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Viewing Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus, Most Recent at Top

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children's book illustration, cover art and design, illustration and design tips, and book/author promotion

Statistics for WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus

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1. Cover art and design for TRIUMPH, by Ingrid Kern (@Ingrid1Kern) is ready for show.

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 12/16/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: running, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Triumph, sprint, WillowRaven, Instagram, Ingrid Kern, Summer Senior Olympics, Taming the Monster Within, Add a tag

I love, Love, LOVE it when an author lets me just go with an idea.

When Ingrid first contacted me on Twitter, then we moved to the live chat window on my site, we kind of came up with a vague, abstract plan of some running shoes and a butterfly or dragonfly to express Victory (which was the title at the time) and freedom which had been gained from running, and she set me loose.

Well, the first two ideas just weren't feeling right (and I know I was stressing her out with the lack of something to show her), so I asked her if I could paint a phoenix instead of a butterfly or dragonfly. She said go for it. (Yea!) Suddenly, my muse woke up and kicked me in gear, which also resulted in a title change.

And this is the result. I had so much fun, too. I can't wait for our next project.

Back cover:

Taming the Monster Within

The author's commitment to overcome her doubts and fears; quiet the voices in her head; and make one of her dreams come true to participate in the Summer Senior Olympics after 49 years of not running at all, takes the reader through some 4 years of her training, her search for answers and her desire to leave the past behind. Finishing 7th with a torn hamstring at The National Games in 2011 ended her career as a Sprinter.

The book gives the reader a glimpse of what the author, who has been physically, emotionally and psychologically abused as a child, was daily going through to get past the still powerfully looming influence of her father. The physical pain due to a few injuries made her connect to the pain she endured as a child; going deeper and finally receiving psychological help she continued her intense work on taming the monster called FEAR.

Will be available in both paperback and hardcover.

Be sure to connect with Ingrid Kern online, too:

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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2. Valley of the Dead, by Crystal M Romero (@Crstl_M_Romero), has new cover art and design.

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 11/14/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Crystal M Romero, Gay Pride, Valley of the Dead, WillowRaven, Silicon Valley, Add a tag

When Crystal Romero contacted me about revamping the cover for Valley of the Dead, I was excited about approaching it from a new angle, expressing a new style while holding true to the story and genre.

To be honest, I feel this new cover fits our original vibe before we got distracted by details. You can check out the old cover below.

So without further ado ... The blurb:

Because of nationwide marriage equality, this year's Gay Pride weekend promised to be the best one ever. Across California’s Silicon Valley, couples gathered for numerous weddings, and people showed their pride at a downtown park. Nothing, not even religious protests could ruin the weekend.

Yvonne Martin just wanted to relax at home this year and dream about white sand beaches. Then Reggie called with crazy talk about zombies at the door and pleas for her to save him. Setting out on this rescue mission, the chaos outside quickly proved that much more than the weekend was ruined. Along the way, they are thrown together with Captain Jacqueline Rhodes and Officer Morales, the last survivors of the police force. Together they must make their escape from this Valley of the Dead.

old cover

Be sure to connect with Crystal online, too:

Twitter

Website

Facebook

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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3. Blades and Roses ~ cover art & design for J.E. Peter (@RavenVyper)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 11/13/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Blades and Roses, J.E. Peter, Joanne Peter, Niveus Circa, WillowRaven, Add a tag

Premade cover 'gothic rose and hand' ... going, going, SOLD to the author of Blades and Roses, J.E. Peter.

Personally, I think artwork with an official book title and byline always looks happier. :D

I think this particular selling of a premade cover is the fastest I've ever had. Joanne contacted me on twitter the same day the blog post went live. I should do more works like this, lol.

Of course, a book needs a blurb; so without further ado ...

Have you ever stared death in the eye? And wondered how cold, dark and calculative it is? Death itself was a force to be reckoned with – one that could not be torn asunder or led astray. If it set its hooks and claws in you, if it bayed for your flesh and soul like the voracious pestilent beast it truly it is, then it will claim you.

It will never stop. It will never fade. It will never break.

Death was careful and persistent, ever vigilant on its quarry.

Death would not be denied.

But I had done the irrevocable. I conquered Death. I courted the Shadows. I loved its Reaper.

And tonight, I would fight for him.

Why?

Because I am powerful. I am immortal. I am…Ethereal.

See? Isn't it so much nicer when an artwork has words to accompany it? It sure is to me. Then, again, I went to art school to become a book cover artist, so to me, they just go together.

Don't forget to connect with J.E. Peter online ...

National Novel Writing Month

Romance Writers of America

Facebook

Twitter

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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4. New PREMADE cover ideal for a #gothic #romance or #vampire theme available for purchase on my website.

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 11/9/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: romance, Gothic, vampire, WillowRaven, premade, traditional fairytale, Add a tag

Another one of my rare premade covers is available on my website.

Though I stay busy with commissioned projects, this and my previous 'PREMADE' post are, in fact, about my latest premade offers.

Circumstances have allowed me to offer this cover at a discounted rate, lower than most of my commissioned works.

This particular cover would work great as the face of a gothic, romance, vampire, or a traditional fairytale (the scary ones of old) novel.

If you think this cover would work for your book, let me know. A few minor changes can be made without any extra cost.

If this isn't suitable to your genre, maybe it gives you an idea I can create for you, I'd love to hear about your book.

I can be found fairly easily on Twitter, so DM or send me a mention. We'll schedule time for a live chat on my website and go over how to either modify this cover to your needs or create a whole new look.

This isn't the only premade cover on my site, either. Check out some others in my premade cover gallery.

Find me on Twitter: @WillowRaven

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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5. 'Foundations of Faith' ~ Book One of the Brother Thomas and the Guardians of Zion series by Michael Chrobak @MChrobak234

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 11/8/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: WillowRaven, Brother Thomas and the Guardians of Zion, Foundations of Faith, Michael Chrobak, Add a tag

When Michael started sharing his plans for his Brother Thomas and the Guardians of Zion book series, I couldn't wait to get started on the cover art and design. If I remember right, Michael is planning on maybe two new books a year for the series. Looks like I'll be kept busy, lol.

