jack—” She couldn’t bring herself to say it yet. The words were too ugly, too real.
“Yeah, I know. He got shot. When I looked in the sidelight and saw you lying on the floor, I thought you were hurt.”
She gulped. “I answered the phone and it was…” That seemed like a hundred years ago already.
He helped her up, and she forced herself to gulp enough air to stay conscious while he said, “I’ll turn on the TV and see what the news says about the shooting—”
“No, he wasn’t shot! They found him in the tub—”
“Vikki, here, let me get you on the couch. Come on, babe, that’s it.” He helped her off with her coat. “Now, what are you saying?”
“Dad—Jack…”
“I know.” He nodded. “JFK was shot in the head. The governor of Texas was shot, too.”
“No. My Jack! They found him—” Sobs burst from the depths of her soul.
“Huh? What…your Jack?”
Unable to speak any further, she nodded.
“Something happened to him?” He sat her down on the couch.
She drew in a ragged breath and he grasped her hands.
“Oh, God. Oh, Jesus Christ, Vikki.” He held her and stroked her hair as she sobbed, her tears staining his scarf. “Okay, Dad’s here, I’ll stay with you. I’m sorry, I thought you were talking about President Kennedy. He just got shot.”
“President Kennedy?” She shook her head in disbelief. “No. Jack’s friend from the network called, and—” She couldn’t go on.
“Don’t talk. I’ll get you a brandy or something.” He glanced over at her liquor cabinet.
She didn’t even want him leaving her for a few seconds. He hung her phone up and it started ringing instantly. She heard spurts of conversation. His voice sounded like an echo in a marble tomb. He finally stopped talking and came back with a brandy bottle, a snifter, and her eyeglasses. “I found your glasses on the floor.” He took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth. “You’ll be okay, you’re strong, you’re my girl,” he murmured, and she wished he’d sing to her.
Instead he explained that President Kennedy had been shot on the motorcade route in Dallas.
Purchase The End of Camelot
Kindle | Amazon Paperback |
The Wild Rose Press Paperback | The Wild Rose Press Ebook
Barnes & Noble Nook
Visit Diana:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | GooglePlus |
Goodreads Author Page | Goodreads Diana's Books |
The Wild Rose Press | Amazon Author Page |
***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
a Rafflecopter giveaway
***
All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 20, 2015
Morghe and Urien tie the knot in Ch 8/Sc 3b of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting
Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. Most variants of the Arthurian legends have Morgan le Fay marrying King Uriens as a political move to strengthen Arthur's alliance with that influential ruler. In most variants, the marriage is described as a loveless one, in spite of the fact that Morgan le Fay is consistently described as a talented seductress.My vision of the Arthurian legends, fortunately for you the reader, is so very unlike "most"—indeed, all—other variants that you must read it for yourself to experience what I mean.
Today's excerpt finishes Chapter 8 with Morghe and Urien taking the final plunge into matrimony… Morghe's way, of course.
Previous excerpts of Raging Sea Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1B | Sc 2 | Sc 3a |
Raging Sea Chapter 8, Scene 3b©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Morghe’s gaze met Urien’s and her lips curved into the sultry smile that always made his blood heat. He couldn’t help but return it.
Arthur placed her hand into Urien’s, gave a sharp nod to both of them, and withdrew to stand between his wife and mother.
The priest rambled on about the sanctity of marriage, and then bade Urien and Morghe recite vows to honor and cherish and respect each other. Urien mouthed his way through the affirmations while silently urging time to speed ahead to the ceremonial kiss.
“Do you, Chieftain Urien map Dumarec, vow to protect your lady wife Morghe ferch Uther from all hurt and harm?” asked the priest.
“Of course I do.” To have said anything else in front of Arthur and his mother and their allies would have been gross stupidity.
The holy man nodded and turned to Morghe. “And do you, Lady Morghe, vow to obey your lord husband Urien in all things?”
“I will,” she said in a tone worthy of a battlefield commander, “as Chieftainess of Clan Moray.” Into the crowd’s shocked silence, she reached up and laid her hand on Urien’s cheek. It was warm and had a fragrant, earthy scent. He felt his flesh tingle under her touch, and lust flared within him. “Isn’t that right, my love?”
His emotional self screamed at him to deny her, arguing that this was a foolish move that could only lead to chaos. His logical half recalled the points she had made about the Council of Chieftains and other ways that she could assist him as chieftainess that would never be permitted her otherwise.
He surveyed his clan and the other guests, all of whom were regarding him with varying degrees of confusion, expectation, curiosity, skepticism, or encouragement.
Urien caught another whiff of Morghe’s tantalizing scent and reached a decision. He unpinned his boar brooch, removed his black clan mantle, and with a flourish draped it around Morghe’s shoulders. Its lower hem pooled across the rock.
The silence was broken by the sound of one pair of gloved hands clapping; Gyanhumara’s, he realized with no small shock. He cocked an eyebrow at her, and she responded with a respectful nod.
Soon the applause swelled as her men, Arthur, Ygraine, and others added their accolades. Urien glanced at Morghe. Her smile was radiant.
“We have completed our vows. Have you not a proclamation to make?” Urien asked the priest, who was not clapping and appeared to be viewing this deviation from the proceedings with stunned disbelief.
“A proclamation? Oh—of course, my lord.” The man raised his arms. “In the sight of God and all you honored witnesses, I proclaim the lawful wedded union of Urien map Dumarec and Morghe ferch Uther, Chieftain . . . and Chieftainess of Clan Moray. May your union be fruitful and may your days be forever blessed.”
The cheers sounded very far away as Urien lifted Morghe’s veil and their lips met for the first time as husband and wife. She gave his lower lip a playful nibble. He submerged his surprise and nibbled back, earning him a demure giggle from his wife.
Their days—and nights—just might be blessed indeed.
At last they parted, and he treasured her sultry smile that hinted at those blessings to come. Hand in hand they turned toward the sea of smiling faces. With one voice he and his wife announced, “Let the festivities begin!”
