Isis Sousa's Blog: Tragic Books' news - Posts Tagged "fantasy"

I have just joined this fantasic community and resource for authors & readers that is Goodreads.

Have just added my book to GR database, now, I need poeple who is interested in reviewing Art of Isis Sousa & Guests: Fantasy Digital Painting Techniques & Video Lectures

I can offer a PDF but also a TRADE physical book.

the Special Edition (Hard cover, heavy glossy paper + embossed slipcover) is still being printed, so it will take a couple of months to be available.

Looking forward to hear from you, dear reviewers!

Art of Isis Sousa & Guests is now available at:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Sketchozine-com...

Amazon.fr - France: http://www.amazon.fr/Sketchozine-com-...

Amazon.it - Italy: http://www.amazon.it/Sketchozine-com-...

Amazon.co.uk - UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sketchozine-c...

Amazon.de - Germany: http://www.amazon.de/Sketchozine-com-...

I have written my first fiction work, a Dark Fantasy/Surreal/Paranormal short story:



“The XIIIth hour at Duskland” is an introductory short story from the illustrated anthology “Stories of Duskland”.

Sinopsis:

Leonhard is a wealthy gentleman surrounded by the most unusual and loyal friends. His life has been a hiatus for many years until the day he finds a mysterious young lady lying unconscious and hurt in the nearby woods. Pity and curious, he brings her home and does all he can to help her recovery.

A day later, by the XIIIth Hour, Leonhard and his friends discover together the horrid truth about the stranger’s past. “Elisa” and the ones she came across were never the same, once they met in the picturesque world of Duskland.

You can buy it here

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.co.uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.de
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.fr
http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.es
http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.it
http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.co.jp
http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.com.br
http://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.ca
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00E7P2HVE

Amazon.in
http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00E7P2HVE

I am also looking for reviewers, if you’re interested, drop me a line here on GR :)

The XIIIth hour at Duskland (Stories of Duskland) - 2nd Edition - Revised is now available for FREE at Smashwords!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

This is the introduction - of the upcoming short story series/illustrated book "Stories of Duskland", out by the end of March.

Have a good read! :)

If you like to read interesting interviews, I have a brand new one for you: 8 questions and answers with Grace Draven , author of "Entreat Me" and "Master of Crows"

I also added my personal review of her latest book, Entreat Me, a re-telling of "Beauty and Beast", which also happens to be one of my favorite fairytales.

You can read it on my writer's blog: storiesofduskland.tumblr.com

Here is a book highlight about Archipelago by Mati Raine

Synopsis:
14-year old Lilly Douglas is a girl who has been sheltered from the world since the moment she was born. Gifted with avian like wings and strands of lilac hair, she never realizes how different she is. After a terrifying attack on her home, she is forced to run from everything she knew, and find shelter at a place called Charity Academy. Here students have little to worry about beyond homework and classes, and they spend most of their time learning to control their powers, embracing their identities as 'Strands': students with extraordinary abilities, united by the lilac hairs they have. But they are not alone in the world.

56 miles south-east, into the Bitterroot Wilderness, is a dark place known as Firestone Institution. Here a 16-year old boy named Cory Trask has made his home with a personality as icy as his powers. Survival driven, Cory works for a man named Dr. Kibbsty and is the leader in the pursuit of Lilly. He thinks of little beyond the orders he is given, and life is nothing more than a game: one where only the strongest survive. As their paths cross, they bring an uncertain future in their wake that will cause all these teens to question what it really means to be Strands.

Visit her blog: http://steampunksparrow.blogspot.com/

Visit Archipelago's official website to get some great extras!
http://www.thecraftycoyote.com/archip...

Halloween is coming, and with it, mood and inspiration related to the occult and supernatural. Most people choose to talk about spooky stories and stuff…

But if you’d like to read about something spooky, powerful and beautiful such as Eternal Love, don’t miss this exclusive guest post by Isis Sousa @ Nyx Book Reviews. Ah, It has also a giveaway ;)

http://www.nyxbookreviews.com/posts/o...

Indulge also in the other special posts Celine Nyx prepared for this Halloween Season. Loads of cool stuff!

Hey there, how are you doing? So, it was about time to make a new blogpost :)

New Book: Dark Love
is out now, already in several stores in North America, Europe and Scandinavia (and will soon reach many more) and on the Amazon network. Available in paperback, hardcover and Kindle fixed-layout.

Watch out for the Official Blog Tour, coming very soon. Stay tuned for those news!

New Book Covers:
On the last couple of months, two new book covers/artwork I have done have been added to GoodReads! Yay! It is so much fun doing illustrations and layout for authors out there!

Both are subgenres of Fantasy. You may want to add them to your bookshelf :)

Videos:
As mentioned on the previous post, I’d start a series of quick videos, presenting some news, book releases, and answering to questions. The first two are now out:

Intro to the Quick Vid series:
Here I tell you that I hate making videos :D
https://youtu.be/o_gIDDO-8Qc

About the author Quick Vid
Here I tell you a little bit about me and my writing process :D
https://youtu.be/tIdSg3yRbGE

The video quality is cheap, though.

See you around soon again! :D

As most of you may know, I work as illustrator and only write/publish books as a hobby thing on my free time. And as artist, I have had the pleasure to work with many amazing GoodReads authors. I have learned a lot on the process of each book cover and have made great friends.