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Along with the cover, I've also created a logo (below) and building website for his new publishing company, Seneschal Publishing.

Back cover:

Thomas could think of a million places he’d rather be right now than on a Confirmation retreat. After all, his parents had forced him to attend. It’s only Saturday morning and already he wants to leave. All that changes when Thomas is challenged by a dark presence that wants nothing more than to see his faith fail, a faith he didn’t even know he had. As the darkness consumes him, Thomas’ entire world breaks apart.

Can Thomas find the strength to resist the darkness? Will he become the person Father Dominic believes he will be? Can he really accept the quest to find the Guardians of Zion, or was that just a dream? If only he had superpowers. But then again, perhaps he does…

Seneschal Publishing website

Seneschal Publishing on twitter

Seneschal Publishing on facebook

Seneschal Publishing on instagram

Michael Chrobak on twitter

Michael Chrobak on facebook

Michael Chrobak on instagram

Michael Chrobak's website

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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6. "Return to Dune Towers" writing challenge - submissions by J. Nathanial Corres (@JNathanialC56)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 10/26/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing challenge, Twitter challenge, Return to Dune Towers, Jon Nathanial Corres, Lor'afa, Add a tag

Jon submitter two shorts for this image. Enjoy :D

The sun breaks in the distance

The first rays of hope

The journey's been far

You're at the end of your rope

You see in your mind

The Task laid ahead

You remember the torture

The screams of the dead

How you survived

Is anyone's guess

Alone in this world

A beautiful mess

Where did you come from

You're all alone

Far from your Kingdom

Cast from your throne

There's a tree on the horizon

You're almost done

A new city to conquer

A place to call home

You are alone

Avaena arrived on the desert world of Koorvas weary, hungry and alone. The battle on her home star had been raging for weeks and now in utter chaos, the once beautiful star was in ruins. A dark shell in the cosmos, death and destruction gutted the very life force from the powerful star. She and a handful of fugitives managed to access the world portal before it collapsed. But something was terribly wrong. This was not the sister star they were trying to make it to. This was a barren place. Where were the others?

Aboard her veer, she started the journey toward something small in the distance. Her veer would hopefully make the distance, it's power supply was not at capacity. The sand beneath here looked deep and hot. Avaena was angry that her life had been turned upside down in a matter of days. Now she was alone, wandering on an unfamiliar planet, about to face Hanas know what. She sent a silent prayer to Hanas for protection. Her creator had never forsaken her. Blessing her with special gifts, rare talents and beauty, Avaena was powerful and dangerous.

A single bloody tear dripped down her face. Angrily, she swiped it away. The blood touched the sand behind her, turning into a small diamond. Avaena never noticed. She was far too busy trying to make out what was now looking like trees in the distance and the thing hovering in the air beyond it. Closing her eyes for a moment brought back flashes of fire, screams of pain, Powerful remnants of dark magic and blood. So much blood.

There would be more. There was no time for rest, no time for tears. She would make this place her home for now. The utter dominion of this barren place would undoubtedly bring more loss. A tearing down to build up in her own image. A blank canvas to create her kingdom until her star was ready to once again receive her back home. The citizens of Koorvas had no idea of the tragedy that was coming for them. Why had Avaena returned to Dune Towers?

To connect with Jon, follow him on Twitter:

J.Nathanial Corres

@JNathanialC56

Visual writing prompt: http://willowraven.weebly.com/blue-satin-sashes.html Write a short for this & I'll post it w/ link to you :D

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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7. Black Dog Short Stories I & II ~ cover art & design for Rachel Neumeier (@RachelNeumeier)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 10/26/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Add a tag

Black Dog Short Stories I & II - print variation

Just in time for Halloween! :D

One of my favorite hybrid authors to work with, Rachel Neumeier, has a new set of short stories from her Black Dog series of novels and tales, this time, with a publishing twist.

Since Black Dog Short Stories I originally only came out in ebook, Black Dog Short Stories II is coming to readers in both ebook and print, and wonderfully, the print version will include the stories from the first book as well as the second. Eight stories in all, while the ebook version will only include the four stories for book two.

Have I confused everyone yet?

That's ok; it was confusing for me, too. After creating the art (super-fun, btw -- check out the full artwork below), I then had to design two front cover designs, one for the ebook version and one for the print version. The print version is on the left, with 'I & II' on the title.

ebook version

The ebook version resembles the first book by listing the four enclosed titles on the cover, as seen here on the right. See why I was getting confused?

Myself? I want a print copy. :D Oh, Hell, ... Why not grab both?

What you'll find in the full volume:

Natividad is delighted when the Master of Dimilioc gives her permission to go Christmas shopping in a real town, since she definitely needs to find gifts for her brothers. But did Grayson have to assign Keziah to go with her?

Étienne Lumondiere has annoyed Miguel once too often, throwing his weight around and belittling ordinary humans. But Miguel’s going to fix that. He just needs to work out a few more details of his clever plan.

It’s tough for a black dog raised outside Dimilioc to adjust to being a team player. But Thaddeus is determined to impress Grayson . . . until he is unexpectedly confronted by a black dog kid who reminds him a little too much of himself.

The Dimilioc executioner is the mainstay of the Master’s authority, as Ezekiel knows better than anyone. He has never questioned his role in Dimilioc . . . until now.

Before the failure of the miasma that hid all supernatural darkness from the sight of ordinary humans, brutal black dogs sometimes ruled as kings—sometimes for generations. In a country where black dogs rule and the Pure are despised, even a girl as fierce and determined as Keziah finds life a precarious struggle. But after her little sister is born, she has so much to fight for…

Ezekiel is on his own when he discovers an entrenched enemy with a particularly unpleasant plan to supplant and destroy Dimilioc. To defeat this enemy, Ezekiel needs an ally…even a man who might turn on him before the end.