*** The End of Chapter 8 ***
All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 19, 2015
The last hour of Anne Boleyn in Phoenix Rising by @HunterSJones101 #historical fiction
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2015
The last hour of Anne Boleyn's life... Court intrigue, revenge and all the secrets of the last hour are revealed as one queen falls and another rises to take her place on destiny's stage.
A young Anne Boleyn arrives at the court of King Henry VIII. She is to be presented at the Shrovetide pageant, le Château Vert. The young and ambitious Anne has no idea that a chance encounter before the pageant will lead to her capturing the heart of the king. What begins as a distraction becomes his obsession and leads to her destruction.
Love, hate, loyalty and betrayal come together in a single dramatic moment... the execution of a queen. The history of England will be changed for ever.
Chattanooga, TennesseeMay 2015Long ago, when our English ancestress immigrated to the American colonies in the late 17th century, she brought with her a star chart, the stories it revealed, and a golden ring. My grandmother told me this, and her grandmother had explained it to her. This story has remained in our family for generations. The star chart tells the story of the last hour of Anne Boleyn and the rise of Lady Jane Seymour as predicted by an astrologer to the King of England, Henry VIII. The family legend and the chart reveal what happened in the last hour on that English morning of May 19, 1536. The star chart is a map of the planetary movement for a particular time. It is divided into twelve segments called houses. Each house represents a different area of life and individuals within a person’s life. Every house literally provides a home for the planets stationed there, giving that planet a place to manifest its energy through various individuals. According to the stars and the twelve houses of the star map, zodiac wheel, or astrology chart, as we call them today, this is how the King, the doomed Queen, and various members of their family and court spent the last hour of one Queen’s life and the beginning of the next Queen’s reign. As the falcon badge of Anne Boleyn began its descent, the phoenix emblem of Jane Seymour began to rise.
The star map remains in my possession, as does the golden ring. So it was explained to me and now I can reveal to you that which has been a mystery. The mystery of how that one moment in time came to be.
Amazon US ~ Amazon CA ~ Goodreads
Deb Hunter writes fiction as Hunter S. Jones. She is a member of the prestigious Society of Authors founded by Lord Tennyson, Rivendell Writers Colony, Historical Writers’ Association, Historical Fiction Authors, Historical Novel Society and the Atlanta Writer’s Club. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) PAN Member; and Georgia Romance Writers. Originally from a Chattanooga, Tennessee, she currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her Scottish born husband. Her Tudor History blog,
Fear and Loathing in Tudor England
, is a reader’s favorite. Her best seller,
PHOENIX RISING
, a fictional story of the last hour of Anne Boleyn is available on Amazon.com and at a bookstore near you.SECRETS from a DANGEROUS TIME is a multi-dimensional series set in post-Civil War Reconstruction in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the north Georgia. This series is an Amazon Exclusive available via MadeGlobal Publishing.
MoB Promosmagicofbookspromo at gmail dot com***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
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***
All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 17, 2015
The Business of Writing: How much time it takes to create a DIY book cover by @Liza0Connor
Einband (vorne) von: "Biblia graeca - Novum Iesu Christi Testamentum",
Graece. Basel, N. Brylinger, 1553.
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Welcome to the final installment of a 3-part series on DIY book covers by my author-friend Liza O'Connor.
If you missed part 1 about The Basics, you would be well advised to read this post. And I have found a page of royalty-free and cost-free stock photos, vectors, and video clips courtesy of Depositphotos!
In part 2 Liza expounded upon The Dreaded Font Rules in this post.
Today she discusses how to solicit feedback, and how much of a time sink the process of creating one's own book cover can be.
Getting feedback before the cover is final:
Once you’ve finished your custom designed book cover, unique to the world, with legible fonts, only costing (for me) about $7-$15 (cost of photos and shared cost of Adobe program [and be prepared to pay a LOT more than that for pics if you don't catch a sale ~ kih]), an easy way to get advice and comments on it is to put it up on your Facebook page. More than likely you’ll have several cover designers among your friends and they’ll tell you lots of stuff they don’t and do like. You’ll also get an even greater group of authors and readers stating which they like, but often they don’t mention why they like it best, but remember, since readers are your consumers, their opinions matter a great deal.
Normally, I create several covers. If you give them just one choice, your feedback may not be as accurate. Frequently, after days of voting, the best choice is NOT always clear. (This could mean both are equally horrible or wonderful. So try to wheedle out which.) If both are wonderful, go with your favorite, since you know your story the best. And remember, NO cover will appeal to everyone. However, a great cover will appeal to most in your genre and that’s all you can ask for.
And how much time will you spend working on covers?
It depends. Buying pics can take a lot of time. I buy mine once a year, but you may prefer to buy as you go, which could cost significantly more on a per picture basis.
You will also have to spend time learning to use your software. I spent several hours each day for three months working through all the tasks in the how to use Photoshop book I bought.
Normally, I can create a complex cover in two hours. But then I will tweak it for a week before I slap it up on Facebook for opinions. However, some books defy me at every turn. Thus, in one situation I have probably spent well over a month of labor creating a great deal of book covers for a single novel: The Darkest Days.
Last year, I probably made about a hundred covers and this year I made even more. Honestly, some covers I like on my first try and that’s it. For other covers I’ll go through endless pictures and designs because nothing suits me. And of course, there are those times that all I need to do is merge the picture with another, slap on a title and I’ve got my perfect book cover. That’s rare, and beware, if you don’t change the pictures you bought in a material way, then someone else can and probably will turn up with a very similar cover to yours.
Because of that, I recommend you avoid the handsome guy you’ve seen on thirty other covers, or at least do something to make him different. Enhance him or change his eye or skin color. You can also alter his hair color, but that is not always as easy as it sounds, depending upon the program you are working from.
And in one case, I thought I had changed the cover sufficiently, but another sci fi author just published a book that looks remarkably like mine, (which I made two years ago) and so when it comes time to publish this novel, it will need another cover.
