It’s official … I will be self-publishing the Thomas Vale series. The last of my agent queries expired this morning, as I expected them to, and I am no longer seeking out small presses. In fact, I’ve already begun the first phase of the self-publication process … cover design.

I’m probably going to go with miblart.com, a cover design site that operates out of Ukraine. They’ve done thousands of book covers including some award winners, and the their price is quite reasonable.

They did an amazing job on (Becka’s bestie) Scott A. Clark’s book “The Duchess and the Accidental Thief,” which by the way you should seek out and purchase, especially if you like a little techno mixed with your fantasy books. Purchase link and cover art below.

Preliminary ideas for my first book, “Blood Game,” involve the silhouettes of my two main characters with some sort of poker or casino imagery behind them in double exposure. Maybe a numbers and or playing card symbols motif in a light colored background that fades gradually around the spine to a black night sky featuring the constellation Orion. It’s kind of hard to describe in words. Looking forward to seeing what the art team comes up with in its first draft.

I made a checklist last night of all the things I need to do before Blood Game’s release day, sometime in early to mid-February probably. It’s a daunting list, but exciting as well. I began this process about four years ago, and it feels good to know there’s a timeline toward publication and my proverbial train is chugging toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

And meanwhile, I’m approaching the end of my research and outlining phase for the third book, “Drawing Dead,” and I expect to begin its first draft sometime this month. Progress continues to … well … progress … 🙂

PURCHASE LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Duchess-Accidental-Thief-Violet-Empire/dp/B0CL16DH66