A Clever Whatever

The Creative Brain (Digital Art)

2012-01-16T23:01:00.002-05:00

I love the digital painter, as you know.

This one is called 'The Creative Brain'.

Tirz

Awakening--Adding Wolves to a Picture

2012-01-09T20:11:00.013-05:00

Small changes can change the mood of a book cover. The original cover is above. The author wants to add a wolf or wolf eyes to the picture to give more of a hint at the book's plot. But how I add that wolf or wolf eyes without changing the reader's perception of the book?

You can't.

PICTURE DISCUSSIONS:

In Version 2, I overlaid the full wolf head over picture. This implies the wolf influences the girl and the whole story. The wolf and the girl vie for the main character position.

VERSION 2

However if I change the wolf to just the eyes in the background, it changes the mood and meaning.

In the cover below, there are just wolf eyes. To me these eyes seem rather malevolent but that's my impression. It definitely implies supernatural and the wolf influence in the book could be seen as negative or a guardian. The wolf eyes look over on the girl and story. So the wolf sees all but is it looking out for the girl's best interest or looking out to keep the girl from hurting someone else's best interest? VERSION 3.

VERSION 3

In the version below (Version 4), the whole wolf head has been integrated. As stated above, the girl and wolf are both trying to be the main character. But is that what the author wants? The wolf is neither negative nor positive in this version. But the wolf overshadows the story in this version. The head is bigger than the girl and facing the reader.

The wolf in this story is probably positive or neutral BUT the wolf effects everything. The wolf is the main part of the story.

In Version 4, Large Wolf Head,

In Version 5, the wolf head is small and located over the girl's head. The wolf is smaller than the girl. In this version, the wolf is more a totem or symbolic in the story. It implies, the idea of wolves is center to the story but the girl is the focus. With it being over her head, it implies it is hanging over her head.

VERSION 5--Small Wolf Head

Ah the white wolf (VERSION 6), angelic, sweet--definitely positive. The wolf is nearly see through so it implies fantasy or supernatural elements. The color implies goodness or angelic. The wolf is looking at the reader but remains close the girl like a guardian.

VERSION 6 White Wolf

In Version 7, the wolf is dark in color, the eyes are a demonic yellow and the wolf is moving toward the girl and reader. The wolf is aggressive and negative. The wolf is surrounding the girl but it's not good for her. The light ghosty feel to the wolf implies supernatural again...as does the yellow eyes that glow.

VERSION 7 Black Wolf

So small changes such as size, opaqueness and coloring of an image can change the impression of the story. The main image of the story doesn't change, the girl in a red dress at a garden gate looking out at a misty view under the moon.

The type of wolves and where they are located gives the reader different clues. So when you create your covers,think about what your images IMPLY to the reader. In this story, I have to ask the author, how does she want the wolves to be perceived in the story? That will tell me what is the right wolf.

Digital Painting---Green in Evening

2012-01-02T23:51:00.003-05:00

I've been playing with the digital painter again.

I love that thing.

:)

This one is the green of leaves in late evening with fireflies mixed in...or perhaps fairy lights? :) So it's not Picasso..I like it anyway.

T

Reenacting a Murder Cover

2011-12-31T17:10:00.002-05:00

This is three separate photos. This is a meadow, a man in re-enactment gear and a photo of soldiers working on a cannon. I blended them into one photo. Then I added extra fog to give it a smokey look.

I do think the wording is a bit crowded though at the bottom.

T

Final KNoxville Cover Front and back

2011-12-29T21:53:00.000-05:00

MURDER IN KNOXVILLE

2011-12-19T19:37:00.006-05:00

ORIGINAL COVER

ORIGNAL PHOTO

PAINT ALTERNATES:

BLACKOUT

BRUSH

CUTOUT

FRESCO

POSTER

INK

Thinking about Xmas---and not buying gifts

2011-12-14T17:27:00.004-05:00

Yeah I know it's Xmas. So?

It's almost the holiday season and no matter what secular or religious following you are a member of, you're probably going to have to Christmas shop (or Holiday shop depending on where you are).

I think this year, we should call off the shopping. I think we should shop in our houses instead.

I have lots of 'junk', I'd love to relocate. I have that brand new water purifyer I have never used and entire box of fruit scented soaps (they smell great but hey I'm allergic). Why can't we all agree to gift from our closets rather than our wallets?

Anyone want my DVD of Music and Lyrics? I love that movie. Yeah I have a weakness for all things Drew Barrymore. Sigh.

And think if your kids exchanged their toys for their cousins toys? Nirvana.

And we'd all cut our Christmas costs in half.

Hmm...I do admit I'm cheap but honestly how many of you actually get things you'd use for Christmas? I rarely do. I say let's cut out the middle man. I'll give you my junk I think you'll like and you give me your junk you think I'd like.

And Edie, I know about your entire closet full of discarded throw pillows. Time to start wrapping the fluff. :) I want the pasha blue ones with the shiny gold stitches.

Ms. U's Class Covers 14-31

2011-12-04T12:42:00.028-05:00

This is the second half of the Ms. U's 5th grade class book covers. They all completed NANO and now get a book cover.

Tirz
_______________________

To see the covers from 1 to 13, click the link below.

Covers 1 Though 13

COVER 14
Blurb: She wants to live a normal life, but her grandparents get killed and she has to take revenge, with the help of a male friend, to get revenge.

Blurb: Austin finds a cave in his new town and wants to become a dragon. He enters and goes on a journey with a red and green dragon to defeat the Mighty Dragon and find an emerald

Blurb: A dragon asks Shiron to help get the Dragon Gem back from an evil man.

Blurb: Lizzie’s mother left her and her brother. She gets a letter saying she has to save the oceans and her dad.

Blurb: Two sorcerers guard a laptop that is a powerful gem. The MC, Trevor, goes on a quest to get it back but in the end it is destroyed and the sorcerers become mortal again

Blurb: She trusts the wrong person and gets stuck in a different world (forest world) with her enemy a boy named Austin. They have to work together to escape.

Blurb: She is sent to a boarding school in England and gets involved with a mean girl who is out to make her year miserable. MC enters a horse race that the other girl is in, too.

Blurb: She finds out she is an angel, but she doesn’t want to be. She defeats an evil villain

Blurb: Disease has swept the world, killing everyone 13 and older. Craig and his siblings need to get food and water to survive. Mean boy steals their food and destroys their house. In the end, Craig triumphs.

Blurb: Joe wants a new video game, but Mom won’t buy it because it’s expensive. He does chores to earn the money.

Blurb: She gets a message on her green emerald necklace that tells her to capture an evil lady who is trying to find a valuable treasure. MC discovers a power to freeze things that she uses to beat the enemy.

Blurb: MC goes into a graveyard to find his ancestor’s name on a gravestone. A ghost (Civil War cavalry officer on horse) appears that ends up being his ancestor.

Blurb: Prince goes on a journey to find a sword protected by a dragon and a wizard.

Blurb: The mouse and her sister want to escape from the girl who kidnapped them. The girl and her cat prevent them.

Blurb: MC and his brother and a friend race moto cross motorcycles. A series of accidents tests their friendship.

Blurb: He goes to spy on a rival gang leader in a secret warehouse. He has a hoverboard and a laser gun.

Blurb: The love of his life dies of a mysterious illness and he goes on a quest to find out what it is. Leaves the city to go to a jungle.

Blurb: MC is caught in Gamis Fief during an attempted takeover. He is pursued by a group of soldiers led by a Vampire Hunter.

Ms. U's Class Covers 1-13

2011-12-04T00:55:00.027-05:00

Ms. U's class completed NANO this year. I'm creating a book cover for each student. I'm including the book cover and the blurb of the book.

To see the second half of the covers, click the link below:

Covers 14 Through 31

Tirz
_______________
COVERS 1 through 14

Book Blurb: Tahoma lives with her mother and younger sister in a jungle/forest/savannah about 100 years in the future. Her sister becomes ill and must go to the city for a cure. Mother doesn’t allow it, so Tahoma sneaks off with the help of her cousin and a man she learns is her father, gets the medicine and comes home.

BOOK BLURB: Skye, her cousin, and her friend want to find a magical bracelet that was stolen from the friend. Then they try to steal it back. The thief gives it back and later the friends find out why.

Book Blurb: Yumi wants to find her long lost brother who has been hypnotized to follow Akuma’s orders.
---------

Book Blurb: The boy's family is killed, and all the people in L.A. he and a friend search for the murderer. In the process, they acquire dragons to help them.

Book Blurb: Danny wants to collect forest ingredients to give his mother life, but the evil overlord shows up with his son. Can he save her?

Book Blurb: Nico has to retrieve the black stone of eternity or else...

Book Blurb: Dominic wants to save his grandpa’s life by getting the Emerald of Life. Dragons guard it, but he and his friend defeat them and make grandpa healthy.

Book Blurb: Toshiro wants to gain great honor but he doesn’t want his friends to die in Chin Ling’s trap.

Book blurb: Rei moves from Japan to San Francisco and meets Lani, a beautiful girl trapped in a curse, and Saeko, a boy who can change into a cat. They go on a quest to free Lani.

Blurb: Nick wanted to be the best wizard ever, but kept getting attacked by another boy during training. Later he discovers that boy is his brother and they are reunited.

Blurb: Macy’s father dies and she moves to her grandparent’s and a new school. Another girl sabotages Macy’s part in a play by putting pepper in her water so she can’t sing.

Book Blurb: Eliza finds a letter in her grandmother’s attic that sends her on a quest to save her town from an evil overlord who has cursed it. She discovers the overlord is her long lost father.

Blurb: She wants to save her brother, but Frankie was in her way. A wind spirit helps her make the right choices.

Santa's Off Season (POEM)

2011-11-23T21:10:00.007-05:00

I post this poem I wrote every Christmas Season because it makes me laugh. I wrote it and yes I still laugh at it. I wrote it for a contest years ago.

:) I hope you laugh too.

Tirzah
__________________

Santa’s Off Season

No, I ain’t gonna sit in your lap.
Don’t want no presents, no gifts,
don’t need no old man to give my skirt a lift.
You got a belly like jelly,
and crumbs in your beard.
And what's that smell? Wet reindeer?

And it’s none of your business
if I’ve been naughty or nice...
Sober up, fool, and go home to you wife.
Your cheeks are all rosy, your eyes have a shine,
I know that look...too much wine.
And breaking into houses,
that, moron, is a crime.

I just came over to say...
that you, old man, you're in my way,
so move that god-forsaken sleigh.

The Vampire Cover--for Nadia

2011-11-20T10:19:00.013-05:00

This vampire cover is not romantic. The book is about and angry, ill vampire.

Nadia needs for her friends and family to be able to see the possible changes side by side so I've listed them below.

So far the author wants the teeth bared, face close up and prefers blond hair. So concentrate on the close ups.

I prefer this one:
VERSION: DARK SHADOW, Blond Hair, Teeth Bared 6

Tirz

VERSION: RED POSTER 9

VERSION: CARTOON RED 8
___________

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677099420320734274" /> VERSION: DEMON RED TINT 7

_____________

VERSION: DARK SHADOW, Blond Hair, Teeth Bared 6
___________

VERSION: Plain Blond 5
__________

VERSION: REJECTED ORIGINAL WINTER TINT, Shadow Trim, Full Body 4

__________

VERSION: DARK HAIR, TEETH Bared
3

_____________________

VERSION: REJECTED FULL BODY YELLOW Cemetary
2
__________

VERSION: REJECTED Rainbow Vampire
1

Odd Quotes that amuse me...

2011-11-14T17:44:00.003-05:00

Those who can't think well, often speak the loudest.

To find monsters, look inside yourself first.

If your greatest fear is dying, then you've never really been afraid.

My zombie can eat your vampire.

If God had wanted you to be happy, you would have been born someone else.

Jesus loves you;I'm not Jesus.

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one but you probably don't to see it up close and personal.

What are some odd quotes you like?

Discussing Books From Authors I Know

2011-11-10T20:22:00.022-05:00

Hey Bunnies,

Have you missed me? The computer is up and working again. I've been thinking about all the great writers I know through my website and my workshop and I realized that I know a lot of published writers.

So today I'm going to talk about the books published by people I know. I hope you'll look at these books and consider adding them to your read list.

After compiling the list, I realize I know a LOT of authors, both traditionally published and independently published. Due to the sheer number of books, I'm splitting this post up. The second half will be posted over the weekend.

The books talked about on this post are: The Celibate Mouse, I Wish I Were Engulfed by Flames, Girl in The Box, This Time You Lose, The Bum Magnet, Far From Happy, The Grateful Undead: They're So Vein, The Love ThingTirzah

Books from AUTHORS I KNOW:

The Celibate Mouse--Diana Hockley
Book Description: Shell-shocked from a tragedy at work and an acrimonious domestic upheaval, Detective Senior Sergeant Susan Prescott flees town to recuperate, but fate has other ideas. Her plan to house-sit for relatives in a rural community is shattered when Susan witnesses a very public murder within an hour of her arrival.
Click Here For Book Trailer

My Thoughts On the Cover: I love Diana's book cover...although I probably would have made the red coat a little brighter...lol. But I think it's a great cover and really builds suspense. And I'm a little sad I didn't create it. :) This book was one of the first ones I made a book trailer for so I'm fond of it.