Today, I am sharing with you some of the covers I have done on the past couple of years – hand painted from scratch -, mostly within Epic Fantasy, Fantasy and Fantasy Romance. Lately I have made a Sci-Fi Romance cover – but that will only be revealed next year ^.^

Another thing about the covers you see out there is that they are generally made months before a book is published – so yes, readers, the new releases for you are old news for me and those who worked in the production of a book. :)

Those covers on the top are for Grace Draven’s books of the Wraith Kings Series.

Some covers for Martyn Stanley





Some covers for Nathan Barham





Some for Josefine Gottwald





Here’s for Gaelen Foley





And here’s for Tiffany Roberts






I have some new covers done the past months, but I just can’t yet share them with you, so PT II of this post may come later this year.

As for what goes on the cover - it is ALWAYS what the authors/press require and how they require. It means I don't do what I want, rather I do what the client wants ;)

I have done MANY non-fiction covers, within graphic design technique, but I am not featuring those in these posts. (Maybe on a separate post later on as well?)

And I have some room available on my schedule this summer for a few more covers, in case you’re interested, send me a message. Fees start at 400 USD/370 EUR. (But hurry, because those get filled pretty fast.)

And that's all folks, thanks for reading :D

I've came across Jessica Hernandez work and Blog via GoodReads. She is an indie author and helps promoting others like me through her blog as well. So, of course, I invited her for a spotlight around here and I invite you to join and read her interview as well as get to know her books of Hawk of Stone duology. Are you ready?

1 - How was the writing and publishing process for your first novel, "Capering on Glass Bridges"?
Capering on Glass Bridges was born from an idea that I had while in high school. Over the succeeding years, I developed this idea considerably, and I often spoke with my mother about the fantastical world that I sheltered in my mind. It was she who encouraged me to write about it. As the end of my final semester in college approached, I made the decision to do as she suggested; I told myself that, upon graduation, I would finally pen the novel that had been floating about in my head for ages.

The publication process proved to be an overall positive experience. It’s in my post-publishing journey that I’ve encountered one of my biggest obstacles to date—which I’ll discuss in further detail when I answer question three.

2 - How did that process evolve when you worked on book 2, "The Yesterdays of Tomorrow"?
Initially, I did not create an outline for book one. I sat down in December of 2014 to “pants” my way through Capering on Glass Bridges. After writing about seven thousand or so words, I realized that I didn’t like how the story was coming out, so I discarded it and left the project alone for a few weeks. In March of 2015, I sat down at my desk and created an outline of my story. As I’m sure you can imagine, the writing process went a lot smoother thereafter. Hence, with my second novel, I created an outline before writing a single word. In my opinion, the outline has a function akin to that of a compass; it helps one better understand the different directions in which a story can be taken. My outlines, however, are rather skeletal. That is, I make sure to leave sufficient room so as to allow certain aspects of the plot to evolve as the story progresses.

3 - What is your biggest challenge as indie writer?
Overcoming obscurity. When you’re starting out as a writer, not only do readers shy away from your work simply because they perceive you as an unknown, but—often times—you are invisible to most of them as a consequence of the sheer number of writers out there. I’d love to get to the point where I have a loyal audience—be it of one person or of a thousand—to which I can present my writings.

4 - What are you working on at this moment and/or future plans as author?
I am currently working on my third novel. It takes place in Acu—the same fantastical world wherein Capering on Glass Bridges and The Yesterdays of Tomorrow are set. This book, however, is unrelated to my first two titles. Readers will be introduced to a new kingdom and a new cast of characters. I’m very excited about this project! Though it’s a work of fantasy, it’s imbued with a few elements characteristic of mystery and psychological thriller novels. Needless to say, the writing process is proving to be immensely enjoyable, and I look forward to sharing the finished product with readers.

5 - How do you keep inspired and who are your fav icons on books, arts, music?
I am inspired by too many things to name. I’ve learned that one needn’t be exposed to something new in order to be inspired. One simply has to endeavor to view the familiar from a different angle.

C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. Lewis’ prose is exceptionally colorful. His writing style is such that readers can visualize the events unfolding in the narrative without any difficulty. I can still recall flipping through the pages of The Magician’s Nephew when I was younger and being in awe. The world that Lewis had created was so rich and so detailed that it felt extremely real to me; it felt organic. As a writer, I actively strive to emulate this effect. I want my readers to feel as though they’ve been transported to Acu—the fictional realm in which Capering on Glass Bridges and The Yesterdays of Tomorrow are set. I want them to feel immersed in this world.

6 - What do you think of social media and how do you make it work for you?
I’ll admit, I’m not too active on social media. I’m trying to change this, though. Social media is invaluable in bridging the formidable gap which exists between new authors and readers. It enables the two to connect and open up a dialogue with one another. (Which is pretty awesome!) I don’t know if I’ve succeeded in making social media “work for me,” but I’m certainly laboring towards this goal.

7 - Your biggest wish or dream?
I’m a bit of a chocoholic. I kid you not. I have memories of returning home from school as a first grader and running to the kitchen to stuff my face with chocolate chip cookies. For this reason, were I granted one wish, I’d request that chocolate be made as healthy—in terms of nutrition—as broccoli. I’d spend all day eating chocolate lava cakes. Yum!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
CLICK ON THE COVERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESSICA'S BOOKS:

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
CONNECT WITH JESSICA
GoodReads: Jessica Hernandez
Blog: https://jessthestoryteller.wordpress....
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJpI...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessymariee...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessy_marie77