If you want to view all my published covers, go to my author page on Amazon. The only book covers which aren’t my creations are the first three books of A Long Road to Love series and the paperback version of Ghost Lover.
If you want to read about my thought process while making covers for 2016, go here.
Liza O’Connor writes in several genres including Late Victorian, Regency, Contemporary Romance, Humorous Disaster Romance (which should be a genre), Sci-Fi and Sci-Fi Romance. Liza currently has eighteen novels, fifteen of which have covers designed by her. The Troublesome Apprentice is the first book of my never-ending humorous Late-Victorian Sleuth series in which Britain’s greatest ‘real’ sleuth (Xavier Thorn) hires an apprentice who turns out to be female with the greatest intuition skill he’s ever known. Together they fall in love, behave outrageously, and solve a great deal of crimes while picking up fabulous characters as the series progresses.
Thank you so much, Liza, for all your wonderful words of wisdom!
***
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King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 16, 2015
THE CHALLENGE News, reviews, and winners #FREE Nov.17! Arthurian #graphicnovel
The gauntlet is thrown. One must die. Refusal is not an option.
The Challenge c2015 by Kim Iverson Headlee.
Art & storyboard c2015 by Wendy Carey. Page one of the graphic novel edition of The Challenge has been delivered, and the audiobook edition is undergoing its final quality review and will be available soon too!
In celebration I'm offering the e-book edition of The Challenge as a Free Kindle Download Nov. 17!
My other Dragon's Dove Chronicles novella, The Color of Vengeance, is also free worldwide on Kindle, Nook US, Nook UK, Kobo, iTunes, Scribd, Inktera, Smashwords, and Oyster.
And if you have an Audible subscription, you may listen to Dawnflight and The Color of Vengeance audiobook editions free too!
To be among the first to receive special offers and the latest news about all my books, please sign up for my monthly newsletter, The Dawnflier .
Meantime, here are some of the latest reviews of the e-book edition of The Challenge:
Harlie's Books: 4.5* "I definitely need to revisit this world soon. Well crafted and great characters that I immediately liked and rooted for."I Read What You Write: 5* "This story is captivating from the start and maintains its intensity throughout."Fanatical Paranormal Romantical: "Can’t wait to see what the next book brings in Arthur and Gyan’s story."Romance Writer and Lover of Books Vikki Vaught: 4* "I was rooting for Gyan, even though she will face her husband’s wrath if she wins."And last month's contest winners are already notified:
Autographed note cards: Lisa H. and Tifinie H.Autographed copy of Dawnflight: Joy F.Autographed copy of Morning's Journey: Phyllis R.Please join me in congratulating everyone, and scroll down for yet more chances to win!
***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
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All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 15, 2015
Fiona meets a "demon" in The Dragon Knight's Axe by @m_morganauthor #MedievalMonday
Medieval Monday on The Maze today: the first encounter between the hero and heroine of The Dragon Knight's Axe, a time travel historical romance by Mary Morgan. Synopsis:
Battled scarred, Dragon Knight, Alastair MacKay, has fled to the seas to separate himself from his powers that are connected to the land. Yet, when he rescues a woman from a slave trader in Ireland, he steps back inadvertently into a world filled with magic—taking on the role of protector and leading him on a journey to confront his greatest fears.
Research assistant, Fiona O’Quinlan loves translating ancient artifacts at Trinity College. When she falls asleep on an archaeological dig, she awakens in another time. She soon discovers a Dragon Knight’s relic has been entrusted into her care. Determined to return the artifact to the Great Glen, Fiona is unprepared for the danger ahead—losing her heart and soul to Alastair “Beast” MacKay.
Will their love be strong enough to soothe the beast and heal the man? Or will Death swing its axe, leaving them lost for all eternity?
Excerpt:
The closer he came, the more Fiona began to tremble. His face bore a deep crescent scar from his left eyebrow down below his cheek. This giant was a demon, and some actually crossed themselves as he passed them.
When he reached the platform, he narrowed his eyes and glared at the two men by her side. They instantly stepped away. As with everyone else, he was no different. He looked her up and down, though when he gazed into her eyes for a moment, Fiona saw confusion.
The demon spoke. “How much do ye want, Robert?”
“Ye cannot have her.” He spit onto the ground in front of the man.
The monster’s voice remained deadly calm. “And why would that be?”
“Ye have nothing to offer.”
Fiona saw the shift of color in the demon’s green eyes. It was enough for the man called Robert to back away.
“I dinnae want any trouble.”
The giant leaned his head down. “Would ye take these?” He pulled out a small pouch and opened it. Pulling out several stones, he held them aloft. “Amber from the Northmen’s homeland.”
Robert’s eyes went wide, but then he crossed his arms. “I will take the lot and a barrel of your whisky.”
The man arched a brow. “How do ye ken I have whisky?”
“Do ye take me for a fool, MacKay?”
“Nae, Robert, but only foolish if ye do not take my offer of ten stones and one barrel.”
The moments stretched out between the two men, and Fiona’s heart pounded in her chest. She was being traded for amber stones and a damn barrel of whisky.
***
Buy Links:
Amazon | The Wild Rose Press | Barnes & Noble | iTunes |
***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 13, 2015
Urien's final thoughts as a bachelor in Ch 8/Sc 3a of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting
Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. The last thing Urien ever envisioned, when he began butting heads with Arthur in the political arena several years earlier in my story arc's chronology, was to become allied with the Pendragon through marriage to his youngest sister. That union became even more inconceivable to him when it appeared as though he would be making an alliance with his enemies the Picts of Clan Argyll through marriage to their chieftainess, Gyanhumara (a.k.a., Guinevere), the woman Urien desires above all others.
Arthur and Gyan, of course, had other ideas, and the story of how they outmaneuvered Urien without causing him to start a civil war plays out in The Dragon's Dove Chronicles book 1, Dawnflight .