Thoughts on the Book: Oh I love a good murder mystery, don't you? The plot is beautifully detailed. I really think it'd make a nice weekend mystery for television--someone tell a producer. The characters are flawed enough to be human and interesting enough to deserve a book be told about them.

Overall, I find this to be a great little rainy day murder mystery, perfect for curling up to in a warm bed. Hey, I have no boyfriend so if I chose to curl a book, don't judge me. :)

Invisible-Jeanne Bannon

Description: Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that... For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose. Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish.

Click Here for BOOK TRAILER
My Thoughts on the Cover--This designer went for less is more. The eyes grab you in the middle of all that whiteness. The feel of aloneness feeds into the plot. This cover shows restraint sometimes is best.

Thoughts on the Book: Jeanne can thank The Hunger Games for gettting me excited about YA again. After years of reading bad teen porn (what else can I call those adolescent make out books with some sort of magic in them?), that book made me excited for YA again. So I was willing to give her LOLA a chance. I related heavily with her main character. Haven't we all felt like the ugly duckling and haven't we all wished to disappear? This book is one that should be read in high schools. I think it has what so few YA books have--it has heart.

The Apocalypse Gene--
Description: Global pandemic is raging.

Olivya Wright-Ono's once loving home has been converted to a hospice for the dying. Her ability to see auras forces her to witness, with agonizing detail, the vibrant colors of life consumed by malignancy. When Olivya sees evidence of disease creeping into her mother's aura, she has no one to turn to but Mikah. Can he unearth the Kindred secrets and find a cure? Can she trust this boy whose power allows him to manipulate her very emotions? With her mother's life, and that of the world, in the balance, Olivya and Mikah embark on a quest to stop the Pandemic, only to discover it is far, far more than a mere disease . . .

Click Here for the BOOK WEBSITE
My Thoughts On The Cover--Ah love the lightening blended with the DNA strands. It's science and fantasy blended. I wasn't sure I liked the brigher color strands at first but I've warmed up to it.

Book Thoughts--Another YA that should thank The Hunger Games I've warmed up to YA again. I'm so glad I didn't miss this book. The book is dark but never hopeless. It's a wonderful blend of dysopia, love story, a touch of sci-fi and a bit of fantasy. Boys and girls, it's Christmas already and I'm happy with my gift. :) What I was struck by in the book is how effortlessly the world building is done. I believe in this futuristic dark Chicago. I hope for Mikah and Olivya. And the authors slowly lead the reader forward until the whole premise seems like truth. Hard to do but---so wonderful to read.

Hardware--J.L. Campbell

Descrption: Camille Moyston has managed to put the nightmare of a violent attack behind her. Having forged a safe, predictable life, the last thing she needs is a cliché, oversexed Jamaican male expressing interest.For Quinn Mayhew, life is too good to waste time chasing a haughty, irritable woman who is too cautious to accept him for the man he is, but somehow she symbolizes everything he desires in his future.

When Camille's inner fortress finally starts to crumble, Quinn is arrested for murder and everything changes...

Thoughts on the Cover--Lovely blue water tones, sexy kiss...it tells me what I'm getting. A tension filled love story set near the water.

Check out Joy's website: The Character Depot

Thoughts on the Book--I haven't read this one. BUT I have read Joy's award winning short stories and I love the taste of Jamaica in her books so I can't imagine this isn't a good book.

The Grateful Undead
Descripton:--Be careful what you pray for. I merely asked to live a long healthy life and hinted that I wouldn't mind starting over while keeping the knowledge I had accumulated in my 58 years. And if a more youthful body and less wrinkles were involved, I certainly wouldn't complain. Well, I'm here to tell you, God does listen… to everything… and he's got quite a frigging sense of humor. I'm the undead proof. And so are the rest of my family, the whole dysfunctional lot, who wasted no time in baring their necks for a chance to share in my new found fountain of vampire youth.

Cover--It's irreverant and so is the book. I still think it needs more color. But I always love more...that's why I no longer own a bedazzler. :)

Thoughts on the Book--HAHAHAHAHAHA--does that sum it up? The only thing worse than a house full of pissy menopausal women is a house full of pissy women with 20 year old bodies and bad attitudes. It's a darkly funny.If any of you have ever had family problems or 'female' problems and love the vampire life---please, please go buy this one. Volume 2 comes out soon--Gator Baitin'.

Check out her website: The Grateful Undead: They're So Vein

Far From Happy-- Jeni Decker/Not Yet Published

Description: Jackson Fouchet steps off a bus at the Port Authority in June of 1987—directly onto Times Square—an 18 year old kid with the word naiveté plastered across his forehead.Immediately spotted by a young hustler, he begins his journey from peep shows to the last bathhouses, getting involved with Mr. B, the mob-connected owner of multiple clubs, all under fire from a new mayor embarking on an anti-sleaze campaign directed squarely at The Deuce.

He spends the next 20 years on the streets trying to swim against the mob who controls the gay sex trade, the politicians trying to eliminate it, and the misfits addicted to it—until a call in 2008 forces him return to his native New Orleans and a dying sister. Coming home proves harder than coming out in this story about love, family and acceptance.

PUBLISHER WEEKLY Review: "[Far From Happy] does a fine job navigating inner turmoil, family dynamics and political realities, grabbing you by the heart even when you’d rather turn away. Its no-holds-barred sexual content is challenging, but far from gratuitous; rather, it sharpens an already edgy story of indifference, shame, and, finally, acceptance."

Thoughts on The Book: I read this book in my online workshop before it was picked up by a publisher. If you've never read LGBT literature, this book may be the one to start with. It's gritty and the sex scenes may be overly graphic for some BUT this book is more about emotional growth of Jackson. Yes, he was a hustler but Jackson is also a person who is broken emotionally. I bawled reading this book, just bawled. I was at turns repulsed by Jackson and heartbroken by him. In the end, I just really wanted to save him. It's a wonderful book but it is NOT for every reader. Be prepared for a gritty, dark climb into the light.

I Wish I Were Engulfed In Flames-Jeni Decker

Description: This is Jeni's brutally honesty and darkly funny memoir on raising two boys with autism.
CLICK HERE FOR BOOK TRAILER

Book Cover--It's kitchy. The cover was debated, disected and discussed to death at my workshop. Although I don't think it would have been the author's first choice, I think it does grab the eye off the book shelf. What I worry about is that the cover is a bit cutesy. As the book's title tells you, this is a funny memoir with an edge. The edge is missing in the cover.

Thoughts on Novel: This is non-fiction. If you are looking for a book where we all hold hands sing 'Oh Happy Day', this isn't that book. Engulfed is an honest book full of frustration, pain, love, anger and laughter. Probably the most commerical of Jeni's books, it's still a book unafraid to look you in the eye and tell the truth. A rare commodity.

VISIT JENI DECKER's WEBSITE

This Time You Lose--Chris Strayln

DESCRIPTION: What would you do if street thugs invaded your home? What if you’re a daycare provider, caring for a dozen children at the time? Lisa Kaamp, a most unlikely heroine, faces just such a nightmare in This Time You Lose, the suspense driven story of one woman’s struggle to survive when she and the children she cares for become victims of a home invasion gone terribly wrong. Lisa Kaamp operates a small childcare business out of her home in Nogeksum, Michigan. Highly respected and known for going the extra mile for her daycare kids, she thinks she’s handled every daycare emergency possible. But nothing prepares her for the horror she now faces. Lisa finds herself bound and gagged, four strange men in her home, and the daycare children held hostage in the next room.

Book Cover--One of the very first covers I ever designed so, of course, I LOVE it. Hah.

Book Thoughts: A home invasion story where being a hero is more than just words. It's a tense book, a real nail biter. It reads quickly but you'll be reading it sitting on the edge of your chair. Not a book if you have high blood pressure, the excitement may hurt you. :)

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE for This Time You Lose

Girl In The Box--Sheila Dalton

Official Reviews
ABNA Publisher Weekly Review
In a series of deftly handled flashes ... this novel successfully juggles themes involving relationships, commitment, professional jealousy and helplessness in the face of international issues.

--Publishers' Weekly
One to Watch: The protagonist's dark past, not to mention the book's focus on international issues, professional jealousy and journalistic crusading, is akin to [Stieg] Larsson's Lizbet Salander. --Quill and Quire, Jan./Feb. 2011

Description: Caitlin Shaughnessy, a Canadian journalist, discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman originally from Guatemala, has killed Caitlin's psychoanalyst partner, Dr. Jerry Simpson. Simpson brought the girl, who may be autistic, back to Canada as an act of mercy and to attempt to treat her obvious trauma. Cailin desperately needs to find out why this terrible incident occurred so she can find the strength to forgive and move on with her life.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BOOK TRAILER
Book Cover: I like the subtle colors of the cover. I also like that the girl is faceless. The cover echoes the title, she's boxed and removed from color. It's sad cover but very self-contained, just like Inez. I also really liked what they did with the font. Font is so important.

Thoughts on the Book: The book builds slowly. Unlike so much of the in your face suspense, this book warms to a acid burn of psychological suspense. Oh what a film this would make, somebody get ten million together and help Shelia bring it to the screen. I think the opening scene where the image of Christ is bleeding sets the theme for Inez. Both she and Jerry are both sacrificed for the sins of others. Am I reading too much into it? Dunno.

Beautifully paced, emotionally suspenseful--The Girl in The Box is what psychological suspense use to be when it was still good. You won't get Die Hard action so if you want car chases and jiggling boobs, it's not the book for you. But if you like a thinking suspense book that grows organically? Then buys this!

The Bum Magnet--K.L. Brady

DESCRIPTION: Charisse Tyson’s got it all going on . . .
She’s a savvy, successful real-estate agent with a quick wit, a low tolerance for BS, a gorgeous size-14 body, and a thirst for top shelf vodka. Despite her dream house, luxury car, and appetite for life’s best—like fine dining and hot men—she seems to have her own special talent for attracting players. Why do all of her ex-lovers belong in the Losers Hall of Fame?

There was Lamar, the hazel-eyed Adonis who sowed more wild oats than Quaker. . . Sean, an expert at juggling relationships . . . Marcus, whose lips wandered as often as his eyes . . . and others, too. But just as Rissey swears off sex and vows to dump her emotional baggage, she meets house-hunting client Dwayne Gibson. There’s no way she can resist his seductive smile and rock-hard body. . . . Will Dwayne turn out to be the biggest bum of them all? Or will this time be different?

Book Cover: There are so few great racially diverse stock photos, that's why I was so excited to see the cover for 'The Bum Magnet'. The African American model is beautiful, plus-size and gorgeous. Pefect for the character. The only thing I might have added was a bit more sex but can you have too much sex?

Thoughts on the Book: I read the early draft of this book on my online workshop. Karla shopped it for a bit but couldn't quite find a place for it. Then she self-published the book...it sold well and attracted the attention of a mainstream traditional publisher. This book is the pubilishing Cinderella tale. Her second book publishes within months.

The Love Thing--Chris Delyani

DESCRIPTION: Twenty-two-year old Greg DeAngelis moves to San Francisco from New York to escape his overbearing father, who's pressuring him to go to law school, and his ex-boyfriend Matthew, who dumps him for an older, richer man. To make desperately needed money Greg temps at a law firm, where he blunders into the role of the firm’s official birthday cake maker—despite his utter lack of culinary skill. A lot of guys vie for the hero’s attention as he navigates the rough waters of office politics and single life in San Francisco, but only one of them can give him "the love thing." Can he figure out which one, before it's too late? This comic novel is about the importance of love and friendship, and of knowing who your true friends really are.

Book Cover--Actually, it's not one of my favorite covers. I think this cover could use a little romance. :) BUt it's not a bad cover, just not as engaging as I'd like.

Book Thoughts: This was my first male-male romance. It opened my eyes to a whole world of LGBT books that are at heart--romantic. The main charcter is a bit lost. Greg's dad wants him to be a lawyer and he'd be good at it but his heart's not in it. When the guy he loves leaves him for another man, Greg re-locates, finds a temp job and searches for himself. He makes a few wrong turns in life, love and cake recipes but I loved this young man. I wanted him happy. It's a sweet book.

AMAZON PAGE

Check in next week for more books by authors I know.

Computer Problems-_Delay in Tuesday POst

2011-11-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

Lost my keyboard. May have a delay in posting this week.

Sorry!

Tirz

GLAZED (Short Story)

2011-11-05T11:13:00.003-04:00

Glazed was written years ago. It's all about a guy that is so focused on his own pleasures, he missed the important stuff. It's so old and I'd do it differently now. Honestly I don't think I'd write it this way at all now. I do love that I got to play with taste and scent. The food descriptions were so much fun.

But I think it's a bit rushed and it's not as well developed as it could be.

Still it's amusing so I'm sharing. Here is one of my early short stories---Glazed.

Tirzah
__________

Glass rained down in a sparkling cloudburst. Slivers of light, like live things speared into the passersby. I could barely hear the people screaming from inside my bakery but I could see it in dazzling techno-color.

People, smeared with bright streaks of blood, were scattered over the street. Some still, some running, and the worst, just hugging the ground, crying. The large glass windows in the county clerk's office were shattered all over the road. I shook my head at the noise and mess.

I took one last bite of the chocolate éclair, deliciously sweet, licked the dark streaks from my fingers, and went about straightening the shelves and wiping down the counters. The police weren't long in coming, followed closely by the ambulances. I counted the personnel gathering at the scene and started mixing another batch of batter.

