Writing, depression and that hag in the attic

My writing efforts lately have been pretty dismal. Personal issues, coupled with a bad beta review and BAM there it is, that hag in the attic has crept down out of her hole, through the webs of my mind to come and tell me how shit I am.

Writing can be hard enough as it is, but couple it with a mental illness and it can be near impossible. I feel sometimes that it seems to be the curse of the creative. We are sensitive, we see the world differently to non-creative folk. We take in more than any normal person should and this can be a kind of catalyst for bad mental health.

Of course, there are many different reasons for mental illness: family history, brain chemistry, the fact that I am not a doctor. There are so many factors and so many triggers, it can be difficult to determine when you should seek professional help and when you are just having crappy time. 

I once posted on social media "If you don't or never have experienced either of these things (anxiety and depression) then you are a very lucky person. Depression is the vampire that sucks all that you are out. And anxiety is the bugs that crawl under your skin to take what is left…" I stick to my guns on this description. 

Anxiety and depression are not just problems that can be cured by drugs, they are not something that you should try to deal with on your own. But the trick is recognizing this before it is too late and then doing something about it.

Depression is serious. It can and will affect more than just yourself.

If you know someone with depression and anxiety issues, please reach out to them. Don't try to fix them. Just make sure that they know you are there. And stay there... This is way more difficult than it seems. People with depression can have sudden mood swings and staying around when it seems like you are not wanted is very difficult. Even more so if you both have mental health problems.

And if you have depression or anxiety yourself then stay strong. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Let people help you back up the spiral. If you feel that you don't have anyone to turn to there are lifelines to contact in most countries. Utilize them.

Now, getting back to the writing part. I do have a sense of ... ease with my anxiety and depression. That sounds a little fucked up, but hear me out. I have an insight into a world a lot of people don't. I see things differently, I have unique experiences that my fucked up brain gives me... so I use them. Most of my stories seem to circle around some sort of mental illness. I use these things because it is what I know. I'm not saying that I have DID (what my protagonist has in Dead Bunnies) but I have had poor experiences with doctors like she has and I have been given the wrong medication and panic attacks are something of an old family friend that I know too well.

Also, about the hag in the attic. And no, I don't have an elderly tenant that lives upstairs, this is my name for the doubt and fear and self-doubt and poor self-esteem that comes creeping down from my mind. She comes down and tells me how shitty my writing is, how no one likes it, that I'll never be a REAL writer and that I like terrible in my swimming costume. 

She can be a real bitch sometimes and what she says can really affect my writing and life in general. It is important to recognize these thoughts for what they are. Bull shit. 

When these thoughts come to you try not to make any big decisions. Just keep going with your routine and politely tell her to go fuck herself.  Your writing is awesome. Your art is awesome. You are awesome.

Hugs xxx

Between Lost & Found - Chapter 3

She awoke to the gentle splatter of rain on her face. For a second she thought that the roof in the orphanage was leaking again, but then she felt the grass beneath her and the aching in her feet and she remembered what she had done.

She opened her eyes to the new day and found herself in a place that was very unfamiliar. The sky was a clear, deep purple-pink, like that of a glass marble. It seemed so close that she might reach out and dip her fingers into it. She sat up and looked around. She was in a forest, dense and thick with trees and shrubs and ferns. Everything shone with a kind of silvery sheen as if it had been freshly polished.

Insects of all shapes, sizes and colours flittered around the trees and the girl stared at them in wonder. Little pink orbs of light like tiny balls of cotton candy floated around. The girl stood up to get a better look at them. A group of them came down from the tree she had slept under, they circled the girl’s head gracefully, more floating than flying. But she could see them no more clearly up close, but they made a sweet twinkling sound as they moved. The cluster of them got closer to her face, tickling like feathers on her skin, making the girl giggle. They swirled around her once, twice and then they were off.

Then she remembered the black shape, the dog. Was it a dream? The girl had never been much of a dreamer. Daydreamer yes, but night dreamer, not so much.

The girl began walking. The ground in this place was soft like moss below her feet. She looked down and saw that with each footfall the moss sent shimmers of glittering green light off in all directions like glowing roots stretching from her feet. 

‘What is this strange place?’ she thought. She could hear birds singing in the trees and pink light trickled through the canopy from an unseen sun, like water through holes in a roof, making the soft rain glisten like tiny captive rainbows. Was this the end of the rainbow? For surely this place was magical.

