An Apprentice of Death Cover Reveal

 So...a little while ago I announced this book and then I said next to nothing about it. 😅 What a typically me thing to do.

Whelp, I actually wrote it a few months ago. Yup, it is a fully written novel, it has a release date and everything, and today I'm revealing the cover, the interior illustrations, the blurb, and the release date (as well as pre-order links) to help make up for my pervious negligence in not telling you about this story...

So, with that said, let's get scrolling.

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Here's an art of our main character Wraith done by Kalynne. It will be an interior illustration in the book.

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Halfway there...

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And here's Mr. Handsome himself 😍 Dirk also done by Kalynne, he will be the other interior illustration in this dual POV novel

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I know I'm making you scroll a ton, but I promise it's totally worth the suspense
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And finally...
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The Cover!
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She has no name; he doesn’t remember his past.

Together they might have ruled the world.

If only she hadn’t been sent to kill him.

 

As one of the last living Death Elves, Wraith was born with a powerful gift. She possesses the ability to evade her patron goddess—Death herself. It comes only at the cost of the life of the last person she touched. For as long as she can remember, Wraith has been trained to do one thing: harness her ability to kill for the House of Castrele.

As an orphan, Dirk has not been afforded many opportunities. Kidnapped and raised to become a living weapon, his purpose is to serve the House of Balvlin as an honored elite guard. But still he wonders what his life would have been had fate been kinder.

When the deadly assassin and cocky warrior meet, sparks and daggers fly. Despite the fact that they serve warring houses, Dirk and Wraith find themselves unmistakably drawn to each other, until they learn that they have both been sent to take part in the peace talks between their two houses. Peace talks where Dirk is supposed to find and exploit the weaknesses of his house’s enemies. And Wraith has been ordered to kill those attending.

Enter the world of Varelis, a land that has no king, where the eleven houses wage wars in the names of their gods, and magic exists that can kill with a single touch. If you enjoy kick-butt heroines, swoony heroes, and sizzling slow-burn enemies to lovers romance, discover An Apprentice of Death, a new romantic YA fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sylvia Mercedes, and Elise Kova.

Coming February 13th, 2023

Pre-Order Now

Oh my GOODNESS! Isn't it just the prettiest book cover you have ever seen? It was designed by Moorbooks and I. Am. In. Love.

This book is so, so special to me. It was the first high fantasy I ever came up with all the way back in 2015, and I can think of no other cover I would want to represent my stabby girl and Dirk, the cocky mercenary who is sometimes her ally, sometimes her enemy, and always complicated, than this one.

Eeep! I can't believe that it is finally releasing. February 13th. Mark your calendars and pre-order your copies. The world of Varelis awaits...

Know the Novel Part Two: Within the WIP//A Book Has Released Into The World//A Cover Reveal//I Have Too Much Going On

 1. How’s the writing going overall?

It could be going better... it could be going worse.

We lost Savage Gods and Spellbooks somewhere on the wayside, now I'm only focusing on ODaF and TGCM. So, a moment of silence for our fallen comrade 😞

Like, as far as the FFF challenge I'm doing dismally, I didn't write very much of my projects at all in October (so for half the challenge I have been a slacker), but for NaNoWriMo I'm actually doing really well? I've managed to get a few thousand words in almost daily because honestly nothing trumps a NaNo writing haze.

2. What’s been the most fun aspect about writing this novel so far?

Image from Pinterest

These two. They are adorable, your honor. Like, where I'm at, they're still in the awkwardly sweet crushing on each other stage where she adores him but is still too hurt to truly trust her feelings. And he's too nervous to really make any moves even though he has fallen and hard. And they're just trying so hard to respect each other's feelings, Alya not making any sudden moves around Conan who is just such a nervous bumbling mess when it comes to matters of the heart and him trying not to make any moves so soon after she lost her family which just leads to them Pining(TM) like crazy because neither of them will make the first move for fear of it being too soon.

They are just so sweet and wholesome and adorable. And I just I can't.

Meanwhile Jaye and Ravven (ODAF) are over here and haven't said a single civil thing to each other this whole book.

Not that I'm not eating up the delicious tension between them. Because I am. I definitely am.

3. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

Individually my characters from TGCM are smart, together they have one braincell and one moral compass to split between them and Conan is usually the one who keeps charge of both.

I love their chaotic family who hates each other energy though. Especially Alya and the elf boys who are constantly at each others' throats while Conan stands in the background holding up a picture he drew of them all holding hands like 🥺

Conan is without a doubt my favorite to write about, he's just so sweet. I don't think I've ever written a character so pure and he does literally anything and I'm just like STAWP, you're too pure to be in this world or any world.