Both coffee pots were brewing, I put out the fresh glazed donuts and popped another batch of snicker doodles in the oven. Some song was playing over and over in my head; I hummed a little piece of the melody, trying to catch the title. I liked things to be orderly. What was the name of that song? I nibbled on a cinnamon roll, pinching off little bites, savoring the glaze. I hummed a few more notes.

The bell jingled over the door and two uniformed police officers came in. One sported a paunch over his belt and wore tinted sunglasses. The other was shorter, thin, and dark.

"Morning Officers, would you like to try some of the glazed? They're still warm. Mmmm...all gooey." I washed my hands at the back sink and turned back to the officers, "So, what will it be?"

The heavy one took off his sunglasses and tucked them in his front pocket, "I'm Officer Mulroy and this is Deets, we wanted to ask you a few questions about the trouble this morning."

"What trouble?" I opened up the back of the display and took out two crème horns.

"Sir, surely you heard the explosion this morning?" Mulroy stepped closer, the plastic buttons of his shirt scraping against the counter.

"Oh that. I saw the window blow out. Is that what happened? An explosion? Well, isn't that interesting. How about a crème horn, fresh baked this morning?"

"No thank you. Are you the Derry on the sign outside?"

"Yes, that's me. Derry Dean of Derry's Delights. How about some of my lemon cookies? I mix lemon zest into the batter and it really makes the taste pop." I held out a small display tray, I had developed the recipe myself. They looked good, crisp and not to sweet. I tossed one into my mouth, mmm...good.

"Sorry, I have a weakness for sweets. Are you sure you don't want any? They are terribly good, if I do say so myself." I helped myself to another. Heavenly.

The dark one cleared his throat, "Sir, about this morning, what exactly did you see?" He pulled out a small black notebook and cheap ballpoint pen.

"Hmm...this morning. Yes, I was just trying one of my new éclairs, the dark chocolate, when the windows blew out. Would you like one? Coffee?"

"No. The windows?"

"Oh yes, the windows." I checked the batch of snicker doodles in the oven, not quite ready yet, "Mmm, the windows. Well, about nine-fifteen the windows shattered and hit all those people on the street. The coffee's a special blend, hazelnut and vanilla. Are you sure you don't want any?"

"No coffee. Mr. Derry, we're trying to run an investigation here, do you think you could just give us the specifics? The explosion was at 9:15am?"

"Well...there was an explosion, the windows blew out. Oh, I was so fortunate that I wasn't baking cakes this morning. Yes, where was I, yes, the glass went everywhere and all the people started running and yelling. I don't suppose you want to try a piece of peanut butter fudge?" I slid a smooth, sinful portion into my mouth. I closed my eyes on the rich, delicious taste. I opened my eyes to Mulroy's red, irritated face.

"Was it 9:15 or not?" Deets spoke this time, his words bitten off and spit out like a mouth full of unsweetened baker's chocolate.

"Isn't that what I just said?" I poured a small cup of coffee, sipped. Ugh, the taste was off.

I poured out what was in my cup and poured another cup. Oh my, the taste was overpowering, almost bitter. Tsking to myself, I carried the pot over to the sink and drained the remainder of the pot down the sink. Thank goodness they had not wanted coffee, I would have been ashamed to serve this tainted concoction. It was the last time Andree would sell me...I heard a slapping sound. The heavy police office was slapping his notebook against his hand, his face flushed red.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry if you wanted coffee but that sludge wasn't fit to serve to pigeons. If you have the time to wait, I'm going to put on a new pot. perhaps Sweet Georgia Brown...nice robust flavor..." Already, I had turned to get the beans from the sealed canister when I heard a muffled question.

"What?"

Speaking slowly through clenched teeth, the gypsy cop, darker than ever, leaned over the counter, "Did you see anyone strange around the area earlier this morning?"

"Stranger? No...no one strange. Nobody but the regulars but I was pretty busy. I guess business will be pretty bad until they fix up the street. I hope the repairs won't take long. Are you sure you don't want something? A piece of coffee cake?...danish?" At the sharp shake of their heads, I sighed. No one really appreciated the art of dessert anymore. I picked up a lemon tart and bit into it's perfect sugared brown crust, God on earth.

"Well, I guess that's it, Mr. Derry. We're going to be leaving now. If you remember anything else, you can contact us at this number." Aggravated, Mulroy tossed his card on the counter. The two men then turned and headed back out to the carnage outside.

I shook my head. They hadn't even had a cup of coffee. I took another succulent bite of tart. A riot of taste assaulted my taste buds.

Glorious. Hearing the bell, I glanced up to see Mr. Pearly ease his way through the door. Wizened with age, hair whitened by the years, Mr. Pearly was my favorite customer. Often, he would come in and sit at the counter, trying my newest confections, sipping coffee and looking out the window. Poor fellow, retirement had been hard for him. I knew money was tight so often I would let him critique my experiments and not charge him for his order.

"Morning Dee, quite a bit of excitement you had this morning," his voice was warm and heavy like molasses.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that no one seems hungry. Do you want to try my new chocolate strawberry crème?" At his nod, I pulled open the display door, and extracted a perfect dark chocolate cup filled with strawberry crème and placed it in front of the elderly gentleman.

Distracted, I looked around my spotless kitchen. I checked the fridge for the second time. Sigh. Something felt out of place but I couldn't quite place what it was. I turned my attention back to my customer.

Mr Pearly raised his fork and broke the surface, slicing deeply into the soft center. He lifted the sweet morsel of pink and chocolate mixture to his mouth and tasted. He held the bite for a moment, chewed, and swallowed delicately.

"Nice presentation but the filling is just a bit tart, don't you think?" he held a second forkful up to my mouth. I scooped it up in my mouth, held it, absorbing the flavor. True, I had noticed it before; the strawberries were a bit overbearing to the chocolate. Perhaps, the strawberries weren't ripe enough...maybe milk chocolate.

I nodded to him, smiling with relief. That's was it. The filling was off. Mr. Pearly had helped me perfect quite a few of my recipes in the last year. I retrieved three of the white chocolate truffles from the back case, his favorites, and set them beside his plate. He smiled and finished the strawberry crème.

"I thought you'd be in earlier, Mr. Pearly."

"I would have been but I had a little retirement business to take care of. Some goodbyes that needed to be said," his brown eyes were momentarily sad.

"Yes, I saw you go into work this morning. It must be hard to be denied doing the thing you love. Mandatory retirement is a terrible thing. Thank goodness, I own my own shop." I blushed, realizing what I had just said to poor Mr. Pearly. Losing his job last year had been hard but I didn't need to rub his nose in his misfortune. "Forgive me if I said anything..."

He waved off my apology, "What they did to me was a terrible blow but I finally feel I made a little peace with myself."

His dark nut brown eyes looked out my front window and stared at the glass covered street, sheet covered bodies, and crying victims huddled in front of the gutted building. Mr. Pearly pointed to a middle aged woman in a blood stained pink suit, "That was my supervisor."

Blood still streamed from her head and left leg, her eyes open but unseeing. Poor, poor woman. Those that had survived would be out on the street, living hand to mouth just like my friend, Mr. Pearly. I vowed to send each family a gift basket, it was the least I could do. Something niggled at the back of my mind, I was forgetting something.

I started to mentally check of the supplies I would need to finish the baskets.

"Do you want me to send your regrets with the care baskets that I'm sending?" What was bothering me? Nutmeg? I'm sure I had nutmeg.

"No, that's all right. I'm sure they all know how I feel."

Digging through the cabinets, I found the nutmeg. Placing it on the counter, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. I nibbled on a butter cookie. Anxiety made me so hungry. What was it?

I mentally ran through my morning, Mr. Pearly had enter the building across the street about nine this morning just as I put the second batch of cookies in. The bombing just had me all rattled. Oh, I was missing something so important. What was it?

"Oh well, as long as you're sure." Aggravated, I refreshed our half-full cups. Business was going to be so slow today. Sigh. No use letting good food go to waste, I selected a perfect glazed donut from the covered glass platter and bit into it's sugar flaked outside...delicious.

Then, I smelled the acrid smell of burning cookies. Darn it, I forgot the snicker doodles. I always miss the important things. I found myself humming...what was that song?

Nano-nano, nano, nano...NANO....

2011-11-04T00:32:00.004-04:00

Guess what?

It's NANO!

National Novel Writing month. I'm talking part in National Novel Writing Month again this year. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

Yeah, we're all nuts.

That's 1667 words per day, every day.

Why? Because as I said we're all nuts. No, just kidding. Because it gets me off my butt and gets me writing in bulk.

Why 50,000 words?
That's the least amount of words that's still considered a novel.

Have I ever done it before? Yep. I even won once before. I wrote a horrid werewolf romance novel that year. It was fun. And no, you may never read it. I have no desire to publish a werewolf romance but the story was keeping me from writing anything else. I purged it.

The other two years I didn't get 50,000 words but I still did over 25,000 words in both of those. When else do you write that much in 30 days?

What am I writing this year? I was bored with comedy so I'm going back to my roots and writing a suspense novel.

What do I win? Not a whole lot. I get to hang out with my writer friends. I get an e-certificate saying I finished. I get 50,000 new words.

Why do I still do it? Because even when it makes me miserable I'm still happy doing it.

MY TITLE: The Child Thief

Plot: A man can't stop himself from following an eight year old boy around and spying on him. Then that boy disappears. Two years later, another boy disappears. Investigator Elle Tresse is begged to look into the case. But what she finds is more complicated than she expected. Good guys and bad guys keep switching hats in this suspenseful tale where the truth more dangerous than any weapon.

So that's what I'm doing this month.

Are you NANOing?

Wolf with cats

2011-11-03T00:30:00.006-04:00

Its fairly easy to create scenes that don't exist. Here's a quick book scene that was put together in less than 10 minutes.

Imagine if we spent time and cleaned it up?

I was feeling lazy. I should smooth the edges between the transplanted cats and the background.

Also the snow under the lynx is messy.

Still that's maybe 45 minutes to get perfect, 20 to get good enough.

I'm happy with this for 10 minutes or less of cloning.

When you are writing a fantasy or sci-fi book having these images from your book can make your website really come alive.

How-to's coming soon....

Tirz

Daughter of a Politician Cover

2011-10-31T20:32:00.004-04:00

Photo Version

Bright Version

Dark Version

Generic NANO Book Covers--for people still Plotting

2011-10-27T23:38:00.020-04:00

Don't have a firm NANO plot yet? Me neither.

Even though the plot is still murky, you still want to load a novel cover up on NANO? I can help

Below are generic genre covers for your NANO projects.

Not for publication use.

To see some of the book specific covers done for people have a plot (yes darn them!!), click the link below.

LINK:

NANO PERSONALIZED ROUGH COVERS FROM THE GIVEAWAY

These were created for writers on my NANO MOCK COVER GIVEAWAY...that runs the week before NANO.

To see the Giveaway, go to: Tirzah's NANO PERSONALIZED COVER GIVEAWAY

But if you just want an easy generic book cover, SCROLL DOWN.

:)

Tirz

NANO Free Cover projects--PICK UP

2011-10-24T20:28:00.035-04:00

I'm creating these from public domain pictures and left over pictures. Normally I'd buy some cheap stock photos. It limits me some but I think these are turning out decent.

:)

Tirz

MUsic of the Damned

Winds of Danger

Parallel Loves--Ruth Madison

Joy 2

Joy 3

FOR KIRSTEN-- Faustus's Dog Version1

Kirsten DOG 2

Corsicanth Princess- Lisette

Off the Chain---KATE

Staying Alive--MB VERSION 1

Staying Alive-version 2 dark

MICHELLE--Doctor in Danger

An Eye in the Dark-- Stupidgirl

HOTEL COVER

DEVOUR cover 1

Devour 2

Second Chances Ver 1

Second Chances Version 2

Second Chances Version 3--**May not be used for print projects.

PAULA-- Assassins Flute

Raising Monsters VERSION 1

Raising Monsters 2

Connected Visions

Under the Moon--C Leigh

Paranormal Investigations

Surreality

Surreality LONGER FACE

Spiders on Statice Version 1

Spiders on Statice Version 2

ANGel and Demon Twins

INTUITION

Military Princess

NANO Cover Project...FREE for NANO Participants

2011-10-24T16:34:00.009-04:00

OFFICIALLY CLOSED FOR 2011--ALL REQUESTS were produced this year. YEAH ME!!!

Hi Bunnies,

This weekend will be NANO cover creation weekend for me.

www.nanowrimo.org
This is NANO. I'm TirzahLaughs on Nano.

Huh, you say?
On NOvember 1st, NANO starts...which is National Novel Writing Month. I know most of you are sharpening your pencils, buying new flash drives and asking your family to move out of state for 30 short days so you can write in peace.

But you know that somewhere in the middle of that 30 Days, you'll get stuck or want to quit or be distracted by a relative with a fascinating and loud problem.

Want a little inspiration to keep you going?
This weekend I will be creating fake covers for your new NANO projects. Because it is FREE, I will be using public domain or photos I already have a right to. They won't be quite as good as the polished ones I do for publishing but they will look good on your NANO site or website.

And heck, I like seeing my name on a book cover, don't you?

If you'd like a book cover for your NANO project, just post here in the comments. I will do as many as I can before Sunday 10pm EST. If I haven't gotten to you by then, I'm not going to. But I work fast.

What do I need?
A rough idea of your story---even if all you have is a rough idea.
If your character is a particular nationality or is an elf or something, you may want to mention that.

