Interview with Author, J.D. Stroube & Cover Artist Regina Wamba

I recently had the unique opportunity to interview the amazing author/cover artist duo J.D. Stroube and Regina Wamba. J.D. has a slue of books releasing this year, the first of which, Caged in Darkness dropped earlier this week. The incredibly talented Regina Wamba created the covers for them all!

When I was approached about doing this interview, I was incredibly excited. I have always had an interest in book covers and have always wondered about the process, especially for indie authors. Indie authors are in control of every aspect of their book, which obviously includes the cover art. I was curious about how the dynamics in such a relationship would work and how the different creative visions would mesh.

Now today we have to remarkable ladies here to share their experiences with us and shed some light on the process!

TBG : (To J.D.) How did you go about selecting a cover artist? What sort of things were you looking for?

J.D.: I was mostly concentrating on perfecting my books, when Regina approached me through Goodreads. We had already been friends and since she knew I would be published soon, she asked to do my covers. I was looking for an artist who was creative with gothic and emotive covers. Ideally, I hoped to find someone with a combination. Regina has more than met my expectations! 

TBG:  I am incredibly curious about how the cover for Caged in Darkness came about. Did the two of you go back and forth on concepts? How long did you take you to come up with the final product? Were there different versions? And if so, how did it evolve?

J.D.: I gave Regina a few passages and the description of Savannah. I then came up with ideas for the cover and sent them to her. I included links to graphics I liked and explained how she could incorporate them into my cover.  It took a few weeks because Regina and the model couldn’t do the photo shoot in bad weather. Once the photo shoot was done, we set up an interview for roughly one week later. We spent two hours on the phone getting the idea right and somehow veered completely off topic and became friends. 

Regina: Of course! J.D. had some very detailed requirements for her character; luckily I had the perfect model for the cover. We went through a lot of different shots and after a lot of collaboration we decided on an image to use. We had a few different versions, but mostly it was working with the fonts, colors and backgrounds.

TBG: I am sure you both had different things you wanted to bring to this project, were you able to easily combine your visions?

J.D.: I think Regina and I are lucky, because we work well together. We have similar personalities and are both creative. It was easy to convey to one another what our visions were. J

Regina: Easily! J.D. is very easy to work with and with my design background and her vision, we were able to easily mold both visions into one!

TBG: (To J.D.) Did you have a vision for the cover before you first talked with Regina?

J.D.: Yes, I kept imagining Savannah running through the forest with a terrified expression. Sometimes I pictured the moon or eyes in the background, while other times I saw fog swirling around her feet. I knew I wanted blue, black, and silver tones. 

TBG: (To Regina) Was it difficult to try and bring someone else’s vision to life?

Regina: No, with J.D. it actually was easy. Once we decided on the image, it was just a matter of small details.

TBG: What is your favorite memory from creating the cover or your favorite aspect of the final product?

J.D.: My favorite memory was when Regina would send me the updates and I would give her my input. I loved seeing how the process evolved into the final product. Although, even more than that… I enjoyed the excitement behind everything.

Regina: I enjoyed everything! I loved showing J.D. the steps and the progress until the design was complete. 

TBG: How important do you think it is for the author and artist to have chemistry? Do you think it is necessary?

J.D: A million times YES! Something as important as a book shouldn’t be trusted to just anyone. It should be someone that you connect with. You also need to be able to find common ground to develop a common vision.

Regina: It is very important. It can be a stress on both parties if one party does not click with the other.  It can be time consuming, difficult, and they can have a hard time achieving the ultimate goal. I have had numerous cases personally where either a designer isn’t hitting the current design goals of the author, or the chemistry isn’t there making the process time consuming and more expensive for the author.

TBG:  I have to say, the cover turned out beautifully. Is it everything you hoped it would be?

J.D.: It’s even better than I hoped. Each of the covers Regina has done for me have been phenomenal. Caged in Darkness will always be a favorite though.