And Jaye and Ravven? I am mad at and feeling bad for them equally. Like they are both idiots and both have screwed up and are both too stubborn to admit that to each other and I'm just in background beside Conan holding a picture I drew of them holding hands like 🥺why can't you see that you matter to each other? Stop being so grumpy and kissssss.

Ravven is probably my favorite character to write about in ODAF. For the complete opposite reason of Conan. Ravven is one of my more morally ambiguous heroes and I love writing his dynamics because he thinks he is so right even though he is so morally wrong.

4. Has your novel surprised you in any way?

TGCM is surprising me in the fact that it isn't done yet. It was supposed to be done by the end of July! Which clearly didn't happen. I'm loving writing this, but also I need to get it done, ahh it publishes in February!

I guess I'm kind of surprised by the fact that I'm actually writing ODaF, like, I wrote book one back in 2018, it's wild to finally be at the finish line with this series. I think a part of me was convinced we never would make it to this point *cue an intense panic when I realize that I actually have to realize how I want to end Jaye and Ravven's story.*

So once again these stories are opposites, because one should be done by now and the other I can't believe I'm actually finishing.

5. Have you come across any problem areas?

Writing. In general. Just like the whole ordeal has been a problem area 😅

Particularly because I only want to write Strings, Kings, and Dead Things,, which was originally going to be my NaNo project until I realized that I needed to write ODaF first (since it publishes a few months before SKDT) and my brain has been throwing a hissy fit since I switched gears.

Also, while I can't write projects at the same time that are too similar, I'm having a bit of a hard time moving between these two projects because they are so different.

6. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

Writing. In general. Just like the whole of it. Just getting words on paper feels like a huge win. Becuase I'm doing this even though it is a struggle to switch between these two projects and I would rather be writing a different book instead. And I am having a good time, just like a grudgingly good time.

7. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

In TGCM I would be Alya, and not just because she is the only girl in this book (it's a balance from RLtG where all of my main characters but one were female. In this one all my main characters but one are male). But it means that I'll also get Conan as a potential boyfriend, a pet cat, and a truck load of trauma so yay! I wouldn't do too many things differently from her because I understand where this girl is coming from and she has every reason to rage against the world. But... I would maybe make my feelings for Conan more clear. A perfect time may never actually turn up and then where will that leave me and the most amazing man who ever walked Ruskhazar? I'll tell you where it would leave is. As not a couple.

And if I were in ODAF I would definitely be Jaye, after two books in this girl's head I can confidently say that we have our similarities. Although, if I were her I would definitely do things differently. I can't say much because book 3 is basically just one huge spoiler... but I would introduce the forgive and forget method in my life. And maybe actually give Ravven more than just one kiss per book. Because he is handsome and he deserves it.

8. Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

The opening line of TGCM:

I wipe the blood off of my face and turn to face Father. “What? Can’t a girl have a little fun every now and again?”

And then here are some more TGCM snippets:

Mother chuckles. “It’s never too early when my grandchildren are the subject.” She shakes her head with a tsk at the appalled look on my face. “By rights we should have them already but Ivan is…well, Ivan is incapable of settling down.”

“So, it falls on me? How is this any sort of incentive to be the well-behaved child?”

Now it is father’s turn to choke on his food.

I narrow my eyes on him while he coughs into his napkin. “What?”

“You have never been well behaved, dear heart,” he says, his deep voice rumbling. He reaches up wiping at his eyes. “But we love you all the same.”

I turn, pressing my back against the windowsill as I force a smile and a calm demeanor. “Do you trust me to get us out of this situation alive?”

Conan sets one of the chairs down against the wardrobe that’s in front of the door. Further barricading us in. “Isn’t it my job to get you out of this alive? Not the other way around.”

“Either way, I’m afraid you aren’t going to like this part.”

I cannot for the life of me figure out why Sergei thinks that any of these three have anything to add to the group. Naturally, I understand why he wanted me. I’m the foremost in the knowledge of spells. I know more about Spellcraft than any other living being in Ruskhazar.

But a grumpy noble lady, a guardsman who it seems only possesses the talent of cooking up a watery stew, and a criminal sorcerer?

What exactly are they doing here? It isn’t as if they bring anything. As much as I would rather not have to do any of this, I still would have been better off is Sergei had sent me on my own. These three will only slow me down. And that cat makes my nose ich which only adds minor discomfort to insult.

