Emotion in Motion
  • Home
  • Circles
  • El Corazon
    • Scintilla
  • Sentries
    • The World of Sentries
    • Marked Yours (Book #1 of Sentries)
    • Together Bound (book #2 of Sentries)
    • Chained Hearts (Book #3 of Sentries)
    • Collared Souls (Book #4 of Sentries)
    • Tethered Pair (Book #5 of Sentries)
    • Ringed Love (Book #6 of Sentries)
    • Free Read--Take What's Yours
    • Free Read: Heart, Home & Hearth
    • Free Read: Fox Tails
    • Sentries series reviews
  • The Sleepless City Shared Universe
    • Shades of Sepia (book #1)
    • Electric Candle (book #2)
    • Family and Reflection (Book #3)
    • Shifting Chaos (book #4)
    • Free Read: This Crazy Little Thing
    • The Guys!
    • Location, Location, Location
  • The Vampire Guard
  • Edge Jump
  • For the Long Run
  • High Test
  • Whiskey and Moonshine
  • Pain and Pleasure
    • Home Coming
    • The Art of Domination
    • The Freedom of Submission
    • Love and Lust
    • No Regrets
  • Strays
  • 29 Hours to Eternity
  • Subscribe to my Newsletter
  • About Me
  • Thoughts and Things Blog
    • The Amazing Adventures of The Great White Hunter and Princess Paws
    • Finn's Log
  • French Translations
  • Book Bundles
  • Free Reads
  • My Fan Fiction Collection
  • Complete Privacy Policy

On books, dogs, the pursuit of astronomy and good coffee

newsletter

Myths Untold: Faery

4/18/2016

 
Not so long ago J. Scott Coatsworth was a guest on my blog and he did a post about the evolution of the cover of his book. It was a hit! Well today he's arranged for a similar treat! Scott along with August Li, Brandon Witt and Skye Hegyes have a great new anthology Myths Untold: Faery from Wilde City Press. Of course every book needs a cover and this one was designed by the very talented (and incredibly nice) August Li, aka Gus. Gus was kind enough to provide us with some details on how this cover came to be.

Personally I think it's amazing how Gus and other cover artists create these delightful works of art to go with the written word.

Hello everyone, and thanks for having me on the blog today. I’m happy to be here. My name is August (Gus) Li, and I’m here on behalf of my fellow authors J. Scott Coatsworth, Skye Hegyes, and Brandon Witt to talk about the cover art for our anthology, Myths Untold: Faery.
 
One standard approach to choosing an image for a book cover is to represent one of the main characters. In an anthology containing four novellas, obviously I couldn’t do that, so what we decided was to design a new character—one who doesn’t appear in any of the stories—as a sort of mascot. If you read the book, you might notice bits and pieces of many of the characters, but this particular faerie doesn’t have his own story… at least not yet.
 
We wanted not just a magical-looking character, but also a somewhat surreal landscape to impart the feeling of being somewhere else, in another world. I don’t want to go too much into boring design details, but one thing I tried to do to achieve that feeling was to frame the cover with the trees and vegetation to create something resembling a portal, a passageway to somewhere else. I also tried to use the light and color to create a setting that wasn’t quite realistic, hopefully a little more magical. My main goal was to impart a mood of mystery and perhaps a little danger, but also enough beauty to lure the curious into this world.
 
So, here are some progress shots of the cover in development. I’m not going to go into a great deal of technical detail, because that’s pretty boring, and also because a lot of what I do I have figured out on my own to achieve the effects I want, and for all I know I might not be doing it the most effective way.
 
