Bespoken (Nightangel and Daydreamer #1)
by Marie Michelle Coleman
Genre: paranormal romance//urban fantasy
Publisher: Suburban Island Publishing
Cover Artist: Doug Pecht
Nobody ever told Casey how dangerous a little daydreaming could be.
Casey Sloane appreciates the power of a good daydream. It’s the perfect antidote to the pressures of her hectic life as an associate attorney at a high-powered Washington, D.C. law firm. When the nightangel Gabriel takes up residence in those dreams, Casey is more delighted than surprised. Gabriel is the perfect mixture of danger, otherworldly beauty, and out-and-out temptation required to throw her daydreams into a state of perpetual overdrive.
But when the nightangel sheds his wings and arrives in the real world for a real-time relationship with Casey, she gets a quick education on the unforeseen consequences of secret daydreams.
Marie
Michelle Coleman is a paranormal romance and urban fantasy author whose
book, Bespoken, is the first in the Nightangel and Daydreamer series.
She's been in love with the written word since she was old enough to
turn the pages of her first book. She's always had a fascination with
vampires and angels. Sitting down at the keyboard and turning on the
paranormal blender was a natural next step. Marie lives in the Washington D.C. area. She believes in the power of a compelling dream, the therapeutic merits of loud music, and the benefits of always being in the middle of reading a great book. Marie has a soft spot for a good romance and likes to laugh. Jane Austen is her favorite author. She'll probably always be a little in love with Mr. Darcy.
She grows roses in her garden but no matter how hard she tries, they don't look anything like the ones in Casey Sloane's daydreams.
Website: http://www.mariemichellecoleman.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Michelle-Coleman/440406802760179
Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_M_Coleman
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MarieMColeman/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mmichellecoleman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Michelle-Coleman/440406802760179
Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_M_Coleman
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MarieMColeman/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mmichellecoleman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guest Post:
The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True
Every book deserves a cover that ignites the interest of a potential reader in a glance. I’m a big fan of book covers that give me an enticing glimpse of what awaits me inside. The right cover can help readers find a book that fits their interests and sometimes give them the push they need to step over into some new genres too.
When I go book shopping – in a brick and mortar bookstore or on the web - my eye is naturally attracted to certain covers. They just call out to be pulled from the shelf – physical or virtual – and considered as one of the next titles to be added to my library.
Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy and Daniel Water’s Generation Dead are examples of two very different covers that really got my attention. They made a visual statement that was intriguing and drew me in. I had to buy those books!
Covers can send a message. H.P. Mallory’s covers let me know I’m going to get a fun paranormal read. Covers can provide a vibe. The covers for Amanda Hocking’s My Blood Approves series promise that something out-of-the-norm will happen there.
Bespoken is a paranormal romance with some urban fantasy tossed into the mix. My main character, Casey Sloane, is an attorney at a top Washington, D.C. law firm. It’s a hectic life and not a good career choice for the faint of heart. Her escape hatch from this hyper-competitive environment is to daydream. Her daydreams, complete with the breathtaking nightangel Gabriel, are a lush counterpoint to the stark stresses of the legal workplace. You can bet trouble is going to come along with a set of sharp-feathered wings no matter how pretty the setting. The beauty and danger surrounding the daydreamer is what I wanted my cover to reflect.
I knew a few things right off with regard to the cover. I wasn’t going to do the cover myself. I was going to find a cover artist who got my concept. I had certain elements that had to be integrated into the cover no matter what. I wasn’t going to rest until it was done the way I wanted so I needed someone who would be willing to play around with the cover a bit until we got it just right.
I did a lot of research on cover artists but in the end, I realized that I knew someone just right for the job in my own backyard. His name is Doug Pecht. He’s a graphic designer and you can find him at https://www.behance.net/drpecht. I knew he’d get my vibe and would be flexible in working on the cover. This all turned out to be true.
Once Doug agreed to do the cover for Bespoken and we set some parameters like timeframe and price, I provided Doug with a document that showed him covers out there that I loved and hated. I had spent a lot of time looking at stock art sites so I had some images that I thought were possible starting points. I also knew that there were certain elements that need to be integrated into this cover besides the daydreamer. It required a spectacular sky, a wing rising up behind her, and some sense of being in a beautiful garden. Doug took all of these ideas and integrated them into a cover that captured my vision perfectly. You could say the cover is a snapshot of a dream come true – well, a daydream anyway.
What was excited about working with a graphic designer is that he was able to refine the concept I had in ways I wouldn’t have considered. He also added his artistic vision into the mix – giving the final image that beautiful burst of orange in the sky and cloaking the upper edge of the wing in a twisting fog.
I love the cover for Bespoken. And that’s what an author should feel for the cover of their book. It’s also what they want everyone else to feel for it too. They want a cover that shouts, “Get over here and start reading.” I hope the cover of Bespoken does that for you.
Every book deserves a cover that ignites the interest of a potential reader in a glance. I’m a big fan of book covers that give me an enticing glimpse of what awaits me inside. The right cover can help readers find a book that fits their interests and sometimes give them the push they need to step over into some new genres too.