Living and working with a lot of stray black dogs is a real trial for Ethan Lanning, especially since not even the best bloodlines and training gave him the kind of strength a Lanning ought to possess. But when a mission gets complicated, Thaddeus might be just the right guy to have at his back after all…

Just an ordinary Christmas with his grandmother, that’s all Justin has in mind. Sure, it’s a little awkward that Grayson insisted Keziah keep him company on the trip, but everything will be fine once they get to know each another. But Justin never expected to arrive only to discover his grandmother has vanished from her home…

Here's the full cover wrap scene ...

Black Dog Short Stories I

Christmas Shopping
Library Work
A Learning Experience
The Master of Dimilioc

Black Dog Short Stories II

Mothers and Daughters
Unlikely Allies
Bank Job
A Family Visit

Don't forget to connect with Rachel Neumeier for order information online, too:

website

twitter

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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8. New PREMADE cover ideal for a #murder #suspense or #mystery theme available for purchase on my website.

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 10/7/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: romance, mystery, murder, suspense, WillowRaven, premade, Add a tag

I don't get to offer too many premade covers on my website, staying pretty busy with commissioned projects.

Once in a while, either a really good concept gets rejected, for one reason or another, or I just get a really cool idea I gotta get out of my head. Either way, circumstances have allowed me to offer this cover at a discounted rate, lower than most of my commissioned works.

This particular cover would work great as the face of a murder, mystery, suspense, or even a romance novel.

If you think this cover would work for your book, let me know. A few minor changes can be made without any extra cost.

If this isn't suitable to your genre, maybe it gives you an idea I can create for you, I'd love to hear about your book.

I can be found fairly on Twitter, so DM or send me a mention. We'll schedule time for a live chat on my website and go over how to either modify this cover to your needs or create a whole new look.

This isn't the only premade cover on my site, either. Check out some others in my premade cover gallery.

Find me on Twitter: @WillowRaven

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

Add a Comment

9. New cover art and design for BLACK DOG by Rachel Neumeier (@RachelNeumeier)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 7/20/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Sharon Shinn, Rachel Neumeier, WillowRaven, Black Dog, Pure Magic, Born Pure, Dimilioc, Natividad, Samaria, Add a tag

I was very excited when Rachel emailed to tell me that she wanted a new cover for the first book of the Black Dog series. I've had the honor of working on two other books in the series and Rachel is an amazing author to work with. We're also on schedule for another book in the same series.

So I guess I should introduce the book, huh?

Back cover:

"It's the kind of book that made me resent the obligations of ordinary life because I just wanted to keep reading."

-- Sharon Shinn, bestselling author of the Samaria series.

In a world where a half-hidden war has finally revealed to ordinary humans the supernatural creatures that surround them, safety is hard to find for a girl like Natividad.

Born Pure, one of the rare girls able to wield protective magic against demonic forces, Natividad and her brothers are on their own and on the run, with terrible memories and terrible enemies behind them. The only possible shelter might be found with their father's kin, the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc . . . if they can win acceptance. But when their enemies track them to their new home, neither Natividad nor her brothers nor Dimilioc itself may survive . . .

After you grab a copy of Black Dog, be sure to grab copies of the other two books, Black Dog Short Stories and Pure Magic and track Rachel down, too.

website

twitter

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher. Also, some grammar and spelling are foreign.

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10. Want a free WillowRaven book cover? Try my referral program....

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 7/9/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Twitter, WillowRaven, referral program, Add a tag

Thanks to social media, authors have more access to publishing resources than ever before. Just a few chosen tweets on twitter or an update on facebook and you can find an editor, a book cover artist, a layout designer, an agent, a publicist, or a publisher. What's harder is finding quality, trusted services for free.

Now; I'll be the first one to tell artists (and authors) not to work for free. But, as is with every rule, there are exceptions; and here is mine: I'm rebooting my referral program.

Refer one new paid client, get your book cover* 25% off my normal rates.
Refer two new paid clients, get your book cover* 50% off my normal rates.
Refer three new paid clients, get your book cover* 100% free!

*Referral discount only applies to the cover, not to additional editing, design, or layout services. Normal discounts apply to all added services.

All you have to do is spread the word about my work on twitter using the coupon shown here after changing @WillowRaven to your @name in an image editing software and link them to me.

As long as the referred client presents their coupon to me during negotiations, or give me your @name, they get 25% off their book cover and you get your referral credit. (If you do not have access to image editing software, just let me know and I'll customize your coupon for you.)

So get to tweeting and earning that free book cover. :D

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher. Also, some grammar and spelling are foreign.

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11. 'Living with Depression & Anxiety' ~ cover art & design for Amanda Green (@AmandaGreenUK)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 7/3/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Facebook, Twitter, WillowRaven, Amanda Green, Living with Depression & Anxiety, Add a tag

Being my second project with Amanda Green, I'm doubly excited to share the cover redress for Living with Depression & Anxiety: 26 ways to get you out of the fog, into the sunshine. I don't know about you, but I'd like to leisurely lay in a meadow while butterflies play among the flowers as a soft breeze blows my fur/hair.

Amanda Green has lived with depression and anxiety since her teens. Now in her forties, and practising as student counsellor, she would like to share all her best tips and explanations for coping in everyday life. She explains, in easy to read terms, 26 self-help techniques and ideas, to help you through your darkest times, and to help you feel better.

Life enhancing, with thorough explanations, this book could help turn your life around as Amanda has with her own.

This book challenges stigma and inferiority issues, explains talking therapies, and delves into working with depression and anxiety from the inside out, using nutrition, writing, and getting to know yourself properly. It even incorporates how to look for other support including friends, family and animals.

Find your true self today and banish the label of depression and anxiety – learn to cope and feel a part of the world again.

Be sure to follow Amanda Green online for updates about all of her books.

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher. Also, some grammar and spelling are foreign.

Add a Comment

12. "Return to Dune Towers" writing challenge - submission by Bettie Zyx (@BettieZyx)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 6/21/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: submission, Twitter, prompt, writing challenge, Twitter challenge, WillowRaven, Return to Dune Towers, @BettieZyx, Bettie Zyx, Add a tag

Curious, he lifted binoculars to see whether or not she was topless. Almost, but not quite. But in that top, the slightest breeze is all it would take. Maybe even a breath. The vision flickered. Mirage. Silently he cursed and settled back under the shelter in the stagnant heat.