A way to contact you. Your web address, blog or email. I'm not picky.

Oh and a book title if you have one. If you don't, I'll just put nothing or Nano Book 2011.

What do you get? A basic book cover that you can post on the NANO site.

WHy?
Well because I want to and it's good advertising for me.

Can I use this cover on CreateSpace if I decide to self-publish?
Mmm not in the form it'll be in, no. But just ask and we can talk about converting it.

So what's your plot?
***FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE.
Pass this post onto your NANO friends.

Don't have a firm plot and just need a generic cover temporarily? Go to the link below...

Generic Genre Covers

Need to pick up your personalized NANO ROUGH COVER or you just want to see what was created so far, go to:

Go to: PERSONALIZED NANO Covers from the GIVEAWAY
Tirz

Book Trailer--Where to Pimp Your Book

2011-10-20T20:28:00.010-04:00

Okay, you have this great book trailer, perhaps even created by me. I love creating book trailers. You have your trailer finished. It is so GOOD. You make your family watch it 37 times. Your friends have all hit Like on Facebook.

But do you do with it now? I'm going to talk about different places to post your trailer below.

I haven't tried all of these but I hope you find a use for them. A trailer doesn't help if you don't show it to people you DON'T know.

Places to Take Your Trailer:

1) YouTube duh...You have to put it on YouTube.

2) Pimp it out on and talk it up on Facebook and Twitter. If you don't have a FB, you'll need to get a book page. You just have to have one. Twitter you don't have to have if you have others who have twitter but your book MUST be twitted about even if you yourself don't do it.

3) Blazing Trailers --- Post your trailer, watch other trailers, enter a contest. A trailer site for grown-ups.

4) Book Trailer Matinee -- Remember I told you FB? Well this is a trailer spot on Facebook. You should post. You should post. Have you posted yet? Hah.

5) BookScreening --Unfortunately, BookScreening isn't accepting new trailers at the moment. It is still a great resource and ideas site. Hopefully they'll open up again soon.

6) Book Trailers --Free site to view and put up your trailer. Has a bit more commercial feel than Book Screening.

7) Preview the Book -- Never used this one but what the heck, it's free.

8) Post Your Book Trailer --This one is YA only and I don't think it's active at the moment. The Trailer Yard might be a better fit.

9) Goodreads...Your book should be on there and so should your trailer. :)

10) Revver --Not just book trailers. Sort of a knock-off YouTube.

11) Authors Den--you can link on there to your video.

12) VEOH --another YouTube knock-off with an emphasis on movies and tv shows.

13) The Creative Penn --Okay this isn't where you can post your trailer but it does talk about how to market yourself using trailers and other media.

14) Google Videos--Google is the YouTube/Facebook version of the future.

15) Work your friends and other writers. Can you get your blogger friends to feature your video on their blog or site?

16) YA Book Shelf -- she'll review your book with your trailer if she likes it.

17) Book Trailer Thursday-YA LOVE ---Seems to prefer traditionally published books but you can ask..they may or may not feature your book.

What places am I missing?

18) From Jeanne Bannon (author of INVISIBLE)-- YA TRAILER PARK This one I've heard of and many have said that it's a great site. I couldn't find the link...so thank you Jeanne for finding it for me. Jeanne has a book on there called Invisible...check it out. YA (YOUNG ADULT) only.

Tirz

Off The Beaten Path (Short Story)

2011-10-18T22:09:00.004-04:00

It's fiction time again. I'm posting one of my old short stories. This one dates back to when I wrote spookier stuff. :) Enjoy.

___________________________

Title: Off the Beaten Path
BY: Tirzah Goodwin

"Hey Ronnie, wait up. Ronnie! I said wait."

"Move it, Karen. You said you wanted to go hiking with me."

"Yeah-hike, not a freakin' marathon race."

My lungs beat angrily against my sore ribs. After only three miles, I was wheezing like an asmathic cow and the muscles in my legs burned. If Ronnie ever wanted to see me naked again, he better slow his ass down.

I dropped my pack on the ground and collapsed beside it. A rock was digging into my back but I didn't care, I wasn't ever going to move again. Closing my eyes, I found a temporary respite from the overheated sun. A dark shadow moved over my body, hiding me from the light. I opened my eyes reluctantly and looked up.

Ronnie's face hid in the shade of his Red's baseball cap but I could feel his impatience rolling over me. I sighed.

"Get up Karen and quit playing the martyr."

I was disgusted to see that his white t-shirt was barely touched with sweat. I knew I looked like I rolled in grease from this miserable heat. My blue shirt was sticking to me, my new jeans were rubbing me raw at the waist and I was still huffing for air.

"Who's playing? You might have told me that we were going to jog the whole trip. I'm dying down here."

I reached a hand up for his dented canteen, "Hand me the water."

He stepped away from my hand. Asshole. My mouth was dry as a bone.

"There's a good campsite about a half a mile from here. If you have to rest, let's do it there. I don't like camping off the main trail."

I pulled up the neck of my shirt and used it to wipe the dripping perspiration from my cheeks. I wish Ronnie would step closer again and give me a little shade. I was so miserably hot.

"I'm not going another step, not even if you promised me my weight in chocolate. Can't we just stay here for awhile? Please?"

"Come on Karen, just a half a mile more and I promise to give you a full body massage."

"I think that's more for you than me, isn't it?"

Ronnie laughed, "Well a man can dream, can't he? Ok, how about I tweak your homepage when we get back. I'll even let you download some of my video programs."

Ronnie's didn't share his original programs with anyone and I'd love to have his new Zombie Head Hunters. It was awesome. When he sold it, it was going to make him as rich as Bill Gates. And I'd get a copy first. Hah!

I grumbled but gave in, "All right, you'll never shut up until I get up anyway. But I still get my massage and your software. Deal?"

"Deal."

I raised my hand and he helped me up. My legs screamed in protest but at least I had my breath back. I leaned down to pick up my pack and stopped, momentarily numb.

"Ronnie, Oh God, Ronnie-Oh my God", I couldn't stop saying it, over and over again. Before I knew it, the numbness was gone and I was backing up as quickly as I could. Little whimpers of terror were coming from somewhere but I couldn't concentrate, I could only stare at it. I couldn't stop looking at it.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Karen?"

Ronnie was staring at me with anxiety but my mouth wouldn't work. The whimpers were getting more desperate. I opened my mouth to tell him but the bile rose in my throat and I turned and gagged into the bushes.

"What is it, Karen? Are you hurt? What is it?" I just pointed mutely back to where my backpack still lay. The rock I had been lying on was a fist; a fist with chipped pink nail polish.

Ronnie grew quiet. I retched into the bushes again, closing my eyes. Ronnie's leg brushed against mine.

A hushed voice hissed in my ear, "Why don't you ever do what your told?"

A pinch of pain in my back stole my breath. I slid to my knees and felt a shiver of cold quiver down my spine.

"Ronnie....?"

There was no answer.

__________________

I see so many ways now to improve this story but it's so old I think I'm going to leave it as is. It's still entertaining.

:)

Tirz

Stock Photos and Copyright

2011-10-16T11:46:00.009-04:00

When you get a stock photo, how can you legally use it?

Well the rules are slightly different with different stock photo sites but the basic rules are the same.

Stock photos can be used for book covers and e-book covers with the standard license (on most sites). This means you can use the book on your book cover as an e-book, print book and as a book cover on your website.

BUT for each project you use the stock photo in, you must buy another standard license. The standard license is under ten bucks so you'll be fine on that. Most are only 2 bucks or less.

This means you use the picture as a book cover, one license.
You use the picture without the book cover title/author name as a picture of the character on your website, you must buy a second 3 dollar license.

Cool---that's not a problem, right?

Here is the fine print.

The Standard License does not cover merchandizing. Huh, you say? You create this great book cover and have self-published the book. That's fine. All in the standard license.

But then you decide to print canvas bags or mouse pads with your book cover on it, DING, DING, DING...that is merchandizing. You now need an extended license.

With the book, you are selling your content and using the stock photo as packaging.
When you sell the image on a bag or mousepad, you are selling the image--so the license costs more.

Extended licenses start at $99.00.

A standard license gives non-exclusive rights to use the photo for your book cover. It does not give you the rights to use it for multiple projects or to merchandize it.

Makes sense?

Read the license on your stock photo site so you don't end up with a problem later.

UPDATE: I spoke with LIZ at BigStockPhoto on 10/17/2011 at 2:56pm EST and she stated through CHAT that giveaway items with the book cover are acceptable under standard licensing. Sold items are not (this is about merchandizing items only). Other stock sites you should check on your own.

Tirz

Picture Editing Can Make Miracles...

2011-10-13T21:13:00.011-04:00

The problem with using stock photos as-is is that you run the risk of having someone else do the same. Then you end up with the same cover as another book. That's a big oh-no. You want your cover to be a stand-out, not blend into the pack.

So your not a big time artist and your not rich enough to hire a big time artist. So what do you do?

You edit your stock photos to make them distinct. But you ask, really how different can a picture look by just editing?

It make make a huge difference. I know, I know...you don't believe me. Sigh. I know.

So I have examples.

In last week's blog post, I created the Girl At The Gate Cover using a girl in a white wedding dress. Today, I've taken the same stock photo of the girl in the white wedding dress and I've edited it into three different pictures.

Wedding Dress Stock Photo

Girl At The Gate Cover

In Gate Photo, I merged two photos, recolored the dress and removed the bun to give her a short hair cut. It's a fantasy cover.

Pregnant Girl in Dress

In this one, I used cloning to remove the volume of the dress, I then used Ogre vision to warp the belly into a pregnant belly. Then I recolored and cropped the photo. I also lengthened her curly hair overall.

I reversed her pose so she stands with her back to the left now. I darkened her hair slightly. I added the ugly patio set in the distance. To fix the weak edges of the edited dress, zoom the picture, take the clone feature and re-color the edges. Since this is just for example, I didn't do the finishing polish.

To be honest, if it were a real cover, I'd get rid of the fake patio set and move the belly up some but it works for a quickie example.

Cemetery Bride

In this one, I lengthened only two curls of her hair to give her trailing long curls. I then cropped the dress short so you only see the bodice. I recolored the bodice but to be honest, I don't much like the color. I can fix that later. I then put a cemetery in the background, made the woman partially translucent.

I also darkened her hair here as well and added seed pearls to it for the wedding without a veil feel.

This is the same stock photo used in three different ways. All it takes is patience and a little imagination to make your stock photo unique. Now none of these are polished final products. I see a dozen things to fix...lol but it makes the point.

Tirz

Giveaway Cover 8 Woman w/gun

2011-10-13T01:09:00.006-04:00

Crime Cover W/Female

Well I wanted a crime cover this week and I found this one in the bottom of my flash drive. It's an early cover from when I first started. It isn't awful but I don't love it either.

What type of books would it work for?

Crime, suspense, maybe thriller. It's too strong for a stalking novel though. The woman is clearly comfortable with the gun. Maybe a female detective or a bodyguard?

The cover is a bit over processed. If I went back and did it again, I'd probably not light it so much. I'd also probably kill the lightening and put a different scene behind her. But hind sight is 20/20.

Too much going on but like I said, It isn't horrible. It's an okay cover. I think the woman, the gun---the dark background would attract attention.

If you can use it, it's yours. Do you need a woman with a gun? Come on, you know you do. :)

Same rules as every week.

Click Rejects under Labels to see the other giveaways.

How to Create This Cover--Girl at the Gate...

2011-10-07T15:01:00.019-04:00

The picture above is one I call The Girl at the Gate. It's created from merging two pictures and recoloring them. It's not done but it's 80%. I created this picture without PhotoShop so currently it could only be used for e-books. If you want to know how to make it suitable for print, check the end of the blog post.

First I located a back ground. I downloaded my gothic enchanted arch from the stock photo selection of BigStockPhoto. It was fairly affordable. It was two credits or about 3.99 (before my bulk discount).

Isn't it pretty? It's dark but not scary. Romantic but not too pretty. I want a dark romantic feeling.

The harder part now is finding the girl. The truth is I like wedding dresses because they are so easy to recolor but a ball gown will work too. In this particular shot, I want a woman in a big gown either sad or looking away. I do not want any veils or elaborate backgrounds. A back of a dress would work too.

I found this great wedding dress shot on BigStockPhoto. It has a few problems. First it's white. Yes, white. Sigh.

Second her hair is a bun or chignon or whatever fancy hair dressers call it. I'm not a hair person. If I could I'd shave my head and go through life with a buzz cut. But I being a woman of a large head and a bigger body, it's just not a good look for me.

But that's all fixable.

First, I go over to www.fotoflexer.com and load the arch. Then I hit Layer and add the woman. I drag the sizes to where I think they would be size friendly to each other. Proportion is everything.

Then I take the combined picture and pop it into www.picnik.com. This is for easy copying. It does take the Pro version of the program. It's $45 a year or 7 bucks for one month stand-alone.

Login and click Clone after you upload the picture.

One of the tricks to cloning is to start with the part that has to line up. Instead of starting with the head to copy, I suggest the bottom of the dress because that's where it has to hit the ground correctly. Clone is under the Advanced features.

Here is the girl in the dress in the arch. I used Cloning to put her in there and I'll use Cloning to clean up the white spacing around her. See here I've recolored the dress. You can use the eye tones, the vampire eye colors...zombie coloring..personally I went with blood red here. Clown paint under the Halloween features give the brightest colors. Eye tones give the most subtle. Blood coloring gives...well a deep, deep red.

