Adam heard a few
sounds of Velcro peeling from its straps. Suddenly, Black Mask shed the mystery
and ambiguity of his head gear. He became another mystery altogether. What happened to this guy? He looked
like he’d seen hell, escaped, and doctored his face to give everyone else on
Earth a preview.
Black Mask
obviously suffered from rosacea because his skin was inflamed, swollen, and the
angriest shade of red Adam had ever seen. A jagged circular scar similar to a
clock face ran from Black Mask’s forehead down his cheeks to his chin. A
vertical scar ran straight down the middle of his forehead and along the bridge
of his nose. Two horizontal scars extended from the side of his nose and curved
upward toward the temples. Two additional scars extended outward at angles from
just under his nose, across his lips and ended on either side of his chin. All
of the scars connected to the outer circular one like spokes to resemble a
starfish shape. Adam struggled not to have any reaction, but failed to keep the
corner of his mouth from inching up into a grimace.
Black Mask
smirked and put his right hand up to his face. He pretended to be admiring
himself in the mirror. “It’s okay, Detective. Your reaction is fairly common
and a lot more subdued than most. Of course, I bet you’ve seen a lot of horrors
in your line of work.
“So, you want to
know the tale of Heath Grim, do you?”
Review and thoughts
Keys to a great book cover
Like it or not, readers make
judgments all the time on appearances. The greatest cover in the world can’t
save a terrible novel, but several great novels experienced sales lags from
covers which lacked imagination. Think
of a book cover as one of your strongest sales pitches to the marketplace.
You wouldn’t go to a bar looking
for a date in your pajamas, so why would you go through all of the work of
writing a novel only to come off as a wallflower on the bookshelf? Your book
cover should be your best attention grab while also making a promise to the
reader as to what they can expect from the content on the inside.
With that in mind, here are a
few keys to a great book cover.
1.
Your title
You
need something easy for the reader to remember in case they aren’t able to
purchase the book right away. Make sure it conveys your message and
fits the cover art design. Try not to get too caught up in creating a clever
title, when something simpler would be more effective. Being
too creative often interferes with a clear, concise message.
2.
The subtitle
This
should further clarify your title or help the reader identify if this is part
of a series. This is also a good place to insert searchable keywords for search
engine marketing.
3.
Cover design and layout
The
font and style of your title should be easy to read, and the artwork should be compelling
and grab the reader’s eye. Picture yourself in the bookstore buying a book. You
want your book to be the one which stands out. You have to choose a strong
image which is eye catching. Be careful that the image doesn’t overwhelm the
title.
4.
Back cover
This
should summarize your novel in a few concise paragraphs, and tease readers with
the tantalizing conflict which lies in store for them on the inside. Avoid
making this a table of contents section or an explanation of why you wrote the
book. This should work like a great advertisement.
5.
Endorsements
Readers
trust names they know. So, if you can get a big name author or critic to
endorse your work, it will go a long way in helping boost your sales. If the
endorsement is from a big enough celebrity, you may want to consider including
it on your front cover.
6.
Author Bio
You
want to introduce yourself and win readers over with your accomplishments. Try
to keep this brief with about three sentences providing your background.
INTRO
Joseph Spencer is the author of the Sons of Darkness series launched by his debut album Grim on September 1, 2012. Work on his second book of the series Wrage, is already underway and is expected to be released some time in 2013.
THE ROAD HERE
The Sons of Darkess is a series of paranormal crime thrillers following investigations into mysterious deaths in Prairieville. Home of the notorious serial killer, The Reaper, Prairieville has had a history of violence centered on an ongoing feud between the Marino and Black organized crime families. When bodies start showing up again at the abandoned Marino State Hospital, many fear The Reaper has returned. The people of Prairieville are about to find out their problems stem from a supernatural source which has lurked in secret for decades.
THE STORYTELLER'S STORY
As a boy, Joseph Spencer immersed himself in the deuctive logic of Sherlock Holmes. The heroic crime fighting of Batman and Spider-Man, and a taste for tragic with dramas from poets like Shakespeare and Homer
Joseph married Dr. Amy (Waggoner) Spencer, an accomplished veterinary doctor, on March 14, 2012. He received word his debut novel was accepted by his publisher, Damnation Books, the next day. Joseph and Amy look forward to their honeymoon in Paris in September 2012. Murphy, a 15-year-old orange tabby, is perhaps the most vocal member of the family. The Spencer family enjoys reading Charlaine Harris, George R.R. Martin, Mary Janice Davidson, and most paranormal stories. The Spencers also enjoy quoting movie lines from The Princess Bride, Rain Man, Bridesmaids, and Office Space.
Contact Links
Twitter: josephspencer00
Thanks for the kind words. My publisher Damnation Books would like to offer your readers a 28 percent discount on all ebooks at www.damnationbooks.com with code 289snake. Also, the next installment of my Sons of Darkness Series, Wrage, will be released on June 1st. Email me at heathgrim2012@gmail.com for a free bookmark.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much that sounds great, can't wait to read it! Thanks for giving us the chance to read it.
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