Blam Game

Did you design the cover? The final cover, yes. I had a certain feeling about the characters and their world.

Did your publisher design the cover? The publisher put together a sample cover using clip art and photos. That was the initial attempt and we went on from there.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? I had total input. The publisher was generous in handing me free reign.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. Nothing dramatic, but I felt an emphasis should be placed on the oppressive environment; the oven-like weather of the Southwestern locale, I felt, should be represented in the introduction which is , of course, the cover. Please don't think me morbid, but I wanted to try my hand at drawing a dead man at least once.

Who is the cover artist? I did the cover art using my writing pseudonym, Jim Alexander. The publisher furnished the graphics.

Are you happy with the cover? I'd say I'm 95% satisfied with the outcome of the cover. Who wouldn't like to change their work in some small way once it's too late to do so?

If not, what would you change and why? The thing I'd change is the "Jim Alexander" scrawled in the pavement on the highway. It's entirely my fault that my publisher and I didn't get that right. He placed another "Jim Alexander" beneath the art. It appears as if I'm trying a bit too hard to make the author's name prominent through repetition, which isn't the intention at all. No, really, it isn't!

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover? The brilliant, harsh colors and the crude (intended) form of the dead man's wingtips as he lay motionless on the highway.

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Only that the pictured victim, a former government agent, sets off a greedy quest for a forgotten cache of DEA greenbacks!

Please provide your website link. My crime caper, "Blam Game" can be found at speculativefictionreview.com under the "Books" heading.

My email address is http://mail.lycos.com/hanmail/mail/MailComposeFrame.daum?TO=nburke0@lycos.com.

Judi Moreo and Kim Baccelia - Virtual Tour Stops

Promotional Interview with Judi Moreo

This is the first author promotional interview that I've posted on my Self Promotion blog on the Inspired Author site. This is the first interview in a series that I'm doing with Kathleen Gage. She is posting some on her blog and I'll be posting all of the interviews on my site. To read about Judi Moreo's promotion - visit

http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/promotional-interview-judi-moreo-0

~ and ~

Kim Baccellia - Young Adult Author - Earrings of Ixtumea

Join Nikki Leigh and Muze as they interview young adult author Kim Baccelia about her book - Earrings of Ixtumea. This is the opening question of the interview - Nikki & Muze – I was reading the synopsis for your book and was intrigued by the inner struggle that your character faces. It’s also interesting that she is confronted by the same cultural problems in the fantasy world. Can you give us some information about how you came up with this idea and what sort of problems she deals with in the story?

Kim –As a bilingual teacher in the later ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, I saw a lot with my second language students. I taught in a LA county school district, close to East LA. I also was researching my own family history at this time. I was bothered how each year my students would draw themselves blond, blue-eyed, and fair skinned.

Click here to learn more about Kim and Earrings of Iztumeahttp://muzesmusings.blogspot.com/

Nikki Leigh – Fiction Author – www.nikkileigh.com
Book Promo 101 – www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm
“Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance”

Burning

My book is 'The Burning', a crime novel with Virtual Tales.

Did you design the cover? No, I don’t think stick figures would make an appealing cover for a crime novel.

Did your publisher design the cover? Yes. Virtual Tales has a number of artists who do a great job of cover design.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? Yes, the artist made the character fatter than I’d sketched him, so I sent off an email, sorted out the misunderstanding and my murder victim was trimmed down immediately – the Dorian Gray weight loss program, as Michael described it. I wish it could work that fast for me.Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. Not really.

Who is the cover artist? Michael Leadingham

Are you happy with the cover? Yes.

If not, what would you change and why? I'd really like one of Michael's beautiful fantasy covers, but as I don't write fantasy I'll have to do without the unicorns and medieval maidens.Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover. I like the way it leads the reader to question what’s going on here? Why is this man in a fire? What is he holding in his hand?

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share. The fiery cover makes it very easy to recognize when trawling through on-line book stores!

Please provide your website link. www.freewebs.com/jackietritt

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.virtualtales.com/StoryProducts~tn~Burning.html

It's also available at Mobipocket, fictionwise etc

One Night in Boston

Did you design the cover? No.

