TOPIC: Do you judge a book by its cover? (part 1)

Today I'm really excited to welcome a first-timer and incredible artist to my blog.

When the cover of my debut fantasy romance release, VENGEANCE BORN, arrived from my editor in my in-box I think I sat and stared at it for a good ten minutes, ohh'ing and ahh'ing over the incredible artwork, marveling at the details, the various elements that portrayed parts of the story and how spot on the cover model was to Annika, the heroine I'd envisaged (I also shed a few tears).

Long story short, I made inquiries about the cover artist and tracked him down to thank him for doing a wonderful job of the cover. Then promptly asked him if he'd mind being interviewed! :-) So without further ado, here's his intro!

Gene Mollica is a photo-illustrator specializing in fantastical and otherworldly images for the entertainment industry, most frequently for book covers. His work has appeared on the book covers of authors like L.A.Banks, Patricia Briggs, Richelle Mead, and C.E.Murphy, just to name a few.

Creating images that the authors feel translates their original vision and offering a window into that world for the reader is as much fun as he's ever had (in fact, he admits to it being a bit of an obsession!).

Gene, welcome to my blog! It's great you could visit.

So, can you tell us, what is a photo-illustrator? Have you always aspired to be one? 

A photo-illustrator starts with a photo and manipulates or paints over it to create the final illustration. You’re working with lots of images that you shoot yourself and combining them with traditional illustration skills.

I started as a traditional painter and then decided I wanted to do more commercial work in the entertainment industry. It was a change of heart in grad school, wanting to switch from traditional oil paints to doing something more contemporary in digital media. 

On your website I noted quite an impressive list of publishing houses and more than a few familiar paranormal romance book covers amidst your artwork (eg.Patricia Briggs, LA Banks, Richelle Mead, CEMurphy). How did you become involved in designing covers for these books? 

I’m lucky enough to have clients who are art directors at these publishing houses – I’ve built those relationships over the years. The art directors bring me these great projects. 

You created the covers for VENGEANCE BORN (released Feb.7th with Berkley Sensation) and ALLIANCE FORGED (July 2012, Berkley Sensation) - I have to admit I had a bit of a cry at how absolutely stunning they were. Many, many friends and complete strangers have also expressed their awe at the amazing covers.

On the cover of VENGEANCE BORN, the female model was the spitting image of how I imagined the heroine of the story and you'd included elements/features my editor and I had discussed in our cover conference. And ALLIANCE FORGED linked so well in style and design.

So, what's the process you go through once you've been commissioned to design a cover? Do you received a brief on the project? How long does it take you to complete a project? 

I start by peppering my clients with questions about the characters, wardrobe, any specific details.

VENGEANCE BORN cover shot

VENGEANCE BORN finished product

In this case, the art director, Leslie Worrell, is great about giving me the information needed to make a great piece.

Then, I work to gather the props and costumes necessary to bring the character to life.

In your case, I had a gown custom-made by a seamstress named Shirley Forster of Renaissance Sewing, who I’ve been working with for years.

I also had the necklace made by a friend of mine, Travis Conn, who is a metal smith and does excellent work.

Annika's necklace

I choose the model at the same time – I’m glad you thought she was the spitting image of your character, since I thought of her right away when I got the assignment.

Then, the next step is a photo shoot with the model in costume embodying the character.

The trick in the shoot is to light it correctly to create the atmosphere we want to come across on the cover – doing that is something I really enjoy.

I then incorporate an image from that shoot into a digital painting that I create. Start to finish, the whole process takes a few days.

 

You do a lot of urban fantasy/fantasy/paranormal themed designs - is this a genre where the work is? Or is it something you really enjoy doing? 

I just really enjoy doing it – it’s my favorite, and I’m lucky that there is a lot of work in it.

What's the most interesting aspect of your job? The worst? 

I love the whole thing - the photo shoots, the costume design, the propping and so on. I’m glad I get to work with art directors who really care about the process and getting to a great outcome.

The only stressful part is the time crunch – sometimes I’ve got to turn these jobs around really quickly. 

When I was developing my own craft of writing there were several authors who inspired and influenced me. Do you have any particular cover artists who inspire you? What sort of impact have they had on you? 
There are a lot of cover artists who inspire me. My original inspiration came from Boris Vallejo and Frank Franzetta. My current inspirations are a lot of my contemporaries.