Now that bun. I hate her bun. I go to the Clone Feature and paint the background over the features I don't want. If I wanted to give her long hair, I'd go back to fotoflexer and use the hair of another woman---I'd then clone it on.

Now everything I've done here can be done on PhotoShop but if you want it quick and dirty this will work.

Dirty Little Trick: Need to have it in 300 DPI or print quality? Then find someone PSE (Photoshop Elements). After you've blown the picture up as big as you can in Picnik, then load the large picture into PSE. Duplicate the picture. Then click the auto sharpen, then flatten the pictures back together. Add your text. Flatten the layers again.

Then go up to Image and Resize to 300DPI or better but make it 6 x 9 in size.

If you can't get your hands on Elements to resize it, then download GIMP. It's slow and annoying but it'll get it done for you. And it's free.

There, now you can make an ebook cover merging two covers.

Tirz

This version needs some touch up at the skirt and a few other tweaks but it's 80% there.

Apryl's latest Awakening cover

2011-10-06T00:07:00.009-04:00

The truth is I don't think this cover will have enough romance for Apryl. She wants a sad, romantic, beautiful cover.

I've got a beautiful girl...but that's it.

LOL.

But it is visually interesting to me.

The girl has a great face. I like that she's looking back. I had to repaint the eye. The original picture, you couldn't see her shirt and she was looking forward. I actually reduced the volume of her hair, I made the eye look backward instead of forward and to the right.

I then painted in her neck and part of her shirt.

Then I took that picture and laid it over the picture of back ground arch/cemetery.

Once I had that, I cleaned up the picture edges, cropped it, and darkened it overall.

To be honest, I like it.

I really do. But I still don't think that's what the author wanted though.

Sigh.

I'm having trouble finding arty, romantic, sad, tormented girls what aren't weird or too sexualized.

Here are two that are slightly more romantic feeling but I'm not excited about them as much as the dark one.

Alternate Version

Tirz

MINDY discussion only

2011-10-05T20:51:00.005-04:00

Mindy wanted to see a full cover and the pieces of it so I'm using Madison's cover for demo purposes. This post is for her discussion.

Tirz

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My dirty little confessions...

2011-10-01T11:53:00.007-04:00

It's that time of year where I force you to get to know me better. Yes, I know, I know you are so afraid. But my little pretties, it's too late to run.

You know you are fascinated. It's like four car pile up in front of your domicile. You must watch.

So I decided to reward your bravery...I'm telling you some embarrassing little secrets. I suppose they wouldn't be secrets if I had more friends but that's life. :)

First as a female, I'm pretty sure I'm breaking some sort of estrogen law by admitting this. Well here it goes, I like...Star Trek. Yep. I like New Generations, original Star Trek, then Voyager then Deep Space Nine. Yep, I know enough about the series to rate them. And no, I have not learned Klingon but I thought about it.

Second attack on my estrogen card...I broke up with a guy many years ago because he kept buying flowers. They make my eyes itch and my nose twitch. I asked politely for him not to send them. He informed me that all girls like flowers. Bye, bye dumbass.

:)

Third I like orange. My living room is painted orange. I've been told it's like stepping inside a pumpkin. That's good, right?

Next, I hate clothes shopping. I hate it so much that I'd wear any gift you send me including a floral sequined prom dress a size too small, just so I don't have to go to the store. Well if the gift is clean. Sorry I don't wear the smell of moth balls or kitty urine. I do have standards. They are low but they are standards.

Okay fifth confession, I like romance novels. Yep bodice rippers, shifter love, alpha males. Not those meaningful tragic love tales, I mean romance novels. Love happily ever after and hot bodies.

Sixth, I have a weakness for werewolves and shifters. I like a bit of the animal in my man. It's so 13th century of me but that's the truth. I also like books about Weres and shifters.

Seventh... I hate elves. I don't want to see elves, read about elves, talk about the positives of elves. Hobbits are big hairy elves. Enough said! Oh and don't even ask me about angels (shudder).

Eight
Mmm...I've flashed my mother and mooned her to stop a conversation I didn't want to have. She stops, stunned. It's the only thing that works. Yes, yes I know. That is so wrong but dammit it works.

Nine--I'm an excellent kidsitter. I don't say babysitter because I don't watch newborns. Kids between the ages of three to 12 really like me. It could because I know dozens of games to play and I genuinely like them. Or it could be as my sister says and I'm juvenile. Either way.

Ten...I'm a slob. Like a teenage boy slob. Books in kitchen cabinets, clothes all over the floor, couch full of empty bags. Yep a slob.

Okay bunnies...there is more but I think I've punished you enough.

Do you know me better now? Are you very, very afraid? LOL.

Tirz

Giveaway cover 7 Forgotten Girl TAKEN

2011-09-29T21:05:00.006-04:00

THIS COVER HAS BEEN TAKEN BY A WRITER FOR A PROJECT.

Oh this is an old one from when I first got started doing covers. Not my best cover but it's okay. I like the yellow tones.

I like that its a girl walking way.

Types of Novels: Break-up novels, tragedy, coming of age, woman/daughter leaving, family drama.

I think any woman drama for a younger audience would be okay. The girl is late teens to 20ish so it'd have to involve someone that age. But hey if you want to use it for a book on pink dolphins I won't say no. I'll look at you strangely but I won't say anything.

What do you think? Should this one just be deleted or could someone use this one?

It's a little DIY. LOL.

The author decided they wanted something a bit sexier. So it ended up being cleavage and boy/girl kiss. :)

Sex does sell, now doesn't it?

Tirz

Same rules apply.

Must be used within six months.
Click rejects to see other giveaway covers.
Must email me to let me know.

I add only your author/title to it.

Tirz

Visit me at....

2011-09-27T14:00:00.004-04:00

Two different blogs this week. I'm running around like a fruit flying in mating season this month but that's no reason not visit some of my favorite blogs and find out more about what I do.

I should have posted these yesterday but the whole fruit fly thing again. :)

On the Character Depot, you can read an interview of me by J.L. Campbell and check out Joy's new short story collections. Both are killer, especially if you love Jamician stories. Well they are killer even if you don't like Jamacian stories. And if I spelled Jamacian wrong for the 115th time, please forgive me.

http://thecharacterdepot.blogspot.com/2011/09/take-five-withtirzah-goodwin.html
___________
To get how-to links and info on her new book, visit Michelle Fayard on her blog, Bird's Eye View.

On Michelle's blog, you can hear about her new book and get links for my create your e-book cover design, tips for communicating with your designer and my personal favorite---talk to Michelle.

http://michellefayard.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-covers-that-do-double-duty.html

Stop in and visit!

Hugs and Chocolate Kisses....

Tirz

for APRYL

2011-09-25T23:33:00.010-04:00

Giveaway Cover 6 Many Faces Woman

2011-09-23T22:41:00.006-04:00

Ah the Woman of Ice and Snow. It just never quite gelled but I do like her eyes if nothing else.

I also have this girl as a animal shapeshifter with animal marks and yellow/gold eyes...that one I think I like a bit better.

What kind of novel? Fantasy, odd memoir, novel involving a girl in snow/ice.

Yellow Girl Version

You can have either. The second one might work for a Women's Fiction, Chick Lit or even a fantasy novel.

Blue Avatar Version

And I have a couple other versions of the same girl.

Same rules apply.

No major changes.

Email me to get it
Project must be going on in the next six months.
Click Rejects to see other covers for giveaway.

Tirz

Jano Color Variations

2011-09-21T22:10:00.016-04:00

To show you what you can do with editing, here is the same picture with just some editing and color changes.

A winter tree with one lone bird

Flash Fiction--A Father Knows

2011-09-19T16:07:00.004-04:00

Today I thought I'd post one of my short fiction pieces. It's not perfect but so few things are. I hope you enjoy.

This story is a bit disturbing so if you are easily upset, stop here. It's not gory or graphic but emotionally upsetting.

Tirz

____________

A FATHER KNOWS by Tirzah L. Goodwin

The evenings in Morganstown are loud. Cars drift by, music blaring, a mix of Mexicana and rap that swells into a headache behind my right eye. I feel the beat there now, pounding. Or maybe it's my heart that pounds out, "No, no, no" but I feel the answer, a cold bubble of truth that lodges like a knife in my gut.

I know but I don't want to know.

He's standing on the steps of his mother's apartment building, his teeth flash as he laughs with a skinny boy with FT shaved into the back of his head. But I don't see that other boy; I see him, my son.

"Darius."

Just his name and he freezes, his dark eyes wide, the dimple disappearing from his cheek.

I grab his arm, digging my calloused fingers into the plump flesh underneath.

"Dad?...Dad?"someone calls but I'm already dragging him across the street, ignoring the screaming horns and swear words. His skin is slippery with sweat but I yank him after me, not stopping when he stumbles. The music beats in the background like an accusation, ringing in my ears.

"Dad?Dad?"

In the park where I took him to play as a kid, I stop. He trips and falls to his knees, blubbering. The swings sit empty and silent behind him as big sloppy tears pour down his cheeks, leaving wet circles on his blue t-shirt.

That bubble of cold breaks in my belly and spreads through my bones. I'm trembling. He's trembling.

"Darius, don't lie to me, son. Did you do it?"

"Dad..."

He's on his knees, his eyes rolling wildly, looking at anything, anyone but me. To me, we are the only two people in the world. The vein behind my eye throbs. I yank the gun from the waist band of my jeans and I press it against his forehead. He moans. The cold wraps around my heart until each beat of it rips a bigger hole in my chest.

"Darius, I will know if you lie. I'll know."

"Daddy..."

He won't took at me because I can see him, really see him. I see him squealing as he races up an escalator as a kid, I see him with my brother's darkness in him. He's my son, mine.

"I'll know," I whisper but I don't know, not for sure. I want him to tell me I'm wrong. I want him to convince me.

"I didn't mean it, Daddy. I didn't. She's just kept huggin' me and followin' me..."

Pain leaves me in a howl. No.

My right hand moves before I even think. The butt of the gun smacks him backwards, warm blood flooding down his chin from his busted lip. My nose burns as the air spikes with the smell of urine and a dark stain spread across the crotch of Darius's jeans.

"She's four. Four, Darius! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Darius is curled up at my feet, trembling, blood smeared across his chin, and I don't know what to do. My skin flashes hot, then cold. My stomach rolls with each convulsive swallow of bile. Then calm settles inside me like God laid his hand on my shoulder. I suck in a deep breath, hold it, then let it out slowly, the sound whistling between my teeth.

I love him. I do. Even now, I love him.

Falling to my knees in the worn grass, my tears drip down on his bare head like a baptism.

"Darius, son, I forgive you."

I reach out and pull him close with my left arm. The warm air of his breath flutters against my chest. My right arm aches from the awkward angle. I squeeze the trigger softly.

He stiffens then sighs, his body going limp against mine.

I kiss his forehead and follow him into sleep.

The End.

Giveaway cover 5 Woman in Turmoil/fantasy

2011-09-18T20:14:00.004-04:00

I have always loved this one. It's dark and you can feel the pain of the woman on the cover. I wish I had written something it would have worked for but alas I have not.

The writer went with a more colorful cover...blood/fire and all that.

But still this cover does have energy, don't you think?

What type of novel?

Always thought it'd work well on urban fantasy or maybe even a disturbed chick lit. Not romance though...even I can't stretch my disbelief that far. A book with a woman in turmoil or a woman perhaps being overpowered by magic or circumstance?

So are you feeling moody?

If so, this cover might work.

The rules and restrictions: First of all, your book must be publishing in the next six months. You must email me with a request. I will only add title/author name...nothing else.

If you want to see other free covers, click REJECTS on the left side of my blog under label.

Want a custom cover? Then ask me for pricing. :)

Tirz

Creating Audio Files for your Writing

2011-09-17T21:35:00.008-04:00

Before I tell you how to make MP3 text files from your writing, I should warn you about selling audio.

Overall, I've found in both fiction and textbooks that audio books don't sell as well as print books. But there is a market for some poetry and certain types of novels in audio so here is my technical help.

If you want to check out some well done self-published audio books, check out Greg Crites site. His books are so funny and his audio is top notch.

CLICK here to go to GREG CRITES

But how do you create your own MP3 files for your book or poem without spending a lot of money?

Easy-Peasy.

First you need to download a recorder that can convert to MP3 files.

To download a recorder for your computer free, go to MyPodcast.

Go to this www.mypodcast.com
Click on Create Podcast
Upper Right corner then click on Download Recorder

This recorder will allow you to record your words and create them in MP3 files. These files can be used in your book trailers, as playable files on your blog or do anything you can do with music files.

If you are creating a book trailer on Media Player or Movie Maker, this file will load up there too.

Now to be honest, I don't suggest using MyPodcast to store your podcasts or MP3 files. That site is glitchy and loses files.

www.podbean.com is slightly more reliable and it has an embeddable player you can embed into your blog.

Both sites are free.

What technical materials do you need?

You will need a working computer with working volume. Ninty-eight percent of computers created in the last ten years have a microphone built in and audio. So that shouldn't cost you anything.

However, you'll need a headset with a better microphone. Walmart, Circuit City and a hundred other places sell these for under 20 bucks.

You can buy a used set for under five bucks on Amazon.com.

