Today’s post takes a look at creation, use, and ownership of cover art for fiction and nonfiction works.
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Behold: Flask of the Drunken Master!
Cover art means a lot to an author–and to many readers also. The lovely imagery on the cover both inspires the imagination and teases at the story within the pages. The old adage says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in the case of the cover art for my third Shinobi Mystery, FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER, the art is so lovely that I’m ok if you want to love it at first sight (I know I did). FLASK will release from Minotaur Books in July, 2015. (Available for preorder now.)
Read moreThe Hidden Secret in My Cover Art*
Cover art can make or break a novel, but for the traditionally published author, this critical facet of the work is often totally out of the author’s control. Sometimes, that results in a horror story complete with tears and terror. In my case, it resulted in an unexpected gift. When I signed my contract with Minotaur Books, I accepted that the cover art was out of my control. I made a decision: whatever my cover looked like, I would love it. I told myself so over and over … “you’ll love the cover, whatever it looks like,” and yet, some fear
Read moreCover Reveal: BLADE OF THE SAMURAI
Well, it’s Friday, and thanks to the diligent efforts of everyone who helped us track the cover clues, I’ve managed to retrieve the cover art from the ninja thieves! And so, with no further ado, allow me to present the cover for the second Shinobi Mystery, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI: June, 1565: Master ninja Hiro Hattori receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a fellow shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours before, the Shogun’s cousin, Saburo, was stabbed to death in the Shogun’s palace. The murder weapon: Kazu’s personal dagger. Kazu says he’s innocent, and begs for Hiro’s help, but
Read moreCelebrating a Shiny New BLADE
This morning, I received the cover art for the second Shinobi Mystery: BLADE OF THE SAMURAI. This afternoon, my cover art was stolen by ninjas. (They did it last year, too, and I suspect this might be a pattern forming.) If you want to see it, I’ll need your help to get it back. I’ve called in some friends to help me track down the shards the ninjas left behind, along with bits of the jacket copy describing the new Shinobi Mystery, which will release from Minotaur Books in July of 2014. The first clue might leave you a little
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