A well know fantasy artist inspired Gene

(Boris Vallejo picture from this website). 

I’m also very inspired by the aesthetics of genre movies – Underworld was a big one for me.

What do you like doing in your spare time? 

Playing with my brand new (4 month old) daughter, cooking, and gardening. 

I also really enjoy sketching out ideas for costumes and photography.

Gene has sent along some recent work that he's done, folks. Just take a gander at them - aren't they great?!?!

Gene, thanks for giving up your time to be a part of this interview! 
Thanks for having me!

Now for the extra fun part, folks - I'd love to give away a VENGEANCE BORN eco-tote bag (a plug for Gene's great artwork not to mention my book! *grin*).

What do you like seeing on the cover of a book? What draws your eye and tempts you into picking it up?

Share your thoughts by midday, Tuesday 25th Oct. 2011 an your name will go into the draw- winner announced Wednesday 26th Oct. 2011 (open to local and international readers).

For those interested, Gene has some more amazing artwork displayed on his website.

TOPIC: Kylie Griffin FAQ's

After months of interviewing my friends in RWAustralia, RWNew Zealand and RWAmerica, I thought it was only fair to turn the tables on myself.

Where do you live?

Outback Australia

New South Wales, in an outback rural community (Australia). 

What sort of books do you write?
Broadly speaking - paranormal romance. Breaking it down, I love writing fantasy romance and science fiction romance, with paranormal elements. 

What time of the day do you write? Are you a morning, night-owl or anytime writer?
When I'm teaching full-time I write early in the morning. I get up anywhere between 4-5am and get a few hours in before I head off to work. I'm fresher and much more creative then, than when I get home from being on the go with a classroom full of little kids. If it's school holidays, I like to stay up late and write then. Less interruptions, quieter and I can sleep in the next morning if I've had a late one.

Hugh - sigh...

Are there any particular rituals you do to set the mood / harness your muse?
I like to get a cuppa and brekky first thing in the morning, and while I'm doing that I clear out my emails or post promo's of my upcoming blog posts.

Desktop inspiration!

I also change my desktop picture daily - usually I select a natural scene that encapsulates a setting from my WIP or one of my many hunky guys who resembles my hero.

Once I've done that then I light a scented candle, put up my DO NOT DISTURB sign on the front door and go for it. Sometimes I put on easy listening music, down low so I can't get distracted by the lyrics, but mostly I write in silence. 

Are you a plotter / planner or a pantser? Do you edit as you go or prefer to edit after completion of the ms?
I'm evolving. I started off as a pure panster when I first began writing and found I had a LOT of half written manuscripts sitting in boxes. As I learned more and improved I would have called myself a panster in the fog - you know, you can see the tops of the hills and your destination in the distance (aka some scenes and finale) but still muddle our way through to get there.

Now, thanks to entering a couple of competitions where I had to submit a synopsis with the work (and I haven't actually finished the ms) I'm seeing a need to plan. I won't say full on plot because I don't think I'll ever convert to pure plotting and structure. So, I'm a panstering scener with a final destination and the journey there remains a mystery.

As for editing, I do it as I go. Usually I writer a few chapters at a time then go back and add in detail and layering. Once I finish the whole manuscript I'll send it out to some beta readers for comment then with their comments I'll check for holes and errors and give it that final once over.

Do you have a schedule that you follow for your writing time? Are you a goal setter with your writing?
When I first start a book I set myself word goals to get into the routine of producing work. Once I meet those goals I begin lifting the targets. I'm competitive with myself once I get into that routine. I like to see if I can beat the target and if so, by how much. And once I'm immersed in the whole process those word totals tend to become redundant. I just write until the end.

I do like to write every day, no necessarily on my WIP but something writing related. Keeps the brain ticking over and the creative eye in. 

What writing tools do you favour?
Long hand, computer…I'm definitely a lap top girl. I'm a fast typist. The only time I'll go long hand is if I'm in town shopping and inspiration strikes. Then I'll write on any scrap of paper and put what I've done in my pocket for later.

I do have a notebook beside me in the lounge room and on the bedside table for jotting down ideas. They tend to come to me when my mind is switched off and in neutral watching television or just as I'm drifting off to sleep.

