Back in January, I posted on Facebook about the first volume of The Black Ring: Zhanai’degau, being published by Double dragon. When I was able, after user account corruption, to return to (more or less) normal writing and other work, I went to Double Dragon, to see whether any of the other volumes had come out. Volumes two and three were published in June, volumes four, five and six were published in July. It was time for me to post again.

I had finished A Thing Forgotten in March, and I was waiting for Darcy to find the time to do a cover. But her own job was taking so much of her time and energy that she just wasn’t able to do it for me. So I decided to try to do it for myself. And that has taken me all of August so far.

I don’t have her software, her skills, her artist’s insight, but I do have her previous covers for inspiration. And to set a standard, against which to compare my work, which I will never match. But I’m learning, by doing it wrong and starting over, by making mistakes and trying again, by consulting with Darcy whenever I have what I call a ‘proof of concept,’ then starting over again.

Darcy works in Photoshop. I have Photoshop Elements, a much simplified version. I am learning those bits and pieces which enable to do what I want. 

And since my best time for creative work is early in the morning, that is what I’ve been doing instead of working on a story. Or posting on the blog. Or updating my book site. Or posting on Facebook.

Until now, when the end is in sight, even though posts like this may not be that frequent, at least for a while.