Alya pulls a dagger out, which will be better in these closed confines than the sword Conan is currently reaching for, but they’re mad if they think that can go up against a corpse with a blade. Since they are already dead, stabbing them cannot stop them. You cannot re-kill a dead person. No, you must destroy the body completely.

Incineration is the quickest way.

Hacking it to pieces is the messiest. 

I will be sharing no snippets from ODaF save for the opening line, because I wasn't kidding when I said this book was a massive spoiler.

"The thing about immortality is that it is irreversible. One cannot return it with a gift receipt and say that it wasn’t a good fit."

- Of Dawn and Fire, Nicki Chapelway

9. Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

I probably have made some pretty hilarious typos, but I never keep track of them. When I catch them, I just change them and then pat myself on the back congratulating myself for catching it.

The Gods Created Monsters had perhaps one of the saddest character deaths I've ever written. So, yeah, there is that.

And I didn't change projects per say but I did kick Savage Gods to the curb (RIP) and... okay so I did change projects from SKDT to ODAF but that was long before NaNo began so I don't really count that.

10. Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

I wake up, get coffee, go to write. Don't write. Spend the rest of the day not writing, realize around 7 that I'm in big trouble and then write (preferably with the help of writing sprints) till 12 with brief breaks in between and somehow wind up with a few thousand words and call it a day...

But imagine what I would be capable of if I didn't spend most of the day not writing 👀

As for where I write, I write in the Living Room on the couch, usually snuggled by a dog or two because I am a creature of comfort. I ALWAYS listen to music and have water beside me while writing.

Okay, so that's the end of this month's know the noveling, but this blog post isn't over yet because...

Rage Like the Gods is now available!!!

Hurry, go and grab your copy of this epic high fantasy adventure that is perfect for fans of Tolkien, Michael J. Sullivan, or if you enjoyed Game of Thrones but always wished it had less incest and smut...

The end that was foretold has come.

The gods selected five heroes to save everything.

They chose poorly.

Ruskhazar is a land of mountains and magic; men and elves. Built atop a fallen civilization, the bodies of demigods, and the tombs of the old monsters it knows a tenuous peace. However, there are those that believe that not all that is buried should remain so. A powerful cult of necromancers is bent on bringing about the prophesied end of the world. To forestall this end, the gods have chosen mortal champions.


A bandit turned assassin.
A bard turned thief.
A noble turned student.
A mercenary turned vampire.

These are the would-be heroes of Ruskhazar.

One will go on to be a killer of kings. One will discover the darkest secrets of the Academy of Magickers. One will serve a queen of thieves. And another will always remain a monster. Together, they can save Ruskhazar. But that is only if they choose to accept their fates.

Unfortunately, these champions are just strangers on their separate paths, unaware of each other’s presence. And unwilling to save a world that never had any place for them. Perhaps destiny had lofty plans for them, but they are determined to write their own stories. Forget the gods, forget necromancers, forget the mad sorceress determined to unite them no matter the cost— this isn’t their story. This is the tale of the heroes who never were.

Welcome to the world of Ruskhazar where men and elves live under the illusion of peace, magic is a mysterious entity of its own, and the dead never remain that way for long. Gods and men clash in this romantic high fantasy series that is perfect for fans of Michael J. Sullivan, J.R.R. Tolkien, and those that always wanted a cleaner Game of Thrones.

Get Your Copy Now

Rage Like the Gods

Break Your Destiny

And Watch the World End

And now, because I truly do have too much going on...

Here's the cover reveal for Of Gold and Iron I figured it's fitting to reveal its cover in this post since I spent a good chunk of the time talking about its book three. My cover designer already has the OSaS cover in the works with hopefully an early December reveal for that.

With all that said and no further ado... the new cover!

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“Swear on something else. Swear on your humanity.”

I suddenly find it very hard to swallow. My humanity? With a jolt I realize that there are far greater things at risk here than just my life. I’m in the faerie world, anything could happen. Even immortality.

The Otherworld is the home of the faeries, deceitful, decadent, and deadly. As the next in line to be-come Guardians, Jaye and her brother Thomas are tasked with defending the human world from all things magical. But when a routine scouting mission ends with them trapped in the Otherworld, it becomes pain-fully clear that someone doesn’t want them to leave the world of the faeries. Determined to not become an immortal’s pawn, Jaye kidnaps Ravven Crowe, an arrogant solitary faerie, so that he can guide them safely home. But things quickly go from bad to worse when they are captured by the Winter Court and embroiled in a plot to start a faerie civil war. Thomas is enslaved by an Unseelie faerie, and it seems that the only way to save her brother and avoid a war is for Jaye to ally herself with Ravven.

