Xmas Carol—My Dolly Makes the Bigtime!

I've Designed the Cover for Emerging
Author's First Science-fiction Horror Novel

One of my antique dolls has finally made it to the big time, as a COVER GIRL for Keith O'Connor's just-published science fiction novel, available to download at Amazon's Kindle store! : )

M Y   D E S I G N    W O R K — I'm very proud to announce a first novel by a fellow blogger, and now friend, Keith O'Connor. Keith first approached me last year as he was in the midst of writing his first full length novel, asking if I'd be interested in doing the cover. I jumped at the chance! Keith sent me the working draft of the book, as well as his ideas for how he wanted his book portrayed. Several ideas, really.

I like to have a personal touch in everything I design and work on; I guess it's my claim-to-fame at this point. I've scanned my memorabilia for a book I designed on Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I've scanned my late father's Army medals and ribbons for a book I designed for West Point's Bicentennial back in 2001. I've done a photoshoot on my porch and created a poster for West Side Glory, a Seattle comedy show. For Keith's book, I photographed one of my antique dolls. She is close to one hundred years old, a bit worse-for-the-wear, but a sweetheart and she absolutely adored being a cover girl after all these years!

Let's make her a best-selling cover girl!

From the Amazon synopsis:

When Maria Kennedy's four-year-old daughter was killed, her world collapsed. But she fought her way back from the depths of despair and reclaimed her life. A year later, she gave birth to another child, a girl named Jenny, who is now four years old.

Maria would do anything to protect her daughter. But how do you protect your child from something the world has never seen? In the lead-up to the Xmas season, the threat begins to take shape -- and it is malevolent. The danger closing in on Maria Kennedy and her daughter, Jenny, seems unstoppable.

This Xmas, something new is coming. And it wants little Jenny. Welcome to a new kind of horror.

• For the Amazon link, click here.

B o n u s   D e s i g n s  : )

• This is the poster I created for West Side Glory, a stand-up comedy show in Seattle. I love picking things out from my collection to use in my graphic work. The "trick" is to find like-minded creative clients, lol.
  
  
  

• Happy Trails, a book about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I used a lot of my own memorabilia and collectibles in the design of this book. Amazon link, here. I scanned one of my family's 1950s photo albums,complete with yarn ties and bow, and created this colorized image for the cover.
  
  
  
  (Screenshot from Amazon, hence the scrambled type at the bottom with the copyright)

• West Point: The First 200 Years. This is a book I BEGGED for at the publisher when I worked full time, lol. My dad was in the Navy for 12 years and the Army for 11 years, and I really wanted to create this bicentennial book to honor his service in a way I couldn't when he was alive. The cover is a scan of the flag that draped his coffin at his military funeral. Again, I like to use as much of my personal collection that's appropriate in my book designs. Inside, I used some of his ribbons, medals and buttons for little details in the text.
  
  

Show More

Show Less