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The time has finally arrived to reveal the cover to the third novel in The Witch’s Foundling series! I hope you’re as excited to see it as I am to share it with all of you. The action of the story has shifted from the countryside and Briarstone Manor to the shadowy and threatening streets of Victorian London. A new monster is on the prowl and it can have devastating consequences for Sally and Samdriel. I hope you get that vibe from these cool covers produced by the cover designer at TellWell Publishing. (The covers are best viewed on Desktop or tablet, I’m afraid. I tried adjusting the layout for mobile but it didn’t quite work out.)

First up is the paperback cover…

Now, for the Hardcover dust-jacket…

Well, I hope you’re feeling it like I am. Right now I’m working on interior revisions for the book and once that’s done, it’ll be off to press. Perhaps sooner than you think. Follow me on the SillWill Studios Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to hear the latest news on a release date.

And remember … Christmas is coming! (Now, that is really frightening.)

FEATURE DESIGN OF THE MONTH

I promised this woman of magic and mystery last month but didn’t make the deadline. The Legendary Librarian has magical knowledge she wishes to impart. Invite her to your home when you order one (or more)of the many quality products from our Redbubble shop.

“To Blurb or not to Blurb?” That’s not really a question because of course, you need a blurb to go with your book. In this day and age of publication, that paragraph or two describing your book’s plot, is an absolute necessity. Lately, I’ve been working on the blurb for the third novel in The Witch’s Foundling series: Spell of the Wordsmith. It’s been awhile so I had to re-educate myself on the finer points of the craft. A good blurb is one of the primary hooks to grab your potential reader’s interest enough to buy. So, yeah, pretty important. The following are the steps I consider when composing my book’s blurb.

“Writing Killer Cover Copy” by Elana Johnson has been my main guide when it comes to constructing my blurbs. According to Johnson, there are four main points to keep in mind when addressing what to put into your cover copy.

Identify your character. Young or old? Naive or cynical? Privileged or an outsider? Alien from another planet or ordinary human being? You don’t need too much detail but include what makes your character unique.

What challenge is facing your protagonist in their present circumstances? Do they want to win a prestigious prize? Are they looking for love in all the wrong places? Are they struggling to survive ferocious invaders? Add a bit of intrigue as to what makes their goal/desire admirable or, at least, understandable.

What’s preventing your protagonist from achieving their goal? Is it their lack of money or status? Do they have a physical or mental disability which presents an unavoidable roadblock? Does an antagonist actively oppose the protagonist’s desire? This is the place to tightly summarize your story’s conflict and lay out the main thrust of the novel.

Is your protagonist’s very life at stake? Or might they lose something or someone else, if they don’t succeed? Will the consequences of failure affect them alone or everyone else as well? This is where you state the stakes for your main character and their world. Leave the reader with enough of a hook to peak their interest while withholding the juicy details.

As you see, there’s actually a lot of work that goes into those little summaries you read on the back of the books you pick up or browse online.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or just curious about all the things that go into a book, I hope these points provided you with some insight. I’ve been using these steps to construct the blurb for Spell of the Wordsmith and will release it soon. The ball is rolling and momentum is building for the book and I’ll be sending it out for interior formatting and cover design very, very soon so stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok to be on top of the latest news.

FEATURE DESIGN OF THE MONTH

Break out the pumpkins and treat bags! ‘Cause you know what time it is, don’t you? Whether you’re going all out with decorations for Halloween or you like a more understated approach, double your fun by joining with our mischievous, spirited pugs! May all your hauntings be hilarious and your Halloween Haul abundant. Find fun stickers, t-shirts, mugs and more of our pugs at our Redbubble shop.

It finally happened. Seeking “new horizons”, aka new ways to market my books, I’ve made the plunge into Tik Tok. I have to confess – it’s kind of fun. I know I’m not the targeted demographic for the app but I have noticed there are more than a few older folks engaging in the platform. More than I expected to be honest. I have been primarily following the subgroup of ‘Book Tok’. It’s my hope that I’ll be permitted to grow my author’s presence organically, without the pesky interference of a suppressive algorithm. Something frustratingly present on those other social media platforms.

Learning to make videos and editing them is an ongoing process. As I have “a face made for radio”, stepping in front of the camera is very challenging. The solution? Voice-over videos or videos with captions and music. Luckily, Tik Tok provides both those options. There are also video editing apps like CapCut or media apps like Canva that help. There is a bit of a learning curve, and I’m still working on it. Hopefully, I’ll put some extra cool things out as time goes by.

An advantage of these new videos is the ability to share them on Facebook and Instagram. Though again, those platforms will sometimes suppress the videos as they’re from a different app. However, not all the time. You can still catch some of the videos on our social media feeds if you’re not on Tik Tok.

However, as a special treat for now. After receiving the edits for Book Three in The Witch’s Foundling series, I decided to reveal the title for the next book.