As soon as the hologram transmitter turned off, she leaped from its platform. The artistic sentry assignment, being visible as a form of art to those in the city with enough wealth to access windows, was driving her to drink. It was another promising technology desecrated by their imbecilic leaders costing rather than benefiting her and her fellow plebs.

The true cost would make itself known in a week's time with the gravely spoken words, "Gotcha."

Thanks so much, Bettie Zyx for an excellent short. It continues to amaze me how many unique ways authors can find to interpret the same image. Just awesome! :D

Feel like giving it a shot, yourself? Check out my new writing competition on the welcome page on my website. Winner get's their short story published in my first, ever yearbook, A Year in the Realm of WillowRaven!

The publication will be a full color 8 x 10 hardback book, signed by me, the artist; perfect for the coffee or end table.

Read all about it here.

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven, but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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13. INTO THE VINES ~ cover art and design for Caroline Clemens' (@gardenliliepub) novel...

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 6/10/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Smashwords, WillowRaven, Grammar, Amazon, Grammarly, Daz, Caroline Clemens, Into the Vines, Loire Valley, Add a tag

This is a late coming-out post for Caroline Clemens' book cover for her contemporary novel, Into the Vines. Late because I created the cover back in 2014, but Caroline had decided to go with a different look at the time.

Having tried several different designs on her book on different platforms and venues, Caroline has found her way back to the cover she commissioned way back when and has gone public with it on Smashwords and soon on iBookstore.

I did make some minor adjustments to the title treatment and byline, and to enhance the overall look, but essentially, this is the art we created two years ago, finally gracing the book. I say 'we' because the initial sketch was Caroline's concept.

No, I'm not going to show ya'll her sketch, but to honest, she really did pretty well for an author. Ya'll would be surprised at some of the sketches I've had to work from, lol.

Blurb:

A family is formed on a vineyard in the Loire Valley after a pilot rescues stranded persons from around the globe.

OK ... It's a short blurb, but check out a review I found on Amazon. (That one has a different cover by another designer at the time of this post.)

Kept my interest going...

By World Traveler on February 22, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

When I finish reading a book I say to myself "did this book keep my interest?" and I don't want to put it down. INTO THE VINES did both of the above. Even though it was fictional the book was very informative and factual. I have read all of the author's other books and poetry and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Be sure to connect with Caroline Clemens (AKA Kim Troike) online:

Blog

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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14. HONOURABLE LIES ~ cover art and design for Fran Connor (@LiotLiterary)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 6/8/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Facebook, Twitter, ImageKind, historical romance, WillowRaven, Google+, The Book Marketing Network, Gallows Hill, Fran Connor, Honourable Lies, Nineteenth-Century England, Add a tag

I don't often get the chance to work with any of the many romance genres, so when Fran Connor contacted me on The Book Marketing Network, I jumped at the opportunity to create the cover art and design for his historical romance novel, Honourable Lies.

Blurb:

A passionate, thought-provoking tale of love and revenge set in Nineteenth-Century England. Follow the progress of a poor, orphan girl serendipitously elevated to High Society.

Her mind is to marry a rich man, regardless of love, so she will never be poor again; instead, she falls in love with a handsome, young landowner with whom she can have it all; love, security, and wealth.

As fate would have it, there are obstacles to their romance: his wife, an evil aristocrat, a beautiful gypsy, and Gallows Hill.

I enjoyed the work so much; I've added it to my ImageKind Gallery just in case anyone would like a framed print to accompany their copy of their book. Below is my favored frame style (modern lines, medium), but what's great about IK is you can choose your frame look that best suits your home. Although, I was taught one should decorate one's house to suit the art, not decorate with art.

Don't forget to connect with Fran Connor online, too:

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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15. Cover art and design for SnowOwl's (@SnowOwl0101) ARCHIVER MANHUNT

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 5/31/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: WillowRaven, Flashpoint, Archiver Manhunt, SnowOwl, Netflix, Twitter, Wattpad, Add a tag

SnowOwl, one of my tweeps on twitter, wanted a new book cover to represent his Wattpad-posted book, Archiver Manhunt, and I had just finished binge-watching the entire series of Flashpoint on Netflix, so we sort of had the same fascination at the same time.

Check of the blurb:

Three species co-exist on a politically unstable colony. Humans, Animal-Human Hybrids, and Conscious Machines.

Current Government, ran by humans in the midst of waging a series of raids on the poverty-stricken regions of their colony most populated by fox-human hybrids. Publicly they claim to be waging a drug war, yet from behind the scenes they are after incriminating video footage involving a false flag attack, and acts of sadistic handling of suspects at the hands of intelligence department.

A mobile video recorder finds himself working for the streets, in hopes of sending his finding to a force that can handle the situation.

Don't forget to connect with SnowOwl online:

Wattpad

Twitter

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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16. Cover art and design for Vegas Luna's (@vegaslunaa) 'of the Andromeda Martian Catastrophe, volume two'

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 5/24/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction, space, stargate, Crux, humpback whale, Sagittarius, portal, Martian, 2, mermen, Catastrophe, Andromeda, Mahabharata, WillowRaven, Vegas Luna, Mermaid World, Centaurus, Cygnus, volume two, Add a tag

For the third book in the Mermaid World book series, 'of the Andromeda Martian Catastrophe, volume two, by Vegas Luna, I got to not only create an underwater portal but to put armor on mermen. How cool is my job?

It's been an interesting challenge to meld science fiction and fantasy with the nonfiction text the artwork is symbolizing. Kind of reminds me of how some of the early scientific historians who commissioned artworks to help the masses better understand their changing world by combining their mythological understanding of things with the scientific studies they were interpreting.

The two weapon-wielding merman centaurions are positioned at the gate in a similar fashion to how their astrological counterparts sit in the night sky. Sagittarius is on the left wielding a crossbow in this instance, rather that a full bow and arrow. Reason being, in this position in the sky, the constellation of Cygnus to the north is a cross, and Crux to the south is a cross, (the bowman most of us are familiar with appears in another area of the sky). On the right, Centaurus and his spear are also ready for a fight. Each watches the other's back as they also guard the gate, making sure none can attack them unawares as their albino friend passes through.

