The Pleasures of Cover Art

Good very rainy evening, my Splendid Big Cats, the Kougar is plum tuckered clear out, *maaowww...where's the bed* ~ having accomplished a huge day of hunting up the groceries and necessities.

First, for your Big Cat gorgeous jewel eyes, the Kougar's cover art for Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil, Book II in World of the Blue Pearl Moon ~ coming from Siren Publishing, and painted by the cover artist, David Burton, moi's cover artist for Red Lioness Tamed ~ Liquid Silver Books.
Tomorrow...unless there's great breaking news, the Kougar will post her Title Magic blog for today, featuring ~ The top ten reasons he might be a stallion shapeshifter.

Purring-yes, the pleasures of cover art. Moi could pen ten pages about her absolute love of cover art. Eye candy and beauty and sheer creativity...and the 'romance' in all it's memorable variety. The Age of Romance artists come to mind immediately. And the Kougaress just sighed a huge of the heart sigh. Moi loves romance.

However, since she is about to squinch her eyes shut in a catnap...

Sighing kiss from the Kougar...

Art of the Red Lioness

Yes, dear Kitties all, my purty lioness girl is being judged as the Kougar blogs. The cover art for Red Lioness Tamed, Liquid Silver Books, created by artist David Burton (davidburtonart.net) is currently awaiting the press your paw and claw. Your vote at The Author's Lounge ~ http://www.talauthors.com/TAL/BestCoverArt.htm & at The New Covey Cover Awards ~ http://thenewcoveycoverawards.blogspot.com/

Purring-truthfully, the Kougaress requests you choose your fave cover art. Being more than fang-fiercely enchanted with her own cover...yowl-well, moi is happily, Spring sun-bathing biased.

And Blues News, Big Beautiful Cats, the Kougar received her review for All Shades of Blue Paradise, Siren Publishing, from the Coffee Time Romance. Indeed, a tail-swiping case of the good along with the sorta bad. The review and more meow rumblings tomorrow.

And! Nope! No Harlequin e-novella fame for the Kougar. Which may be a meow blessing for reasons best left professionally un-roared.

Also! If you luv those incredible incorrigible shapeshifters check out this new animal-lusting fun blog: http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com/

Swing on over to Title Magic today, Big Kitties. Anitra blogs on the dreaded synopsis. Moi's mews below.

Hi Anitra, that is a good approach. And I've used that in a less structured way when writing a synopsis.
While I never had the jelly-shaking in my boots reaction. I certainly felt utterly overwhelmed, and lost in a cloud of confusion, at first.
However, I learned about a technique of writing a short description of each chapter. That really helped me organize how I wanted to write a synopsis.
The easiest way for me is to talk about the heroine, then the hero, then a short description of the story itself.
Often, the Happy Ever After is requested. So I will end with that, either a description or the final paragraph itself.
Writing a synopsis in that way keeps everything organized in my mind. If that makes sense...?

Artful kisses from the Kougar...

Blue Water Flash

Synchronicity wins once again, Big Cats, moi's pinup featured in a past blog is winning popularity and artist friends -- for, it fate-seems, David Burton, moi's cover artist for Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil was researching a project, and happened upon her.

Meow-Kougar, can only hope this is a good shaman omen. O Great and Wonderful Bast, please. And purring-thank you.

Since her writer's Muse beckons insistently, the Kougar will leave her sweet and ferocious kitties with this 150 word flash and dash created for the Liquid Silver blog, a short scene from Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil before her battling ride in the Braverth. Already moi spots, no not leopard spots -- but corrections she would make.