Amazon link

To be honest, expect to record a poem three or more times to get it right. A hiccup, a stutter, a doorbell---and you start over. The good news is that the recorder will let you back up by the minutes.

Huh? What does that mean?

That means that 45 seconds in, you burp, you can start the recorder just before that point rather than recording the whole piece again.

Drawbacks: The recorder does let you do volume control. It also lets you block out a lot of the background noise in your house. But unlike a true audio program with specialized equipment, you'll not be able to adjust the audio by fine tuning it. It's as is. You also can't add a music overlay.

Tricks: If you are quick, you can play music outloud and hold the recorder up to the music to get an intro. It'll be quiet and not as good as your voice recording. Then you stop the recorder and put your headset back on and start talking.

It's not perfect but it's doable.

For a spoken novel or poetry, this works really well.

Some Covers for Michelle F.

2011-09-15T17:23:00.005-04:00

The following are leftover, rejected and partially done covers that might fit a novel on slavery or an African American themed novel.

I'll load 8 total.

These are for Michelle F.

Tirz

Giveaway Cover 4 Letter Girl-(No Longer Available)

2011-09-14T20:56:00.007-04:00

TAKEN!!--This giveaway cover has been accepted by a writer and is no longer available.

This cover has a letter/envelope torn open in the background with a pretty but sad African American girl/woman on the front.

It's subtle but I think it works almost as well as some of the bolder covers.

What type of Novel could it be used for?

Chick Lit, women's fiction, tragic romance or one of those sad, lost my man, hope to find myself novels. Is that also women's fiction? Sometimes I suppose.

Giveaway Rules: Must use the cover within six months. Must email me and let me know if you want the cover. The cover will be provided in 300DPI 6x9 JPEG. If you want to see all the other rejected covers, click the world 'rejects' under labels on the left of my blog.

The cover is offered as-is. The ONLY changes I will make are to add your title/author name.

Every two weeks or so a new rejected cover will be loaded up here. So check back for other covers for free.

Want your own custom cover? Just email me. E-book covers start at $25 bucks.

Tirz

Giveaway Cover 3---Girl in Flames

2011-09-09T19:41:00.006-04:00

To be honest, I have about 15 versions of this cover, some with clear red/yellow flames. Some with multiple girls.

But I like this one with the box imprint. If you'd prefer the flames only with no box imprint, that's available.

It was rejected because the girl was too young looking for the cover.

For what type of book: I'm thinking any type of YA book with a fire them set in modern age. What do you think?

If you want to see other giveaway covers, click the rejects link under the labels on the left side of the screen.

EMAIL me to get the 300 DPI JPEG for use.

BUT the project must be one being produced in the next six months.

So do you want flame girl for your very own?

Iconic Publishing ---Published!

2011-09-08T11:29:00.004-04:00

Hey Bunnies,

SAID AND UNSAID--the poetry collection I'm in from TNBW will be published by a real print pubilsher. YEAH!

As you know (probably), I have a self-published poetry book called Love and Lighter Fluid: poems of a Wild Tirzah. What you might not know is that besides my published magazine poems and that book, I also have ten poems in an anthology.

The Anthology is called SAID AND UNSAID.

Originally members from my writer's group (The Next Big Writer)did a self-published book. Luckily or happly...okay hapuckily---Iconic Publishing has picked up our Anthology to traditionally publish under their new poetry imprint.

I'm happy!

Can you tell?

I don't have the date yet---don't worry you'll hear all about it.

Plus I'll also talk about my fellow poets from the anthology as the book gets closer to publication. Maybe I'll interview them on here.

New poets are hard to find. At least ones that don't make your eyes bleed.

These guys are not eye bleeders.

As for those looking to publish, you should check out this up and coming publisher. Iconic is wonderful to work with and is going to be publishing some books that you'll drool over in the next year.

Yours,

Tirz

Giveaway Cover # 2 Dead Leprechaun

2011-09-06T23:51:00.008-04:00

Another lovely rejected cover.

Did you ever want to kill a gnome? How about a Leprechaun? This cover is a dead Leprechaun bleeding out underwater.

What kind of novel could you use it for? A cozy mystery with a sense of humor, a modern urban fantasy novel and perhaps even a humor novel that doesn't mind a dead garden gnome.

How do you get this cover for your book? You email me at my email address listed on the right under my description. Your book must be publishing either in electronic or print format within the six months.

So do you need a dead gnome?

To find all of the rejected covers being given away this year, click the word 'rejects' under the labels lists on the left. New covers will be loaded about every two weeks until all of the rejects have been shown.

Tirz

Lisa Fee Cover

2011-09-06T10:11:00.002-04:00

Younger Version

More romantic version.

What about that? Too dark?

Campaign Challenge Number 1

2011-09-05T17:52:00.014-04:00

The challenge is to write a 200 word or less flash story starting with the 'door swung open'.

I did my best in a hurry and with a head cold. :) Next week I'll read it and wince. I'm pretty sure I screwed up the verb tenses but Nyquil is not my friend.

Link to Rach Writes

Tirz

Door Swung Open

The door swung open and I gaped at my ex in all his naked glory bending my mother over the back of my floral couch.

"Mom! That's my new couch."

I'll never get the stench of their humping off of it. Microfiber can only do so much. I couldn't stop a groan of pain. Brand fuckin' new.

Mom's tits bounce as Larry plows into her from behind again, she's grunting, rubbing her sweaty nudity on my couch.

Oh no she didn't. Before I knew it, I was pounding Larry's head, shoulders and bare ass with my purse.

"My. Fucking. New. COUCH! Asshole!"

He jerks back, popping free of mom's cellulite dimpled ass, & falling to the floor. I smack mom once for good measure.

"Ouch," Mom yips as she looks over her shoulder with an 'oh crap' look on her face.

Larry was crawling to his knees, I kick him in the balls.

He screams and scrambles for the open doorway. Mom's wailing.

Larry stumbles naked onto my walkway. I grab Mom by her perm and shove her after him.

"My fucking couch!"

Then I kick the door. It swung shut behind them.

Funny pictures because I have too much free time in the winter

2011-09-02T12:42:00.027-04:00

Here are some funny pictures, sketches or just crap I created and thought would make you laugh.

Did you laugh?

Huh?

Tirz

Okay who doesn't need a shot of zombie lovers? I was screwing around with loving the undead and came up with this awhile ago. Should I not admit that?

This one as character art for a website but the author didn't like it. They wanted a magpie with people legs. I did a magpie with people legs. What can you do?

I had kitten pictures. Enough said.

One of my sketches I did forever ago. Let's just say that art school won't be calling me any time soon and begging me to attend but I liked it.

Same Kitty, Different approach. I was playing with my art features in my design program. I may have gotten a little carried away. Maybe.

I wanted to do a tiger. For some reason that says to me--dead body and a threat. I don't think I liked Frosted Flakes much as a kid because Tony the Tiger always seemed like a mob enforcer trying too hard to be nice.

My friends have a Chinese Pug named Reggie. Reggie likes chasing kitties but only kisses them if the catches them. So this Halloween, I made Vamp Reggie. I have lots of free time. :)

Like I said--Don't Touch My Kindle!

Well do they? Your pits? Do they smell?

No reason on this one.

Deer--Be a deer--please, step out in front of the car and stare at the headlights. Okay really bad, dark humor but I claim PMS and you can't prove anything different.

More free time with my zombie maker.

I sometimes use this one as my icon. Because if you haven't written or called or hung out with me---you must have been eaten by bears. Right?

Heather's cat, IVY, in a pissy mood.

Tunnel of Gold cover-Reject 1 Available

2011-09-01T11:23:00.008-04:00

I'm trying something new with my rejected cover giveaways this year. Instead of posting them all at once and letting you guys go through them like pigs at a trough, I'm posting one at a time and talking about it a bit.

And I admit it, I like this cover. I like the play of light. I like the lone tree at the end.

I like that it's a bit mysterious but not scary.

But it wasn't right for the author.

What story would it work for? The cover has a bit of mystery and with a little tweaking could be a fantasy or murder/mystery cover. If I switched out the tree for something else, you could also do it as a coming of age or finding yourself book cover.

How do you get it for free for your book?
So this rejected cover is available to some writer out there. :) If you want it, you have to let me know by email so I can put your author name/title on it. My email is on my description on the right.

Restrictions: It has to be a project you are publishing (electronically or print) in the next 6 months. For print projects, please let me know so I can flatten the image for you so it prints pretty. :)

So is the tunnel cover right for you?
:)

Oh just FYI--all covers are provided in 300 DPI 6x9 size.

Tirz

Pimping Your Book

2011-08-31T02:02:00.009-04:00

No I don't mean force your book into a shorty shorts, fishnets and a tube top and drop it off on a downtown corner.

Although that might make more cash than a badly launched self-published book.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, bunnies, but writing your book and editing it---are the easy parts.

Yeah, I cried a bit too. Go ahead let it all out. But don't short circuit the keyboard with the tears.

First, don't spend a year or years writing a book and then put a 59cent cover on it. I know, I know, looks shouldn't matter but when was the last time you dated that one eyed humpbacked guy who smells like sweat socks?

Exactly.

A little packaging won't kill you and it just might help make your book more attractive to readers. You know--put sunglasses on it and give it a bath. :)

Just self-publishing a book without any background work is a bit like sending a aging nun out to get a job at a strip club. Honey, it just isn't going to work. You're going to need a website that's searchable on this thing called the internet. :)

You'll need to proposition every website, blog, vlog and book review site who might give you a shout out. And don't forget related sites. Example: You are writing a murder mystery set at Nascar? Try pimping your book at Nascar related sites.

Set up (if possible) readings at your local library or book signings at any local INDEPENDENT bookstores. Some Indy's won't carry self-published books, some will. Don't assume.

Come from a small town? See if someone will do a special interest piece in the local paper.

Hit up your bigger local book groups. Having people who are book people read your book, discuss it their group and then talk it up to their book friends, on their websites, their blogs can't hurt. People trust people more who they read often or who read a lot of books.

Every writer says their book is wonderful but sometimes they're wrong. You are always fighting the impression that a self-published book is one step above the free flyer given away at the grocery. To fight that impression, try to get some book reviews from people who don't owe you any favors and didn't give birth to you.

And hon, before you pimp out that book, EDIT it. You'll need a second set of eyes. Not just for typos but plot holes and inconsistencies. You won't see some holes because you're too close to the project. Get an editor or a nit picky English major (at the minimum) to look at it.

Self-Publishing is WORK. Writing is, I hate to tell you, was the easy part.

That sucks, doesn't it?

:)

Crap, I suppose this means I have to finish my novel. Oh well, do as I say bunnies, not as I do. Most of what I publish I do for me. I'm assuming you want paid. :)

Tirz

PSE layered FILES, whining

2011-08-29T21:56:00.005-04:00

Big Scream.

Did I hurt your ears?

I do design but only use Photoshop (PSE)only if I can't find another way to do it. ''

You aren't nuts if you don't enjoy PSE. Photoshop is not user-friendly or intuitive.

Let's be honest, it's a pain in the arse or we'd all use it. HAH.

I ask my customers what they need before I create files. I provide 300 DPI+ files in 6x9 with a 1/8 inch bleed margin. :) This is what they tell me they want.

I give it...then they come back with...wanting PSE Layered files.

BLAH.

Basically a Photoshop layered file is a zip file with each layer you created in Photoshop laid out so the people and/or publisher can take it apart and put it back together again if they want. This is really good if they want to screw with your font.

But I'm under the opinion that if you don't tell me up front, it's not my problem. But I think I'm getting cranky in my old age.

:)

I hate designing on Photoshop. Am I the only one?

If I provide a 300DPI file--why should it matter...it shouldn't except for the PSE Layered Files.

Blah!

Photoshop has cameltoe! I stand by this statement.

Anyway, I'm going nuts recreating my cover in the other file type. Don't you love doing something again, trying now to get the same effect in completely different program?

And all for my killer fee of $25 bucks. I could scream.

Or charge more.

LOL.

From now--if you want PSE layered files, they must be requested at the start and there WILL be an extra charge for them.

Okay I think I've whined enough.

Nope...one more.

WHINE.

Tirzah signing out.

Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

2011-08-28T02:09:00.002-04:00

I'm thinking of trying this new thing I found through a link on Jeanne Bannon's blog Beyond Words...she linked me to Rach WRites---and I heard about Writer Campaigns.

And after reading all about, I thought---what the hell--let's give it a try. Sure I'm overbooked, busy and as about as friendly as a PMSing bear woken up from hibernation right now--but I want to get excited about my book again. I think this may do that. Plus I get to meet more fun bloggers.

You should consider connecting with other writers, bloggers and other fun people. Read about it on: http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2011/08/third-writers-platform-building.html

Quoted from the site:
"Basically, the Campaign is a way to link those of us in the writing community together with the aim of helping to build our online platforms. The Campaigners are all bloggers in a similar position, who genuinely want to pay it forward, make connections and friends within the writing community, and help build each others' online platforms while at the same time building theirs."

So what do you say, are you in?

Tirz

Blogger Awards

2011-08-27T11:43:00.017-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm terrible about adding these bloggie award things to my blog. I had a few on my blog but never put them back when I redesigned a while back. I like them, I just never know quite where to put them.
:)

Still I love getting them. I'm an enigma. HAHAHA

The Liebster Award is for blogs with under two 200 followers. I got it from Jeanne Bannon and her cool blog, Beyond Words.