Giant pink and brown mushrooms as big as chairs sprouted up from a patch of ground where trees had not grown and light streamed through, warming the mushrooms’ backs. The girl was hungry. And she remembered being told to never eat the red mushrooms, for they were poison, but no one ever warned her about giant pink and brown ones.
She carefully knelt down on the mossy ground next to a particularly fat mushroom and grabbed at its top. She tried to break a piece off when suddenly the mushroom moved. Its shape changed, it unfurled into a stout little man with a bulbous head and a nose to match. His skin was the same colour the mushroom had been. 

‘Oi!’ said the little man. ‘Whatchu doin’? Wakin me up from me sleepin’?’

The girl had fallen back on her rump in surprise. ‘Oh! I … I’m sorry. I thought you were a …’

‘You thought wrong, human girl! Go on, git! Go to the Wastes with the other humans!’ the little mushroom man waddled over to another of the mushrooms and ratted on its hood. ‘C’mon boys! Time to be gettin’ off.’ He turned and glared at the girl. ‘The humans are out.’ 

The group of mushroom men all unfurled themselves, stretching and yawning in the rainbow shower. Then they all simply toddled off, some of them giving her evil stares over their rotund shoulders.
The girl sat on her rump a while longer as she watched the group of mushroom men retreat. She had never seen such creatures or been told about them. Also, she had never been called a human before. She knew she was a human, but in a world dominated by them, it was never really pointed out. And what were the Wastes? Should she go there? It didn’t sound like the sort of place she wanted to go.

She got back up and continued walking. There was no discernible trail in the woods. It was just an overgrown entanglement of vines and ferns and trees and the girl began to wonder how in the world she had gotten there. She remembered before this point, but it was not as if there was a yesterday and the day before that. There was only before and now. 

She must’ve gotten lost while running, but could you get so lost that you simply found yourself in another place, another world entirely? For surely that was what this place was, another world. 
Before now, the only memories she had were of the orphanage. It was a dull place, it lacked luster. The orphanage world looked washed out as if seen through a dirty window. This new world was exactly opposite. The colours popped out at her, each one of them was so vibrant it was like the colour itself had life. The light was so bright it warmed her deep inside.

Despite the beauty of this new world, she walked ahead more cautiously this time. Something told her that she shouldn’t take things for granted, she shouldn’t assume anything in this strange new place.

She walked for an unknown amount of time. Time seemed to be different there. She had always gauged time by the shadows that crept across the dirty wooden floors, but here, there didn’t seem to be any shadows. The light coming from above didn’t change.

Every now and then there would be things that seemed out of place. A broken statue of tiny naked human babies sat dirtying amongst the growth of flowering ivy vines. A group of animals that seemed similar to deer except their necks were far too long and thin, the stag’s antlers appeared to made of trees with flower buds about to bloom and leaves twinkling wet with raindrops. For a moment, she thought she saw what appeared to be a woman, but she was covered in green scales and had a face that appeared more dragon than lady, but as quick as the girl saw the dragon lady she was gone.

Eventually, the girl came to a grove of trees that hung heavy with plump fruit. The fruit was all different, each tree carried several different shape and colour fruits, none of which the girl had ever seen. Not that she had the chance to eat much fruit at the orphanage.

The thing about hunger is that after a while you stop feeling it. In the beginning, you feel it like someone had taken a part of you away. It can be painful, but after years of feeling hungry for food, it goes away. The hunger for other things becomes stronger. But now, seeing all this ripe glistening fruit just hanging there she felt hungry.

She sat back and watched for a while. There were creatures climbing the trees. They looked like cat-sized rats, but with squat smiling faces. Some climbed the trees while others waited down below. The ones up in the tree picked out the red fruit and threw it down to the ones waiting below. 

Quietly, the girl crept up to the tree and tried to reach for the fruit, but she could not reach, she was far too small. 

The emptiness in her tummy grew as she looked at the fat fruit that was just out of her reach and she tried to jump. As she went into the air she felt her fingertips brush the fruit but still she couldn’t reach and she fell back to the ground with a loud thud, landing first on her sore feet and then on her backside.

The smiling creatures all startled and scurried away from the trees. The girl looked around, shocked for a moment before tears stung her eyes. That old familiar emptiness felt heavy inside her, like a paperweight on her heart. She put her hands to her face to hide her tears and sat there underneath the tree with fruit that was just out of her reach.

Then, she felt something fall into her lap. She peeled away her bandaged hands to see a big red fruit in her lap and one of the smiling creatures standing before her.