"Warrioress fire surged through her flesh. Barefoot, Sheridan moved carefully between the small misshapen boulders. With light steps she negotiated the rocky shelf of ground toward the waterfall, hidden in the deepest-shadow forest of the Wyldeland. The melodic crash of water falling onto stone and splashing loudly into an enormous pool, beckoned her untamed spirit. Inside her loins, the blaze to compete, to win curled, savage and calm.
Once she stood atop the largest boulder, Sheridan speared her arms upward in supplication and reverence for the Blue War Goddess. Subtle, fierce, the white-blue lightning coursed through her veins.
Unhurried, as in the most ancient tradition, she disrobed.
Leaping down, she strode toward the diamond-magnificent sprays of water. Swiftly stepping beneath the waterfall’s fury, Sheridan slowly turned. Cold-sluicing water ripped away her breath as she sacred-cleansed herself. Soon she reveled in the pummeling sun-gleaming water, feeling her triumph in the Braverth."

Blue water flash kisses from the Kougar...

Prairie Roaring Winds

Prairie roaring winds, Big Beautiful Cats...the Kougar has cracked open her favorite window just a few times today...a knock-over blast o' wind in the ole' kitty mug, I can meow-tell ya. And the Kougaress is fiercely fond of the air blasting in her face, the winds whipping around her. Not these bad boy lion-roaring winds.

Most excellent purring-news...hope, hope! It looks like David Burton ~ davidburtonart.net ~ cover artist for Red Lioness Tamed, Liquid Silver Books, will be doing the cover art for Pleasures of Blue Lotus Oil, since pics of truly voluptuous models are in seriously short supply ~ like gasoline and oil of ye current days, or so THEY claim. If sex-kitten moi was younger, in her physique-curvy prime, she would seriously consider selling her pic for cover art purposes.

Unless, there is an image-commercial website unknown to the Kougar, and they are zillions upon trillions ~ the catnip-caveat, however, a site devoted to the luscious feminine body type, think Anne Margaret in the teen movie, Bye Bye Birdie, of moi's ancient teenage-cat days, or a female body like this cheesy and classy pinup ~ what a new business opportunity. One the Kougaress would like to indulge in, yet does not possess the time nor the the wise expertise.

Don't get blown off any branches, stay low to the ground, Big Cats, and head on over to Title Magic. Our guest blogger, Liz Jasper, author of the Undead, Cerridwen Press, discusses how paranormal elements are successfully woven with mystery and suspense in romance novels. Mewings below.

Liz, excellent detail on adding mystery and suspense by use of paranormal elements. Paranormal is a natural for me. Weaving in suspense and mystery is what I'm learning. Thanks for all the insights.
Lexie, RT and the RWA and other chapters probably have workshop/lecture CDs or DVDs available on that topic.

Wind kisses from the Kougar...

David Burton ~ The Queen & The Red Lioness

David Burton ~ The Queen & The Red Lioness, Good Kitties all, that is moi's exciting blog topic on this chill-gray spring day. Especially fond of fantasy art, Big Cats, don't hesitate, claw-click over to admire David's Queen ~ she is mesmerizing, ancient-exotic and gloriously nude.

The Kougar has always purred, meow-yes, been caught in the weaving euphoric spell of fantasy art, her gaze captured by the exquisite enchantments before her. Or enthralled by the savage rapture of raw color transmuted to OtherWorld beings and creatures.

The roaring question: How can it be that not everyone is as entranced by the phantasm-sorcery of the artist's imagination? The fantastical world of the imagination trapped for a moment, that magic-wondrous moment to live for a generation and beyond as a drawing or painting. For, the Kougaress has always imagination-drooled over her fave fantasy works of art, wishing she could enter those worlds, since earliest cubhood.

Yowling-yes, every world, from fairy-delicate ethereal to god-barbarians challenging the stark gates of hell.

Thus, the pure thrill of seeing her lioness shifter heroine come to life on the cover of her e-novel, Red Lioness Tamed (Liquid Silver Books) was a dream realized, thanks to cover artist, David Burton.

