When I decided to self-publish The Shanhasson trilogy after getting my rights back, I contacted my friend S.J. Noir, who recommended several artists open to commission. I was looking for a very specific ART look — similar to what Deena had done at DP with that gorgeous custom look.
However, I wanted these new covers to focus on the men in the series. *winks*
I settled on Silviya Yordanova and I couldn’t be happier with how Rhaekhar turned out. What do you think?
Stop by Stella’s blog to help her celebrate her blogversary, and enter to win a free copy of Lady Doctor Wyre and a print copy of The Rose of Shanhasson! Plus, read some “where did this idea come from” background on Lady Wyre’s universe.
Another great review for Rose, this time from PeachesNCream on Powell’s Books:
The world building here is fantastic. I was swept away into a world familiar yet intriguing. Vivid and fully realized characters continue to haunt me long after the last page…Run, don’t walk, to pick this one up! This trilogy is destined for my keeper shelf!
Note: If you don’t like blistering hot sex, and lots of it, then you should give this a pass. But I think you’d be sorry if you did.
Read the whole review here. Thank you so much, PeachesNCream!
Gregar and company certainly do haunt people — which is why I’m looking for him so hard!
A huge thank you to Steph of Bookaholics Romance Book Club for adding a 4.5 star review for Rose on Amazon:
The Rose of Shanhasson enthralled me with its lush imagery and vivid characters. I felt as if I had been swept away into a world that blended the richness of the Medieval Era combined with stunning fantasy and magic. Since this is smaller publisher I hope that this romance will enjoy the wide readership it deserves. In addition to the strong characters, this story excited me because it was original, unexpected and thrilling.
Thank you, Steph!
The winner of the print copy of The Rose of Shanhasson is: Raye! Please e-mail me at joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com with your snail mail addy.
Everyone else: I have 4 remanining copies of the ARC version — which is basically the same book without Larissa’s fabulous quote on the cover. If you’re interested in receiving a copy, please drop me an e-mail with your snail mail information and I’ll mail a copy to the first four people who contact me. I’ll mail anywhere on the planet — although if I get a bunch of overseas entries I may have to spread them out a bit until after the holidays.
Thank you, everyone, for entering!
Grinning from ear to ear. It’s time for a giveaway! If you’d like to win a print copy of The Rose of Shanhasson, simply comment on this entry through midnight CST Thursday, Dec. 17th. I’ll announce a winner on Friday. Anyone on the planet can enter, even if you’ve won something from me before.
Anyone who has a blog or writes reviews, I have two stories available if you’re interested!
Defiance is an anthology of sweet, romantic fantasy short stories set during the US Civil War. Two of the stories feature multi-cultural protagonists. In Storms as She Walks, the half-Comanche heroine is descended from Thunderbird, passing as a male soldier in the Union Army. It’s available in pdf or any electronic format you’d prefer.
The Rose of Shanhasson is coming to print Dec/Jan and I have a boxful of printed ARCs I’m sending to reviewers. Of course the electronic version in a multitude of formats is also available. Larissa Ione, bestselling author of the incredible Demonica books (Pleasure Unbound, etc.) was kind enough to read Rose and provided a fantastic blurb:
The Rose of Shanhasson is a superb blend of fully-realized fantasy and scorching romance. Joely Sue Burkhart dropped me into her fantasy world and left me breathless. The Rose of Shanhasson is one of the best fantasy romances I’ve read in years!
So drop me a note or comment if you’d be interested in reviewing either book. Thank you so much!
Or in other words, call upon the masters when you want it done right.
Instead of writing today, I decided I would try my hand at creating a flyer for The Rose of Shanhasson. I’m lining up a bunch of promo mailings for the print release in December, and the deadlines are fast approaching. Everything has to be done MONTHS in advance.
Printing all this stuff ain’t cheap by a long shot, so to save some money, I thought I’d create one myself. I had the VistaPrint template in hand, and I bought PhotoShop last year. I didn’t have to “create” new graphics — which I already know I can’t do after my class last year — just use what I already had at hand. And honestly, it wasn’t bad. A little blocky and too symmetrical, but not bad. I did a gradient in the background, added the cover, the DP logo, a few reviews…
But it didn’t have that magic I was hoping for. Hey, this is my FIRST print release. I want it done right. So I sent it to Deena, the mastermind behind most of Drollerie’s incredibly unique and beautiful cover art. Bless her creative little heart, she took the cover flat and whipped up a very attractive flyer. It looks like art, not like an inexperienced person trying to use PhotoShop! I hated adding another thing to her light-year-long list of to-dos, but wow, she does gorgeous work.
So the VistaPrint order has been placed for 100 flyers. If I didn’t screw anything up in the upload and everything looks good, I’ll order a ton more and get ready for the first mailing.
Okay, so here’s the difference between an amatuer PhotoShopper (mine on the left) and a professional (Deena’s on the right). Click for larger version.