The faeries are governed by a set of strict laws. For their own safety, the Guardians have their own rules. But with Thomas’s life hanging in the balance there is only one way to save him that does not include breaking the faerie’s Fair Law, a crime that ends in death. Together Jaye and Ravven must compete in a series of deadly tests given by the faerie courts in order to earn Jaye the right to be named the Fair Assassin and wield the Blade of Gold and Iron. As the Fair Assassin she will be permitted to kill any faerie she so chooses, but first she has to live long enough. Walking a fine line between destruction and further entanglement with Crowe, Jaye is going to have to break her own rules if she wants to win. She must trust a faerie. Her life and humanity depend on it.

Cover design was done by MiblArt.

And the best part? This book is already out! You can get it today.

Begin the series, Enter the Otherworlds...

Introducing my WIP

(Images Via Pinterest)

So, I know I'm in the middle of working on multiple projects for NaNoWriMo/FallFic Frenzy, but I've decided that it is high time I finally introduce you all to my secret WIP. I've kept quite about this one for an age and a half. I've pushed back this introduction post time and again because it never felt like the right time to announce it.

Honestly, I'm surprised that I've kept my mouth shut this long since we all know how terrible I am at keeping secrets. And yet here we are a whole year after I decided to start writing this story. I suppose the only reason I've managed to keep myself from announcing everything is that I've been able to keep myself busy with my other projects. I've been brainstorming this one sure, I've even written the first couple chapters, but it hasn't been my main project. That's all about to change though. I'm getting the cover done hopefully in a couple months and it's going to be one of my main projects going into 2023... so I figured I'd might as well finally introduce this story.

Once I heard the saying that, loving the hero is boring, they will always choose the right side. But loving a villain on the other hand? They'll burn down the world for you.

That coupled with my not-so-secret love and weakness for Hot Villains(TM) and this story was born. Full disclosure my villain in this is unapologetically bad and unapologetically hot.

And he's good at doing both
Image from Pinterest

He is also dramatic as heck and goes by the name Lord Grimthorne because it sounds cool.

But enough about our Grim boi. The book, I'm here to tell you about the book.

It was originally supposed to be a trilogy, but my characters (ever the troublemakers) informed me that they wanted five books instead, I think we've compromised with a four book long series but we'll see how long I hold out. These characters can be quite convincing. I plan on releasing it next year. It will be a darkly romantic series featuring enemies to lovers, illusion magic, the ties between soulmates, and doomed love. It's going to be a YA/young adult, Dark Academia Fantasy full of tower libraries, magic books, and long coats. This world is a wholly new one, not connected at all to any of my other stories. It is called Underteyrn and it is a bleak land of cliffs and fjords where the sky is eternally red and many turn to illusion magic to make their dull lives seem more interesting. The inhabitants here glamorize their appearances, their cities, and their arts until nothing that is seen can be trusted. It is the way of life and is no longer simply accepted but also expected. Better to content yourself with a mere illusion than to dabble in the dark arts of tangible magic.

Any magic other than illusions has been banned due to the unfortunate fact that the use of it is causing a giant rift to tear through the sky, merging this world with one of raw magic. A merging that no one would survive.

Grimthorne of course is an illegal magic wielder, but more than that, he's a necromancer.

My main character is named Balemila or Mila, she is a Seer who was born with the ability to see magic. An invaluable ability that helps her to be able to discern what magic is merely an illusion and what is actually tangible. She's grown up with a lot of rules. Her life is to be dedicated to her services as a Seer which means no falling in love, no growing distracted, and definitely no wielding magic of her own, not even illusion magic is permissible when it comes to Seers.

she looks like this only she has spectacles
(image from Pinterest)

The series is titled The Seer's Tapestry and it follows Mila and her epic struggle against Lord Grimthorne, the renegade Seer bent on destroying the order he left and conquering the world so he can remake everything the way he believes that it should be. And for reasons that Mila doesn't quite understand, he wants her to rule by his side.

But there's a single wrench in both Mila's and Grimthorne's plans. His name is Drake. A Seer who Grimthorne failed to kill... and who happens to be Mila's soulmate. Even though Seers are supposed to be celibate and were created without soulmates. He is a taciturn bookworm with the social graces of a cactus. Drake wants nothing to do with Mila, but the strings don't lie... do they?

here's Broody McBroody himself
(image from Pinterest)

This book has some major Pride and Prejudice vibes. Oh, and a baby imp named Scampers.