She stared at the creature and then down at the fruit and then back to the creature. The creature crept close to her and pushed the fruit towards her again. 

The girl couldn’t help the smile that came to her face as she nodded at the creature and picked up the red fruit. 

‘Thank you,’ she said to the creature and nodded again. 
The creature returned the gesture.

The fruit was soft and warm from the sun’s rays. The outside was slightly fuzzy but it was as red as blood.

She put the fruit to her lips and bit into it. Juice filled her mouth and spilled down her chin. The sweetness was like nothing she had tasted before. Tangy and syrupy. It tasted the same way that the colours looked. Vibrant and opposite to anything she had ever experienced at the orphanage.

The creatures began to crowd around her. They chattered amongst themselves and smiled and ate fruit. 

She ate until she could eat no more. Her belly full, her heart overflowing, she leaned back on the tree and drifted off to sleep.
She was home.


I hope you are enjoying the story. If you have any comments feel free to leave them. 

The next chapter will be posted in a week.

Hugs AMC
xxx

I'm home!

So... For those who don't know, over a year ago I had a house fire. We have been moving around for the past 12 months and we are now... finally... back home! Halle-fucking-lujah!

This what my kitchen looked like and the rest of the house was not much fucking better. We did loose everything material, but we are all alive and healthy.

If you have ever moved house with children, then you will feel my pain. Trying to explain to your young child that 'No, sorry, we can't go home,' or 'Sorry honey, that toy is gone now,' is heartbreaking.

When we set out to the first lot of family with only the clothes on our backs, we told the kids that we were going on an adventure. 

That was all we could tell them.

It was not a lie. The past 12 months has been an adventure, alright! One that has tested my family and marriage to the brink. Tested my resolve and drive to continue my career. I won't lie, I have applied for a few jobs... I didn't get any of them, but I was still looking and sending my resume out there.

Anyway, I have gone off topic. We are home!

This is my new kitchen (& me in my PJs looking psychotic). It is black like my soul, and I love it.

So, I am starting a new project... well, technically, I will be sharing a new project. I will be sharing with you, as of next week, the story I have been working on... which happens to be the prequel to the novel I am working on.

So, stay tuned. Keep writing/making art/doing what makes you happy!

Hugs AMC
xxx

Juggling life while trying to write

Word Count: 33,875
Day: Sunny and Freezing
Mood: Not too shabby

A problem that I seem to notice a lot of novice writers and big names seem to share is the ability, or the art, of being able to juggle normal civilian life and being a writer. We can't do it all. But I think it all boils down to a few points I'm going to skim over. 

• Time management- Being a mother, I know something about time management. Something. Not a lot. This is a writing blog not a mummy blog. But all the same, we do have to learn how to manage our time. I have spoken before about setting aside time for our writing and sticking with it. This is so important. Think about the routine you already have in place. There is no need to try to shift things around if you already have a routine. And then think about where in that routine could you fit in your writing. It might be the hour when you put your child down for a nap or your lunch break at work or after you finish your homework or - in my case - I decided about 4 years ago that sleep was for the dead and started waking myself up 3 hours early than absolutely necessary. 
• Priorities- This works in with time management. I prioritised writing over sleeping in till 8am. You might watch TV before bed or sit on social media while eating breakfast or something of the like. You have to think about the things you do and pick something that is less important than the nagging story in your head. When you find it, throw that thing away and insert writing time in its place. You'll never look back.
• Habit- try to make it the same for every day. This way it will become a habit and soon you will feel weird or off if you missed out on your precious writing time.

This past week has been tricky. I have had builder appointments for our house (no, they haven't even started rebuilding the bloody thing yet #sigh It is still a burnt out little shell...) My son sliced his foot open, work was busy last week, I've had book covers to make... gaah. It's been busy. I missed a couple of days here and there and my weekly word count is not what I would like it to be, but I have still got something done. 

We, as a human race, tend to be way too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves if we don't live up to our own or (worse yet) someone else's expectations. 

Life happens sometimes and there is nothing we can do about it. The point is that we pick ourselves back up, we open that computer or notebook and keep on going. 

Sometimes we have excuses and sometimes we make them. Not having time is one of those made up excuses, I feel. I have missed out on my morning writing time before so I have made up for it by writing on my phone while on the loo. #truestory 

I have a friend with 3 children under 4 and a chronic illness, and even she finds time to write!