For the portal, I pulled from my love for the iconic sci-fi movie (and triple-franchise tv series), Stargate. Luna's portal had to be large enough to allow squads of merpeople, as well as, pods of dolphins and humpback whales through the magma-like black hole.

I like to fancy the little seahorse as tiny historians, making note of the day's events.

The back cover text isn't available, yet, but as soon as it is, I'll edit the post accordingly. Until then, make sure you look into the rest of the series.

And don't forget to connect with Vegas online:

Twitter

Facebook

Website

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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17. If I have to read anything other than the title to know what genre, mood, and age group your book is targeting, it's a bad cover.

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 5/20/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: rant, 4RV Publishing, WillowRaven, A Family for Leona, Luna's Tide, Worlds of Ross, The Lure, Reckoning, AuthorEarnings.com. Bowker.com, KnightLandBooks, Myth Rider, Taking the High Ground, Add a tag

Trends ... Some trends drive me absolutely batty. If I have to read anything other than the title to know what genre, mood, and age group your book is targeting, it's a bad cover.

Original art-Digital painting.
Can you guess the genre by the cover
before reading the blurb?
Can you tell who the target reader/market is?
4RV Publishing

“Digital books, contrary to some past predictions, have not replaced print books and are not likely to do so in the foreseeable future,” said Beat Barblan, Director of Identifier Services at Bowker. “Instead, they have become another choice for the reader who wants and expects to be able to access content in a variety of ways with no loss in quality.”

Barblan noted that “From the reader’s perspective, all content, regardless of whether it is in print or electronic format, should be of equally high quality. My colleagues and I believe this shows that professional eBook conversion has never been more important, and the publishers agree. In their responses, they have indicated less concern for the cost of conversion over the last year and more concern for quality.”

“Self-publishing continues to mature,” says Gross. “At the same time, both authors who self-publish and firms of all sizes who produce digital content recognize the need for maintaining high quality throughout the publishing process, and thus are choosing to seek out experienced vendors so they don’t have to go it alone.” (Bowker.com/news/2015/New/Publishing-Industry-Trends)

Original art-Digital painting.
Can you guess the genre by the cover
before reading the blurb?
Can you tell who the target reader/market is?
KnightLandBooks

Do you know what that tells me? That your book cover, whether it's hardcover, paperback, or ebook, is still your number one, most important marketing tool. So please explain to me why so many book covers, regardless of whether they're traditionally or indie published, insist on slapping almost any 'captivating image', even if it does NOT CORRELATE with the main character as described in the book, the general plot or even the genre?

I get that paying less than $50 in stock imagery (if that), and less than $250 to pay a designer to put is all together (if they even bother hiring someone) is an attractive way to cut expenses compared to paying a cover artist for original artwork that ensures your book will not only attract readers who read your genre, and is more likely to convey the content readers will find within, but will also help it to stand out in hopes of capturing the shopper's eye among the sea of books it's competing with.

Again, I get it ...

Custom, multi-medium design.
Can you guess the genre by the cover
before reading the blurb?
Can you tell who the target reader/market is?
(See, I don't HATE purely 'design' covers,
but they must represent the story.)

But there's a trend I find myself ranting about more and more. Because 'designers' (and don't get me wrong, here, I trained in design, too) are taking the rolls formerly given to 'cover artists' (people who draw or paint an original artwork to create the 'face' of a book) the majority of the time for the last decade or so, and cover artists have been compelled to learn at least the basics of design just to keep their brushed in the book business or go back to the gallery, boardwalk, or classroom (teaching art), most covers today, even if beautiful images, are manipulated stock, at best.

A vast majority of designers are simply not trained as fine artists. And even though a lot of people don't conscider a commercial work as 'fine art', the same training and skill-set needed for a faine art work is needed for a compelling, original art book cover. Actually, a book cover takes even more skills than a framed artwork does. More has to be conscidered (where's the designer most likely to put the title and buline, am I using the right colors and medium and style to reach the market the book is targetting, and so much more than a gallery artist has to conscider).

Original art-Digital painting.
Can you guess the genre by the cover
before reading the blurb?
Can you tell who the target reader/market is?
Worlds of Ross

Although I know there are other factors, too (like changes in technology, giving people more entertainment options than reading, etc.), I blame part of the decline in book-buying on covers becoming more and more generic, cookie-cutter, and less interesting than when I first fell in love with books. As a matter of fact, while I'm writing this post, I'm having a chat with one of my tweeps (twitter peeps); and when I praised her for publishing her latest book with hand-painted cover art rather than following the 'beautiful-yet-vague stock image' trend, she said, "I wanted it to stand out and I love art, I doodle a little so I'd rather pay an actual artist! Ya know?" (Chantay @urmylovely1)

And I do know. I'm hearing it more these days, too, from authors in almost every genre. When I gave her the, "I blame it on ..." line above, her response was, "You're completely right, I love seeing a cover that will attract a reader and draw them in. We have to bring book covers back to the hands of the artist. I didn't want models or a stock image, I wanted an original work of art."

How do I know it's not just wishful thinking? Because my income has been steadily on the rise for the last few years. No. I'm not getting rich (I am an artist, after all, isn't there a rule against that until I'm dead, at least? lol), but the bills are getting paid, the kid is getting clothed and fed, and people who hire me all want the same thing ... Original book cover art that's unique to their stories and characters while still catering to the marketing and genre PTB (Powers That Be -- Angel fans know all about the PTB).

Original art-Digital painting.
Can you guess the genre by the cover
before reading the blurb?
Can you tell who the target reader/market is?
4RV Publishing

Do you remember the first time you realized you love to read? Do you remember the book's cover art? I do. It was my first "grown-up" book set. My mom had given me the entire 50's/60's, painted cover artworks, Nancy Drew series, in hardback. The artwork was laminated directly onto the covers itselft. No jackets. The backings was all a mutted yellow. I was about seven or eight. And the books were old and used (I think she bought the entire set at a flea market or garage sale). I'd just sit on the floor beside my very own bookshelf (my little brother wasn't allowed to put his crummy stuff on it) and gaze at one of the covers, trying to see every detail of the scene I already knew most of the words to inside it's pages. I KNEW Nancy. I wanted to grow up to be Nancy. I even tried to get my hair to flip up on the end the way hers did. lol.