But here is what you have all been waiting for. The title and blurb!

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The Seer's Tapestry book 1

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Strings, Kings, and Dead Things

The strings say that they are soulmates

Except she serves a celibate order

And he is keeping a dark secret that could destroy the world

 

Mila is a Seer. A member of a powerful and celibate order comprised of individuals who possess the ability to see magic. In a world that has been torn apart by magical forces, all tangible magic is forbidden, and it is Mila’s duty to make certain that only the permissible illusion magic is used. She and her fellow Seers are the sole individuals who can see the strings binding casters to their magic. Gold for illusions. Black for tangible. And red for the soul magic that connects people who are fated to be together.

 

However, Mila’s world is turned upside down when a Seer named Drake arrives from a different outpost and a red string appears on her finger… binding her to Drake. Seers are forbidden from falling in in love. So how did Mila end up with a soulmate? And why would she be connected to a man like Drake who doesn’t seem to want anything to do with her?

 

Then her life takes a far more deadly turn when she attracts the interest of a rogue Seer, the wanted criminal Lord Grimthorne. But this supposed madman seems to care more about Mila than her own soulmate and the very Seers who raised her, and he is telling her that the order has been lying to her to keep her powerful magic in check. Mila is going to have to figure out what is the truth… and what has been just an illusion the whole time. Her heart and the fate of the world depend on the answers she finds.

 

Underteyrn is a land where anyone can be anything—even what they are not. Enter this world of illusions and lies in a young adult fantasy series that is perfect for fans of Elise Kova, Sylvia Mercedes, and Leigh Bardugo. It will enthrall readers who love stories about forbidden magic, strong heroines, and handsome villains.

Illustrations of Mila and Drake done by Paige Coffer

Currently I'm aiming for a summer release for this. I'm hoping to do the cover reveal in February or March depending on when it is done. I'm just so excited about finally sharing about this story! Eep.

Here is the Spotify Playlist:

And the Pinterest Board:

Well, that probably wasn't the post you were expecting this fine Monday in November, but hopefully you are as excited as I am about this new series. What's your opinion when it comes to hot villains? Are they dreamy or should they be avoided at all costs because that line between good and evil should never be crossed? Comment below!

Book Cover Designers—If You're Looking For One Then You Might Want to Read This

 

There are a few reasons that I decided to do this post today. The first of which is that I've been running a fun little tournament on my Instagram for my followers to vote on their favorite covers of mine, so I thought I would share a bit more about the covers in question. I've also recently been discussing book cover designers with a friend who is considering her options and I realized that I had a lot to say on the subject.

But finally, this is a bit of a love letter to my cover designers. I appreciate all of the hard work that they put into each and every one of my covers, and into giving each of my books lovely, unique, eye-catching covers. So, if you are looking for a cover for your upcoming release, I heartily recommend these options.

This post is mostly for indie authors, but if you enjoy seeing a glimpse into how independently published books get out there then you're probably going to want to read it to.

Anyway, with all my preemptive rambling out of the way. Here are the covers.

Premades:

These covers I found on a site called The Book Cover Designer. Basically, the site is a place where a large collection of cover designers post premade covers, they have already completed, and you sort through the site until you find a cover that you think will fit your book. Then you buy it, and it is removed from sale. The nice thing about all premade covers, not just the ones on this site, is that they are available almost instantly, so if you're last second shopping you might want to check into premade covers.

There are a great many designers and covers on this site so you will get varied results from some stuff that doesn't look all that professional to stuff that looks really, really great. The price range also varies a ton. It can go from $20 bucks to $800, depending on sellers.

One of the issues with this site is that there is just so dang much to choose from and so the cover you are looking for can get buried under a lot of stuff that you aren't. They have search words and divide the books by genre, but it can still be a bit much to slough through. I've browsed hundreds of pages on that site before deciding on a cover.

But if you have the time and the patience, you're more than likely to find a cover that fits your price range and your story.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of this cover designer. I had the cover done when I was fifteen and it was actually my mom who emailed him and did the transaction (since when I was that age, I had no computer or internet access of my own). I need to find those old emails, but without his name we're looking for a seven-year-old email in a haystack. Still, he did a fantastic job. When I first saw this cover, the girl had black hair and a pale green dress, but I knew immediately that she was Chelsea. The rest of the cover was the same and after the colors got changed it became the cover you see today. I think I remember it being about $75.