Did your publisher design the cover? Yes. Samhain has several talented cover artists on board to work with their authors.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? Yes, a tremendous amount, and I was really pleased about that. My cover artist and I emailed ideas back and forth several times.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. One Night in Boston is a contemporary romance novel that takes places over a single day and night, so the one thing I wanted on this cover, above all, was an overlay of a clock. The entire novel unfolds in twenty-four chapters, each one a single hour, and I wanted that feeling of time running out to appear on the cover. I did struggle with whether or not to include a picture of the heroine on the front as well. Ultimately, I decided not to, because I wanted the focus of the cover to reflect the urgency of the story, as well as the place, which is why we ended up going with a city skyline but no hero or heroine.

Who is the cover artist? Dawn Seewer, a terrifically talented artist who’s done a lot of covers for Samhain authors.

Are you happy with the cover? Very!

If not, what would you change and why? Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover. I think Dawn really captured the feeling of urgency that moves the story along. She also did a nice job showing the setting, the heart of downtown Boston at night, which is where and when all the crucial action takes place.

Please provide your website link. http://www.allieboniface.com/

What is the link to buy your book? http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/one-night-in-boston

Of Water and Dragons - Kelly Heckart

Did you design the cover? No.

Did your publisher design the cover? No.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? Yes.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

This cover art image is of the heroine in the story--a half human, half faery woman. Some people think she is an angel because of the feathered wings. I base my faery characters on the Irish Tuatha de Danaan who were of normal height and may have had birdlike wings. I also believe that faeries and angels may not be so different. I love this image so much that I just had it tattooed on my lower back. I'm thinking I can write it off as advertising. Well, maybe that won't work, but it is a thought.

Who is the cover artist?

A wonderful lady named Ruth Bochte. I met her online through another author. I think we were fated to meet because she knew exactly what I wanted.

Are you happy with the cover? Very much so.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

I think the best part of this cover is all the detail in in her wings, fingers and toes.

Kelley Heckart
Author of "Of Water and Dragons

"an appealing amalgam of magic, erotica, military history, and romance that will leave readers breathless in its wake." Ellen Tanner Marsh, NYT best-selling author
http://http://www.kelleyheckart.com/

Robin Jay - Art of the Business Lunch

The cover I originally designed for my self-published edition was retained (at my request) by Career Press and was used at the start of each chapter inside the book. It is a pen across a plate, which I felt perfectly illustrated the essence of a business lunch. Career Press hired an artist who designed the fabulous cover based on Michelangelo’s “Creation of Man,” featuring God and Adam…a very famous masterpiece.

I was only slightly concerned over featuring wine glasses. I was afraid of alienating those business professionals who abstain from alcohol. But my publisher listened and then decided they liked it and would stick with it. I was glad they chose to do so. I recently found out I have a chapter that will be published in “Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover’s Soul,” due out in November. There could not be a greater tie-in for my book! It’s all coming together divinely.

I really love the cover; it’s rich and I love black backgrounds (like your blog!) I wouldn’t change a thing!

The best part is the quote from Brian Tracy; getting it meant the world to me and I’m so glad my publisher chose to feature it.

I think it’s enticing and effective. You are invited to visit my website at http://www.robinjay.com/ and you can buy my book there as well (or anywhere books are sold.) If you come to my website and buy a book, I will personally sign it for you. Just click: http://robinjay.com/business_sales_motivational_book.htm to order. I also have 6-CD and Mp3 Audio Books available.

PG Forte - Waiting For the Big One

Let's talk with PG Forte about the beautiful cover for her book- Waiting For the Big One.

Nikki - Did you design the cover? Did your publisher design the cover?

PG - Neither, actually. My publisher assigned the artist who designed it. I had no idea what she was going to come up with until I saw the finished product.

Nikki - Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

PG - I filled out a cover request sheet with a lot of details including the type of feel I wanted for the cover, descriptions of the main characters, key story elements I wanted included, etc. But the artist very wisely ignored most of my suggestions. LOL! Actually, that'snot true. I had suggested that my heroine, Gabby, might be portrayed in a Yoga pose and she is. So I guess you could say I had some input there, but it came out much, much better than anything I'd imagined.

Nikki - Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

PG - Well, I wouldn't know, would I? LOL! Although the artist did tell me that she'd picked this shot because she felt it illustrated the idea that the heroine was waiting. Personally, I think the model on the cover seems to be waiting a tad more patiently than my character. But there is one serendipitous little fact (that I've kept to myself up until now) I'd like to share with you.