During an editing phase I like a hard copy of my ms sitting in front of me rather than a screen. There's something more tangible about being able to mark it with highlighters (using the Margie Lawson EDITS system) or with red pen line edits. For repetitive words/phrases I use Wordle, a natty tool that counts the number of times you've used each word in your ms. (I discovered this one via Mel Scott - thanks, Mel!)

Lastly, when I'm writing a series I use an A4 spiral bound notebook with sticky-note labels on the edges of pages and turn it into a "Series Bible" - characters & descriptions, terminology, culture, history, places & names, facts, animals & plants, possible ms title lists etc. I also stick in any maps I've created, a synopsis and back cover blurb for easy reference. Anything that pertains to the series that I might need to refer to when I create the next book. It saves me having to flip back through the first one looking for a hair colour or some other hard to find thing. 

Is your writing space messy, organized or somewhere in between? Are you prepared to show evidence of your claim with a desk photo?

My cave...

 My writing space can be all that, but my OC side (obsessive compulsive) likes it to be mostly organised. And yes, here's my desk - I waited nearly 15years to find the "right" one - a recycled timber with imitation leather top. Sigh.

You can see my "Series Bible" for the Light Blade series (the one Berkley just recently bought) on the right hand side, it's bright pink. It goes with me where ever I take my laptop.

You can also see the ever present coffee cup, a small rock that has the word CREATE carved into it near my lamp and on the wall are inspirational sayings as well as a tiny picture of my great Grandma Griffin above the left hand corner of my laptop (I use her surname as my author surname to keep it in the family, it just happens to match my genre as well), and a photo of my agent and editor (I like to see them when I'm corresponding via emails or talking to them over the phone). 

What books are due to be released?
VENGEANCE BORN: A Novel of the Light Blade (Book1) is out in the USA in Feb.2012 with Berkley.
Book 2 & 3 in this series haven't had definite dates set yet. 

Who is your agent? Who is your editor?
I'm represented by the incredible Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency. At Berkley Publishing the wonderful Leis Pederson is my editor. 

Are you a member of any writing organisations or groups?
Yes, and I can't tell you how much I enjoy being with such supportive and encouraging people within these organisations.
Romance Writers of Australia
Romance Writers of New Zealand
Romance Writers of America®
Science Fiction Romance Brigade
Romance Writers of Australia (paranormal e-loop)
2010 RWA Golden Heart® "Unsinkables" e-loop 

Where can I find out more information about you?
I have a website, this blog and a Facebook page. 

Can readers email you?
Absolutely, I love getting emails from readers.

You can contact me on - kyliegriffin71 (at) optusnet (dot) com (dot) au - and you can expect a response within a day or a couple of weeks depending on what deadlines are coming up.

If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comments section of this post and I'll do my best to answer them.

CRAFT: Need help with your crafting skills?

Over the years I've collected a heap of website links that I've used at various stages in my writing journey. Some I still use because they really gel with my style as a writer, others are more research or information based sites.

Maybe some of these might work for you.

How to Write Query Letters/Synopses/Proposals (a screed of helpful articles compiled by Gabrielle Luthy)
Georges Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations (a site that lists and gives great detail on the situations you find in most stories)
Great Source - grammar (a wonderful basic guide to grammar)
How to write a novel using the Snowflake Method (starting small & building on your ideas)
Kathy Carmichael's Pitch Generator (how to create the basics for a pitch)
Dictionary of Sexual Terms
Australian Military Organisation & Structure (ranks in the army, navy & airforce)
The Passionate Pen (a list of romance publishers)
Wordle (a great way to check for repetitious words in your work)
Karen Fox's Romance Deals (a year by year list of deals, a bit like Publishers Marketplace)
Author Tech Tips (some hints about what titles to avoid using in your blog)

I hope you find some of these as helpful as I did!

CRAFT: Need a Useful Link or Two?

During my rare few spare minutes (or times when I'm procrastinating), I seek out good articles posted on several bookmarked blog sites.

Here are just a smattering of articles I've found helpful in the last year.

The Blood-Red Pencil

• Stretch Your Body to Revive Your Writer Mind 
• Tips For Writing Effective Dialogue 
• Talking Sexual Overtones with Author Rachelle Chase

Nathan Bransford

• Book Publishing Glossary

BookEnds

• Questions to Ask Before Signing with an Agent 
• What Can Authors Do to Sell Their Books?