Juggle your life just make sure that one of those balls is for writing.

Hugs xxx

Writer's Block

Hello void that is the internet!

Today I would like to discuss writer's block. I have been suffering from this a lot lately which sucks because I used to be able to conquer this dreaded beast so easily. I am not just writing this post for you guys out there in the void, but also for me, to remind me of the things I used to do to help me get over it and move on!

Tips for making writer's block your bitch.

1. Keep writing. I know. I'm a dick saying this one. But this
   
   seems to be the best way to kick writer's block in the nuts. So the gist of this is to just write anyway. Forget about what is worrying you (thoughts of not being good enough, the fight you just had with your significant other, not knowing exactly where your story is going, etc) and just write. Write anything. Because you know what? Your computer has a delete key and a backspace key. And you can use them. This is the thing that mostly gets me going. Because no one has to see what you have written if you don't like it the next day. 
2. Read a book. Or even listen to a book. Zoning out into another person's world can often just help you to relax enough to stop worrying and keep that writing train chugging. Also it can spark ideas, keep you motivated (I want to be the next Stephen King! you say to yourself as you read his words.) and, let's face it, most of us write because we love books. We don't want reality. Reality is for shmucks. Get out of your head for a while and go relax.
3. Plot. I hate fucking plotting. But it has really helped me when I get stuck so I make myself do it. It is harder to get stuck in a hole if you can see the entire road stretched out before you.
4. Have a shower. Not because you stink (well maybe you do, depends how long your writing slump has been going for) but because "shower thinking" is a real thing. Research shows that when doing any monotonous task your prefrontal cortex relaxes and puts your brain into autopilot. This clears the pathways for new, creative ideas. This is the same for exercising.
5. Exercise. Now I don't mean that you should go join a gym (you can if you want but don't say I told you to) but if you can go
   
   for a walk or do some yoga, something to get the blood moving, those endorphins going then that can be really beneficially to your writing. In the warmer months I would work out right before or right after writing time. Also, it is a good way to justify snacking while typing!
6. Have a coffee. because reasons.
7. Take a nap. see above.
8. Google images. This is a weird one, but hear me out. Sometimes I like to see what I am writing, which can be difficult to find. But I go on Google images and I find pics that represent
   
   something in my story. I also set these pics as my wallpapers so I can sit and stare at them and get ideas.
9. Use online plot generators. These can be helpful if you have zero ideas. but try to use them wisely. Remember that other people have also used the same things, so try to twist them a little. You can also do Brainstorming which I might discuss again in another blog.
10. Change stories. Sometimes a story hasn't fully revealed itself to you. Sometimes if you go away from it for a while and come back to it later you can see it with fresh eyes. Go write a short story or some poetry or start a new novel. The work isn't going anywhere. So take a break.

Treat yourselves kindly. Writer's block can suck hairy donkey balls, but just remember that it is only temporary. It will come back to you. The more you stress about it the worse it will get. 

hugs 

AMC xxx

Dead Bunnies

Hello Void!

I would like to invite anyone who reads this blog to enter the comp I have been running on social media. 

So, my novel will go to print in the new year and I am getting a lot of people giving me sketches of dead (or just cute) bunnies. I would love it if you guys submitted some too!

Originally, I was going to use them on the cover, but I have received too many, so I will be using them on the chapter pages. Everyone that enters will be in the acknowledgments. And I might even throw in a free copy of the book!

Entre via my email a(dot)m(underscore)cullens(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)au 

Hugs
AMC xxx

the ink & the page

words
like clouds
soft and dark

the ink pours from my veins
like blood
like rain
like wine

the love for this
this beauty
this beastie
a wild animal which hates the leash
for which I place around its neck
the words
wild on the blank page - will not be calm

I'm broken by the love
it is the morning's tears on a dandelion's white lashes
preventing its full beauty
it's the stone on the paper stack
pick it up ...
& let the blank pages dance in the wind

And only then will the words
the ink & the page
the hated broken love
the beastie
be tamed

The Darkest Part of the Forest Review

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest

Goodreads rating: 3.93 stars (11,383 reviews)

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Author: Holly Black

Pages: 324

Publisher: Little, Brown Books & Hachette Australia

Formats: Paper back, eBook/Kindle, Audiobook

Imagine you live in a small town and in said town there was a tourist attraction. Local businesses thrive on selling souvenirs and for generations the local kids have held parties at this attraction. Tourists travel from far away to gawk and take selfies in front of the attraction. Now imagine that this “attraction” is not a monument or a big banana, but a horned boy that has been locked away in a crystal coffin in the middles of the woods for as long as the town has existed. This is the town of Fairfold where our story is set.

