Welcome to my Tag Team Events!
Laura and I are the Tag Team Bloggers.
You can find Laura at fuonlyknew.
We Tag Team an author and publish our posts at the same time.
Whether it’s for a cover reveal, giveaway, review, interview, or something more, the author will be tagged by us and you will be alerted to go to Laura’s blog or mine to see additional content. It’s really fun to see how differently we view the same book and you get an extra chance to win with our giveaways!
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D H Nevins is here today to tell you how excited she is to share the new cover for Wormwood and how it came about.
Welcome, D. It is wonderful to have you here today. Take it away.
The Alternatives
It was exceedingly difficult to select my favourite cover. Every mock-up Derek created was incredible in its own right, and it would be a shame not to share them. So in all their glory, here are the other options he came up with.
The third one—the one with the wing obscuring the girl’s face—is so amazing, I’d very much like to use it as the cover for my sequel, Angel of Shadow.
What do you think?
I think it would be awesome D. I can hardly wait to get my hands on it. ^_^
A New Cover for Wormwood
First of all, before I say anything else, let me introduce Wormwood’s new cover. Oh, and before I do that, I should forewarn you that I’m a tad biased about this…
The New
This beauty took my breath away the moment I saw it. As an author, I couldn’t ask for a better representation of my work. And I’m kind of picky—so that says a lot! The image projects a mood that reflects the feel of my story so perfectly, I knew the cover artist understood Wormwood on multiple levels. But even if we’re just talking aesthetics, well, although I am most definitely biased, I think this is one fantastic-looking cover!
The Old
I originally had a different cover for Wormwood. It was a simple black and white etching by Gustave Doré, depicting a fallen angel reaching towards the heavens. The sheer turmoil apparent through the angel’s expression and pose not only fascinated me, but seemed a perfect depiction of the conflict raging through Tiamat, a half-angel in Wormwood. However, the etching–although classic–was hardly a trendy cover. The story itself was very well-received, but I found that people had trouble getting past the antiquated-looking cover in order to take a chance on reading what was within. My love for the cover, it seemed, was a lonely one!
The Cool How
About a month ago, I was contacted by cover artist extraordinaire, Derek Murphy. He had read Wormwood and subsequently offered to make up a new cover for the book—for free. Surprised, flattered and curious about the vision he had for Wormwood, I heartily agreed.
Then, as you know, the resulting cover blew my expectations out of the water! Its impact was immediate.
Why it Works
The image depicts the book genre clearly. The colour contrast is striking, which catches the eye instantly. Plus, it’s incredibly professional.
It also fits the story.
On a literal note, the protagonist is a strong female, adept with a crossbow, yet still out of her element. However, she would never admit it. I could see this in her stance. Yet the cover holds so much more than a simple literal representation of Wormwood. Derek recreated the feel of the book perfectly. The mixture of light and darkness remind me of a review Wormwood once received which, in part, said, “The lines will be blurred between good and evil, love and hate, truth and lies, and hero and antagonist.” The hazy fusion of sunlight and shadow reflect this beautifully. The unsettled, foreboding skies mirror the mood of this dark, post-apocalyptic story, and the falling feathers are a nice touch. They hint at the half-angels in the story without hitting potential readers over the head with their existence. The fact the feathers are broken and falling is also perfect, but I hesitate to say why… after all, I don’t want to spoil the most exciting parts of the book!
My Thanks
Naturally, I wouldn’t be sharing this with you if it wasn’t for Derek Murphy. His outstanding covers and unprecedented talent can be seen on his website, CreativIndie Covers. Have a look at http://bookcovers.creativindie.com/
And of course, I would like to extend a huge thanks to Sherry Fundin for her generosity in allowing me to ramble on about my new cover here on her blog. Thank you so very much, Sherry!
Thank you D. That is a fascinating story of what teamwork and the generosity of the indie and blogging world can accomplish.
Now for a little video entertainment to round off your eye candy fix.
After this fantastic trailer, which is so descriptive of the world devastation in the book, please continue reading for my review.
My 5 Star Review of Wormwood by D H Nevins
I won this book through fuonlyknew’s blog. I would like to thank Laura and D. H.Nevins for the giveaway.
Right off, the cover grabbed me. I didn’t know what to think of the title, but as you read the book, you will find out what it means.
The writing is excellent. Wormwood starts out fast and holds your attention throughout. The description of the devastation made me able to visualize the world around them. I can’t find the words to describe it myself, but D. H. did a great job of it.
The actions of Tiamat will make you question things yourself. Is God a kind, gentle person, or is he vengeful and vindictive? And what about angels?
As I was reading I kept thinking of Supernatural. I watch the reruns on TV most mornings. This book reminded a lot of how God and the Angels treated humans on the show. If you’ve watched it, you’ll know exactly what I mean. God has his own agenda and the angels will follow it, us humans are along for the ride.
The relationship between Kali and Tiamat, and Tiamat and God, was creative and complex. For me, it raises more questions than answers. I am sure most everyone has asked “Why Me?” more than once.
The biodegradable soap made me chuckle along with Kali. Tiamet was thoughtful, like when he supplied her with toiletries and clothes, but he stood away from her emotionally and physically.
The things that happened to her, could make the strongest person give in to the misery, horror, devastation, desolation, abuse………..
This is an amazing apocalytic/dystopian novel that will take you into another world. The details and descriptions enabled me to visualize the surroundings and characters as they struggle to stay alive long enough to find their destiny. Very well done and I can hardly wait to read the sequel, Angel of Shadow. Happy writing D!
SYNOPSIS
Against a devastated landscape, a legion of one hundred fierce half-angels is hell bent on purging the Earth of all humans. But one of them, the tormented Tiamat, struggles against his mission, and when he rescues a beautiful woman named Kali, he finds the attraction as troubling as it is dangerous. Can Kali trust the one creature who could be responsible for her ultimate demise?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D.H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a quiet area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day, she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about destroying the world. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of Wormwood by D H Nevins.
GIVEAWAY
In celebration of the new cover, D H Nevins is giving away 5 ebooks of Wormwood to 5 lucky commenters. Please leave your email address and answer the question:
Which cover would you choose and why?
This is a Tag Team Event sponsored by fundinmental and fuonlyknew. For another chance to win, go HERE.
Giveaway ends July 30, 2014.
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