RWAustralia Blog

• Too Many Notes: How to Fix Overwriting by Erica Hayes
• Critiquing:Let's Brainstorm by Anne Gracie

Romance She Wrote

• How to Write a Synopsis without Turning Homicidal

The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood

• Leaving Out the Boring Parts by Hope Ramsey

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter Blog

• Writing a Series

What have you found useful in your searching and reading of blogs? Share them with me (please don't forget to include the links).

This is the first in a 5 part series for the month of January.

The Gifted Gecko winner!

Thanks to everyone who dropped in to say hi to Robyn over at The Gifted Gecko website - there were some great hobbies/crafts/interests mentioned there.

Now for the fun part - announcing the winner of the lovely dozen mini-scroll sawed angels giveaway! Robyn put everyone's name into a hat and randomly chose one.

And that person is...

Jenn J.McLeod
 

Congratulations! If you can drop Robyn a line at robyns (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au you can make arrangements to claim your prize.

The Gifted Gecko - craft of a different sort!

One of the things writers need to do is keep their "creativity well" topped up. Often that may involve getting away from the laptop and pursuing a hobby or craft or an interest.

I have a number of hobbies, some I indulge in (or take more seriously) than others. One I enjoy whenever the urge strikes (and I have my camera ready) is photography. Many of my photos are framed and on display around my house. Most tend to be of nature or animals, although I have done portraits and, for a time, I had a weekend job as an semi-professional wedding photographer.

More labour and time intensive is my love for patchworking - there's something so absorbing about creating patterns with different shapes and pieces of material. When I have an hour or so up my sleeve I like to get out in my garden (which mostly tends to fend for itself, thank goodness) and potter about.

Today, I have Robyn Styles, a professional artist and personal friend visiting the blog to share her passion for art. She and her husband, Darryl, have a number of specialised skills under their belts (some I'd never heard of until they introduced me to them) and this is something they've turned into a business over time.

Robyn, thanks for joining me here. Can you tell my readers a little bit about The Gifted Gecko?

Thanks for having me Kylie.

Robyn - owner of The Gifted Gecko

Firstly, The Gifted Gecko actually started out as Robyn's Crafty Celebrations but when I had sooo many women tell me that their husbands would put their foot to the floor if they saw the word craft as they drove through the village, I knew a name change was in order.

I was looking for something catchy & I love geckos, hence The Gifted Gecko, where unique handcrafted creations are born. 

I know you and Darryl are the artists behind many of the works displayed in The Gifted Gecko. Can you share your stories about how you both ended up in this business and your experience with the art you produce?

Long story short, I had a job then didn't have a job. Work in the area is almost non existent, and the government said I had to look for work.

Having family members with serious health issues meant I needed to be flexible to fit in doctors visits, hospital stays & the like. So, the only option I open to me was to work for myself. So, I turned to what I knew best. Craft.

I've always enjoyed some form of craft and most of it I've learned from family members, was self taught or from a course I attended (ie. leadlighting). My love's are leadlight, woodwork & paverpol (garden statues made from fabric), but I do lots of other craft as well (knitting, recycled art, crochet etc.).

I'm always learning something knew & I also love to share what I know. I can honestly say I am never bored, it's just a case of which craft.
 
Darryl's been doing woodwork in some form or other most of his adult life. He's taught me so much & together we learned the art of scroll sawing. His health does not allow him to do much, however, the business gives him the opportunity to poke around in the workshop producing beautiful pieces of work for the shop.

Do you display your art anywhere besides your shop?

I've just spent four days at the Coonabarabran Arts & Craft Expo selling my work & demonstrating various crafts. I've also attended the woodwork festival in Tamworth and gone to some markets.

I list where I'm going to be on the CLASSES & EVENTS page of my website.

I've also organised craft activities for bus & school groups (bookings essential) in the shop. There are some interesting things to see & do within the local community while you're here - the Diprotodon Walk following the sign-posts around the village, the look-out over the Liverpool Plains at the top of High Street, visit the oldest war memorial in Australia in the local park, just to name a few. 