All of this work is done in Photoshop. The first step is to do the sketch, a basic outline of the figure. Here’s what that looks like. Pretty flat and boring, yeah?
Picture
Then I work back to front. That way I can keep creating new layer to place over older layers, and I don’t have to worry about coloring in around anything; I can just place the trees that are nearer right overtop of those in the background. The basic order is sky/light, followed by trees farthest to closest. You can see I haven’t even touched the figure yet. Though I like the results I get from working this way, it’s sometimes hard, because the figure is my favorite aspect to work on.
Picture
When I do get to the figure, I keep working in layers, starting with the basic skin tone, followed by skin shading, highlights, hair, hair shading, hair highlights, eyes, and other details. That’s followed by anything that might overlap the figure, in this case the stump he’s leaning, the grasses, and some of the vegetation. So we have:
Picture
And then the last step is the title, and voila!
Picture
Publisher: Wilde City Press Cover Artist: August Li Length: 79K Format: eBook, Paperback Release Date: 4/13/16 Pairing: MM Price: eBook $5.99
For this project, I also needed to make a back cover, which I’ll share here for those who aren’t planning to pick up a print copy of the book. It’s the same background—another reason to keep all my layers; I didn’t have to start over from scratch—with some new details painted in for added interest. Since this is where the blurb and other information will go, I didn’t want to make it too busy.
Picture
That’s about it! If there’s anything else you’re wondering about the cover art, the process, or the book, feel free to comment and ask!

Blurbs
 
Faeries are part of mythology the world over, past, present, and future. Called elves, brownies, the fae, and more, they evoke a sense of wonder and a little danger. Faery has its own rules, and humans enter at their peril.
 
In this spirit, we bring you the first book in the Myths Untold anthology series—four stories from the land of the Fae: a homeless man in Cardiff and the luck that could destroy him; the trans man in future San Francisco who falls for an elf; the village boy who has always been a little different; and a faery prince whose birthright was stolen from him.
 
Welcome to Faery.
 
The Pwcca and the Persian Boy, by Gus Li
 
Despite beauty and luck, something about Glyn makes everyone uncomfortable. Homeless on the streets of Cardiff, he has nothing to keep him going but his friendship with Farrokh. Through stealing and fortune’s occasional favor, Glyn keeps them alive. But then homeless youths begin to disappear, and when Farrokh goes missing, Glyn begins to discover the reasons behind both his luck and the way people react to him. Determined to save his friend from a danger he never imagined, he enlists the help of Lleu, who might be an ally, or might be manipulating Glyn to achieve his own goals.
 
The Other Side of the Chrysalis, by Brandon Witt
 
In a species that values beauty above all else, Quay looses both his freedom and his birthright as prince of the fairies.  Lower than an outcast, he watches over his younger brother, hoping against hope that Xenith’s rebirth will provide safety and positions that has slipped through Quay’s grasp.  Though he expected kindness from no one, Quay gradually starts to trust that there is more to life, even for the likes of him, as sexual encounters with Flesser, a fairy barely accepted himself, turn from lust to love.  Quay knows having forbidden relationships will be his undoing,  but he is powerless to turn away.
 
Changeling, by Skye Hegyes
 
With his pointed ears and a tail, Tyler’s always been different than the other children, but until Marsh, a brownie tells him he’s a changeling, he never thought he wasn’t human. Now he will discover what faery life is like, and just how being a changeling could change his life. On the way, his ties with his mother will be pushed and prodded even as his friendships grow and his love life blossoms.  However, in a village of God-fearing people, those who are different are spurned and Tyler will discover how much trouble a fledgling changeling can get into.
 
Through the Veil, by J. Scott Coatsworth
 
In the not-too-distant future, San Francisco has been swamped by rising sea levels caused by global warming, and has only survived by building a wall to keep the water out of the heart of the City. Colton is a trans man barely getting by on the canals outside the wall. Tris is an elf who has come to the human world on his journey to become a man. Fate brings them together, and everything changes for Colton when he sets out with Tris to find the elf's missing brother, taking Colton behind the Wall for the first time.

Wilde City Press
Amazon
Amazon UK
Goodreads

Meet the Authors


Gus Li
 
August (Gus) Li is a creator of fantasy worlds. When not writing, he enjoys drawing, illustration, costuming and cosplay, and making things in general. He lives near Philadelphia with two cats and too many ball-jointed dolls.
 
He loves to travel and is trying to see as much of the world as possible. Other hobbies include reading (of course), tattoos, and playing video games.
Facebook
Twitter
Website

Brandon Witt
 
Brandon Witt’s outlook on life is greatly impacted by his first eighteen years of growing up gay in a small town in the Ozarks, as well as fifteen years as a counselor and special education teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities.
 