“Once, there was a girl who vowed she would save everyone in the world, but forgot herself.” 
― Holly Black, The Darkest Part of the Forest.

Hazel and her brother love the horned prince and when he is suddenly no longer there; his casket is smashed and there is no trace of him to be found; they decide to find him. That they need to find him, protect him. But they don’t understand what it is exactly that they will be protecting him from.

With a central message that runs deeper than just what lies at face-value, it is a story that is guaranteed to capture you and drag you into its dark pages. 

The Darkest Part of the Forest is a beautifully constructed novel. Filled with darkness and a creep factor of ten. Holly Black has really out done herself this time. This novel is so easy to fall into. It will make you believe in faeries once again.

Holly Black and competitions

Oh my goodness!

So I won a competition to interview Holly Black. So excited. Stay tuned for the post on Monday about meeting her.

I get to go into Sydney, and go to the special Bloggers event and I get one-on-one time with Holly.

Now, I have also entered a comp for my manuscript.

I think entering comps are a good thing. You can't loose anything by entering them. Just make sure you read the fine print really well.

This gonna be a quick post because I need to prepare what I am gonna ask Holly!
If anyone in the void has something you would like me to ask her, feel free to leave it in the comments bellow.

Hugs
AMC xxx

Literary Agents

Hello humans!

I want to talk a little today about literary agents. 

If you don't already know what a lit agent is they are the little magical people that know publishers that can get your book published for you. They organize the best deal for you. They do all the leg work between you and the publisher.

If you are going to go traditional publishing route you really need one. And that can be hard. Lit agents get hundreds of submissions every day and you have to stand out from the slop pile (in a good way)

What is the best way to do this?

Your work. You have to have an awesome manuscript. It has to be neat and in their guidelines and as polished as humanly possible. DO NOT send out a first draft. 

But who am I to tell you? Do I have an agent? No. But I can talk about my experiences with them.

Many years ago (pre-50 shades of grey) I wrote a series that was set in a dominatrix parlor. I must stress, it was not erotica ... It had kinky sex in it but not in the "she lovingly cupped Reginald's quivering member" sort of way. It had stuff that was confronting. It was a book about the diversity of human sexuality. It was not like 50 shades... 

I was super proud of these books. I submitted the first to a shit tone of agents. Most of them came back saying "sorry" "not for us" "Good luck in your writing career" that sort of impersonal bullshit.

One agent (no names named) liked it. She asked to read the whole thing. THIS is what you want. You want that email back asking to read the whole MS. 

She read it and got back to me after the longest 8 weeks of my life saying "I liked it, but sorry, kinky doesn't sell"

Three months later ... BOOM! 50 shades came out and went fucking nuts. Kinky doesn't sell my fucking arse!

My point is that Agents are just humans. They may be the magical people that can get your book published, but they are just people, so treat them that way and it should make the process a little easier.

With the novel I have recently finished (Dead Bunnies Make All Eight of Me Cry) I have also submitted that to numerous agents. The first one I sent it to asked to read the whole thing. He actually CALLED me. I was beyond over the moon. 

Then he wanted me to get a manuscript assessment done. I did it. He also wanted me to get a manuscript mentor. Now at this point I was crushed. Because it seemed to me like he didn't actually want my story, he wanted me to spend a lot of money on these services. He had suggested places to get these things done at, that after a bit of looking into, I found that he owned... 

I know I am waffling on a bit ... I am sorry. I just want you to beware of who you send your work to. As I said before, agents are only human, and there are a lot of humans out there that are straight up douche bags. They do fucked up things for money.

Maybe this agent wasn't. Maybe he was trying to be helpful. But it certainly seemed suspect. 

Dear wannabe writers of the void. When submitting your work to agents and publishers, keep your heart sealed tight in a box or in a jar or somewhere it won't get hurt. Being rejected sucks, but don't let it deter you. It is business. And only business. 

If you want to find yourself an agent I highly suggest going to The Publishers Marketplace It is great. It has lots of agents and their profiles. Follow the guidelines that are specific to each agent. I know that some places say to send out multiple submissions, but I personally think this is rude. I submit to one agent at a time. 

If you like the idea of traditional publishing, but you are leaning towards self-pub then there is no reason why you can't start the self-pub process while you are still submitting to agents.

hugs
AMC xxx

Book Covers

Hello Humans!