How many times has a book's cover art engraned itself so well into your head that you can still recall how you loved that book, over 30 years later? I can name maybe a dozen, maybe. And I love books and cover art so much I went to art school with the specific goal in mind to become a book cover artist and designer. I didn't just fall into it because I nneded a job and the only skills I have are art. I chose this. And I can only thing of maybe a dozen covers and their books off the top of my head. Oh, like most people, if you showed me a book coveer, I'd likely know what book it belong to if it was a bestseller. But just pluck them out of my head? Not as many as I'd like. To me, that's a sad, sad thing.

Original art-Digital painting.
Can you guess the genre by the cover
before reading the blurb?
Can you tell who the target reader/market is?
4RV Publishing

But I've gone astray, as most rants have a habit of doing, so back to the main topic ... Vague, generic covers ...

Yes ... You're likely to pay more than $250 for one of my covers (or any original artwork, for that matter). But do some research. According to the Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines, the standard rate for a book cover (original art or design) across the industry will range from $250-$2500 for one book cover.

Spend some real time deciding what you want for your book. Do some research about your genere and how you'd like your book to both represent the genre and stand above the rest.

Don't just accept a design because 'it will attract readers, even if it isn't accurate to the book' or accept an 'over-used stock image' because it's cheap. If you value your book enough to invest in it, others will too.

Maybe this link will help get you started: AuthorEarnings.com/report/may-2015

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly*

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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18. Protector of Thristas cover art & design for D. Hart St. Martin (@hartstm)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 4/10/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Add a tag

The fourth book in the Lisen of Solsta series, Protector of Thristas, by D. Hart St. Martin, has a cover.

blurb:

Fifteen years after the One-Day War, Lisen, now Empir Ariannas, has developed into a just and capable leader. Together, she and Korin have created a union of two souls based on respect, commitment and love, and their family has grown. In addition to Rinli, their daughter who made her first appearance in Blooded, two more children have joined the family, completing their complement of three complicated adolescents.

Now the sixteen-year-out Rinli prepares to take on the mantle of Protector of Thristas, a title destined for her in the treaty that ended the war. The Empirs of Garla have carried this title for hundreds of years, and Lisen anticipates changes once she hands this single title on to Rinli at the girl’s investiture. But the prophesy of Mantar’s Child, upon which Lisen and Korin depended in the treaty negotiations fifteen years earlier, refuses to remain but a convenient myth, and with the advent of the fulfillment of the prophecy, an epic begins.

Although Protector of Thristas includes the familiar faces and settings of the young adult Lisen of Solsta trilogy, it begins a new adventure for an older and often wiser Lisen and her allies. Looking at their world through their matured eyes, the book takes on the heroic tragedy that the trilogy could only hint at. Return to Garla. Enter its mystical environs for a new encounter with Lisen and her world’s gender-free culture. The adventure awaits.

Keep an eye out for the release of Protector of Thristas. And while you wait for it to become available, be sure to pick up copies of Fractured: Lisen of Solsta, Tainted: Lisen of Solsta & Blooded: Lisen of Solsta.

D. Hart St. Martin strived to give life to a world that is entirely gender neutral. She sought to tell the story of a young woman who meets the typically male-oriented definition of a mythic hero. She imbued Lisen Holt aka Lisen of Solsta with the greatness and flaws of the archetype of the boy-man who learns his destiny is not what he envisioned. In the process, Lisen grew up to be a formidable presence, and Ms. St. Martin’s Garlan mythology benefited.

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly*

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven, but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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19. 'Courtesan' ~ A personal vision and a new 'WillowRaven Visual Writing Prompt Challenge' piece. #Drow #Courtesan

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 3/28/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Add a tag

Only hints: She is a Drow Courtesan, her favorite adornments are gold & rubies (gold dust on ears).
Get to writing and fave fun! 'Courtesan' *2016 WillowRaven

At MidSouthCon 34, I was confronted with the fact that I don't do enough personal work. Not only did my son make mention of the fact that he thinks my personal works are better somehow, so did other guest artists I was sharing panels with.

So I started to pay attention a little closer and did notice a slightly larger ratio of visitors to the art room and in the panels stop and look at my personal work a touch longer than my commissioned work. Happily, both sell, so it's not like I'm slacking on my clients, but people can still somehow tell when an image is 'all me'. I can't explain the phenomenon, but apparently it's fairly common.

Yes, everybody must work and my clients and publishers will have to come first. but I'm determined to make it a point to do art just for me, not a commissioned piece, at least once a week. I'm going to be giving myself only one to two days to finish any personal artwork, and if it's not finished by the beginning of the week, it will have to wait until the following weekend.

Related text from my website:

Call for submissions ...

I'm creating a yearbook, of sorts, featuring my personal visions. Plans are to have enough work by November to compile them into a book to offer it here on the website, as well as, at the MidSouthCon, which I attend each year.

I thought it would also be fun to include short stories inspired by each peice. I've had a few 'visual writing prompts' cycling on twitter for the past couple years and many of my author contacts on social media seem to enjoy participating. I post their stories on my blog with links back to their profiles and pages, but this would be a chance for for a few of those stories to be actually published in the going-to-be-annual yearbook.

With each new personal vision, I'll post it here to the welcome page and on my blog, alerting my followers that there is a new challenge up. Submissions can be turned in anytime between the time of posting and November 1st. Along with each new posting, there will be a twitter poll where people can vote on their favorite story submissions for each piece. Any visions or editing needed will be approved of by the authors before printing.

The winner for each will be selected according to the poll. The authors will get credited for their stories in the yearbook and given a short bio including links to their other works.

Follow this link for submission guidelines ...

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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20. 'Living with Depression & Anxiety' ~ cover art & design for Amanda Green (@AmandaGreenUK)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 3/13/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Living with Depression & Anxiety, Facebook, Twitter, WillowRaven, Amanda Green, Add a tag

Be sure to follow Amanda Green online for updates about all of her books.

