Release Date & Cover Art Explanation
Hello, everyone! I know it has been ages since I’ve updated this page. I’ll try to be better about that in future. What can I say? I’m basically an introvert; I rarely think I have anything interesting to share. But right now, I definitely do.
I heard an hour or so ago that The Way Back has been scheduled for release from Dreamspinner Press on June 11. That’s a full eleven months since I completed the first draft. It’s hard to believe it’s actually going to happen. My boys are finally going to be unleashed on the public! Er, I mean, you’ll all finally get to meet Riley and Jason. Gosh, I hope you like them!
Before you get to meet them, though, I thought I’d offer a bit of an explanation for the cover. I don’t have the final art yet, but the mockup I approved is absolutely beautiful. It’s also very emotional for me. Aside from the guys (fully clothed because they’re kinda modest–despite what you’ll read, yikes!), the main feature of the art is a photo of the Campanile on the University of Kansas campus. All of us, Riley, Jason and I, went to KU. (Only one of us had to actually suffer through the lectures and papers and finals, though. Those guys got off easy!)
The Campanile is a memorial to the KU students who died in World War II. As a history major, that fact appeals to me. Plus, it’s remarkably beautiful. There’s a tradition at KU that new graduates Walk down the hill through the Campanile on their way to Memorial Stadium for commencement. Riley tells about how emotional that Walk was for him, so it is fitting that the monument be a part of the cover.
Once I’ve received a copy of the final art, I’ll post it here. Until then, if you’d like more information about the Campanile or to see some truly breath-taking photographs of how it fits in on campus, follow these links.
In case you can’t tell, I love KU. It was a very special time in my life and I learned so much about, well, life and myself during that time. There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll bleed Blue for the rest of my life. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!
If you do me the honor of reading The Way Back, I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thank you. And Happy Mother’s Day!