This cover was designed by a lady by the name of BetiBup. She puts out a lot of covers on The Book Cover Designer. I'm not the biggest fan of some of her styles, but I liked this one, and she is extremely affordable (this cover cost me about $48 dollars, I think). When I first saw this cover, I can't remember what the girl's hair color was, but her dress was black. And I don't think the magic swirling around her was there, but I can't remember if that was added later or not. The one issue I had with getting this cover was that I don't think English was the designer's first language and there was a lot of confusion as we emailed back and forth, trying to get the coloring right. BetiBup was very patient and willing to make any changes that I asked for, she just sometimes didn't fully understand what those changes were due to the language barrier.

While I was mulling over the idea of releasing alternate cover editions of some of my books, I turned to The Book Cover Designer again. I flipped through the pre-made covers to see if anything would tickle my fancy and that's when I stumbled upon this one. I couldn't get the cover out of my head and eventually I reached out to the cover designer, Katharina Fisher. She was very amicable and willing to even design it as a dust jacket for my purposes. Plus, she agreed to continue with the rest of the series, having those custom made and at a discount.

Which is how I got this cover:

I definitely recommend Katharina if you are into more of an abstract look to your covers.

Victoria Cooper Art:

Victoria Cooper is a designer I found through The Book Cover Designer. She had gorgeous premades, but none of them quite fit what I was looking for. But then I found out that she charges roughly around the same amount to make a custom cover as she charged for her premades. Most cover designers charge much more for a custom cover than a pre-made which leads to me feeling guilty and deciding to only get a premade and waiting till Kingdom Come for them to make a premade that fits exactly what I'm looking for.

I worked with Victoria Cooper a lot. She did the covers for all of my Winter Cursed books, Of Gold and Iron and Of Stars and Shadows, and a good number of my Amar books including the whole Return to Amar series.

(and while I am changing these covers, I still love the originals)

She's quick, reliable (I've never had to schedule out to have a cover made, I just emailed her whenever I needed one and she would get me a final file in a few weeks), polite, and always willing to make revisions. She won't even complain when the whole concept has to be scrapped—which has happened once or twice, oops.

But more than that, she also isn't afraid of a little experimentation inside of the parameters of your design. For Winter Cursed I wanted the picture of Elisabeth holding an apple while there are brambles with roses blooming on them circling the image.

This is what the original concept for Winter Cursed looked like:

But Victoria had the idea that it would look better if it was more of an isolated image with a simple, but eye-catching background and have the brambles wrap around a frame (I chose a mirror to match my story) and viola, we got the cover we have today.

She also, played around with the color. I liked the brown the best because that was the first one she showed me and I absolutely fell in love with it, but she also sent me a blue version and that was when I knew that needed to be the color of the second book's cover.

So yeah, I definitely recommend her.

Fantastical Ink:

Fantastical Ink is the designer of my Harbinger of the End cover.

Fantastical Ink was amazing to work with. When I ordered the cover, I didn't know the full specifications of the cover size and I had yet to write the blurb for the back cover, so they said that I could purchase the cover then and when I was ready, I would give them the specifications and they would adjust accordingly. Which was a huge help because KDP can sometimes be finicky about cover sizes and my edits can sometimes add a few thousand words so contacting them after that to have the cover size adjusted meant that I had no problems whatsoever uploading my cover.

One of the things about them is that they are a little on the pricier side. They're one of the companies I was talking about where there premades are much cheaper than custom covers. You also have to schedule pretty far out. They keep a calendar on their website for what months they are available to be booked and the months fill up so if you want to work with them, I recommend scheduling it a little bit in advance. They do, however, sometimes do 20% off premades sales. It was through one of those sales that I purchased Harbinger's cover.

Another thing of note with Fantastical Ink is that to buy a cover from them you have to sign a contract with them saying that you will have to purchase a secondary license from them if your book sells a certain number of copies and that they are the only ones who can add to the book (add dust jacket flaps, turn it into an audiobook, or give it a back and spine). I oftentimes go with someone else for all of those things if it is going to cost too much to have the original designer make a back and spine (usually if it is more than $50), but with this cover I cannot. If you don't outsource that shouldn't be a problem at all, but I've had to jump through certain hoops (such as the fact that the audiobook cover will be of the alternate hardcover version since it would cost $5 to get it converted with someone else and much more with Fantastical Ink).

Still, they make gorgeous premades and I love to check out what they come out with.

