So, sometimes I get things stuck in my head and have to work them out before I can move on. One of the things I’ve had stuck there (for a while now) is learning how to do my own covers. As I’ve mentioned before, I write faster than I can afford to have covers made, a situation many new writers face and one I hope will change this year. (I’ve got a plan. It’s coming together, slowly but surely.) In the meantime, I thought it wise to learn how to do my own covers. 

This cover is for my upcoming SciFi Romance, The Choosing (A Novel of the Pruxnae), and I think it turned out very well thanks to some really great input from my friends and family on Facebook. It still looks a little bit too much like Romantic Suspense, but there is a sense of action-adventure/suspense in it, so that might not be a bad thing. The print cover is below. You can thank Richard for the spaceship. He insisted the cover needed one, and I think he was right.

I’ve spent the past year learning how to use Paint.NET and its various plug-ins as well as basic cover composition, but this is something absolutely anyone with a willingness to learn and experiment can do. I even thought about doing a tutorial, but that would take more time than I really have right now. Thankfully, there are tons and tons of tutorials out there on YouTube and the Paint.NET forums, so if you’re interested, just do a search and have fun.

Now, on to the important stuff, like why I veered away from fantasy into SciFi. Really, it’s not much of a veer away from what I’m already producing: richly detailed cultures, strong, relatable characters, a sensual romance, and more going on than meets the eye. I’m a SciFi Gal at heart, so naturally, I want to express a bit of that. SciFi Romance gives me the perfect opportunity to do so.

I’ve talked a little about The Choosing in another post, but here’s a better idea of what the story is about: Ryn abid Alna wants a bride, and according to custom, the best way for him to get one is by stealing one. He kidnaps Ziri Mokuru from her homeworld, Tersi, and carts her across the galaxy to his adoptive world, Abyw. There, Ziri faces Ryn’s family on the Choosing field and must decide if she wants Ryn as a lifemate or if fate is pushing her in another direction.

This one has been a lot of fun to write and I hope it will be just as much fun to read. I’ll have more news later on an exact release date, but fully expect it to be available this year.