I've spent quite a few hours having a cuppa (among other things) and chatting with you at The Gifted Gecko. It's also the place I sometimes go to nut out plot points and character motivations (must be the caffeine)! It doubles as a tea-shop, doesn't it?

Yes, it does, Kylie.

The Gifted Gecko is located in a small village on the Black Stump Way, a major highway through inland NSW, & I thought most people travelling through might like the idea of stopping for a cuppa and a browse, so I've made The Gifted Gecko a tea shop as well.

The menu is simple, healthy and tasty. My specialty is a delicious pancake with fresh fruit, ice cream (low fat) & syrup. 

Where can readers find The Gifted Gecko online?

The Gifted Gecko website, my blog or page on Facebook.

On the website I have divided the products into categories to make shopping easier. Simply copy & paste the product code & description (which can be found when you click on the photo) onto the order form & send it to me I will then email you with the total including postage & payment details.  

Where can travellers find The Gifted Gecko and when can they drop in?

You can find the The Gifted Gecko in Tamba Street, the main street that runs through the middle of Tambar Springs. The shop is painted black and white, you can't miss it.

The village of Tambar Springs is situated between the townships of Gunnedah, Coolah & Coonabarabran on the Black Stump Way in NSW, Australia. So, you can say "it's in the middle of somewhere!" LOL

Normal business hours are:
Wed-Fri 10am to 5pm
Sat & Sun 10am to 2pm
(or by appointment)
ph. +61 (02) 6744 2445
* Any closures, planned or otherwise, are put on my blog. 

Robyn, thanks for sharing with us your passion for your work. I hope everyone else has found it as interesting as I have. 

As a bonus, Robyn has generously donated a dozen mini-scroll worked angels as a give-away.

All you have to do is drop over and visit her website and leave a comment about what you like to do to relax or take time out from your busy schedules. It can be a craft or hobby or an activity you like doing to unwind. 

We'll both announce the winner on our websites on December 13th.

Did I Nail It?

OK, I'm trying to practice what I preach, seeing as I've just posted a two-parter on How good is your opening line? (part 1) & (part 2).

After a lot of agonising, four different beginnings to the WIP, and many rewrites, here's the opening line of my next WIP (draft).

Fear reeked of a pungent bitterness that lingered in the nostrils but Varian wasn’t able to detect even a whiff of it on the gentle breeze.

These are the 3 questions I asked you to consider when reflecting on an opening line.

1. Do the words chosen by the author catch your attention?
2. Does the sentence raise a heap of questions you want answered?
3. Is there any implied conflict in the information given?

Did I succeed?

CRAFT: How good is your opening line? (part 2)

Searching for how to write that good opening line? Well, look no further. Here's a couple of examples and what to look for in your own writing to make sure yours has that "hook the reader" appeal.

Here's an opening line from another Maya Banks novel.

"Do you know of anyone who fulfills sexual fantasies?" Serena James asked.
(SWEET PERSUASION by Maya Banks)

Do the words chosen by the author catch your attention?
There are three that leap out at me. Bet you can pick them. :-)

• fulfills sexual fantasies - lots of curiousity attached to these words
• dialogue - the story starts with it; a great hook as it's active as opposed to narrative which can be passive

Does the sentence raise a heap of questions you want answered? Hell, yeah!

• Why does Serena need someone to fulfill sexual fantasies?
• Is she the one needing her sexual fantasies fulfilled?
• Is she asking for a friend?
• Who's she asking this question of? And why/how would they know someone with this skill?
• Is she in a relationship?
• Is she fed up or left unsatisfied by this relationship?

Is there any implied conflict in the information given?
Again, look at the questions I raised. If she's already in a relationship then what's prompted her to seek out someone who fulfills sexual fantasies? Does she find the relationship, or lack of one, unsatisfying? Assuming she meets this someone, how will she handle that meeting? With confidence? Embarrassment? etc.

My last example comes from a sci-fi romance novel.

Cyn always liked watching women move, but there was nothing sexier than an angry woman moving with purpose.
(BEYOND THE SHADOWS by Jess Granger)

Do the words chosen by the author catch your attention?

• sexier - one of those words that just draws the eye
• angry woman - adjective, noun
• moving with purpose - what an image that conjures up when linked with an angry woman

Does the sentence raise a heap of questions you want answered?