100 Covers:

So, you might not feel comfortable working just one on one with the designer and would rather do business with designers that have a company backing them. Well, then these next two designer options are probably more for you. The first of which is 100 Covers. They did the cover for Domain of the North: Awoken

100 Covers is extremely affordable (you can get a custom-made ebook cover for only $100 dollars) and they offer unlimited revisions. This is very important to me because I usually have the designer tweak one small detail at least a dozen times before I decide that I liked the first option best—I know, I'm probably a pain to work with. Which leads into the next thing, you don't talk to the designer 1-on-1 with 100 Covers. Instead, you talk to a go-between who keeps everything civil, makes sure that you are satisfied and that everything you want is passed on to the designer. This helps to avoid getting snapped at by a harried designer (not that such a thing has happened to me while getting covers done, but I did have an artist I worked with snap at me before and it can get a bit awkward after that). Revisions do take a little while to be completed, but it's worth the wait.

One of my favorite things about 100-Covers is that audiobook and Kindle Vella covers are automatically included in the cheapest option. If you order the full-wrap option (the $200 one), dust jacket flaps are also included. A lot of people do not include these features. I usually have to pay $5 per each audiobook cover I want converted, $10 for dust jacket flaps, and I paid an extra $40 dollars for a Vella Cover for my other story I'll be releasing on that platform, Savage Gods and Spellbooks.

Also, they don't charge extra to do an illustrated cover versus a photo manipulation cover. Most companies will have illustrated covers cost more, and for good reason. It takes a lot more work to create an image from scratch. But 100 Covers doesn't charge extra which is, well, it's fantastic.

But most importantly still, 100 Covers offers a series discount (!!!!) 50% off each subsequent book in the series, so if you order the ebook option all the books after that will be only $50 and if you order the paperback option each book after that will be only $100.

Mibl Art and its Sub-Categories:

This one is quickly becoming some of my favorite designers to work with simply because they offer so dang much. I first found them through their sub-group GetCovers, which is their budget-friendly covers option. You can get a cover for $10, $20, or $35 depending on how many stock images you want (I always go with the $35 option). Don't worry, if you think that there's no way you can get an excellent quality cover for that cheap, then rest assured I've worked with them extensively and you can judge their cover work based on the covers I have listed here:

Also they offer 100% money back guaranteed if you are not pleased with their work

They have a very quick turn-around, so if you're in a hurry know that you'll get your cover in time.

On top of designing super cheap and amazing looking covers, GetCovers offers a whole range of other services. I used to have someone on Fiverr convert my audiobook covers, but Fiverr charges fees so a cost of $5 goes up to $7. GetCovers charges no fees, so it is only $5. They are also who I go to for dust jacket flaps (it costs $10), or if I want a back and spine done for a cheaper option than the designer I am currently working with offers (unless of course I signed a contract like I did with Fantastical Ink). It costs $10 for a basic spine, $20 if you want something a little fancier.

The $10 option

Something fancier I got for $20

Considering that a lot of designers charge AT LEAST $50 more for a full-wrap this is an amazing deal. (as an example, I went with the $100 option for 100 Covers which means that I don't get the full wrap, but rather than paying an extra $100 dollars for a full-wrap and dust jacket, I can get that from GetCovers for $20-30 dollars). They also did the typography for my Harbinger of the End hardcover since the artist who illustrated it didn't work with fonts.

MiblArt offers higher-end cover design for a somewhat more expensive rate. Their covers are $150 for ebook and $200 if you want the wrap-around addition. It's much more expensive that GetCovers, but I think the quality of their work speaks for itself. The designed my The Gods Created Monsters cover and tbh I still can't get over how perfect that cover is and how it so perfectly matches everything I was going for.

Mibl also does cover redesigns, for the same price as a regular cover, but they'll take an older cover and spruce it up, keeping a lot of the same elements but just making it shnazzier. This is actually what I'm doing with my OGaI and OSaS having them redesigned to better fit their genre and while I can't share the new covers just yet, I'm in love with what we have so far.

GetPremades is the final sub-group and I think its name is self-explanatory. It offers some of the best quality premade covers I've come across. Its price is comparable with MiblArt so you won't get too much of a discount with them, but sometimes you come across a cover you just can't live without and would never have thought of designing yourself like what happened with me.

GetPremades also offers custom premades in that you can order a specific style pre-made, they will make it. Like Victoria Cooper, it costs as much to make a custom cover as a premade so you're at your leisure to choose what cover would work for your story best. They will then offer you the first opportunity to buy the pre-made. If you decide against it, they will put it up for sale. It's a good option if you want to see how a cover design would work out with minimal commitment since you don't actually have to buy the cover when they are through (although I've loved the designs they've come up with for me and haven't been able to resist). This is what I did for the Era of Evil and Winter Cursed Omnibus covers.

