Saturday, May 18, 2013

Love like Fireworks Cover Reveal


LOVE LIKE FIREWORKS
By Lauren Melinda


Genre: Contemporary Romance
Expected publication date: June, 2013

BLURB

Kendall Hartley first kissed Logan Jordan when she was eighteen. As an up-and-coming player at her father’s tennis academy, his explosive talent on court and sexy blue eyes were like fireworks to her soul. But when their love for each other met its first test, it crashed and burned. Devastated, Kendall fled to college, vowing to forget the boy who once set her heart ablaze.

Four years later, Kendall returns home to find her father’s academy in the process of foreclosure. Unless he can find a way to pay off his debts, he will lose everything he’s worked for. Kendall would do anything to save her father’s dream – even if it means breaking her promise and seeing Logan again. For Logan is now an international tennis icon – and the only person with enough starpower to raise funds for the academy.

But Logan is no longer the boy Kendall fell in love with. He’s hot, he’s arrogant and he’s used to getting what he wants. And when Kendall walks back into his life, it’s clear he wants one thing.

He wants Kendall.

And he’ll do anything to reclaim her.



ABOUT LAUREN MELINDA

Lauren Melinda lives in sunny California with her boyfriend. She loves romantic plots, scorching sexual tension, gorgeous first kisses and smexy love interests.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lauren_Melinda
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Melinda/451375721612668
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17903732-love-like-fireworks



GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her cover reveal, Lauren Melinda will be giving away 3 eCopies of LOVE LIKE FIREWORKS.


Friday, May 17, 2013

Fat Friday!

So today is day 15th!!! I'm half way through the first month. :) My energy levels are crazy, though not right after the work out. *winks*

I would like to show you a list of the exercises in the Fit Test, and how I fared the first day vs day 13.


First Fit test: 
Switch Kick 4, 
Power Jacks 6, 
Power Knees 10,
Globe Jumps 0, 
Suicide Jumps 0, 
Push up jacks 0, 
Low Plank 0 
 Today,
Switch Kick 67, 
Power Jacks 26,
Power knees 50, 
Power Jumps 15, 
Globe Jumps 20, 
Suicide Jumps 10, 
Push up jacks 4, 
Low Plank 8

You might think that I've not improved a lot in the last three exercises, or you might think I have. I have a bit more strength in my arms, though I'm still a long way away from where I want to be. 

I've lost a pound this week. Mainly because I ate a lot on Mother's day LOL Cheesecake and loads of other yummy things my mummy cooked. Still here are my results for this week. 

Starting weight 223lbs
Weight as of May 15th 218
Starting BMI 42.16
BMI as of May 15th  41.71

I've lost 2 inches from my thighs, an inch from each arms, and two inches from my waist. Even though my stomach is still big, The shape is changing and I can see my waist. I've also lost an inch from my chest, and what can I say, I had to adjust my bra straps, which made me deliriously happy. :) 

So there you have it, Insanity :)

Cheers!




Thursday, May 16, 2013

Interview with photographer Tiffany McDonald


Interview with photographer Tiffany McDonald!
1 How long have you been a photographer?
   About 2 1/2 years.  I bought my camera in September of 2010 and had my first session in October, and it progressed from there. 

2 Is this something you always wanted to do?
   Yes,I've always loved taking pictures and when I was a senior in college (2008) i looked at continuing my education after obtaining my bachelor's degree at an art school to pursue photography in advertising, but instead decided to work for a while before looking into going back to school.
3 How did you get involved in doing a shooting for a book cover?
   Michelle Cornwell-Jordon, author of Chrysalis, found my website and inquired about my availability and interest in shooting a book cover.  
4 What was your favorite part of the process?
   Telling the story.  I came up with the name "Anecdote Photography" for its meaning- "A tale about an interesting or amusing biographical incident".  I feel that photo's are a great way to tell your story to future generations, it's my job to help people do that.
5 Would you do any more photography for book covers in the future?
   Very much so.  I enjoyed the whole process- from hearing the story, to working with models, and definitely helping the words come to life through imagery.  