Add to that his obsession with corgis and mermaids, then factor in an unhealthy love affair with cheeseburgers, and you realize that with all those issues, he’s got plenty to write about…
Facebook
Twitter
Website

Skye Hegyes


Dragons, wolves, and sharp objects are commonplace in Skye Hegyes’s home in North Carolina. She spends most of her time between writing and working. When not doing either of these things, you may find her making crafts or adventuring with her family, which consists of her husband, two daughters, two birds, and three cats… and a partridge in a pear tree…
Facebook
Twitter

J. Scott Coatsworth
 
Scott has been writing since elementary school, when he and won a University of Arizona writing contest in 4th grade for his first sci fi story (with illustrations!). He finished his first novel in his mid twenties, but after seeing it rejected by ten publishers, he gave up on writing for a while.
 
Over the ensuing years, he came back to it periodically, but it never stuck. Then one day, he was complaining to Mark, his husband, early last year about how he had been derailed yet again by the death of a family member, and Mark said to him “the only one stopping you from writing is you.”
 
Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories – some new, some that he had started years before – and seeing his first sale. He’s embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs the Queer Sci Fi site, a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatural fiction.
Queer Sci Fi
Facebook
Twitter
Website

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Welcome to My World
    Elizabeth Noble

    Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage "I can't not write." She doesn't remember a time when she didn't make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.

    When she's not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with two spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgis and their feline sidekicks. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Cleveland Baseball) and gardening. She can often be found working in her 'outside office' listening to classic rock and plotter her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.

    Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Astronomy Stuff
    Blog Hop
    Chained Hearts
    Circles
    Electric Candle
    Fba
    Fun Stuff
    Guest Post
    Gywo
    I-am-writing
    Interviews
    It's On Sale!
    Marked Yours
    Owi Tour
    Pain And Pleasure
    Rainbow Con
    Rainbow Snippets
    Reader Corner
    Reviews
    Scintilla
    Sentries
    Taboo Tuesday
    Tethered Pair
    The Sleepless City
    The Vampire Guard
    Todd & Nick Ruger
    Together Bound
    Tuesdayteaser

    Picture

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Astronomy Stuff
    Blog Hop
    Chained Hearts
    Circles
    Electric Candle
    Fba
    Fun Stuff
    Guest Post
    Gywo
    I-am-writing
    Interviews
    It's On Sale!
    Marked Yours
    Owi Tour
    Pain And Pleasure
    Rainbow Con
    Rainbow Snippets
    Reader Corner
    Reviews
    Scintilla
    Sentries
    Taboo Tuesday
    Tethered Pair
    The Sleepless City
    The Vampire Guard
    Todd & Nick Ruger
    Together Bound
    Tuesdayteaser

    Picture

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Circles
  • El Corazon
    • Scintilla
  • Sentries
    • The World of Sentries
    • Marked Yours (Book #1 of Sentries)
    • Together Bound (book #2 of Sentries)
    • Chained Hearts (Book #3 of Sentries)
    • Collared Souls (Book #4 of Sentries)
    • Tethered Pair (Book #5 of Sentries)
    • Ringed Love (Book #6 of Sentries)
    • Free Read--Take What's Yours
    • Free Read: Heart, Home & Hearth
    • Free Read: Fox Tails
    • Sentries series reviews
  • The Sleepless City Shared Universe
    • Shades of Sepia (book #1)
    • Electric Candle (book #2)
    • Family and Reflection (Book #3)
    • Shifting Chaos (book #4)
    • Free Read: This Crazy Little Thing
    • The Guys!
    • Location, Location, Location
  • The Vampire Guard
  • Edge Jump
  • For the Long Run
  • High Test
  • Whiskey and Moonshine
  • Pain and Pleasure
    • Home Coming
    • The Art of Domination
    • The Freedom of Submission
    • Love and Lust
    • No Regrets
  • Strays
  • 29 Hours to Eternity
  • Subscribe to my Newsletter
  • About Me
  • Thoughts and Things Blog
    • The Amazing Adventures of The Great White Hunter and Princess Paws
    • Finn's Log
  • French Translations
  • Book Bundles
  • Free Reads
  • My Fan Fiction Collection
  • Complete Privacy Policy