David was wonderful and exacting to work with ~ much, meow-much appreciated by the Kougar. For more of David's cover art (moi's cover included) check out his website ~ davidburtonart.net ~ and his Published Covers Page: http://www.davidburtonart.net/photo3.html ~

David Burton’s bio ~
For nearly 20 years, Northwood artist David Burton has been providing high quality and creative images for a wide diversity of clients. His paintings and illustrations have appeared as covers and interiors for hardcover and paperback books, magazines, comic books, character design for movies and advertising art. His work resides in collections all over the world and is highly sought after by publishers, studios, and collectors.
Burton's take on Burroughs' famous characters is unique and has been hailed by some of the top writers and artists working in the field of science fiction today for being perhaps the most realistic attempt yet to capture this alien world and its inhabitants. After seeing Burton's work on the project, Ray Bradbury (author of such SF classics as "The Martian Chronicles" and "Fahrenheit 451") immediately commissioned Burton for a painting of King Kong.
Unlike some artists who embed themselves in one area or genre, David enjoys the challenges encountered by illustrating a diversity of job types and subject matters. As such, he is just as comfortable painting a domestic scene of young adults as he is in painting a film noir detective or a fantasy scene with a dragon.
Born 1960 in Manchester, New Hampshire, his earliest artistic influences were comic books. David is a mostly self-taught artist. He also teaches a free art class for anyone willing to participate at the Chesley Memorial Library every Monday night.

What are a writer's favorite tools to create that next story? Lightly spring on over to Title Magic where Anitra blogs about her faves, and asks the question answered my moi's enthusiastic mews below.

A few of my fave things? Anything that works -- pens, hard surfaces. My IBM electric typewriter, that now does not get used -- but I adored it when I worked after graduation at Park College.

The bells and whistles are great on my computer, when they work, which is most of the time. When they don't! Flashfires of upset abound -- if only I were a fire-shooting goddess.Okay, copy, paste and cut are my fav features, and the fact that my fingies can move much quicker than on a typewriter. It means I can write and re-arrange sentences, paragraphs without having to re-type a whole page. Now, that's real progress to me.

One of my old faves, and still is -- My old poor Thesaurus is in brown-piece pages, held together by clips. And my crossword puzzle dictionary, if I could find it.

Also! Paper, I'm crazed over paper, any color practically, as long as I can write on it, and create on it.

Fantasy art kiss from the Kougar...

Art of the Red Lioness

Freezy nasty cold last night, Big Beautiful Cats. The arctic air refuses to stay away. Roar of the Kougar! A ruling slash of her tail. Bring forth the warmth of Spring.

Although, it was a good night to paw-pen moi's pleasures of blue in the World of the Blue Pearl Moon. Today the sky reigns bright and blue overhead during this late afternoon pen-musings.

Being a forever-afficiando of cover art, the Kougar claw-clicked over to the TheNewCoveyCoverAward website to peruse the March entries, enjoy the art and the blurbs, then vote. Since cubhood, the Kougar has always tingly adored book cover art, having her faves, of course. Now, as she discovered when attempting to vote, the entry was still open, and there was a chance to enter for this month.

Meow-voila! Red Lioness Tamed, from Liquid Silver Books, has been sent in as a potential entry. Hope-purr-hope!

And moi discovered her cover artist, David Burton, does indeed have a website: davidburtonart.net. ~ which the Kougaress will prowl through upon her leisure.

Crossroads...for the last two days, as the Kougar awakens, that Cream song plays in her head, Mysteriously, since moi is not aware of destiny providing said 'crossroad'. More mysteriously, yesterday she heard the word three times on various radio talk shows. Shaman wisdom demands a huntress eye ~ ah, meow...perhaps, it is the secretive meeting at the UN regarding the announcement of the UFO phenomena as real, the little gray or green men are here.

Maow-sarcastic, and what's new, pussycat?

Perhaps, the world of Earth has come to a crossroads. The public realization we are not alone in the galaxy. Not mere human-cat creatures risen up from the mud of evolution, but truly the stuff of stardust, the descendents of star people.

Crossroads kisses from the Kougar...