In today's installment of Raging Sea, Urien has one last opportunity to address just what he has gotten himself into by agreeing to marry Morghe.
Previous excerpts of Raging Sea Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1B | Sc 2 |
Raging Sea Chapter 8, Scene 3a©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Urien map Dumarec stood atop Chieftain’s Rock, dressed in his ceremonial battle-gear and bathed in dawn’s strengthening light, surveying the crowd that surged through the wall’s side gate following the conclusion of Easter prime mass. The Scots had declined to attend the religious service and were already occupying the far side of the courtyard. Gyanhumara and those of her men who also had not gone to mass had formed up near the section of wall protecting the chapel.
Gyanhumara . . .
She stood garbed in gleaming metal and tooled leather armor, her shorn flame-red hair stiffened with lime and twisted into spikes. Her gold dragon brooch glittered from its perch fastening her gold-hemmed, dark blue cloak. Every facet of her demeanor shouted warrior and leader of warriors, and yet all Urien could think about was the day he would strip off those armaments and adornments, the day he would at last take that which she had dared to deny him.
Her glare warned him not to raise his hopes. The lowered eyebrows framing his gaze delivered a challenge of their own.
Abrupt cessation of activity at the gate drew his attention.
After the last of the worshipers had taken their positions facing Urien, the elegantly robed and coifed Ygraine processed through the gate, followed by Arthur escorting Morghe. Gyanhumara stepped from the formation to join them.
As prearranged, Urien had not attended mass at prime with everyone else, owing to the ancient tradition that kept his bride hidden from him on their wedding day. As Ygraine claimed her assigned place in the assembly’s front row, Urien received his first clear view this morning of the woman who in moments would become his wife.
God, what a vision! Morghe was swathed in gold fabric embroidered front and back with the Boar of Moray in ebony thread. Her auburn hair lay piled atop her head and was decorated with ropes of black pearls that must have cost a fortune. A thin curtain of cream-colored lace veiled her face. And Morghe was everything Gyanhumara wasn’t: soft, gentle, refined, wise, willing . . .
He wondered just how willing she would be after he refused to grant her the privilege of reigning as chieftainess.
***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
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All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
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...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 12, 2015
LEGENDS and LEGACY two multi-author box sets #fantasy #fairytales
"LEGACY" & "LEGENDS" BOX SETSComplete Books Anthologies — Hot New Release — Vacation Reading Package — Perfect Holiday Gift Idea
LEGENDS Published: November 10, 2015
13 COMPLETE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM YOUR FAVORITE SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY AUTHORS.
This box set is comprised of a mix of already released and totally new novels and novellas, all complete works. Those books which are part of a series can be enjoyed fully without the need to read the complete series (though there is a chance you might develop story-addiction issues—for that, we apologize).
Amazon US ~ Amazon CA
ON UNFAITHFUL WINGS (ICARUS FELL #1) — Bruce BlakeTo some, death is the end; to others, a beginning. To Icarus Fell, it should have been a relief from a life gone seriously awry.
But death had other plans.
Icarus doesn't believe that the man awaiting him when he wakes up in a cheap motel room is really the archangel Michael, or that God's right hand wants him to help souls on their way to Heaven. Icarus doesn't believe there's a Heaven, so why should they want his help?
But the man claiming to be the archangel tempts him with an offer he can't ignore--harvest enough souls and get back the life he wished he'd had.
It seems Icarus has nothing to lose, until he botches a harvest and the soul that went to Hell instead of Heaven comes back to make him pay by threatening to take away the life he hoped to win back.
To save the wife and son he already lost once, Icarus will have to become the man he never was. Somehow, he will have to learn to believe.
THE UNIVERSE BUILDERS: BERNIE AND THE PUTTY — Steve LeBelA young god graduates from God School and gets his dream job of building his first universe. Plagued by a school rival and aided by his friends, he struggles to create a world he can be proud of.
BRAIN WAVES — Cherime MacFarlaneCoDee is a brain damaged young man living on a dusty, dirty desert world. He is barely functional but owns an old junk yard. He hates it when dead animals are dumped in the yard. He says it "hurts his heart" to deal with them. The world he lives on caters to the older poorer freighters and trading ships. A ship rescued a member of a feline species with massive injuries. The cat is dumped in his yard barely alive. The female cat asks for CoDee's help. He does the best he can. Cat can help heal him, but first she must mend.
Cat's efforts to help CoDee reveals memories of the individual who nearly killed him, his father.
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON — Ahmad TaylorAre You Afraid of the Dark?
Take a Suspense filled Action packed journey to the Dark Side of the Moon. The brand new Sci-fi/Suspense/Thriller by Ahmad Taylor.
Government agent Derrick Thomas awakens from a disturbing dream to find a message from his father asking for help. As he sets out to lend his assistance he quickly discovers that not only has his father gone missing, but that a clandestine government agency is out to derail his search before it can begin. After the murders of two of his father's colleagues and the further disappearances of his mother and sister, Derrick is thrust into a battle for the lives of his family while attempting to uncover details of a secret government program which may hold the key to his family's whereabouts. Will he be able to save them and uncover the truth before he becomes the next victim of a government bent on keeping him silent?
SUNSTONE — Holly BarboCorruption meets revolution in this steampunk thriller
Before there was a history, the sun goddess Navora visited a moon within her realm that held primitive ocean life. She dipped her staff of power into the primordial sea and stirred. Pleased with what she had wrought, she departed, not at all troubled that a divine spark had touched two small dying sea creatures.
As centuries pass, life on the moon develops into a geothermal steam-powered industrial age. A triumvirate of politicians, banks and corporations bring strain and suffering to the masses they rule over. Unbeknownst to the people of the moon, there may be help. With the gears of time ever moving and trouble spiraling to a crisis point, can three individuals and a handful of fossils prevent a violent revolution?
