DESIGNING A COVER – A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK

I’m really going the extra mile to ensure my first novel, Pa’u Hana, is as good as it possible can be. One of the critical areas I’ve been focused on this week has been ensuring the cover really grabs potential readers.

I had conveyed how important, on a personal level, writing my first novel was to the graphic artist I use for my covers. He sent over the following cover as a first attempt capture the spirit of the book:

The first draft cover for Pa’u Hana

I liked it. A lot.

Still, while it conveyed the Hawaiian spirit, it didn’t necessarily tie-into the story. We talked about it and he quickly started sketching a custom piece of artwork on his iPad. A few minutes later he flipped it around and bingo, there it was:

Pa’u Hana rough sketch of final cover

This piece not only captures the spirit of Hawai’i, it pulls the reader into the story from the moment you see it (two guys living on Kaua’i wanting to go to Los Angeles).

While I don’t have the final version back just yet, I know it’s going to be a gem, worthy as the showcase of my first-ever novel!

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MY JUGGLING ACT

No, I haven’t joined the circus. I’ve been busy writing. I am juggling three projects right now, though.

Here is an update on each:

My next Small Brand America Book – The next edition of this series focuses on bourbon. I figured I would go back to why I started writing… write about what interests me.

Bourbon certainly fits the bill.

I have seven companies already onboard to participate. My first two interviews are this week so I am rolling with this one. I am enthused about telling the stories of these small brands and the people behind them.

My Buddy Book – My first foray into fiction beyond short stories and children’s books focuses on two friends living on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. This one is starting to take shape and I really like the idea of transitioning into writing a real book with the character development and storytelling it represents. Right now I’m in the process of taking the outline I developed for the story and expanding upon it. Each chapter is getting a full page outline where I am filling in the details. I believe I should begin writing the actual story some time later this month.

Coffeehouse Jazz 2 – I’ve done just a little bit of work on my follow-up to this first book in this series. I’ve identified a handful of songs which will be included in the second offering. Still, this represents only a small amount of the actual work I will need to do to complete this one. Even though I’m light on content, I have already completed the cover design and I have to say it’s a dandy. My best cover work to date (I design my own covers for my eBooks). I’ve included a preview of the cover here so you can check it out. Look for Coffeehouse Jazz 2, the eBook, to hit the virtual shelves sometime the first half of next year.

So it’s true. I am doing some real juggling right now, but so far I’ve managed to not drop the ball on anything yet!