When I go book shopping – in a brick and mortar bookstore or on the web - my eye is naturally attracted to certain covers. They just call out to be pulled from the shelf – physical or virtual – and considered as one of the next titles to be added to my library.
Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy and Daniel Water’s Generation Dead are examples of two very different covers that really got my attention. They made a visual statement that was intriguing and drew me in. I had to buy those books!
Covers can send a message. H.P. Mallory’s covers let me know I’m going to get a fun paranormal read. Covers can provide a vibe. The covers for Amanda Hocking’s My Blood Approves series promise that something out-of-the-norm will happen there.
Bespoken is a paranormal romance with some urban fantasy tossed into the mix. My main character, Casey Sloane, is an attorney at a top Washington, D.C. law firm. It’s a hectic life and not a good career choice for the faint of heart. Her escape hatch from this hyper-competitive environment is to daydream. Her daydreams, complete with the breathtaking nightangel Gabriel, are a lush counterpoint to the stark stresses of the legal workplace. You can bet trouble is going to come along with a set of sharp-feathered wings no matter how pretty the setting. The beauty and danger surrounding the daydreamer is what I wanted my cover to reflect.
I knew a few things right off with regard to the cover. I wasn’t going to do the cover myself. I was going to find a cover artist who got my concept. I had certain elements that had to be integrated into the cover no matter what. I wasn’t going to rest until it was done the way I wanted so I needed someone who would be willing to play around with the cover a bit until we got it just right.
I did a lot of research on cover artists but in the end, I realized that I knew someone just right for the job in my own backyard. His name is Doug Pecht. He’s a graphic designer and you can find him at https://www.behance.net/drpecht. I knew he’d get my vibe and would be flexible in working on the cover. This all turned out to be true.
Once Doug agreed to do the cover for Bespoken and we set some parameters like timeframe and price, I provided Doug with a document that showed him covers out there that I loved and hated. I had spent a lot of time looking at stock art sites so I had some images that I thought were possible starting points. I also knew that there were certain elements that need to be integrated into this cover besides the daydreamer. It required a spectacular sky, a wing rising up behind her, and some sense of being in a beautiful garden. Doug took all of these ideas and integrated them into a cover that captured my vision perfectly. You could say the cover is a snapshot of a dream come true – well, a daydream anyway.
What was excited about working with a graphic designer is that he was able to refine the concept I had in ways I wouldn’t have considered. He also added his artistic vision into the mix – giving the final image that beautiful burst of orange in the sky and cloaking the upper edge of the wing in a twisting fog.
I love the cover for Bespoken. And that’s what an author should feel for the cover of their book. It’s also what they want everyone else to feel for it too. They want a cover that shouts, “Get over here and start reading.” I hope the cover of Bespoken does that for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 8 Spotlight
More Romance Please
moreromanceplease.blogspot.com
September 9 Guest blog
Ebook Escapes
http://ebookescapes.com
September 10 Guest blog
Shut Up & Read
http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
September 11 Spotlight
CBY Book Club
http://cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk
September 12 Spotlight
Flutey Words
http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com
September 15 Guest blog
Fang-tastic Books
www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
September 15 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
September 16 Spotlight
Ashley's Paranormal Book Blog
Http://www.ashes86blog.wordpress.com
September 16 Spotlight
Emma Weylin
http://emmaweylin.com/
September 16 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
September 17 Spotlight
Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog
www.jodiepierceauthor.blogspot.com/
September 17 Review
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
www.pratr.wordpress.com
September 18 Interview
Roxanne's Realm
www.roxannerhoads.com
September 18 Spotlight and review
Making it Happen
http://moonangel23.blogspot.com/
September 19 Top Ten List
Darkest Cravings
www.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
September 19 review
Book Briefs Book Blog
http://bookbriefs.net
September 22 Interview
Pembroke Sinclair.
www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
September 22 Character Interview
Eclipse Reviews
www.totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com
September 8 Spotlight
More Romance Please
moreromanceplease.blogspot.com
September 9 Guest blog
Ebook Escapes
http://ebookescapes.com
September 10 Guest blog
Shut Up & Read
http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
September 11 Spotlight
CBY Book Club
http://cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk
September 12 Spotlight
Flutey Words
http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com
September 15 Guest blog
Fang-tastic Books
www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
September 15 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom
www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
September 16 Spotlight
Ashley's Paranormal Book Blog
Http://www.ashes86blog.wordpress.com
September 16 Spotlight
Emma Weylin
http://emmaweylin.com/
September 16 Spotlight
Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
September 17 Spotlight
Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog
www.jodiepierceauthor.blogspot.com/
September 17 Review
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
www.pratr.wordpress.com
September 18 Interview
Roxanne's Realm
www.roxannerhoads.com
September 18 Spotlight and review
Making it Happen
http://moonangel23.blogspot.com/
September 19 Top Ten List
Darkest Cravings
www.darkestcravings.blogspot.com
September 19 review
Book Briefs Book Blog
http://bookbriefs.net
September 22 Interview
Pembroke Sinclair.
www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
September 22 Character Interview
Eclipse Reviews
www.totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com
Thanks for hosting my guest blog and being part of Bespoken’s virtual book tour! I really enjoyed writing about my experience in getting from concept to cover here on Shut Up & Read.
ReplyDelete