TRAPT: A TWISTED WOLF TALE — Rene FolsomMardi Gras is coming, and no one is more excited than Jolie—The Big Easy’s resident good witch. Amidst the festivities, darkness creeps under the blissful veil of love she is entangled with. Her twin sister, the evil witch Melanie, is out to destroy Jolie before her powers can usurp her own, willing to stop at nothing to do so. Jolie, aided by Asher and his seven-man wolf pack, are set to keep New Orleans safe from Melanie’s sorcery, or die trying.
Enjoy the story of Jolie and Asher, a modern-day retelling of the classic tale Snow White.
This Mardi Gras season, let the sinful good times roll with Trapt, a Twisted Wolf Tale and part of the Red Hot Cajun Nights multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment).
Warning: This supernatural urban fantasy romance novella contains adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.
GONE — Julie Elizabeth PowellAfter Charley dies in her office chair, how is it that she finds herself propelled into the mysterious world of Avalon?
Upon encountering an essence, which insists is her daughter – the one she knows she left behind – insanity battles with fear inside her mind.
The further she delves, the more puzzling things appear, especially after she rises into the Orb of Caprice – a realm of fairies, talking flowers and goblins…and something else, something that lurks in the shadows ready to swallow her whole.
Can she realise in time what it is she must do…or has she left it too late?
Gone is a story inspired by a true event.
WITCHWOOD ESTATE: GOING HOME — Patti RobertsThere is something very evil lurking in the woods surrounding Witchwood Estate.
Alexandria Santorini learns as a child that she comes from a long line of Harvey witches. Now, as a teenager, Alexandria must say goodbye to Catnip Cottage and the Barnabys, her loving guardians for the last twelve years, and go home to Ferntree Falls to claim her inheritance. Witchwood Estate. The home where she was born and her parents were murdered. Her journey home becomes even more sinister, however, when she discovers that there are those around her who have other plans for her and her new friends…
FROZEN HEART — Ella MedlerQuiet and listless, the glass heart sat hidden under layers of unremarkable clutter, its secret safe. The human hands had touched it often through the strata of debris, but until now, had never uncovered it fully. At last, the yellow duster cut through the grime, and the heart began to shift. It would most likely have frozen over again, up on its high shelf, if the cat’s careless pouncing hadn’t made if fall into a box full of tinsel. This is how the history of time and place began to change — with the story of the frozen heart.
GARNETS — Suzy Stewart DubotA 19th century time travel mystery revolves around Garnets. But then, is it really time travelling?
From early childhood, a young woman has often awakened in the night to find herself in a different bedroom, but she has never encountered another living soul.
And then comes the day when circumstances push her to open a door and look beyond...
SHERDAN’S PROPHECY — Jess MountifieldThe first book in the Sherdan series
“The story is beautifully brought to life with plenty of emotional turmoil … readers will be hooked until the last words.” D. J. Lowbridge, Author
“A strong book about the battle between science and religion without exaggerating either side.” Paul Kater, Author
Sherdan has spent many years planning for the future of the superhuman race he's created. Now he's in control of their land and he is expected to forge a fresh start and provide somewhere safe for them all to live, but Britain's PM has other ideas. On top of this he has to face the one thing he never expected to love.
Anya is on a mission from God; to find out why she has been sent to the heart of Bristol, and what she can do to stop the world being plunged into war. When she finds herself forced to choose between Sherdan with his enzyme fuelled followers and her own country, only her faith can see her through.
Sherdan's Prophecy is a tale of high stakes and political intrigue. A science fiction novel where faith and technology come together to take the human race another step closer to the final showdown. A gritty account of power that shows both the best and the worst of humanity.
OF SOUND MIND — Julie Elizabeth PowellJorja always knew she was different. But it wasn’t until she discovered her telekinetic ability that she realised just how different she was.Living with her frail mother and an obsessive, cruel and hated aunt, Jorja grapples with the truth of her being.
As her story is revealed, other powers are uncovered – not least that she can see other people’s souls in the colours that surround them – and we are led into a surprising and shocking world of fantasy, forcing doubt as to the sanity of the heroine.
We follow Jorja’s life, delving into her loves, hates and fears though cannot help but delight in the woman she becomes, despite the question which hangs mysteriously in the air.
It will be up to the reader to decide if Mageia and its diverse inhabitants are indeed real or only the illusionary world created by a disturbed mind, due, not only to grief but also to her persecution by her aunt and the defective qualities of a barbarous doctor.
Although the story is resolved, questions will remain.
THE UNRAVELING (SAGE SEED CHRONICLES BOOK 3) — Holly BarboThe Sage Seed Chronicles follows the stories of certain individuals with a psychic gene
There are no monsters on Ose. People can be monstrous enough.
Erin's parents are murdered and she can sense that same malevolent energy hunting her down. With little time to grieve, Erin is forced into hiding and discovers an unusual ability she's never had before -- she can talk to animals!
With the help of her new found animal companions, she eludes the killer. Disguising herself as a boy, she joins the Autumn Gathering and is able to concentrate on the questions she needs to solve: Who killed her parents? Why are they trying to kill her, too?
Quakes, storms, and murders begin plaguing Erin's world and she soon realizes that they're all connected. The fabric of her world is just beginning to unravel...
Legacy (Fantasy Box Set Vol. 2) Published: November 12, 2015
10 COMPLETE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM YOUR FAVORITE FANTASY AUTHORS
LEGACY is an impressive collection of fantasy stories — some darker, some intense, all suspenseful, and every one unique. 10 new worlds to explore, 10 wild adventures, 10 ways to make a new set of best friends. The perfect companion for late nights on the sofa, the perfect gift to those who enjoy a good read. Add it to your favorite kindle with one click now.
Amazon US ~ Amazon CA
WHITE HART — Sarah DaltonMae never asked to be craft-born. She never wanted that burden.
The realm needs magic again, and the the King of Aegunlund has been waiting for the first craft-born girl to marry his son, Prince Casimir.
In Mae's town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is craft-born. Mae knows this is a load of hogwash, but she's glad Ellen will have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming queen instead of her. All she has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she'd have to follow.
Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She's out for revenge and nothing, no one, will get in her way.
DESTINY'S WINGS — D.S. SchmeckpeperCeleste is tired. She just wants to be left alone.
For centuries, the half-blooded elf has hidden herself away from the world and lived in isolation. Things have been peaceful, quiet. But some have a greater calling, a destiny. When the humans unwittingly set about a plan to release the source of all evil back into the world, Celeste is called upon by an old ally to stop them, and to keep all of Altierra safe.
Now she must face her past as she and her allies travel across the continent to save a world she has been apart from for eons. Will even her angelic birthright and druidic powers be enough to stop the rise of the last god?
She never asked to be a hero.
Destiny can be funny that way.
WANDERING TO BELONG — Jess MountifieldAneira has been wandering the lands since her tribe vanished, eight years ago. One day she hopes to find them and get back to a normal life. In the mean time she has to make the most of any help she’s offered along the road, but she isn’t prepared for what might happen when she decides to help back, or when she’s prevented from running away.
This is a short fantasy story of one girls only desire – to belong.
WHEN SHADOWS FALL — Bruce BlakeA hundred hundred seasons have turned since the Goddess banished the Small Gods to the sky, leaving the land to mankind alone.
For Prince Teryk, life behind the castle walls is boring and uneventful until he stumbles upon an arcane scroll in a long-forgotten chamber. The parchment speaks of Small Gods, the fall of man, and the kingdom's savior—the firstborn child of the rightful king. It's his opportunity to prove himself to his father, the king, and assure his place in history. All he needs to do is find the man from across the sea—a man who can't possibly exist—and save mankind.
But ancient magic has been put in motion by a mysterious cult determined to see the Small Gods reborn. Powerful forces clash, uncaring for the lives of mortals in their struggle to prevent the return of the banished ones, or aid in their rebirth.
Named in a prophecy or not, what chance does a cocky prince who barely understands the task laid before him stand in a battle with the gods?
PARADOX: THE ANGELS ARE HERE — Patti RobertsTwo Worlds. One Ancient—One New.
Grigori – the original vampires.
Bulguardi – guardian angels.
Long ago, in an almost forgotten realm, the Grigori clash with the Bulguardi in the royal city of Altair.
Their battle changed events in the Ancient World and the New World forever.
Altair, a realm where a year can last centuries and an Ancient magical people still rule. Rising up from their most recent imprisonment, the Grigori are on a destructive path of revenge, and Earth becomes their next destination.
Trapped in the middle, between the old world and the new, a little girl is cursed with horrific visions from past events she does not understand.
From the Ancient world to the new world on Earth, this is a tale of myth and legend, mayhem and magic, birth and death.
You can run from evil, but you cannot run forever.
My name is Juliette, and this is my story.
WERELORD THAL: A RENAISSANCE WEREWOLF TALE — Tracy FalbeHe raised his mouth and howled like he never had before. A huge sound trumpeted from his great throat with an intelligent rage that put the world on notice that he would defend his right to live. The sound filled the vale with shuddering energy. Peasants clutched their covers and stared into the darkness. Children whimpered in their little beds. Praying monks faltered in their entreaties to a higher power when the voice of the Earth beneath their knees called them to attention.
THE DRAGIL: BROKEN MAGIC — Holly BarboPart of the Tendrils short stories collection.
When Willum, an apprentice book maker, has a nasty fall, he loses all of his memories… including the strictures concerning protective magic for the exquisite miniature dragons called dragilios. Not knowing he is breaking the magic law, and sending the little dragil, Malle, into deadly peril, he draws the friendly, little dragil.
The moment the picture is finished the protective spell shatters. Her anguished cry as she disappears restores his memory.
Devastated at what he has done and wanting to right the wrong or die trying, Willum undertakes a dangerous quest into the malignant world of the giant leather-winged dragons. Can he find her in time before she is ripped apart and eaten or, if he stays too long in that lethal land, before he becomes stone?
The hourglass sands are slipping away toward the doom of the boy and the fragile little dragil. Can he save them both?
THE AVALON TRILOGY I: THE STAR REALM — Julie Elizabeth PowellWhat would you do if you were called to another world…a world filled with seemingly impossible things?
Faced with this choice, Davie, Ben, Anne, Chrissie and Billy embark upon a mysterious quest, finding themselves transported to the spectacular and extraordinary world of Avalon, whereupon they are catapulted into one of the uncountable heptagonal pieces that make up the magical sphere of the Orb of Caprice…namely, the Star Realm.
Follow the exploits of the five and champion their long, arduous yet amazing journey. Though the question remains…will Time be on their side?
This story is for anyone with a head overflowing with dreams, a heart filled with a yearning for adventure and a soul buoyant in magic.
This is the first adventure in the Avalon trilogy.
THE AVALON TRILOGY II: INVASION — Julie Elizabeth PowellThe children are once again called by the Time Keeper of Avalon and find themselves within the Orb of Caprice, this time joined by Daisy, Billy’s unsuspecting grandmother, where, together, they must find the Key of Light, if all their worlds are to be saved before DarkStar gains control.
The corrupted land of the Dark Reaches is full of mysterious and forbidding creatures, testing friendships and resolve as they battle through this fragmented world in an effort to complete their quest.
Faced with these dangers, they have the added worry about what may have happened to Kimeranet, who has disappeared without a trace.
As the puzzle unravels, not least about Kimeranet’s past, a further mystery develops, as the travellers discover part of the Legend of the Kraal, and meet Kaarvok...but should they trust him? And can they remain united as they struggle through this newly found world?
Follow this next adventure and see if they can again successfully fight to save their friend and home.
THE AVALON TRILOGY III: SECRETS OF THE ICE — Julie Elizabeth PowellSecrets Of The Ice is the last of the epic journey for Davie, Ben, Chrissie, Billy, Anne and Daisy. It sees them battle against unrelenting odds within the Dominion of Ice, where they must find the thirteen pieces of the Mystical Pyramid before Lokian can use it to unleash DarkStar and so to bring Elsewhere under its thrall.