Tiffany McDonald



Websites:

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A little Teaser

Until I can actually share out take pictures from the photo shoot for Fissure's cover :) Here are some graphics that I made.
Annabel

Baxter and Jack


Morgan, Moira, Baxter, Jack and Annabel

Morgan and Moira

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

El Encanto del Cuervo by Maria Martinez, out tomorrow

A few months ago I discovered Maria Martinez through Twitter. She's an amazing Spanish author and if you do read in Spanish, I recommend her brand of YA Paranormal and Romance. Her new book, El Encanto del Cuervo (roughly translated as The enchantment of the Crow) is out tomorrow and I wanted to share the beautiful cover with you.


Monday, May 13, 2013

Interview with Author and Book Cover Designer Courtney Vail


Today on the blog, Courtney Vail, Author and Book cover designer!
When did you decide that you would like to design book covers?
I’ve been designing in advertising for a long time. I’ve worked on covers for indie authors and small publishers for about three years. I decided I would start doing pre-made covers as well though because there were so many photos that spoke to me. I am still in the process of building my store at storenvy. It is currently on my site, but I have over 500 covers, so it was making it too slow, and it’s on Wix. Generally my changes are instantaneous, but my site hasn’t been updating properly when I go in to make changes. You can still browse, but most of the paypal buttons aren’t activated, so if you see something you like, just email me at luvfisk at yahoo dot com. The covers Muse to a Madman, From the Ashes and A New World Rises have sold, but it won’t update properly and mark it as sold.
How do you combine book cover designing with your writing schedule?
Design jobs usually come first because that’s commission. I try to have a fast turn around and also give a few cover options. I also format books and try to get them back in a day or two. Although I am a writer, I don’t make enough for a career yet, so the designing always comes first. I also write in spurts and jump from project to project. I have four novels in the works and one in editing.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of designing the book covers? How do you approach it?

I usually find a picture that speaks to me and has the sense that it would make a good cover. Sometimes I’ll see two that look like they compliment one another. For instance, I like road pictures, but the one in this cover is the plainest road I’ve ever seen. It’s like November, so all the trees are bare, but I liked the guy in the picture, how he’s looking back. I also had gotten this skull picture that I was thinking of using for a pirate pre-made, but I wanted to see what would happen if I put it at the bottom of this road picture. The light part of the skull matches right up with the light part of the road, so it would be easy to blend. Now the cover pic tells a story. He’s looking back at the light, with one foot towards it, but he’s really headed to the darkness. So of course he’s on the Road to Hell. A cover like this could be YA, religious, non-fiction, horror. It’s one of my favorite pre-mades because of its symbolism. Blended covers are the best because designers are pulling photos from the same pool of stock photos and you end up seeing the same pictures, especially couples. And that ensures that your cover will at least be different. I charge more for covers that have more than one photo.
Which is your favorite book cover designed by someone else?

I liked the original cover for Shatter Me. It sold a ton of books. I’m not sure why they changed it to an eye, which is just blah. The girl with the the white dress and glass spraying everywhere was amazing. That said, BUY ME.
Which part of the process is your favorite? The initial sketching/brainstorming process, or seeing the finished product and having feedback from the author?
Getting feedback from happy authors is my favorite.

Here are some pre-made cover samples:



Connect with Courtney:
Courtney's Bio:

Courtney writes totally twisted YA and adult suspense. She enjoys braiding mystery, suspense & romance with some kind of weirdness. Her addictions to crazy coffee concoctions, Funny Bones, Ben & Jerry's, and bacon keep her running and writing. She currently lives in New England with a comedian stud and a wild gang of kidlets.

In addition to writing, Courtney, AKA, Amy Rooney, also owns CVWriter Designs. She holds a B.S. in Journalism Advertising from Liberty University and has worked in advertising and as a graphic designer since 1996.  Although she can be commissioned for any print design work, her primary focus within the past 2 years has been to help publishers and authors put out esthetically pleasing covers, eBooks, interiors and marketing materials. She creates pre-made book covers, so if you're looking for an inexpensive book cover option, check out the pre-made book cover gallery. All pre-made covers are only sold once and feature title manipulation free of charge.

Pre-made covers start at $40. The listed price includes a full paperback cover, an eBook cover, a facebook cover, a blog tour banner and a 3D book cover. Since her gallery is so huge, it is slowing down her site, so she is currently moving that section to Storenvy. Please email her at luvfisk at yahoo dot com if you are interested in purchasing a pre-made or speaking to her about commissioned work.