Regina: I love it! I hope it does well and people view it as part of the book. I hope to hear more feedback on the designs I do! 

TBG:  Is there anything else about the process that you would like to share with us?

J.D.:  It’s addictive! I grew used to seeing an update each night that I literally crave them! I ended up joining Redbubble and DeviantArt to look at the graphic art. I am always excited to start on the next cover for one of my books. I almost enjoy the process more than I enjoy writing the book! Regina inspired me so much that I ended up teaching myself to do photo manipulation! I am no where near as amazing as Regina is, but I am pretty good for a beginner. 

 Learn more about Regina Wamba &  J.D. Stroube

J.D. Stroube's Website | Regina on DeviantART

Caged in Darkness on Goodreads | Caged in Darkness on Amazon | Caged in Darkness on Barnes & Noble

**I'd like to thank both J.D. and Regina for taking the time to answer all of my questions!  Don't forget to check out Caged in Darkness, J.D.'s brand new debut! 

A witch raised in a cage of darkness...

Savannah Cross was born into a life of isolation and abuse. As a child, she witnessed her parents perform acts of malevolent evil, and now feels permanently tainted by their dark deeds.

When a coven discovers a tear stricken child, wounded on their elders lawn, they offer her a sanctuary she has never known. Savannah spends the next several years shattered, continuously looking over her shoulder, waiting for the darkness to claim her.

On her 16th birthday, Savannah’s life takes a drastic turn.She is consumed by overwhelming power that forever alters her emotionally and physically.

She must choose between two loves; the one who taught her to smile or the darkly seductive stranger who tempts her towards another path. Savannah must decide between the coven that was her haven and another one vying for her initiation. Just as Savannah begins to grasp what fate has in store for her, an evil looms over her loved ones; coming to claim an unbreakable debt.

How will she choose and survive the greatest evil she has ever witnessed... long enough to have a choice to make?

Author Interview: Jana Oliver

 Today we have Jana Oliver - author of the Demon Trapper's series and the Time Rovers series!

 

How did you come up with the idea for The Demon Trapper’s Daughter? Did it evolve from something else, or did Riley’s story just come to you?

Riley’s story just came to me. Originally I had her pegged as about 25 years old, but the scenes didn’t work right. Once I realized she was seventeen, the story began to unfold. When I added in Beck and the wee demons, I knew I had something that just might fly. The chemistry between R&B just worked from the start. That’s always a hint I’m doing something right.

What are some of your favorite books? It’s always interesting to see what books authors love.

I’m a fan of Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels Series which is set in a truly dystopian Atlanta in the 2040’s. I am a Jim Butcher fangirl (Harry Dresden Series) and I love Hunger Games. I recently read Anna and the French Kiss (Anne Perkins) which was a delightful YA contemporary love story. Also, I’m very fond of Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire Series.

In The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, who was your favorite character to write?

I love to write Riley, though she’s harder for me than some of the other characters. I also love writing Beck’s scenes because he’s, well, Beck. I like Simon a lot because he’s such a decent soul, deeply religious, but deeply troubled. I like conflict in my characters and all of these folks have tons of it.

The world within the book really stood out to me. How did you come up with all of the different demons?

I decided to create some of them based on the Seven Deadly Sins, like avarice (the Klepto-Fiends aka Magpies) and lust (Grade Four Hypno-Fiends). Then I filled in the missing holes with demons I thought one just wouldn’t really like to meet in a dark alley – the Gastro-Fiends, for instance. Or the truly frightening Grade Five Geo-Fiends (who spawn tornadoes and windstorms) I wanted a demonic “progression” from nuisance to the ones that give you nightmares.

Out of all the demons Riley encounters, which is your favorite? Personally, mine is the Magpie. 