Today I want to discuss book covers.

Now, in the past I have mostly made my own. I don't think I do a bad job. They are not vomit-inducing, they don't make anyone's eyes bleed ... and people download my short fiction so they can't be all too bad, right?

On the road to self publication I came to the fork with a sign dangling precariously from one nail, swinging, squeaking. It read "make my own cover" one way and "hire a cover artist" ... which way to go?

I have been doing my research and I have come to a solid and basically final conclusion; I am broke.

Now, some of you will be thinking "I hear ya!" but others may be rolling your eyes. But, truly, I am totally poor at the moment. I am super lucky that work pays for my internet or else I wouldn't be typing here. I swear the electricity company will be knocking on my door any day now.

So, what have I have on my research?

There are SO many options out there for self pub authors! SO MANY!

I will give you a list. Some I can personally vouch for, others I have just found on my travels and they seemed pretty awesome. When it comes down to it, you have to find someone that fits you, your style and your book. I just want to point out that none of the people below are paying me to talk about them... I wish they would, but they are not!

• Keith Heptinstall -  I can vouch for this guy! His price is good, his digital art is great and he is amazingly easy to get on with. If you like something a little dark, he is your guy! I would have used him, but as I said I am poor. His price is good, but it isn't free!
• Canva -  Now this is not a bad option to go if you are new to book covers. But don't be fooled. It says free but you still have to pay for some of the stock images. It isn't much so it is still a lot better than some. I suggest ducking over and giving them a try. I couldn't find anything to suit my novel (but my shit is WEIRD) but you would be surprised at how easy the program is to use.
• CreativINDIEcovers - This guy has helped me a lot. If you are like me and just can't afford the expense, then check this out. He GIVES AWAY templates and teaches you how to use WORD. Yes. Word. As in the thing that we write in... I know right! I didn't realise what word could do. And it can do a lot. He also creates covers himself, so if you still don't feel up to the task of DIYing it, then you can just hire him.
• SpiffingCovers -  I have to be honest. I clicked on this link because I liked the name. It kinda looks like "spiffy" - it kinda looks dirty if you have a gutter brain like me. So, I am thankful I did, because these guys don't just do covers (as the name would lead you to believe) ... They do just about everything you will need to self pub. They do page layout, ISBNs, editing, marketing, POD, book launch website! and there is more... I just want you to go check them out.
• CreateSpace - If you don't know who these people are then you should click the link and get nice and familiar with them. Get all cosy and up in their website. Because you will probably spending a bit of time in their vicinity in the near future. They are one of the biggest indie publishing houses for paper back books. It makes me so happy that being an indie author no longer means eBook only. One of the best things about the amazon owned CreateSpace is that they are POD, which is Print On Demand. No more forking out to get 10,000 of your own books printed and then trying to find a place to sell them, like the back of your station wagon and at the Sunday markets. They print them as they are ordered from Amazon. But I am getting side tracked. They have a cover creator too. 
• DesignCrowd - This is a pretty cool idea. I like DesignCrowd. I have used them for business logos in the past. It all runs pretty smoothly and I have never had a problem. If you don't know how they work and you are in business, then this might just rock your freaking world. So, you put in a job request and and pay one of the set amounts up front. Depending on a) how much you want to spend and b) how many responses you want to get. You get a whole bunch of artists competing for your work. Then you pick the one you want. Watch this little cute video ... They describe it better.
• ME! - No this was not a shameless way of saying hey hire me to do your cover design, but ... as I said I am poor! lol ... Feel free to check out my covers, if you like the way I do things, I promise I won't charge much. Just the stock images and a little for my time... (I thought it was worth a shot!)You can even download some of my free short fiction while you are there! I have also done a number of covers for Alex Focus another awesome writer you should check out.

So, I have decided to go the DIY road. The style I wanted to go for my book is basically ... crazy and really hard work because every quote I have received has been $3000 and over... and that is USD not AUD so I don't know how much that works out to, but either way I don't have it.

I want to put a sneak peak of my DIY cover up ... but I am not sure. If you would like to see it, comment below! Also, if you are a cover creator or an artist wanting to get into book covers, comment or contact me on Facebook or Twitter if you would like me to give you a shout out, share your work or hire you, LOL (only if you work for love and words and blog space and love)

I hope I have helped you out, or at least given you a place to start.

Hugs

AMC xxx