When my husband opened his first fashion photography studio in midtown Manhattan, shortly after we were married, he commissioned a logo and a business sign from the graphic arts/sign shop that happened to be in business right across the hall from us. The shop was run by an older married couple. I think they got a kick out of the idea that they were mentoring us about business and about marriage and about combining the two. The sign they made for us without a lot of input on our end was blue with white type and the font was identical to the font on the cover of Waiting for the Big One. We used that logo for years. It was on our stationary, business cards, everything. So when I first saw the cover blue background, white type, same font I swear I got chills. It might not be huge, as far as omens go, but it was definitely a deja vu kind of moment. And I choose to take it for a good sign...no pun intended.

Nikki - Who is the cover artist?

PG - The very, very talented April Martinez. http://art.aprilgem.com/artist.html who is also the Art Director at Liquid Silver Books.

Nikki - Are you happy with the cover?

PG - Absolutely. I'm ecstatic. I think it's gorgeous and very classy. It reminds me of something Conde Nast would put out.

Nikki - If not, what would you change and why?

PG - Well, obviously, I wouldn't mess with perfection. But... this is book one in the LA Love Lessons series, and there's one person on the cover. The cover of book two has two people on the cover. I think I have a little OCD because I'm quite concerned that I'm not going to be happy with book three if there aren't three people on the cover... which doesn't quite fit the story line. But I'm sure April will think of something wonderful.

Nikki - Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

PG - I think it's all perfect, but, I guess, if I have to pick one thing, I'd have to say the setting. Even though none of the action takes place at the beach, I've always secretly thought of this story as my summer beach read book. So maybe April's a mind-reader as well?

Nikki - Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share.

PG - I've gotten permission from the artist to use the cover art on various promotional items including postage stamps some of which I'll probably give away as contest prizes.

To be entered to win readers need only subscribe to my newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Oberon_Chronicle/

Please provide your website link. http://www.pgforte.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.tinyurl.com/25rpy6

Thank you for coming to visit us PG. In ending, I have to share PG's tagline with you all. Its

"PG... it's a name, not a rating".

This is the link to an excerpt from Waiting For The Big One

http://www.pgforte.com/TBOExcerpt.htm

THE TRUTH, I'm 10, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! by Dr Barbara Holstein

Dr Barbara is going to tell us about the story behind the cover art for her book The TRUTH, I'm 10, I'm Smart and I Know Everything!

Did you design the cover?

Yes, I conceptualized the cover for THE TRUTH, I'm 10, I'm Smart and I Know Everything!

Did your publisher design the cover?

My publisher and I actually worked on the design together.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

I gave a lot of input. Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. Yes, there is an interesting story. I wanted to cover to look like a girl's diary. I also wanted the girl to find a way to make clear to anyone who discovered her diary that she was on to something-i.e THE TRUTH! This was not just any old diary. This was something so special that even though it was a secret diary, the girl had to let you know right away how special it was. It held profound material-she knew that and she was only ten, but then again she knows everything! Also, I wanted the cover to have a picture of 'the girl.' And I wanted her to look like any ordinary kid-not someone all dolled up. I wanted the cover to further the idea that the girl is creative and has lots of ways of expressing herself, which is probably why the cover has two slightly different versions as I mention below. Guess who's picture most fitted the bill? I'm not telling, as that is a secret! Lastly, she is in love and I guess the cover successfully conveys that also!

Who is the cover artist?

Georgia Jones, the publisher of Ladybug Press who published the book.Are you happy with the cover? I'm happy in that it says most of what I wanted it to convey.

If not, what would you change and why?

If I could start it again I would also put a locket across it as a locket in the book, given to the girl by her aunt, holds the key to a profound mystery.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

The little girl's announcement on lined composition paper that she is 10, is smart and knows everything.

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know?

Feel free to share. I actually have two versions of the cover. One has the girl on the cover and the other version has the girl on the first page, with a cut out square on the cover leading you to the girl. There is a bit of a mystery to this that I am still playing with. Anyway, when you receive your book you may find you have the cover with the girl on the front or the one with the girl inside peeking out.

Please provide your website link. http://www.enchantedself.com/