With MiblArt and GetPremades Custom Covers, you do not pay until you are satisfied with the final version of the cover. Those two also offer a 10% series discount so every book after the first in a series will be 10% off. (GetPremades offers series continuation on all their pre-made covers so you don't have to order a custom cover to be able to have your books all match in a series)

MiblArt and GetPremades also include a free Title Page in your purchase, you have to pay $5 extra for a title page from GetCovers.

All three options have unlimited revisions, and they get them done fast, within a matter of days. They do the same thing that 100 Covers does and have you speak to a representative rather than the designer themselves. Also, they offer regular discounts, just join their newsletters and they'll keep you appraised of whenever they are running a sale.

I use MiblArt and its subcategories so much, there's rarely a release that goes by that I don't use them in some way or the other. Whether as an alternate cover, to make my audiobook cover, or get a spine and back.

Illustrated Covers:

Or perhaps you want a fine art illustration cover on your book. I can't say I blame you, it's one of my favorite cover styles. If you're wondering how to get a lovely, illustrated cover I'll tell you where I found my own. I stalk the artists on Instagram, lol. I probably follow hundreds of artists over there to keep an eye on what their art styles are, their pricing, and if their commissions are open or not.

For most of the illustrated covers I've gotten, I contact an artist not a cover designer. I discuss their rates for what the cover would cost, some have specific prices for covers while others calculate it depending on how many characters and what type of background it is. Another thing that I make certain of is that I'm purchasing an illustration I can use for commercial reasons or if that is automatically included in the price.

Illustrated covers take a while to complete, it takes at least a month to finish a cover of this style. Not to mention that the artists have other commissions/take hiatuses and are not always available all the time so when I want a cover done, I schedule it several months—sometimes half a year or more—in advance.

Hannah Rogers did the covers for A Tale of Gods and Glory, and my Rage Like the Gods books.

She's lovely to work with, and really works on the cover until she can get every detail just right. She only does the front image, so I have to find someone else to do the back and spine if I want it to be more than an ebook, but she does do her own typography.

Kae did the cover for the alternate hardcover of Harbinger of the End

Kae does do the back and spine, she even did the dustjacket flaps. However, she doesn't do typography.

I have several other artists reserved for other book covers, although I haven't had a cover done by them yet, I look forward to working with them, and I'll be able to share more about them after I have (perhaps I'll do a part two of this blog post sometime in the future when I've hired out more designers...)

Honestly, with illustrated covers the choice for me comes down to what sort of style I like the most, and think would work best for the cover. Who you hire largely depends on whether you want a more realistic image or something more stylized. And what fits in your price range.

It's also possible to purchase illustrated covers from a cover design company, although with that you can't actually pick what sort of art style you want since you have to work with the designers they have hired.

100 Covers has illustrated covers, as I mentioned above since, well, my cover with them is illustrated. And as I stated before, it doesn't cost any more than a regular cover does, so, if you're in a bit of a pinch for money, this is probably the cheapest option for an illustrated cover. However, they are quite stylized so if you're looking for something more realistic this might not be the best option for you.

MiblArt also does illustrated covers, their basic design pack for this kind of cover is $380, but it will cost extra if you want more than two characters on the cover. I have yet to get an illustrated cover from them, but their portfolio is amazing, and compared to what some artists charge $380 is not actually bad for a cover with at least two people on it. They claim to have the cover to you in 30 business days and honestly if I ever have a designer fall through and am incapable of finding another one (since I have to schedule so far out for artists), this one is my backup plan.

Moorbooks Design:

I'm finally getting a cover by Moorbooks and I honestly couldn't be more excited. To see why I'm so hyped check out their portfolio. They also do premade covers if their price is a little too much for you. The cover reveal for the book I'm getting done with them is at the end of next month if you want to see if it was worth the hype.

If you want stellar lighting and a high-quality cover for a still-reasonable price I'd recommend checking out Moorbooks. One thing I'll note is that they do charge extra if you want more than two characters on the cover. MiblArt does not which is why they're doing my The Gods Created Monsters books. Also, since Moors is very popular, I'd recommend reaching out to them a couple of months before you want the cover done because they get booked quickly.

So, all cover designers have their ups and downs. Ultimately it is up to you on what company or designer you decide to go with. I've had pleasant experiences working with all of them, and I personally love all of my covers. Hopefully, this post has helped you pin down a designer you would like to work with if you were on the market, and if not... well, it's something to refer to when you are.