There is something they do not realise, however, something that goes back further than the creation of Avalon, but will the secrets be unravelled in time and be enough to show them what they must do and what sacrifices must be made?
Delve into the mystery and find out if they can do it.
MoBmagicofbookspromo at gmail dot com***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
November 10, 2015
The Business of Writing: The Dreaded Font Rules for DIY Book Covers by @Liza0Connor
Einband (vorne) von: "Biblia graeca - Novum Iesu Christi Testamentum",
Graece. Basel, N. Brylinger, 1553.
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Last week on The Maze I kicked off a 3-part series on DIY book covers by author-friend Liza O'Connor.
If you missed part 1, you would be well advised to read about it in this post.
If you dare to learn about the Dreaded Font Rules, read on! :D
In Liza's words:
Once you’ve bought your pics and conquered whatever photo app you decided upon and have created the world’s most beautiful cover, it’s time to learn one more thing...
The dreaded font rules…
When I put my covers up for comments, my graphic designers often take issue with my fonts.
After a weird font on my first book (Ghost Lover) I was advised to have the same font for my name in the same size for all my books. That way, readers would come to recognize Liza O’Connor. Unfortunately, since I write across many genres, I couldn’t do this without breaking other font rules. So I’ve slightly different fonts for Contemporary, Sci-fi and Historical. But all are large and legible.
While there are evidently a great deal of rules about fonts, this is what I follow, or mostly follow:
Always leave open space between your title (or name) and the edges of the cover. Otherwise, it looks like your title or name is cramped and wants to escape. (And make sure it’s centered, unless you are intentionally doing something weird.)
[Note: This will also avoid your being fussed at by Createspace if you are using their template for uploading your e-book cover and letting them turn it into a full wrap cover for the print edition. They require a 0.25" margin between the text elements and the edge of the cover on all sides. ~kih]Make your name legible and prominent. Books change, but your name is your brand. A great deal of publishing houses break this rule, resulting in names so small you cannot read the author’s name. It sometimes looks classy, but it’s subconsciously saying the author doesn’t matter. Do you ever see tiny names on best selling authors these days? Remember e-book covers are mostly seen an inch tall in promos and e-book stores. Your name needs to be legible.Consider your genre before selecting your fonts. Historical novel titles and names should have serif/old fashioned fonts. It helps the reader identify the genre.Be careful using cursive fonts because many are hard to read. However, if you can read it on a thumb print size pic, then it can be used. You can also use italics for little words such as the, of, and about to help your title to stand out.Contemporaries and Sci Fi look best in non-serif fonts. Contemporaries can also use cursive fonts for the little words in the title, but be careful putting the whole title in italics—check readability in thumbprint size. Now here’s where I get scolded. I often pick fragile, friendly fonts for contemporaries because I think they are pretty. However, my designer friends keep insisting the title should be bolder to catch the reader’s eyes. BOLDNESS OUTWEIGHS PRETTY. Since that makes sense, I’m sharing it with you, even though I don’t always follow their advice.I have also read several articles that you should not use beveled edged fonts that look 3 dimensional. Personally, I think they look super cool. So I do use them on my sci-fi books, presuming that in the future, this rule will cease to exist. Still, I would NEVER use them in historical novels, and I refrain from doing so in my contemporaries unless it’s a cross-over sci-fi novel.Recently several designers disliked my overlapping title letters in the Multiverse series book 4. Since I did the same overlapping in books 1-3, I didn’t change the overlapping issue in book 4 due to consistency among the series issue. However, I will try very hard not to do it again.Professionals may also condemn you for using shadows to make a title or name easier to read on the cover’s background. Hey, if it comes between annoying a professional or making my title or name readable, this is a no brainer for me. You can try creating a more uniform background, or shading the bottom or top, but if in the end you need those shadows, then go for it.Besides the fonts offered by most programs, there are people out in the internet who make and sell superior fonts to create fabulous titles. Since I’m impoverished, I just stick to the free, but I’ve seen some gorgeous serif fonts for historical covers that Photoshop doesn’t have.
[Note: My favorite site for free fonts is Dafont.com, but do read the fine print before setting your heart on a font that the designer is expecting a fee from you for using it in a commercial application such as a book cover. ~kih]There must be several hundred fonts on Photoshop and honestly, I can’t tell a lot of them apart. I really need to identify my top ten favorites and make note of what they are called, since I quickly succumb to FONT OVERLOAD. Instead, I presently go sorting about for the book that used the font I want, open the PSD file (Adobe Photoshop file ~kih), find the title and read what it is, then go replicate it on the cover I’m working on. So I’m recommending that you and I should write down our ten favorite fonts and make them our go-to list. It will save us time in the future.Also in Photoshop I can widen the space between letters, widen the letters themselves, or lengthen or shorten the letters. I’m pretty sure there are rules around what you should or should not actually do. However, I do know it is okay, even recommended, to widen the space between the letters of your name for easier reading. However, to reasonably do this you cannot have a terribly long name. So before you declare yourself Charles Irwin Warren Jefferson, IV, take a moment and try to picture what’s that going to do to your beautiful cover art and your twitter feed. You might decide Warren Jeffers makes a lovely pseudonym. Otherwise, you are going to struggle to be seen and remembered. And you are really in trouble if you are long winded on the title as well. MEMOIRS OF MY TIME WITH HITLER BY CHARLES IRWIN WARREN JEFFERSON, IV will pretty well obliterate any cover art you have.
