Let’s talk about that beautiful cover art.
THE GIRL WHO STOLE THE SUN marks the seventh collaboration between myself and the uber-talented Dennis Willman of Iron Dead Studio. For me, brainstorming cover concepts is always a mixed bag. Sometimes the idea is obvious, and sometimes I need a jackhammer to the cranium to get one out of me. Lately, it’s been the latter.
When I did finally arrive at a concept, the usual process ensued: draw up a quick sketch, then send it to Dennis along with copious notes. This time, the idea was pretty simple. The titular girl, lying upon an autumnal bed of leaves. Overhead, we see bare, gnarled branches overhead all pointing inward toward her, thereby implying a threat.
Of course, not everything translates well to a cover. Branches that glow, as they do in the book…you risk losing the implied threat that’s easier to convey with dark branches. So, that’s what we went with (along with adding a few luminous veins to them). Other than that, what you see is the original concept. I didn’t give Dennis much direction on the girl other than her having red hair, if I recall. Basically, I give him the idea as well as the freedom to make choices of his own that might lead to a better cover.
“Delivery day” tends to be a magical one. It’s sort of the crystallizing point where this story I’ve been working on for a year (or thereabouts) becomes something real. That’s when I can visualize it in my hands, and in the hands of readers. And it’s also the day I get to see what my garbage sketch of an idea looks like after it’s been in the hands of an incredible talent.
So, that’s the story of the cover. I hope you’ll join me on release day and immerse yourself not only in THE GIRL WHO STOLE THE SUN's stunning cover art, but also the rollercoaster ride of a story contained within.