The Latest on the Art Side

Lately, I've been in the mode of producing art work for several projects while I wait for the copyedit back of Curse Bearer, my novel set to release from Other Sheep (an imprint of Written World Communications) this summer. What sorts of projects have I been working on?

Well, related to Curse Bearer, I have been noodling some ideas for chapter heading art, which I'm thinking might take the form of three symbols represented in the book. You see, Curse Bearer is a book that will function in three parts.

Part one of the book deals with Danae Baledric's conflicts in her home city of Dayelston, where an occupying army has a choke hold on the natives. For this section of the book, I'm thinking it would be appropriate for the header image to be that of the occupying Theocracy. The symbol? The gargoyle of Queldurik.

The conflicts and issues in Part I drive Danae from her homeland, and it is within this section of the story she learns some unsettling truths about what's really going on in the dark undercurrent of her life. Such knowledge comes at the hands of a stranger and sage, and his symbol is a phoenix wreathed in flame. Hence, I foresee perhaps something of this nature appearing in the headers for the Part II chapters.

Part III of the book carries Danae to a place where she needs to face the issues she's created in Part I, as well as come to terms with the truth she's learned in Part II. Despite the seemingly insurmountable nature of her cricumstances, Danae learns that she does have the hope of a compass in her increasingly large and challenging world. Therefore, I have chosen the symbol embossed on a book she receives as the potential icon for the third section.

It's my hope that these images will not necessarily demand too much attention on their own, but that when readers see how they tie into the greater tale, that it will add another layer of worldbuilding and interest to the story. We shall see if I succeed, but for now, these works in progress await the final touches that would make them header-ready.

I am greatly looking forward to the coming release of Curse Bearer (formerly titled Sword of the Patron.) I will keep the updates coming when I have them. But for now, I was pretty staggered just how close July really is!