RECEIVED FROM:
http://beyondwordsblog.blogspot.com/
Fun interviews, informative info on publishing. Check her out.

At the end of the email, I list five new winners of the LIEBSTER AWARD.

The BLOG on Fire Award--For those hottie blogs everyone should visit.

I got this award from a blog I read all the time, the Bird's Eye View. It's is a blog that makes you feel like your being invited to all these cool publishing and writer lunches to ask questions. Visit her and have a conversation with people you wish you'd met.

RECEIVED FROM:
BLOG http://michellefayard.blogspot.com

____________________
AWARDS:

THE BLOG ON FIRE AWARD goes to Clarissa Draper. I love this blog. Where else can I read about novel poisons (ignore my pun) and burn phones. It's a must stop shop for mystery and murder writers. Oh hell, it's a must stop for most writers. She's an endless fount of information for writers.

http://clarissadraper.blogspot.com/

AWARDED TO CLARISSA DRAPER

LIBESTER AWARD--for blogs with under 200 followers who deserve more.

The rules say I have to give this to five bloggers with 200 and less followers who deserve more. There are so many great blogs to choose from.

I'd give one to Jeni Decker but she already got one so she's just screwed this time. :) But I couldn't resist giving it to her partner in crime, Kat Nove.

Kat's blog is irreverent, a little dirty and completely off it's rocker. Yeah I made a pass at her but since we are both straight women, we decided to just exchange warm regards instead.

1) KAT NOVE in America on http://katnovian.com/
Her new book, Waiting for Karl Rove (written with Jeni Decker) is available on www.amazon.com, it's a witty satire that will make you snort, laugh and pee your pants a little.

2) Lani in SAMOA--- http://sleeplessinsamoa.blogspot.com/ I found Lani's website through my cover side business. I get a bit of everything including the flavor of Samoa, the joy of raising five kids (or is that the challenge) and her funny little life comments. VISIT SAMOA, drop in on her blog. Her new book Telesa will be publishing soon...fiction on a girl from a long line of volcano fire women. A scorcher.

3) J.L. Campbell at the Character Depot lets me visit Jamaica. http://thecharacterdepot.blogspot.com/ Come and see street shots of the real Jamaica, get interviews with writing, marketing and publishing people...plus there is a win a KINDLE contest. :))

4) Heather, a local girl for me her in the US, she writes the FOOD HUSSY. Her blog is a mix of restaurant reviews, quick cooking recipes and life commentary. Heather is addicted to local dives and independent food joints. You'll get reviews of places like the Blue Bird Diner in Cincinnati OH or pizzerias in Iowa. It's one part road trip, one part resturant reviews and one part quick cooking. Delicious reading... http://www.thefoodhussy.com/

5) Mindy's blog--because I love Mindy. :) She's so bouncy...JUST LIKE ME!!! http://mindys-writing-life.blogspot.com/ . She is in Canada but I've forgiven her for not living closer to me. :) Her current blog is on movie reviews and a little writing thrown in. Mindy is always a trip.

So there you go. My Liebsters.

My Blog on Fire Award Winner...now I'm exhausted.

Here is a brand new BLOG AWARD...the WILD BLOG AWARD.

It's for blogs that are brand new and are changing the world of blogging by being exciting, different or a game changer...just like a Class 4 Weather change.

Ugly is Ugly

2011-08-24T20:31:00.013-04:00

Honestly, if you want ugly for your book cover, I won't stop you. I'll gently suggest changes but if you want ugly, you'll get ugly.

What do I mean by ugly?

I had one guy who demanded I do his cover exactly like his bad CreateSpace block cover from the early 90's. A plain black cover with one bad bar with blurry lightening showing. It was sad and not eye catching.

Another woman demanded I use a bad photograph she had with poor picture quality. It transferred horribly. It came out grainy. She truly believed I could magically make this photo perfect. I did clean it up and sharpen it but I couldn't make it a 300 DPI quality cover. It looked like it was underwater.

One writer wanted the cover so busy, it looked like 2nd grade collage project.

And I did it all and I charged them money.

Why?

Because the writer asked me to.

I tried to change their minds but my job is to find a balance between what I think will grab the reader and what you want. Sometimes I succeed. Sometimes I don't.

I'm not saying I'm never wrong.

Sometimes what the author wanted made the cover better in the end and I'm willing to try most things.

I want to make you happy. I want to make you a cover that gets you buckets of cash for your work.

Although I did tell the one person that I won't do a pink penis cover. Not because of moral objections, I just hate spending hours photoshopping a pink penis.

So let me help you, okay? I really want to help. And yeah, don't ask me to do a pink penis book cover. A girl has to draw the line somewhere.

Besides some of the covers where the writers worked with me have been fantastic covers. A partnership, not a dictatorship.

After all, your paying me to do it...let me do what you are paying me for.

Tirz

My Birthday

2011-08-21T11:20:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday. I'm older than 21 but less than dead. :)

Okay, I admit it, I'm 39.

I don't mind the age, I don't feel thirty nine inside. Inside I'm a hyperactive teenage boy. Too bad I'm trapped in the body of an almost middle aged chubby woman.

What I'm worried about is that I've done so little with my life. Every year I get a little closer to the end of life. And it may not wait until I'm old. My health has gone in and out, especially my lungs.

I hate the idea that I'll die with nothing to show for it. Nothing to be remembered for. I never married and I can't say I'm sorry about that, I'm not. I'm not the marrying type. I've always been insular and have never met anyone I wanted to let into my private world.

I have no children. That is probably for the best. I'm not sure I'd be a good parent. I'm still too broken to give a kid the steady support he or she would need.

I do have family but they don't really know me and they don't want to really know me. They want me to be what they want me to be, not who I am.

Whatever they remember of me will only be a small part of who I am.

My friends know another part, bigger than that of my family but not all of me.

I thought when I was younger, my writing would be my legacy, the part of me I could preserve as I am but I'm not quite good enough.

I'm not bad just not world grade. :)

School's fallen through.
Writing has stalled.

I'm thirty-nine today and I wonder what's the point?

Next year will be like this year and the year before.

And it'll continue until I die.

It's all rather pointless.

Origami in the dark.

Anyway it's my birthday and I can be depressed if i want.

Tirz

SteamPunk Covers

2011-08-19T16:22:00.005-04:00

Steampunk and Cyberpunk always confuse me. I mean stories based on a mix of the Industrial Revolution but usually set in futuristic settings--how do you make that work as a photo manipulator?

For the most part you don't is what I found.

Gears and airships, people in aviator glasses--cool concepts but not something that lends itself to what I do.

Covers for those books have always scared me a bit.

I still believe these covers need a hand artist to hand draw the scenes they envision.

But what do I know?

What do you think? Hand art only?

Tirz

Giveaway Covers?

2011-08-17T13:33:00.013-04:00

Well Bunnies,

It's almost time to have my 3 month fire sale again. All those lovely rejected covers that I sweated over will be offered as-is to the public at dirt low prices.

But before I offer them up again, I thought I'd ask...would you buy a discarded cover? I mean I've edited, shaped, shined these covers but for whatever reason---they weren't the final picture chosen.

Should I continue to give them away? What I hate is for them not to be used. But I was told that giving them away for nothing devalues the work that went into them. Ah well, I will never earn that business degree. :)

But I hate the idea of all that work for nothing.

I do ask those who take a cover to only do so if they plan to use it within six months. Otherwise you'd remove it from the pool and perhaps not even use it if the project falls through.

But do I offer these covers for FREE again as I have in the past? Do people really devalue anything free?

Some of these like the Alternative Said/Unsaid Cover are really cool---the man walking into the distance.

Some are cheesy as all get out.

I did what the original author wanted.

Here is a random sampling of the discards:

Should I just hit delete? I have over 20 discarded covers that range from weird to wonderful. But does anyone really want someone else's vision even if they changed their mind?

And YES I'd remove the title/author on the cover and put your NEW AUTHOR TITLE ON IT but no other changes.

Should I clean up and offer all 27 covers for free to the random viewing public?

I dunno.

Tirz

Alternative Cover for Said/Unsaid

2011-08-15T12:33:00.006-04:00

Themes

2011-08-07T15:28:00.027-04:00

Alternate Tree Version

Theme 1 Color in Sepia

THEME 2 TREES

Vote for which theme you prefer for a poetry series. The simple colored trees where each volume is another color or the Sepia photos with one item colored in. Which would make you pull the book off the shelf and buy? It should also be easy to make into a multi-volume series.

Tirz

Back From Vegas

2011-08-06T21:45:00.007-04:00

I just got back from my work trip to Vegas. Exhausting. But I did learn a few things.

1) Julia Roberts did ho's a disservice by making hooking look glamorous. After seeing several working girls at Vegas, I have a few suggestions. Wash your hair after each client meeting and if your skirt is skin tight and shorter than your butt cheeks, at least wear a thong. And lastly, bill Ms. Roberts for selling you a bill of faulty goods.

2) Also if I can't tell if you are a hooker or just slutty, time to change your outfit. This is addressed to the girl in the yellow bikini top one size too small, the shorty shorts and her hand in groping in the boyfriend's pocket. Trust me when I say that more than one person wondered if you were working by the hour since you were in a public lobby in front of children. But since you were in flip flops, I lean toward slutty girlfriend rather than ho. Ho's usually have taller shoes.

3) I hate the cigarette smoke and there is no way to avoid it in Vegas because every hotel lobby is a casino. All casinos have smokers.

4) Walking is required so if your knees suck, you're peg-legged, or you are just too heavy to comfortably climb stairs, navigate moving stair cases or side step the short Hispanics giving out peep show cards---I suggest Vegas isn't for you.

5) Even the penny slots are addictive. I won 8 bucks. Okay, I won 11 but I continued to play so it dropped to 8 bucks. Not bad for a dollar investment but it's easy to get swept up in the moment and get yourself in trouble. Stay away from the slots and tables. Especially the one with the 7's and the storm pictures. That machine is mine. Hah.

6) The adult pool. Oh geez no. Please no. No one is pretty enough to make that work. Either you'll be the show because your boobs point upward or you'll be the one people wince about. The worst people at that pool are gawkers. Do you want to be a show for drunk losers? Let them buy it on the porn channel. No adult pool.

7) At 4 in the morning, Vegas is still going strong. Watch out for the drunk people but don't be one of them. Be drunk in your room like a normal person.

8) Big muscles in a great looking suit still looks like a thug. Never saw so many short muscled guys in expensive suits. I was having a Bugsy Siegel moment.

9) Liberace's dressing room is a tattered red-velvet mess. Don't ask me how I know.

:)))

I'm going to bed now. I'm exhausted left for the airport at 4am.

Tirz

MOCk-UPS for The PRomise

2011-07-24T18:51:00.012-04:00

Version 1--not one of my favorites. The girl fades too much for my taste.

Version 2--no fire.

Version 3--girl is too dark and severe, I think. But perhaps that makes it spooky?

Version 4--Silhouette is too young. It's YA but not middle school. Or does it matter? I could change to an older silhouette I suppose.

Version 5--Expression is good but I wonder if this would still work if she were a redhead?

Version 6--My favorite but I worry the girl is too old.

These mock-ups are so April can compare concepts side by side. Personally I like version 6 best.

:)

We'll see what April likes. This book is a YA book on a witch who may or may not have a destructive power. The main character is a redhead with gold eyes. But that can be edited.

What is your favorite?

Death in the Grass-- Digital Painting

2011-07-24T00:26:00.004-04:00

You know I love my digital painter. And yes, I've been painting again. Although the ghosts of Monet and Van Gogh beg me to stop. I have no real talent for painting. I loved my oil painting classes even though my instructor made all those put upon sighs as I painted. With the digital painter, I can embrace my badness and still get a thrill out of it.

This one is a bit darker than the others. I was thinking of those murder books I read. This is called "Death in the Grass". :) Yes, I know I should stick with writing.

But I'm having fun. :)

Helping your Cover Designer

2011-07-23T16:03:00.008-04:00

So you want a fantastic, unique cover? Everyone does. But as someone who helps authors get the e-book cover they want, many times the problem is that the author can't express what they want. Yeah it's ironic, isn't it?

A writer who can't tell me what they want.

So I decided list a few tips for writers to help you express to your designer what you want.

1) You'll need to have a summary of your book. And by summary, I do not mean link your designer to the 43 chapters you have or send them the eight page synopsis. A summary should be under 250 words. Under a 100 words would be great but at least under 250. Basically what you would put in a query letter.

2) Description of your character or characters. If you want someone who looks like your character on the front of your book, help your designer out. Give your designer physical description including hair color and texture (straight, curly, dreds), eye color, distinctive marks like facial scars or tattoos. If your character has distinctive clothes like a leather ninja outfit, let them know. BUT keep it 50 words or less. Your designer is probably working with ten other writers. The more you send, the less they read. A list is nice.

3) If you have a loose idea for your cover, please share it with your designer. But don't be so set on an idea, you have no flexibility. Perhaps you know you want a flying horse in a bright blue sky but don't get it so detailed that you dictate the color of every flower in the field below.

4) Have no idea what you want on the cover? Well tell your designer what MOOD you want on the cover. Say 'I'm writing a romantic suspense novel and I want the cover to be more romantic with just a little scary overtone'. Or 'I want it to be more of a thriller cover with a more stalking feel'. The emotion you want on the cover can help if you have no idea of what picture you want.