I like the Magpie demons too. They’re just so cute despite they work for Lucifer. When I first starting pondering on the Hellspawn, I realized I really needed some way to rate them because trying to refer to the various names would confuse folks. Once I came up with the Grade levels (Ones through Fives) the actual demons were easier. How to describe them? Not so much. And how to trap them? Oy! So I started writing a very rudimentary Demon Trappers Manual to keep track of all my fiends.

What made you want to branch out into Young Adult, or did you always want to write Young Adult books

I’ve written YA characters before (in adult novels), but I wanted to stretch my wings and write an entire YA series. I like challenges and trying to harken back to my teen years was certainly that. Getting Riley “right” took a lot of work, but she was such a vivid character for me I knew I just had to tell her story.

I know you can’t tell us a lot about the next book in the series, Soul Thief, but is there any information you can share?

Soul Thief is a game changer in terms of Riley’s life. She has major choices to make and then has to live with the consequences of those decisions. We learn more about Beck’s personal issues, what Ori’s real agenda is and how Simon is dealing with his trauma after the Tabernacle attack (hint: not well).

FOLLOW JANA OLIVER: Twitter | Blog | Goodreads 

PURCHASE A COPY OF DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER: Amazon | Book Depository

*You can download the Riley side story to Demon Trapper's Daughter - Retro Demonology for free at both Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Hexbound Blog Tour -- Interview & Giveaway with Chloe Neill

Today we have the completely awesome Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Young Adult author, Chloe Neill with us. Chloe is the author of the Chicagoland Vampires Series (Urban Fantasy) and the Dark Elite Series (Young Adult) and she is here to celebrate the release of the 2nd Dark Elite book, Hexbound  - which will be released January 4th!

*FYI you can read the first Chapter of Hexbound at Chloe's Website :)

I am a huge fan of Chloe - she is easily one of my favorite writers. I love both of her series, but I have a definitely have a soft spot for her teen series.

Chloe was kind enough to do an interview and provide a swag pack for one lucky reader. You can find details about the giveaway at the end of the post!

TBG: Your Dark Elite series currently has one book out, Firespell. The second book, Hexbound is being released on January 4th. Could you tell us a little about the series?

CN: Sure! The Dark Elite series tells the story of Lily, a 16 year-old who's been sent to Chicago for boarding school. She discovers that there's an entire world of magic beneath the city.

TBG: How many books are you planning to include in the Dark Elite series?

CN: There are currently three Dark Elite books under contract.

TBG:What made you want to branch out into Young Adult, or did you always want to write Young Adult books?

CN: I thought it would be fun to consider magic from the perspective of someone at a different age. And I was very interested in the idea that magic wasn't forever, but that people with the gift might have to give it up in time.

TBG: I love all of the characters in the book, but Scout is my favorite. Who is your favorite character to write?

CN: Thanks!! Scout is definitely my favorite to write. She's got an interesting eye for fashion, she's very creative, and she's a collector of just about everything. She's always got something interesting to say. :)

TBG: What were some of your inspirations behind the character of Lily?

CN:  I'm not sure she was inspired by anything in particular. Rather, she's just her own person, molded by her own experiences, and I try to be true to that.

TBG: So far, all of your novels take place in Chicago – is there a particular reason, or do you just enjoy the setting?

CN:  I think Chicago is a great city, with interesting food, culture, politics, architecture and history. It's not hard to imagine mysterious, magical things occurring there!

TBG: I have a feature here at That Bookish Girl, called Film it Friday, where I select a dream cast for different books. If The Dark Elite Series was going to be made into a movie or a T.V. show, who would you cast? (see the "Film it Friday" Firespell edition)

CN: I really like Chris Pine as Jason, Selena Gomez as Lily, and Ramon Rodriguez as Michael Garcia. I don't yet have an idea for Scout.

TBG: Could you tell us a little bit about your writing process? Do you plan everything out or do you just sort of see where the story takes you?

CN:  Because I'm under contract, I'm required to give my editor an outline of my forthcoming book. Thus, I generally have an idea of how the next book down the road will play out.