If you think things were tough for Sally and Samdriel in the first two books, buckle up. The action shifts to a new location with new friends and foes. Lots of supernatural skullduggery and action as the stakes get raised yet again. I’ll let you know when I have a launch date and I’ll release the blurb so you can all get a better idea of the story. Stay tuned.

FEATURE DESIGN OF THE MONTH

The Moon Sorceress has come seeking a Partner in Power. The latest addition to my “Women of Magic and Mystery” collection continues with the Gaslamp Fantasy vibe displayed by my other recent designs. You can join the enchantress in a magical journey when you purchase the design on a variety quality items like t-shirts, mugs, journals and stickers at our Redbubble store. The time has come to embrace the magic.

Things have been taking a turn these days into frustration. I finally caught Covid which knocked me off of my feet for a couple of weeks. Of course things didn’t stop there with several household items breaking down, one after the other. One of those things being my laptop that I use for the majority of my novel writing. As noted in previous posts, sometimes I despise technology even as I think it’s amazing. So, I’ve needed to put down the baseball bat, take several deep breathes and move on. Thinking about my novel and others helps with that.

If you’ve read my blog for awhile, then you’ll know my novels The Witch’s Foundling and The Secret Cage can be categorized as Gaslamp Fantasies. Or put another way, they’re set in the 19th century with a heavy dose of magic and monsters. Now, while I, of course, recommend my own books, I thought it might be fun to point a few other authors in the same categories that you might care to check out. So, let me recommend to any fans of the Gaslamp Fantasy genre …

At present, these two are my favourite Gaslamp Fantasy authors and I think if you enjoy my books you’ll like them too. Tilly Wallace also has a quartet of Regency Werewolf romances that are spicy and charming and C. J. Archer’s Glass and Steele series is also a blast. Check them out for some extra Gaslamp Fantasy fun.

For more up-to-date news about my own novels, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

On Saturday, June 24th, SillWill Studios were guests at the 2023 Forest City Comic Con. This particular convention is a one day event but run by friends of ours and always a good time. It was challenging to remember all the products and other items we used to bring with us all those years ago. Like not just our books but having a pair of scissors and tape on hand. Believe me, you’ll appreciate having those articles with you as you set up.

All in All, the Forest City Comic Con was a great event to ease back into exhibiting. Not to mention, it’s always encouraging to talk with other comic fans. Surprisingly, we met a certain cosplayer …

Moving forward, we’re looking into more appearances, book signings and pop-up tables for our products. We’ll also be announcing some other projects too. You’ll hear about it in our newsletter, here and on our Facebook and Instagram. We look forward to connecting with some of you.

If you’re a subscriber to our newsletter, you’ll also get the First Look at our Feature Design of the Month. I’m on a kind of Steampunk/Gaslamp Fantasy kick recently so check out The Rose Enchantress. below. She’s available in our Redbubble Store as stickers, magnets, t-shirts and more!

So, sticking with the title of this blog you can guess what’s been my focus for the last month. Things are progressing with the release of my second novel, The Secret Cage. This has been amidst an eye-rolling surprise from Redbubble, the POD company who is our main provider for our merchandise. That’s mugs, t-shirts, stickers and more. In between that and trying to push for reviews for The Witch’s Foundling and The Secret Cage, it’s been a busy month.

This might be why I came up with our latest design for our store: Not today, Bear! Not today! If you’ve heard of the old saying, “Some days you get the bear and some days the bear gets you.” Well the latest design deals with sounding off about that struggle. It will be available (for now anyway) at our Redbubble Store.

With this new change, SillWill Studios is a bit better off than a lot of accounts in that, under the new Tiered system, we qualify as a Premium Account. It means we’re exempt from most of the new fees. Many creators will not be. This has prompted many artist to leave Redbubble. It’s a tense time and another example of the challenges faced by Indie artists.

So, what does this mean for SillWill Studios? Partly, that we’re looking into offering our designs on a variety of platforms. Whenever we get things sorted out, we’ll let you know here or in newsletter. While P. O. D. has been a complete game-changer by opening up avenues for artists and authors to get their designs and stories in front of an audience, there has been a foreseeable downside.

With everyone getting a kick at the can, the marketplace for designs and stories can be immense. That’s where the challenge of marketing comes in. With the limited budgets faced by Indie artists and authors taking the potential pay-cut represented by Redbubble‘s changes will leave many people scrambling even more to grab a piece of that audience-pie.

Speaking of Marketing, in a broad digital landscape, sometimes the personal touch means a lot more. So, if you happen to be in London, Ontario on May 20th, come and say Hi at The Bread and Roses Bookshop. It’s on the second floor of the Western Fair Farmers’ Market. We can talk novels and illustration and how to get your work out there. It would be great to hear what you might be working on too.