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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21. Hand-drawn maps created for Vegas Luna's (@vegaslunaa) 'of the mahabharata catastrophes'

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 3/10/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nonfiction, space, maps, Martian, Catastrophe, Andromeda, Mahabharata, WillowRaven, Vegas Luna, Mermaid World, Aliso Canyon Socalgas, Fukushima Triple Core Meltdown, Indonesian Superplume, Add a tag

Remember my posting back in January that I had "... six maps to draw for the interior [of Vegas Luna's next Mermaid World book]? Therefore, keep a look-out by March 9th for the book to be available (also the first solar eclipse of 2016)." They're done! Whew!!! That was a lot of fast work, because as I usually do this month, I totally underestimated my schedule overload. (It's a week before MidSouthCon and I am NOWHERE NEAR ready.)

Vegas' second book in the Mermaid World series, of the mahabharata catastrophes, is officially ready as an ebook. The print version will be following real soon.

As with the first book cover I created for Vegas, of the andromeda martian catastrophe, this book is non-fiction, too. Not exactly a sequel to the first book in the Mermaid World series, yet the second book. Make sense?

The map montage above is only a sampling of the series of illos created for this book. If I showed them all, that would be cheating. ;P

Back cover blurb:

Secret Order research into the Mahabharata harmonic earthquake and wave frequency weather manipulation weapons, and the epic catastrophes; Gulf of Mexico oil methane blowout, Louisiana Corne Bayou methane sinkhole, Los Angeles Basin methane blowout, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant triple core meltdown, and other ongoing environmental catastrophes, accidents, and phenomenon.

Body Hacks 101: Learn how to build your own catastrophe survival hygiene kit. Learn how to detox the body to halt the effects of bioaccumulation of toxins. Learn how to prevent and fight cancer instead of becoming profit for the cancer treatment centers. Learn how to grow and develop brain structure to increase IQ, mental clarity, and mental prowess. Learn how to activate higher DNA to slow the aging process, increase lifespan, and reduce cancer cell growth. While we are at it, learn how to burn fat from the body most efficiently.

Includes short story: meet the legendary Juan de Lupio! The Falkland Islands king penguin who gets lost on his trip to Antarctica.

Be sure to connect with Vegas online:

Twitter

Facebook

Website

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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22. 'Reckoning' for RM Willis (@Rancoth) and KnightLand Books (@KnightLandBooks)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 2/29/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: WillowRaven, Don Self, Heather Lawson, KnightLand Books, Michael Cordley, Reckoning, RM Willis, Roy McGlochlin, Facebook, Twitter, Add a tag

I ran into Roy McGlochlin and his new traditional publishing house, KnightLand Books, on Twitter. He, in turn, introduced me to one of his authors, RM Willis, and next thing you know, a new book cover was in the works.

Roy and I have a slightly different focus when it comes to aesthetic, but by the fifth draft, we had a cover worthy of publication.

Check out the blurb ...

There are turning points in our lives; crossroads that we come to that once picked send us down a certain path. Heather Lawson’s job is to find those points in the past of societies criminals and help them to pick a different direction. Is she ready to help Michael Cordley the first man in the solar system to be convicted of rape and murder in nearly five years? Can she put her pride aside to do what is necessary in order to bring his case to a close? Or, will she be responsible for the first failed criminal rehabilitation in more than half a century?

Can you tell I was going for an old-school, '70's sci-fi feel with a modern twist? A little graphic novel and horror flavor was thrown in for good measure, but just a pinch.

Be sure to connect with both RM Willis & KnightLand Books online:

RM Willis on Twitter

RM Willis on Facebook

RM Willis website

KnightLand Books on Twitter

KnightLand Books on Facebook

KnightLand Books website

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven, but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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23. 'Blue-Eyed Doll', cover art and design, for Deanna K. Klingle (@deannaklingel) and 4RV Publishing (@4RV)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 2/24/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: WWII, Japan, Facebook, 1926, San Francisco, Twitter, 4RV Publishing, WillowRaven, Blue-Eyed Doll, Deanna K. Klingel, Dr. Sidney Gulick, Add a tag

My latest cover creation for 4RV Publishing, Blue-Eyed Doll, by Deanna K. Klingel ...

This coming-of-age story is set in San Francisco in 1926 when eight-year-old Ruth Mary wants to be part of her class project to send blue-eyed dolls with notes of friendship to school children in Japan to procure world peace. This historical project was put in place by Dr. Sidney Gulick, a missionary to Japan. Her bigoted and blustery father, a banker, will not allow this. In an era of bigotry and mistrust of all things Japanese, creative and feisty Ruth Mary connives to overturn his ultimatum. With her siblings aiding and abetting, she prevails. An unusual doll wearing eye glasses becomes her unlikely choice. She names the doll Isabella.

Isabella returns to Ruth Mary after the war. Ruth Mary, her husband, and her baby daughter embark on a cross-country quest to find the lost Japanese Ambassador dolls left in museums and forgotten over the war. As an adult, with the doll beside her, she restarts the friendship doll program of long ago. She returns home with Isabella to San Francisco to a sick mother and an aging father. Isabella brings an unexpected peace to the home of Ruth Mary’s childhood. The aging people overcome their bigotry as a result of the blue-eyed doll, Isabella.

Be sure to order your copies from 4RV Publishing, where you get a considerable discount compared to ordering from Amazon, not to mention bulk order capabilities for you school, library, or store. If you don't see it in the online bookstore yet, contact the publisher directly. It will, however, be available from 4RV before all other online retailers.

Deanna on Twitter

Deanna's website

4RV Publishing

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!

*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven, but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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24. 'Millennium', MidSouthCon (@MidSouthCon), and Alex Steinberg (@MillenniumStory)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 2/17/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Memphis, Facebook, sci-fi, Twitter, March, WillowRaven, Millennium, Ravenswood Publishing, Alex Steinberg, A Collection of Short, AfterFire, Epic Tales, MidSouthCon 34, Add a tag

I'm excited to announce that Alex and I are teaming up again, this time on a book of SFF stories. The official title will be, AfterFire: A Collection of Short, Epic Tales. An August 2016 release is planned, so keep an eye out for my unveiling in a few months.

