Cuteness Factor 10+

I just had to share this, because it's the cutest thing I've seen all day. And I can vouch for its authenticity. My husband was at work in the Issaquah QFC (it's a supermarket, for those of you in the south) when someone walked in...holding their kangaroo joey. This is in the United States, mind you...in Washington. I'm so jealous I wasn't there! But since Timmy was, he snapped this picture. I get to use it because he's my husband and he loves me.

Packwood

My husband and I just took off work for a long weekend with some friends. We all stayed in a cabin out in Packwood, Washington. For those of you unfamiliar with the teeny town, it's pretty dang close to Mount Rainier. Only we didn't get to troop around the beautiful mountain, so that was a bummer. It rained the whole day we were supposed to hike around the volcano. That's alright though. We took a nice long stroll (not quite hike - 600ft elevation gain) to Packwood Lake, from which we had a lovely view of Agnes Island and Johnson Peak. We also saw the sun rise on Rainier, so all in all it wasn't too shabby. Plus we got to learn a new game called Munchkin. It's sort of a satirical play on Dungeons and Dragons, and I highly recommend it. I'll include a picture, and here's a link to the Amazon page. Just in case you're curious.

Ooh! Also, follow me on Flickr if you have an account.

Last Cover

As promised, I'm now sharing the final book cover I've been designing. We had a pretty sweet bonfire tonight, aided by my husband's piro antics. Not that I'm guiltless in that arena, but I had to stay behind the camera while the gas fireballs swelled. And the result, well, see for yourself.

Book Covers

Ever wonder how much thought goes into the designing of book covers? Well, if it's my projects you're talking about, the answer is "a lot". You've already seen a couple of my covers. Care to see more? These are actually covers for novels and stories still in the works. I'm really good at getting distracted while writing. I'll write some of this book, some of that story, draw a few pictures, design a few covers...it's all exciting, and I want to do it all! I won't tell you anything about them aside from their titles. I don't want to give away too much, although it's likely I already am. Welp, here you go: every book title I've created that I haven't shown you yet. All save one, that is. It's currently in possession of a copyrighted image since I haven't been able to take my own picture of an awesome fireball yet. But as soon as it's legally mine I will share it with you. Enjoy the rest for now. And let me know what you think, because I love input...although y'all clearly don't like providing it. That's okay, I'll just ask my mommy. :)

Crimson Shadow version 1

 Crimson Shadow version 2

 CheckBait

 Tolus

Novel Map

Who likes maps? I do. They help you find your way around without getting lost. The same is true when they're included in books. Many authors use such tools, two of whom I love and admire: J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. Lots of abbreviations in the literary world...Well, I followed in their footsteps. Whenua, the world I have created for my protagonist Liberty, is a large island with a lot of Maori names. Locations are difficult enough to remember when written in your native language, so I decided to construct a map to help my readers remember. It'll also help them orient the story. And here it is, ladies and gentlemen: the map of Whenua. Be warned: it probably isn't finished and will most likely change. I altered names as recent as yesterday.

Cover Input

Although my new novel isn't done I've been working on the cover art. It's taken about two dozen photos and a lot of digital time to put together. You'll see why below.

I'd like you to help me out. First of all, do you even like it? Would you pick up a book with this cover and think "I'd like to read that"? Secondly, there are two versions. One, the first one as a matter of fact, is a very flat cutout design. The other is similar, though I have edited it so it looks like it's been pieced together with construction paper. There are drop shadows on several levels as well as a texture overlay.

Which one is your favorite? Would you alter something on one or both of them? Do you hate them altogether? Please comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Flat Cutout

 Construction Cutout

For Goodreads

Oh, clever me. I've found out a way to include my own photos in a Goodreads blog post. You can only link to photos from the Internet, so if I post them here I have access to them there! And you get to see them. That's good too. But if you'd like to see my other blog (it's ok - Blogger and I have an open relationship) then follow this link! Here's the photo I need. Enjoy.