Cover for "Orbs of Fire"

Creating the cover for this book was so easy and yet so difficult.  Once I had decided on the title and subtitle I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the cover - obviously, the cover would be the Orb of Fire.   I published two other attempts at orbs of fire before I created the one that you see now.  I kept trying to use photos of fire (in my head that was the perfect way to do it).  Each attempt was close, but not at all the way I had envisioned.  (Apparently, fire is not the same as what I envisioned.  I was a little disheartened, but it didn't suck.)   I was actually working on another project when I stumbled onto how to create what I wanted, and even then I did not expect it to turn out so perfectly.  (So much fun making fire from scratch)

 Below are the three covers:

Above is my first attempt, using a picture of fire.

Above is my second attempt, using a picture of fire and then highlighting the brighter tones and darkening the redder tones.

Above is the final cover, which I created from scratch and am most proud of!

Writing Alex

I see Alex so clearly in my head that I never questioned if I wrote him right or wrong.  Everything from his black hair and goatee to his confident demeanor to his kindness towards Sonia and her family.  Alex is known throughout Lord Vertas' land.  There is no one in the land whose skills with a sword rival his.   Even Lord Vertas has great respect for him.  So much so that Alex is able to persuade him from killing Sonia's father.

I love Alex for his skills, his patience with Sonia, his ease at dealing with people, his desire for Sonia to become the best swordsman she can, and his wisdom.  One of my favorite interactions between him and Sonia is when he is practicing with her.  He keeps her on her toes and pushes her to be her best, but continuously says "dead" when the bout is over.  Dead meaning she has lost, because if it had been a real fight, she would be dead.

After Sonia's encounter with the Ortal and orbs of fire, Alex notices things have changed.  It doesn't prevent him from helping her attain her goal, but the reality of what is going on becomes hard to ignore.  And the things that were hidden, and had gone unnoticed, begin to seep into their mentor/student relationship, changing the dynamic between them.  Just one more unexpected thing to add to what should have been a simple journey of getting Sonia to the Tournament.

Writing Sonia

Sonia is a strong young woman whose mother disappeared when she was very young.  Her father (Jack) raised her and her sister (Krissy) the best he could.   She has spent almost her whole life learning the way of the sword.  It is a passion that blossomed inside of her the first day she saw Alex practicing in a field alone.  It is a passion that her father has tried to forbid her from having.  A passion that her sister doesn't understand and despises.  It is a passion that no one in her village thinks she should follow.  Sonia, however, doesn't care what anyone else thinks.  One of the reasons she strives to be the best is because she wants to protect her family.  Even though the of her mother's disappearance is a mystery, Sonia refuses to believe that her family will be safe if she were to follow in her sister's footsteps - being a "proper" lady, wearing dresses, and searching for a husband.

Sonia has a strong will and passionate heart, which is what intrigued Alex.  Despite Jack's wishes for his daughter to not take part in learning how to use a sword, Alex encourages her and takes her to her first Tournament.  (The Tournaments is a platform for anyone who is skilled with a sword to compete for riches and a special gift from Lord Vertas.)  It is at that Tournament that her obsession roots itself in her.  She is a young child when she attends, but she knows she is going to take part and win one day.  Her resolve to never be helpless, to be the best swordsman, to always have the strength to protect her family becomes unwavering.   Even when she encounters the orbs of fire.

As with most stories I write, Sonia encounters more than one person should have to.   And unfortunately, the things she encounters are not what she is prepared for.  First the Ortal (creatures rumored to hate trespassers and are able to tear people into pieces) followed immediately by the orbs of fire.  From that moment on, Sonia's eyes are opened to a world she had never considered existed.   With the Tournament quickly approaching, everything around her seems to be trying to prevent her from doing so.  Her determination to be in the Tournament keeps her focused.  It's all she's ever wanted, and nothing's going to keep her away.

Plus, with a mentor like Alex in her corner, I wouldn't lose sight of my goal either.  😉

Writing "Orbs of Fire"

"Orbs of Fire" was born from a dream I had one night while I was camping with my family at Hartwick Pines State Park.  I had no intention of writing a new story.  However, I woke up one morning early in the week, clinging to a small piece of the dream I had awakened from.  Not able to release the pictures in my head, I hurried out of the tent, made myself some hot chocolate, and started writing.  I spent the rest of the week, when everyone else was just sitting around camp, writing.  I think I wrote fifty pages during the rest of our stay.   It's crazy to me how my brain took the details of the dream and created a story with dragons, swords, and a tournament - none of which was in the dream.  The love story part is pretty much the only part that I can attach to the dream I had.   One small idea made everything so vivid in my mind: Alex's black hair and dark eyes, Sonia's determination, the fire in the orbs of the Shadow Dragon, each dark creature that Sonia encounters, Storm...

When I sat down to write "Orbs of Fire" I had no idea how much the story would grow.  It had originally seemed it was all about getting Sonia to the Tournament.  (Which had almost been the title of this book... Well, it was going to have Tournament in the title.)  However, by the time I had finished Orbs of Fire, it was clear that this story was about more than just Sonia's journey to the Tournament.  I just didn't know how much until I wrote the end of the Tournament and the story continued.  My cousin was reading this book for me in one of the many drafts and she pointed out that even though the story continued, the book shouldn't go beyond the Tournament, otherwise the Tournament seemed insignificant, and it wasn't.  So taking her opinion into account, I re-read the story and agreed.  Which, I'll admit, was nice to have book one finished and book two well on its way to being finished.

One of the coolest things for me about writing 'The Shadow Dragon" was I really wasn't a reader of dragon books.  I believe the only dragon book I had read was "Eragon", by Christopher Paolini (and that was years ago).  The only reason I had read that one was because I saw the movie and had a hundred questions after watching it.  I like to say the movie is a great trailer for the book.  Anyways,  the fact that "The Shadow Dragon" was in my head at all blew me away.  I mean sword tournaments, dragons, lord's, Ancients...  Not my realm at all.  Or so I thought, but "The Shadow Dragon" trilogy is a fan favorite, proving me wrong once again.

The month of November: "The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire"

This month I will be writing about "The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire".  This was not my third story I wrote, it's actually Story 5. It is, however, the third book I published.  😊

Here are the basic things about this book:

Genre: Adventure/Fanatsy/Young Adult

Age: 10 and up.
(I let my kids read them when they were 10. There is suggestive language and mild violence so it's a parental choice. My kids really enjoyed the adventure and characters as do all my fans which spread across the spectrum from preteen to seniors)

Published: 2012

What it's about: 

Here's the official blurb: 

• Short: Before the sun rises, Sonia comes face to face with creatures that few have ever lived to talk about. She has been training since she was a child and knows she will fight to survive the encounter. Nothing could have prepared her for the orbs of fire that appear, burning bright against the darkness that surrounds them, nor the journey that is laid out before her

• Long: When I was a child Alex took me to a Tournament, and ever since then I have been driven to become the greatest swordsman in all of Lord Vertas’ land. Alex taught me that to be a noteworthy swordsman I would have to train every day and endure the adversity of the world around me. However when orbs of fire make their presence known to me, my eyes are opened to a world that I didn’t know existed. A world where there are more than just mortals attempting to influence my future. Now, I must discover what is really important…if it’s not too late.  

Who: 
Sonia

Alex

Marty

Phillip

Where:
This story takes place on a world of sword tournaments, where dragons are thought to only exist in stories.  

I think that covers the blah blah blah part of the book, if you have questions or want more information feel free to ask.