TBG: Do you have any new projects in the works? Or are you focusing on your current series?

CN: I'm currently editing HARD BITTEN, the fourth book in my Chicagoland Vampires series, and writing DRINK DEEP, the fifth book in my Chicagoland Vampires series. So they're my current focus!

TBG: Thank you so much for stopping by and answering all of my questions. I look forward to reading Hexbound!

CN: Thanks for having me today!

Chloe was kind enough to offer up a swag pack for one lucky reader! All you have to do is fill out the FORM. The giveaway will end next Tuesday, January 4th at Midnight!

*you can get more info about Chloe Neill and her Dark Elite series at her website.

*If you would like to preorder a copy of Hexbound, you can do so at amazon, barnes and noble, Borders or anywhere else books are sold!

Author Interview with Jennifer Estep & Venom Giveaway!!

Today we have Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance author, Jennifer Estep with us. Jennifer is the author of the Elemental Assassin Series (Urban Fantasy) and the Bigtime Series (Paranormal Romance) and she is here to celebrate the release of the 3rd Elemental Assassin book, Venom - which will be released tomorrow, September 28th!

I am a huge fan of Jennifer and her Elemental Assassin series will always hold a special place in my heart, because the first book, Spider's Bite, was the first Urban Fantasy book I ever read. Thanks to that book, I fell in love with the genre and the rest is history.

Jennifer was kind enough to do an interview and provide a giveaway copy of Venom. You can find details about the giveaway at the end of the post!

TBG: Your Elemental Assassin series currently has two books out, Spider’s Bite and Web of Lies. The Third book, Venom is being released on September 28th. Could you tell us a little about the series?

JE: Of course. Here’s the back cover copy for the book:

It’s hard to be a badass assas­sin when a giant is beat­ing the crap out of you. Luck­ily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My cur­rent mis­sion is per­sonal: anni­hi­late Mab Mon­roe, the Fire ele­men­tal who mur­dered my fam­ily. Which means pro­tect­ing my iden­tity, even if I have to con­ceal my pow­er­ful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the pub­lic, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best bar­be­cue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spi­der, retired assas­sin. I still do favors on the side. Like rid­ding a vam­pire friend of her over­sized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his mas­sive fists. At least irre­sistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detec­tive Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sis­ter was dead. She prob­a­bly thinks the same about me. Lit­tle does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer … who is about to save her life.

Basically, in Venom, Gin faces her deadliest enemy yet – Elliot Slater, a super-strong giant who works for Mab Monroe. Gin is also wrestling with the fact that her former lover has left her, and she’s wondering if she really wants to get involved with sexy businessman Owen Grayson. And to top it all off, Gin also has to deal with the reappearance of her long-lost baby sister, Bria, who just happens to be a police detective. Can you tell that I like irony? ;-)

TBG: Gin is such a great character, I really enjoy that she walks such a fine line between villain and heroine. What were some of your inspirations for her character?

JE: I’ve always loved reading about assassin characters, especially in fantasy books. But after a while, I noticed that there were a lot of whiny, angsty assassins out there – characters who would go on and on and on about how evil and conflicted they were. It always seemed to me like there was a simple solution to that problem – quit being an assassin!

With Gin, I wanted to create the assassin that I wanted to read about – someone who was strong and tough and still a little vulnerable underneath her cold exterior. Also, someone who is okay with all the violent, bloody things that she has to do in order to survive. Someone who realizes that maybe she’s not the best person around, but that there are worse folks out there – and good people who need the help of her deadly skills.

TBG: Where do you get Gin’s recipes? I have been meaning to try that Mountain Dew cake from her recipe box.

JE: Gin’s recipes come from a variety of sources – family, friends, magazines, cooking shows, food packaging, my own imagination. Most of the recipes are tried and true favorites that I’ve collected from various sources over the years, while others (namely Fletcher Lane’s secret barbecue sauce) live only in my imagination. I love to cook, so every time I read, watch, or hear about a good recipe, I add it to my stack to try. My mom loves to cook as well, so she does the same thing.

