This is the last post for the book 2 cover, starting with the completed ebook cover:

We had a bit of a miscommunication initially, getting all the card components right.  Since the cards are from my Halion Tarot deck, which has six suits and court cards as well as common cards, the icons in the corners were meant to represent the card that this would normally be: the Queen of Staves (which is part of the spread Cob got in book 1).  The leaf in the above card represents the Staves or Wood element, while the pomegranate represents the orb of the Queen cards.

The first miscommunication was on what fruit the orb was supposed to be.

We had been batting around a couple ideas and I’d ended up with ‘something like a blueberry or pomegranate — a round fruit with a little crowny bit’.  I think we got distracted by other things and she forgot that part of the convo, because she came back with this:

Me: “RASPBERRIES?!  NO NO NO NO NONONONONONO.”

Her: “I was going to ask if you wanted them to have little crowns….”

They’re nice raspberries, though.

So we got back to the blueberry-pomegranate-rosehip idea and she started doing the vines and again I started screaming:

“ASKGHFERDFWER NO NO STAY IN THE BORDER I DON’T WANT CROSSOVER.  ALSO EVERYTHING IS TOO BRIGHT RED!  OLD BLOOD, OLD BLOOD!”

“Kay…”

“ALSO NOT UP THE SIDES, JUST AT THE BOTTOM ALL CURLY-LIKE.”

So that was how we ended up with the image at the top of this post.

For the spine and backplate, we opted to do something similar to what we had for the first book: a spine icon that was pertinent to the story (book 1 had Sarovy’s Light pendant) and a backplate that had an enlarged faded version.  So for book 2 we selected Cob’s arrowhead.

First attempt:

“WTF?  I MEAN, IT’S NEAT BUT IT’S NOT WHAT I DESCRIBED AT ALL.“

Second attempt:

“THAT IS WAY TOO POCKED AND ALSO I DESCRIBE IT AS SILVERY.”

Third attempt:

“OKAY YEAH THAT’S GETTING THERE…”

Refined:

“HOLY SHMOLY, I WANT ONE RIGHT NOW.”

So after that, it was just a matter of putting the components together.  I altered the blurb to something that would fit the back cover, because my sale blurb was too long — it’s a slightly different take on the story but still suited.

Though you actually probably can’t read it, so here it is:

From the Teeth of the Empire into the Arms of the Heretics.

Cob may have escaped slavery, but he is still bound to the Guardian spirit.  Freedom requires the same necromancy that trapped it inside of him — and the aid of cultists and skinchangers who had previously been his enemies.  With the Empire on the hunt for him, he has no choice but to trust in these new comrades, even as treacherous old ones continue to dog his steps.

In his wake, conflict spreads to Captain Sarovy and Geraad Iskaen, each with their own piece of the Imperial puzzle.  Old illusions will fail, secrets rise to the light — but even the truth may be a trap.

So this is how the physical book should look, once I receive and approve the proof.  Huzzah!