I first met Alex when I created his Millenium cover last summer (debut post). I thought I would re-introduce the cover today because Alex is going to be providing signed copies of Millenium at MidSouthCon 34 next month. He won't be there in person, but I'll be there all weekend.

Those in the Memphis area March 18th through the 20th should definitely stop by and find me and Alex's book in the art room, where I will be displaying and selling prints of my artwork. I'm also a guest panelist again this year and will be posting the schedule as soon as I get it. For more about the charity auction...

Blurb for Millenium:

In 2091, four years before the Great Civil War, Humanity expanded to a multitude of planets across the galaxy, setting up colonies, officially declaring themselves to be the only sentient life in the Milky Way Galaxy. They were wrong.

Nine years later, Lieutenant Commander Keane Blaze, a young, but well-respected soldier, is ordered to help evacuate the colony on Ordem, a strange desert planet. Everything goes as planned at first, until an unknown enemy initiates an ambush, destroying Keane's transport. In order to save him, the ship's artificial intelligence launches his cryo-pod to the surface of the planet, putting Keane into cryo-sleep for 1000 years.

Waking after his long slumber, Keane learns the enemy that long ago destroyed his transport is back, again fighting against Humanity and its allied races. With the help of a younger alien race and a mysterious figure from his past, Keane races to end the threat that this enemy poses, once and for all.

A few Amazon reviews:

*****This book is a modern American masterpiece! I cheered at the author's courage for openly publishing a true mix of classic sci-fi and modern furry fan fiction. The story mixed the action of Twilight, with the humor and raw sensuality of The Fred Movie. I wish more authors had this author's courage, he is a true crusader for our people.

*****This book was excellent. There was some grammar errors or words left out but that is to be expected with a new writer. I hope that the next book will be as good as this one. The beginning was a little confusing. Just know that it's in the future on a colony that humans share with aliens.

*****Alex is a very prolific writer. A will be watching out for more of his books. I would recommend this one to everyone!!!

Be sure to keep an eye out for Alex and his books on social media:

Twitter: Alex Steinberg @MillenniumStory
Facebook: Millenniumstory

Millennium is published through Ravenswood Publishing.

And for MidSouthCon:
twitter
website

Onto wrapping up the next book :-D

Until next time ...

Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

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25. "Temple of the Raven Sisterhood" writing challenge - submission by Sophia Whitte-Author (@SophiaWhitte)

By: Aidana WillowRaven, on 2/14/2016
Blog: WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Twitter challenge, WillowRaven, Temple of the Raven Sisterhood, @SophiaWhitte, Sophia Whitte-Author, Twitter, writing challenge, Add a tag

First submission to my latest personal vision, Temple of the Raven Sisterhood.

The City of Mecha and Raven Queens

- a Short Story by Sophia Whittemore

At the end of time, there were two cities, floating in the clouds. One was constructed of iron and steel, and it was called the City of Mecha, run entirely by men. The other floating city, directly across from it, was a city run by women, strong warriors who dared to worship the Raven Queen. The men sat there, scribbling in their books and tinkering with their toys of iron whilst the women built temples so high that the very gods touched upon them once in a while.

Mayor Albatross of the City of Mecha gazed into his telescope and spied on the city across from them. His eyes lingered over the women’s exercises, running spears through stacks of hay and slaughtering raging bulls with their bare hands. “I tell you, now that’s a woman!” He cried, staring forlornly at the tenuous wooden bridge that connected the two cities. “What a pity we cannot cross over.”

“We could cross over with an army of iron golems to defend us,” replied Father Ari, “but why should we? Those warriors believe that we are the heathens worshipping our gods of steel when they are worshipping a woman with the head of a raven! Heathens all of them! They’ll find out their warrior sacrifices were all for nothing once they accept proper civilization.”

Mayor Albatross, a young man really since he had been unwittingly nominated for the job, continued to stare at the High Raven Priestess on the other side of the chasm. “Sinner.” Muttered Father Ari, catching his uncouth gaze.

“I’m sorry, Father. But you know yourself how our population has been depleting. The women fled Mecha to live with the Raven warriors once my father enforced that silly rule banning women from the laboratories and resigning them to lives only based on raising children and running households.”

“I am the one who asked your father to make that rule. We are better off to become nothing than to breed with the foolish population.” Father Ari frowned at him. “By Iron’s Blood.” He prayed, invoking the sacred oath of the Mechanics.

Mayor Albatross wanted to say something more, but only sighed softly. “By Iron’s Soul.”

But at night, under the cover of darkness, Mayor Albatross, young and impressionable, went out to meet the High Priestess. They met on the rope bridge. When he arrived, panting heavily from lack of physical fitness, the High Priestess was laughing at him. “You are weak.” She remarked astutely.

“I climbed down twelve flights of stairs to get here.”

“I clambered down a mountain.” She replied, not looking as though she even broke a sweat. “Tell me, sweet Frederick Albatross, do you love me?”

He blushed. “It is a sin to speak of such things in Mecha.”

Her voice rang inside his head, poking, prodding. Frederick Albatross shuddered, hating when she did this. But do you love me?

I do. He replied, unflinching.

She held her hand out to him. Then trust me.

“What are you doing?” He asked, putting his hand into her own.

Her eyes glittering, she fell back from the bridge, pulling Frederick into her strong, muscled arms. Her cloak billowed around her, enveloping him in feathers and darkness.

We fly. . .

What an awesome submission! And she wrote in just a few hours, too.

Be sure to look Sophia up on her blog and twitter, too:

https://teenswrite2teens.wordpress.com

Sophia Whitte-Author

@SophiaWhitte

Want to take the challenge?

Visual writing prompt: http://willowraven.weebly.com/temple-of-the-raven-sisterhood.html Write a short for this & I'll post it w/ link to you :D

Onto wrapping up the next book
Until next time ...
Aidana WillowRaven

http://WillowRaven.weebly.com

This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!
*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven, but posted as provided by author/publisher.

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