The Mountain Dew cake is excellent. My mom’s been making that one so long that I have no idea where the original recipe came from. Be warned though – it’s a serious sugar rush! ;-)

TBG: If The Elemental Assassin Series were to be turned into a movie or a T.V. show, who would you want to play Gin?

JE: I think Jennifer Garner would be a great choice to play Gin. Garner was tough and vulnerable at the same time on Alias, just like Gin is in the Elemental Assassin books.

TBG: Who is your favorite character to in the Elemental Assassin series? All of the characters within the book are so dynamic and unique – who is the most fun to write?

JE: Well, Gin is my favorite, since the series is told from her point of view -- at least, she’d better be since I’m writing so many words about her. LOL.

But I have to say that Finnegan Lane, Gin’s foster brother, is the most fun to write. Finn is a greedy, womanizing investment banker who loves, loves, loves money and all the shiny things that he can buy with it. He’s also pretty snappy with the one-liners. It’s just fun to write about a character who is so comfortable with who he is, including his flaws. Of course, Finn doesn’t see them as flaws, which makes him even cooler, in my opinion. 

TBG: You have now written two different Urban Fantasy series (Karma Girl and Elemental Assassin), have you always been interested in this genre or has your taste evolved from something else?

JE: Actually, the Bigtime books were paranormal romances and much lighter than my Elemental Assassin series. But I have to say that I’ve always been interested in the fantasy genre. I’ve always loved fantasy books, movies, and TV shows, so it just seemed natural to write fantasy myself. I love the magic of fantasy and the fact that absolutely anything is possible, from dwarves to dragons – that’s what keeps me coming back to the genre again and again, as both an author and a reader.

TBG: Could you tell us about your writing process?

JE: I’m a total panster – that is to say that I don’t do elaborate outlines or storyboards to plot out my books. I usually just think about the characters, the magic, and the story for a few weeks, then sit down and start writing. Sometimes, that works out better than others, but it’s the process that works best for me.

I write pretty quickly – I usually can do a rough draft of about 50,000 words in a few weeks. I let that very rough draft sit for a while before I go back and see if the story holds together and if I think I can make a book out of the plot and the characters. If so, I dig in and start my second draft, adding in more words, layering in more descriptions, etc. I usually do three or four drafts until the book is about 90,000-100,000 words and the very best that I can make it.

TBG: Where is your favorite place to write?

JE: I don’t really have a favorite place to write. I do most of my writing in my office at home just because it’s quiet – and I need dead freaking silence, as I call it, to write. LOL.

TBG: What are you currently working on?

JE: I’m finishing up the revisions, copy edits, and page proofs for Tangled Threads and book five in the Elemental Assassin series. I’m also working on a young adult series (see below), and I’m thinking about writing a new paranormal romance series. I always have more ideas than I have time to write. LOL. 

TBG: More and more Urban Fantasy writers are branching out into Young Adult series.  Do you think that is something you would ever consider?

JE: Funny you should say that. I’ve also sold a young adult urban fantasy series called Mythos Academy. The first book is called Touch of Frost and will be out in August 2011. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen finds herself shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendents of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, and more.

The Mythos Academy books won’t be quite as dark and gritty as the Elemental Assassin series, since they are young adult books, but I think folks who enjoy the Elemental Assassin series will find plenty to like in the Mythos books – namely a strong, sassy heroine, cool magic/world building, and a sexy Spartan guy.

Now, For the Giveaway!

Jennifer was kind enough to offer up a copy of Venom for one lucky reader! All you have to do is fill out the FORM and leave a comment for Jennifer. You can comment about the series, or the interview or with any questions you have about the books. The giveaway will end next Sunday, October 3rd at Midnight!

*you can get more info about Jennifer and the Elemental Assassin Series at her website.