[My #KASIWC cover designer almost croaked when she thought she was going to have to fit KING ARTHUR'S SISTER IN WASHINGTON'S COURT BY MARK TWAIN AS CHANNELED BY KIM IVERSON HEADLEE on the front cover! It is on the title page, however, and looks great. :D ~kih] One last warning on titles. You cannot copyright a title. So don’t go facebooking people they are violating copyright laws when they have a book named the same as yours. However, before you set your heart on a title, let’s say: HITLER, type it into Amazon and see how many books are already using that name. If it’s more than 3, try to find a slightly different name.For example, I had originally planned to name the books of my Multiverse series: The Gods, Outbound, Terranue, and Sojourn. I put the names into Amazon and discovered those may be THE MOST POPULAR words to use in a title for Science Fiction. However, The Gods of Probabilities is unique (although long winded) and by placing Surviving before all the other titles, they became unique as well. Verifying your title is not overly used BEFORE you fall in love with it, is highly recommended.
[No kidding, Liza! I ran into just that issue when I discovered that a USA Today bestselling author had the audacity to pick the same two-word title that I had come up with 15 years ago: Raging Sea. Yes, that was my anguished wail you heard the other day. :) ~kih]
Thus ends the second of three blogs on Do It Yourself book covers.
Thanks for sharing your expertise, Liza!
Next week on The Maze: Find out how much time will it really take to make your own book cover...
Liza O’Connor writes in several genres including Late Victorian, Regency, Contemporary Romance, Humorous Disaster Romance (which should be a genre), Sci-Fi and Sci-Fi Romance. Liza currently has eighteen novels, fifteen of which have covers designed by her.
The Multiverses series is a Sci-Fi soap opera fill with various sentient beings and humans galore, plus the ‘Gods’ that watch over them. Since they all wanted to be on the cover, I paid attention to the de-clutter rule. Thus, in book one all the Gods are inside their pretty ship. Book 2, all the colonists are inside their not so pretty ship traveling outside of normal space at faster than light speeds. In book three, the colonists are dropped off on their new planet and are presently hiding in a carved out mountain cave as the first of three deadly seasons arrive. The only sentient who gets to be on a cover is Blue (left bottom) the King and ruler of all that lives on Terranue. And the final book (considered the best by many) is represented by two angry fists clashing to represent the two battles occurring: One between the God Zousan and his horrible father Cronus and the other between Xenophobes and the sentients who follow the Path of Light.
While the Gods try their hardest to ensure the Path of Light will reign, in the multiverses, anything can happen, and usually does.
***
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King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
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November 9, 2015
Kendra is intrigued by a Norman "squire" in SNOW IN JULY #medieval #PNR #MFRWOrg
One of his countrymen had murdered her brother.
She must despise this man. Though I use sometimes more than a dozen viewpoint characters in one novel, I am a stickler for maintaining POV purity—in other words, the scene describes only what the viewpoint character can see, hear, touch, smell, taste… or feel.
In today's excerpt, which is running on other blogs this month as part of the Medieval Monday exchange, we're treated to a feast of feelings as Kendra encounters the disguised hero of Snow in July for the first time.
SYNOPSIS:
Sir Robert Alain de Bellencombre has been granted what every man wants: a rich English estate in exchange for his valiant service at the Battle of Hastings. To claim this reward, the Norman knight must wed the estate's Saxon heiress. Most men would leap at such an opportunity, but for Alain, who broke his vow to his dying mother by failing to protect his youngest brother in battle, it means facing more easily broken vows. But when rumors of rampant thievery, dangerous beasts, and sorcery plaguing a neighboring estate reach his ears, nothing will make him shirk duty to king and country when people's lives stand at risk. He assumes the guise of a squire to scout the land, its problems, and its lady.
Lady Kendra of Edgarburh has been granted what no woman wants: a forced marriage to an enemy who may be kith or kin to the man who murdered her beloved brother. Compounding her anguish is her failure to awaken the miraculous healing gift bequeathed by their late mother in time to save his life. Although with his dying breath, he made her promise to seek happiness above all, Kendra vows that she shall find neither comfort nor love in the arms of a Norman…unless it snows in July.
Alain is smitten by Lady Kendra from the first moment of their meeting; Kendra feels the forbidden allure of the handsome and courtly Norman "squire." But a growing evil overshadows everyone, invoking dark forces and ensnaring Kendra in a plot to overthrow the king Alain is oath-bound to serve. Kendra and Alain face a battle unlike any other as their honor, their love, their lives, and even their very souls lie in the balance.
BOOK TRAILER: http://youtu.be/vFsaD1jCLLU
BUY & TBR LINKSWorldwide Amazon Kindle link – Worldwide Amazon Paperback link – BARNES & NOBLE NOOK – B&N PAPERBACK – KOBO – SMASHWORDS – ITUNES – GOODREADS –
EXCERPT
As Sir Ruaud babbled in his semicoherent English about Sir Robert, Kendra fought a jumble of emotions regarding Ruaud’s squire. Not only was his station beneath her rank, his being Norman placed him beneath her contempt. And yet she couldn’t tear her gaze from him.
Several inches taller than Sir Ruaud, the squire was trim where Ruaud sported a paunch, and he radiated quiet dignity to counter Ruaud’s comic disposition. Both men wore their blond hair cropped close, but Ruaud’s darker locks didn’t curl about his ears and forehead in whimsical wisps begging to be touched. Ruaud’s nose bore the lumpish evidence of having been broken at least once, but no scars marred the squire’s face. And those eyes—merciful heaven, if the squire regarded her once more with those probing, sea-green eyes, she would faint from the delectable agony.
Relief washed over her when he broke eye contact and strode to the packhorse. Broad shoulders and sinewy arms rippled as he wrestled something from a saddle pack. For one wanton moment, she imagined being encircled by those arms, protected, cherished. Loved… happy…
She shook her head. One of his countrymen had murdered her brother. She must despise this man.
And yet that task was proving to be a major chore.
***
Enter this giveaway for an autographed copy of
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court !
a Rafflecopter giveaway
***
All this month, you are invited to...— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an e-book copy of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Please enter often, and good luck!
Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages
Welcome to my Maze of Twisty Passages, Goodreads edition! Here I share reviews of books old and new, information about my own critically acclaimed, award-winning books, and whatever else winds its way
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