The Blacksmith and the Porcupines launches this coming weekend, and I’m super excited to reveal this awesome front-back cover image by artist Justin Cornell!
It’s always exciting for an author to see the cover of their new book—the anticipation of what it might look like, the imagined image in your mind that sometimes (or not at all) captures the real thing, and that moment that crystalizes the story into an actual book. I got the email with the image a few days ago, and it definitely had me reeling with excitement for the rest of the day.
It was also very cool to see the wraparound cover that runs onto the back as well. The actual chapbooks will be stapled halfway across the image, and this is the same style Justin uses for the covers of The Charleston Anvil magazine.
A few things about the cover really stand out to me—I love the old fairy tale woodblock style, which definitely captures the old timey-ness of the story, along with the rolling hills on the back. It was also really cool to see the blacksmith holding his tools, along with a little anvil mark on the saddle—an intentional tie-in to The Charleston Anvil, which used images of anvils and smiths on the early covers.
Chapbook Launch Coming Soon!
Chapbooks will be ready for signing and sending by September 12th, which is the date of the in-person launch at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH. The event is free for all, though if you’re not in the area you can pre-order a signed copy through my webstore.
An Important Note on Pre-Orders! Justin and I are still determining the size of the initial print run, and the number of pre-orders that come in by September 12th are a BIG part of that process!! Knowing exactly how many people have pre-ordered the book helps us know how many to print, as well as brings a bit more cash on hand to handle print costs, mailing, and the initial costs of doing the launch. Pre-ordering your copy before September 12th is a HUGE help to me as an indie author, as well as helps with a good cause: half of all pre-order net proceeds will go to support local Democratic candidates in my area who are helping with the launch event and doing great work locally!
Also, here’s the flyer for the launch event using the original fairy tale publicity images, and where I refer to myself as a knight-errant:
Finally, thanks as always for following along, and to everyone who pre-ordered, reached out to tell me they were coming to the launch, and otherwise helped with this small but complex project! You’re all amazing and awesome and no author does it all alone!