• Why is Cyn watching the woman?
• Why is the woman angry?
• Is there are going to be trouble?
• Did Cyn have something to do with it?
• What else does Cyn like about women?

Is there any implied conflict in the information given?
An angry woman is conflict on two legs, folks. And from the tone implied in the opening sentence, Cyn is probably in trouble of some sort, or he caused it, or he's going to and there's going to a confrontation of some sort. Lots and lots of conflict loaded into this one line.

Check out at these examples and ask yourself are they good opening sentences?

• Travis Jones had come home.
• Joe Smith was smiling.
• His horse, a Black Arab mare whose name he couldn't pronounce, was saddled and waiting, cropping dry grass sprouting on the banks of the wadi.
• The book signing was mobbed.
• Kane sat on the flattest rock in the center of the pool.
• She was wearing red shoes.

If any of these don't quite do it for you then how would you improve them so that they would?

The Goldilocks factor ("it's jusssstttt right") is hard to accomplish first off but with some elbow grease - and a lot of hair pulling, deleting, rewriting, throwing of things, and maybe some judicious analysing of your favourite author's work - you can create a ripper of an opening line that hooks the reader and pulls them into your story.

Now that you've read this post here's some homework for you - analyse your own work using these questions. If you have a good opening line post it in my comments section, I'd love to see it!

CRAFT: How good is your opening line? (part 1)

No, I'm not talking about a pick up line for a date but the opening line of your latest work in progress.

When I realise my WIP has a sucky start, and I get stuck trying to create one, I like to head for my bookshelves and explore. Analysing what other authors have written can sometimes trigger my own creativeness or give me one of those infamous "lightbulb" moments.

But what makes a good opening line? The way I see it you need to ask yourself these three things...

1. Do the words chosen by the author catch your attention?
2. Does the sentence raise a heap of questions you want answered?
3. Is there any implied conflict in the information given?

If you're like me you need some practical examples so let's look at an opening sentence from one of my favourite authors.

Julie Stanford took a deep breath before shoving aside the curtain to walk into the massage room where Nathan was laid out in all his glorious, naked splendor.
(SWEET SEDUCTION by Maya Banks)

Do the words chosen by the author catch your attention?
What words jumped out at you as your read this? For me they were - deep breath, shoving, massage, glorious naked splendor. Why? I'm going to make a list.

• deep breath - this is sensory and implies nervousness or bracing oneself for something
• shoving - a strong verb
• massage - my curiousity is pique
• glorious naked splendor - adjective, adjective, noun

Does the sentence raise a heap of questions you want answered? Absolutely.

• Why is Julie Stanford feeling nervous or feel the need to steel herself?
• Who is Nathan to Julie?
• Do they share a past history?
• Why is Nathan naked and not covered with a towel or pants?
• What sort of massage parlor is this? 

These are enough to draw me on.

Is there any implied conflict in the information given?
You betcha. Just look at the questions I just asked. There's a possible shared history between Julie and Nathan, or something that makes her nervous or apprehensive about this meeting.
Despite her trepidation she's attracted to Nathan when she describes him as being "...in all his glorious, naked splendor." If he'd been butt ugly or repulsive there's no way she'd have used these words to describe that.

So, this meets my criteria for a good opening sentence. It hooks me into wanting to read more.


We'll continue looking at more examples of good opening lines next post.

TOPIC: Feeding Your Talent

Ever hit a bare, desolate patch in your life where your creativity seems to have dried up? And the longer you worry about it, the more pressure you put on yourself to spark it, the longer the effect seems to last?

I’ve been through this sort of experience more than a few times. These last couple of times though, I’ve taken closer notice of what’s helped rejuvenate me.

Reading for pleasure – it’s like a super strength bag of fertilizer. This is the biggest pick me up I know that refills my creative well. Relaxing with a good book pulls me away from the desolate desert of worry. The energy, the ideas, the emotions that come with reading another author’s work feeds me and stimulates my mind, de-stressing me while rejuvenating me.

Watching movies – just another version of reading for pleasure.

Writing something every day – even if it’s not the next WIP it keeps the working parts ticking over, the eye in, the skills from getting rusty. It temporarily satisfies the drive to be doing “something” in the writing arena.

What fills your creative well when the levels fall low?