I plan to discuss Print On Demand in more detail in a further blog but if anyone has any questions about the process, feel free to shoot us a question. You can do it here or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram. It would be great to hear from you. Until then, when you see that Bear coming at you just say:

Another title for this blog might have been, “What to do when the well runs dry?” That question, or a variation, is something creative people are frequently asked. I’ve done blogs in the past touching on the subject but I thought I’d take a look back at it. Partially due to the fact that I struggled to choose a topic for this month. Not being prepared to turn to ChatGPT, I asked myself what is it that inspires me?

Firstly, I don’t recommend waiting around for the Inspiration Fairy to show up. Staring at a blank screen or page can instill a sense of stress, even panic that can stifle creativity. In such a case, I recommend you do something unrelated to the artistic endeavour you’re engaged in. Take your dog for a walk, chat with a friend, sew a quilt, climb a mountain, lead a rebellion against a fascist empire to impress a romantic interest – just a minute, let me jot that down.

Secondly, having interests outside your writing or art can actually help you broaden your imagination. This in turn will grant you more resources on which to draw for inspiration. Love to garden? Perhaps it inspires you to create the story of a homicide detective that is hunting a serial killer with a fetish for rare plants. Or perhaps you’ll draw a charming flower fairy for a children’s book.

Collect vintage toys? Perhaps you write a rom-com about two rivals competing to purchase an antique toy from an eccentric collector. Or you use toys to create an installation about the decline in handmade items in competition with mass-produced cheap toys?

Or while watching a scary movie, you question the behaviour of a malevolent spirit and your wondering inspires a scary story of your own.

Such was the case for my first novel, The Witch’s Foundling. I can’t even remember the name of the horror/scary film I was watching but it featured a ghost, killing people in revenge for the injustices they suffered in life. I recall thinking, “Why is the ghost killing innocent people who never did anything to them? What kind of story could you create, centred around a spirit that sought to atone, rather than hurt?” Thus, the character of Samdriel was formed. Very quickly the image for his first meeting with Sally followed and I built the world of The Witch’s Foundling from there.

Other artists can also be a source of inspiration. As a big fan of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, choosing an isolated, Victorian manor for my main setting felt like a natural choice. I loved the creepy, gothic aesthetic in terms of mood and location and how the 19th century societal structures could affect/constrain my protagonists. Overlaying that approach, the quote from author Maya Anjelou provided some guidance: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” With that in mind, I tried to build a strong emotional foundation to my Gaslamp/Gothic Fantasy. All together those sources have been enough for me to write five books. (Only the first and second books are out though.)

Sometimes my illustrative work allows me a break from writing and exercises other parts of my brain. These complimentary interests keep me investing in my imagination. My palomino Pegasus is an example. In my second novel, The Secret Cage, lightning has a symbolic significance. Can’t say if that directly influenced the creation of my latest design you’ll find on our Redbubble store, but it certainly didn’t hurt. Can you picture yourself riding a mythical beast like this across stormy skies? Or maybe you’d just prefer to read about it? Let us know on our Facebook or Instagram pages.

A couple of weeks ago, I revealed the cover to The Secret Cage, the second book in The Witch’s Foundling series on the Facebook and Instagram pages for SillWill Studios. At least, I revealed the front cover. Below, I thought some of you might like to see the entire cover, including the dustjacket for the hardcover edition. I am truly pleased by the results from Tellwell Publishing with the look and I hope you are as well.

First, the full paperback cover.

Now for the the dustjacket for the Hardcover.

In the case of The Secret Cage I approached the designers at Tellwell with a fairly firm idea of what I wanted to see. For The Witch’s Foundling series, I envision keeping the young woman’s silhouette being repeated for each book; supporting images and colour scheme will change. This is intended to create a connection between the books in this planned five book series while allowing each book to have a distinctive look.

Each of the various formats, paperback, hardcover and ebook, require adjusted parameters so choose a design that translates well for each format. However, if you too are an aspiring indie author, remember that a cover needs to reflect the tone and genre of your story. You want a cover that is eye-catching but if it does not attract your target readers you risk poor reviews. And nobody wants bad reviews.

There are numerous factors to consider when trying to choose a cover design. This isn’t a concern if you’re a traditionally published. Such a decision will be made for you by your publisher. If you’re an indie author, you need to focus on different factors when it comes to the cover for your novel. These factors are: genre, target audience and if it’s a standalone book or one of a series. There are lots of independent book cover designers out there as well as services like Tellwell Publishing. They offer all the services from editing, cover design, interior design and more at one place. What you choose will depend on your goals and budget.

Moving on to the ‘More’ of “Book Covers and more” is my latest illustration (because I do that too). I’d like to introduce you to Miss Clover O’Hallahan, The Leprechaun Catcher. She promises to humanely address any leprechauns, fairies, sprites and kobolds who may be infesting your home. You can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in peace and not worry about what might actually be in your green beer and know the mischievous creatures will be released into their natural enviroment far from your home. You can find Miss O’Hallahan at our Rebubble Shop on a number of high quality items. The fridge magnets are particularly cool.