5) Send EXAMPLES of covers you like from your genre if you have some. You won't want your cover to be exactly like that but it'll give your designer an idea of what appeals to you. Then tell your designer what you LIKED about the cover examples you sent.

6) Don't reply to your cover examples with "I don't like it". Be specific. I think it's too dark, I wish the woman was younger. I wanted something in more romantic colors but I liked the expression on the girl's face. This helps your designer to edit. Saying 'I don't like it' doesn't let us know why you don't like it.

7) Get the right designer for what you want. Not all designers do the same thing. I do photo manipulation and layering. I don't do hand art. But if you hire a hand artist, don't hire one that does bright busy pictures if you want stark clean lines. Look at EXAMPLES of what they do. Just because you can afford them doesn't mean they fit your aesthetic.

8) Your designer should send you mock-ups. These are unfinished drawings or pictures to find out what concept you like. Many writers seem to be caught up in the idea that the mock up has to be exact and they'll reject them all. The mock-up is for the general idea or look of your cover. Hair color, eye color, shading of the picture can all change. If its a blond in your picture and you have a redhead, don't say no...say can I see it as a redhead.

9) Once you pick a concept/mock-up, the clock is ticking. If you change the whole idea after that, the fees go up. So be sure the concept works before you say yes.

10) If you can't, after two weeks and six mock-ups, get on the same page as the designer, either you can't articulate what you want or your designer doesn't understand what you want. Time to move on.

Tirz

Fun with Photos

2011-07-21T20:22:00.002-04:00

Hour Glass

2011-07-17T08:08:00.005-04:00

Killer Gnomes Cover--_LOLOLOLOL

2011-07-13T11:44:00.001-04:00

This one makes me laugh. Murdering humorous gnomes. :) Still need to do the title/author.

red Blood Tales cover

2011-07-11T01:26:00.002-04:00

My poem: 47th & Decoursey

2011-07-10T09:04:00.003-04:00

I haven't put one of my poems on my blog in forever. So that's what today's Whatever is. My poem.

All my poetry is fairly personal.

47th and Decoursey

Standing on 47th and Decoursey

I think about dirty water

tree limbs

water moccasins

probably a drowning

should I miss impalement

on sharp fingered debris

I think about it

walk across the concrete corridor

my feet crunching the broken

beer bottles

to watch the water

dull, dirty

convulsed with snotty

balls of human refuse

it still moves

with sluggish motion

in its ditch of a riverbank

I watch it,

head bent,

sun burning my neck

heating my shoulders

sweating...

how my stomach hurts

hard but empty

floating somewhere near

my throat

I can’t think

of any reason why

not

but for some reason

I shrug off

and shuffle back

to 47th and Decoursey

a roadway away

from home,

and empty dark rooms

where light won’t follow

I think about it

but I don’t trust the water

that it won’t spit me back

on the muddy bank

smelling of sewage

and dank dead things

yet very much alive

Do other people think

about such things?

Such thoughts

are never far from me...

just past 47th and Decoursey

MOCK Gladys Covers for Book 2

2011-07-09T08:19:00.005-04:00

Irene is working on the idea for book two of Gladys Tripalong. These are MOCk covers for Book 2. Basically we're trying to figure out how we want Gladys' to look. These are not final covers and have NOT been polished.

Mostly the hair sucks. LOL.

Tirz

Tirz

Irene mentioned she may start on book two soon for Gladys Tripalong and we're experimenting with Gladys's look for book two.

digital painting Dancing Nudes

2011-07-07T23:09:00.000-04:00

Winter Tree Cover

2011-07-07T00:19:00.000-04:00

Doubt

2011-07-06T00:38:00.005-04:00

I am a person eaten up with doubts. Big ones, little ones, the doubts linger. Sometimes I think my covers, my book trailers aren't bad. Then I start to wonder if its really good enough or are people just blowing smoke up my butt. Nice is nice but without truth, no one grows as a person or a worker.

So then I worry that spending money on continuing school to get my Graphic Design degree is a waste of money.

What if I do all the work and spend all that money and have nothing to show for it?

Sigh.

Can you ever really be sure of what direction you should move in?

Of course I think the same things about my writing. I am just mediocre at so many things. Not bad but not the best. For once in my life, I want to be the best.

Is that wrong?

Tirz

digital painting inspired by Tattoo flowers

2011-07-05T22:28:00.006-04:00

Could you use digital painting to make abstract covers?

2011-07-05T16:44:00.002-04:00

I wanted to see if any of my odd digital paintings worked as abstract sci-fi covers. They don't really work but hey it was worth a try, right?

Tirz

Digital Painter--sunset over ocean

2011-07-04T20:49:00.003-04:00

Okay Im addicted to my digital painter

2011-07-04T11:26:00.001-04:00

I know I have no painting or drawing talent but hey I am addicted to the digital painter.

Its so zen.

Today's mess. I should stick to poetry. LOL.

eden in digital

2011-07-03T00:03:00.007-04:00

Unused Book Titles (Annual Posting)

2011-07-02T14:32:00.005-04:00

It's time for the annual listing of book titles that no one is using. Every year I hear the same complaint, that there are no new titles. So every year, I post a list of semi-humorous unused book titles.

TITLES:

The Star Slut and the Earthling
Dolphin Attacks and other Fishy Stories
Alphabet Chicks: In Search of the Big O
Nekkid and Lovin' It

A Clever Cleaver
Death of a Celibate
My Humps: Sexual Confessions of Clubber
Dirty Little Mother Humper
Muffy the Man Slayer
Little Man & the Big Vagina

A Gun In His Pocket
Bombs, Blowouts and Bad Hair Days
Pistol Whipped
Chaste Kisses and Control Freaks

Stiffed: The Dead Man Who Loved Me
Killing By Candlelight
Kill and Tell Me All About It

Head Over Kills

Book Trailers- The Whys

2011-06-30T17:01:00.013-04:00

If you are publishing a book these days, you know you need a website or a blog, a facebook page for your book and mostly likely a twitter account. One can never market too much.

The newest self-publishing tool is the book trailer. This video teaser works like a movie trailer, it gets people excited about your book. You put it on your website, you send it to possible readers, you post it on Youtube. When you do interviews (and you should be doing interviews) with bloggers on your book, you'll have a cool trailer to entice people to buy your book.

Here are the most common quesions about book trailers.

A) Can I do one myself?

Yes, you can. Most computers come with Movie Maker. You can put together stock photos, your cover, add music and make a trailer. With a LOT of practice, you can make nice one. If you are not handy with technology, this is probably a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. Five being just shoot yourself, it'll hurt less.

Things to remember: you must clear the RIGHTS on the pictures, video and MUSIC used in your trailer. Just because its on YouTube or its on the internet, doesn't mean you have the legal right to use it in a commerical enterprise. And a trailer is meant to make you money so its commerical.

If you know someone with Animoto, they can probably do one much easier than Movie Maker.

You can hire someone to do a trailer for you but it won't be free. If you have everythign ready, most videos can be completed within a week. If the person has to create all your materials and do the storyline, expect that time to be doubled (minimum).

Most of my video trailers are done within a week start to finish.

2) What's the biggest mistake people make in book trailers?

The biggest mistake is trying to tell your entire book in about two minutes or less of time. The trailer is a teaser, it is not the MGM production of your book. PIck the main plot, leave a question hanging at the end but NO MORE THAN ONE question is to be asked in the trailer. Keep the trailer short.

3) Will this help my website traffic?

It might if you remember to link or list your blog or website address in your video.

4) Second biggest mistake in the trailers?

Mmm...not putting your book cover in the video and not telling them where it can be purchased. The goal is to sell books so make it super easy for readers to find your book.

5) Do I need actors, a graphic artist or a filmmaker to make my trailer?

Nope. All those things help but are not required.

6) Where can I get music that is royalty free for my trailer?
Sites like Animoto PRO clear song rights for you. Otherwise, try http://incompetech.com/ and if you can, donate to them. They provide a great service. The music there can be used without royalty or copyright infringement.

7) Where do I get stock photos?

I suggest buying them from BigStockPhotos or downloading free ones from the donated photo link on Dreamstime. On Dreamstime, make sure you use the DONATED FREE photos. Otherwise you'll need to purchase something. Other sites like http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/ can provide free stock photos. However most of the PDP does not have a model release on the faces. It's a gray area.

8) My photos and character pictures need edited to fit my book, what do I do?

If you are doing a book with elves or if you need a tree growing in a swimming pool for your video, you'll need to find a graphic designer or a person who is good at art to help you. I often tweak character art photos for people for their websites, it's not hard to do on your own but you need some specialized programs such as picnik, fotoflexer, Gimp 2.0 or Photoshop.

9) I want video clips in my video, how can I find some?

The cheapest way is to do it yourself with your video camera or the movie feature on your digital phone. Otherwise, you'll need to buy video clips, get permission from friends to use their personal videos or go out to a classic video archive site and download some free classic black and white historic video. Try Shutterfly for video clips.

10) How long should the trailer be?

Most videos should be under 2 minutes ten seconds including the links and credits. :) There are exceptions but most should strive to keep it there or below. People have short attention spans.

11) What if I don't want music but I want a voice over on my video, can that be done?Oh yes. You need a headset with a microphone (available at any Walmart for less than 20 bucks), a computer with sound and an audio recorder. The Audio Recorder---is the hardest to get. I've found the free recorder downloaded from www.mypodcast.com works for this purpose. Expect to rerecord it about five or six times to get the timing right.

Does that help?

Click the LINKS below to check out some of the ANIMOTO trailers I've created:

Glady Tripalong Book Trailer

I Wish I Were Engulfed in Flames Book Trailer

How To Survive Cannibals Website Video WITH AUDIO instead of music.

New fire for Telesa

2011-06-25T21:26:00.003-04:00

Possible Volcano Cover 4

2011-06-25T14:13:00.000-04:00

My new book cover website, Tirzahs Book Covers

2011-06-24T20:23:00.003-04:00

Check out my new book cover website at the link below.

Get Your Custom Book Cover Here

People have been asking if I'm going to do an actual website for my book covers rather than steering everyone toward my blog so here it is. It's not bad. :)

If you know someone who wants a cover, steer them here or there. :)

Tirz

Mock up of TELESA girl jumps in volcano cover

2011-06-22T13:49:00.000-04:00

Very rough version of a girl jumps in volcano cover.

More TELESA covers

2011-06-20T20:59:00.002-04:00

NEW TELESA covers

2011-06-19T10:30:00.006-04:00

Possible covers for Lani

2011-06-18T09:22:00.007-04:00

Kat's Zebra Boy

2011-06-16T02:22:00.001-04:00

Waffler

2011-06-15T15:28:00.003-04:00

I admit it. I'm a waffler. I hate making little decisions. I consider every angle, I research. I do unofficial surveys of interested parties. Then I decide after weeks, months or years of internal debate.

But once I decide something, it's usually set in stone. That is where I think I confuse people. I dither so much (I love the word dither) that people assume I have no strong opinions or that they can bully me.

The opposite is true. Most of the time, I don't care so you can have what you want. Making the right decision on big items is important to me so I think and choose with thought and care.

So when someone tries to push me off one of my few decided items, they meet a big, fat 'no'. Perhaps it's my fault because it's not clear to them but it is clear to me how I work. :)

Perhaps I'm getting older though because some part of me is starting to care less about making others happy if it makes me miserable.

Shouldn't we be like the oath of doctors? First, 'do no harm'. That's what I believe about life, 'first do no harm' and that includes to myself.

So I guess they'll just have to accept that I'll always dither and when I say 'no', I really mean no.

Or they can lump it (my mature side showing). :)

Tirz

Digital Painting

2011-06-12T22:38:00.003-04:00

Okay I'm a terrible painter but I do love color. I found this new digital painter and I couldn't resist painting.

:)

Tirz

Gladys Cover VERSION 1

2011-06-07T00:06:00.005-04:00

AuRora Cover

2011-06-05T12:24:00.012-04:00

Promise cover

2011-06-03T14:46:00.003-04:00

Labelle Banner changes

2011-06-01T17:53:00.012-04:00

Poem Reading

2011-05-29T09:10:00.003-04:00

Poem on link below.

Poem reading

Click the link above and listen to me read a poem from Alfred Lee Booth.

:)

It plays in a lovely winter video.

Tirz

For the Love of Babies Viideo

2011-05-23T23:05:00.001-04:00

My first official, author approved VIDEO!!!

It's even on YouTUbe.

Tirz

2011-05-19T22:44:00.004-04:00

Grudge Cover

2011-05-18T22:38:00.003-04:00

New unFAIRYly marked VIDEO

2011-05-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

MOre pop music version, longer.

UnFairyLy Marked Mock Video

2011-05-10T23:27:00.001-04:00

This the first try at the Video Trailer for UnFairyLy Marked by Susan Stec. I expect it'll evolve.

:)

Tirz

This Time I Lose Demo VIDEO

2011-05-08T12:10:00.002-04:00

I admit it, I'm trying to teach myself how to make video book trailers. My first ham fisted attempt.

:) Next time I'd like try voice over with it.

This Time You Lose Mock covers

2011-05-01T12:04:00.002-04:00

href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WKg-C_oOmeo/Tb2Eq4DRkdI/AAAAAAAAAzc/dV5PKmdlwLQ/s1600/kidnapped33.jpg">

memory eater 112 version

2011-04-23T10:20:00.000-04:00