Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

This month I’m exploring the making of a book cover. So far this month I’ve shared the progression of a couple covers as I worked with digital artists and I shared my experiences working with an illustrator. This week I want to share the experience of covering a series. Even though I have The Weaver Tales series, it didn’t start as a series, so I didn’t go into it knowing the covers had to relate. Plus each of book in The Weaver Tales series is a standalone. When it came time to work on a cover for King of Bad, book 1 in my Super Villain Academy series, I knew that there would be more books with the same theme. But I still didn’t understand what it meant to make the covers look like a series. Not really. I would love to say that I approached the cover of King of Bad knowing how the over all story arc would progress over the next two books. But I mostly didn’t. Instead, I approached King of Bad with my blinders on. Looking only at the single book and it’s single cover. The...

I must take care of some InkRipples business before I get to this month's post.    Mary Waibel ,   Katie L. Carroll  and I have decided to continue the meme into 2016, and we'd love for you all to join us! We have a new streamlined name: #InkRipples (formerly Ripples in the Inkwell) and brand new images to go along with it.  We also have a new set of monthly topics for discussion in 2016: January - Travel #InkRipplesFebruary - Chocolate March - Feminism April - Poetry May - Memories June - Movies July - Inspiration August - Guilty Pleasures September - Banned Books October - Masks November - Heritage December - Cookies How can you participate? Glad you asked because there are lots of ways. The idea of #InkRipples is to toss a word, idea, or image into the inkwell and see what kind of ripples it makes. We provide the topics and will be blogging about them on the first Monday of the month. You can spread your own ripples by blogging a...

For more info & for a complete list of blogs, visit the #IWSG site Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! The co-hosts for November are: Tyrean Martinson   http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/ Karen Walker   http://karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com/ Denise Covey   http://dencovey.blogspot.com/    Stephen Tremp    http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.com/ Please be sure to visit their sites to thank them for hosting! *** Today I'm insecure about book signings! I have an event coming up in a real live bookstore. I've done bookstore events before and I really, really enjoy them-when people show up! Those of you who've had events before know it's hard to attract guests to book signings, plus this one is t...

The book that hit #7 on the Amazon bestsellers list of superhero fiction just got better! Today's the official launch of the 2nd edition of King of Bad - Super Villain Academy book 1. Not only that, but the series is now also available in a box set. Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA. He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – t...

This month, Lightning Quick Reads is hosting a giveaway. Each comment you leave on any LQR post in May enters you to win a gift cert. Start with my may story on sexism,  You Cannot Be Serious To sign up, visit the IWSG Master,  Alex Cavanaugh Purpose:  To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting:  The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG The awes...

Watch out. Things are about to get really bad Excerpt from Super Bad : After sliding the card out of the envelope, she stared at it for so long Lexa finally said, “Well?” Sandra glanced at her friend before frowning again at the card. Finally she handed it to Lexa and stared at the flowers. Seeing you last night was as refreshing as the clean smell after a rainstorm. —Set Lexi’s lip curled up. “What does this mean?” “I’m not sure.” Sandra spoke tentatively. “He obviously has a thing for weather.” “And you,” Lexa said. “Maybe.” Lexa rolled her eyes. “What do you mean, maybe? He became a stalker at the party last night, and now he’s sent you your very first flowers.” Sandra shook her head. “There’s something…I don’t know.” A thought somewhere deep in her gray matter teased her, but kept getting overridden by images of Set’s beautiful face lowering toward hers in the dark of the hedge cave. She mentally scolded herself to focus, but then she remembered...