Monday, December 1, 2014

Ever Met A Gargoyle?

Ever Met A Gargoyle?

 
Check out the awesome cover for my Afterlife series. I combined my three novellas into a collection for both ebook and print.
 
I absolutely love the whole cover. Corona Zschusschen spent many hours on the silver scroll work. Notice the intricate weaving, the lighting and shading. I'm always amazed at what illustrators can do. It's also kind of Christmassy and perfect for a December release.

 
 
I have to admit, though, that I'm enthralled by the gargoyle on the back cover. Gargoyles are interesting, intriguing, mysterious. They're hundreds of years old. They have a serious past. In modern history, gargoyles are used as spouts to direct rainwater away from buildings. But originally, they were used to frighten evil away and protect the inhabitants of a structure, such as a church.
 
In the Afterlife series I created creatures that I call "gardengoyles." The name combines the traditional "gargoyle" and the garden variety "gardengoyle". The garden variety is sort of a play on words as my gardengoyles, Gertrude and Glomp, are keepers of Gertrude's Garden, the paranormal social nightclub-type meeting place where some pretty interesting creatures gather. And then there's the adjoining cemetery where bodies are "planted," sort of a paranormal inside joke. 
 
See the gardening link?
 
Soooo, moving on then...
 
Gardengoyles are the descendants of the larger gargoyles and much more colorful, in both appearance and language. My gardengoyles are highly intelligent of course. It's not to say that the traditional gargoyles weren't smart, but perhaps they were just less vocal. Their faces spoke volumes.
 
Check it out. I was in England and France recently and met tons of gargoyles!
 
Here are a few...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Have you ever met a gargoyle?

How about a descendant, the gardengoyle? (Now if you've met a gardengoyle, I want to hear all about it, LOL!)

 
 
 


23 comments:

  1. That cover is gorgeous! Corona does amazing work, for sure. Also, I've always been a fan of gargoyles, so I can't help but be intrigued by your gardengoyles! :)

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    1. Corona does amazing work! Someday I might have to commission a gardengoyle from her :)

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  2. Awesome cover! A big congrats! And so cool you were in England and France! Loved the pictures.

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    1. Thanks, Natalie. Feeling very blessed I had the opportunity to get away for two weeks.

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  3. Great covers. I like stories where the gargoyles are the good guys.

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    1. Susan, I haven't read too many stories (if any) that had gargoyles as characters. That's something I'd like to see!

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  4. Nice cover and great pics! Congrats! Tweeted!

    Hugs and chocolate!

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  5. That is a really cool cover. Corona's very talented. Good luck with the upcoming release!

    Never met a gardengoyle, but have known some humans who resemble them very much.

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    1. Hehe, yeah, I've met some gardengoyleish humans too ;)

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  6. The cover looks awesome! I'd started reading that series last month and was enjoying it until I got sidetracked with a blurb request. (I hope to finish and review the book(s) for you over Christmas.)

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  7. Love the cover!

    Gargoyles are incredible to just look at. I wonder exactly how the practice came to be. I'm assuming it's a European thing.

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    1. I'm assuming it's a European thing too. Or maybe some of the bigger cities in the US might have them. They are so interesting to look at!

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  8. I've never met a gargoyle I didn't like. Really. I mean they're functional. They're scary as all get out, and old. Great that you have one on your cover. Congratulations on this one.

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    1. They are functional, Lee. And so mysterious and interesting. Lots of story potential ;)

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  9. I have a book on Gargoyles...actually 2. One is on the meaning of them. I have always loved them and used to watch the cartoon gargoyles-which was more for adults anyway (some of the voices were from Star Trek:TNG

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  10. oh-sugar-I meant to say too that love your cover and love the silver all around-wonderful!

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  11. Wow. Beautiful cover! I think it's perfect. I've never met a gargoyle, but I've always wanted one to watch over my house. :)

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  12. Love the cover! Gargoyles are awesome! I had a teacher whose classroom was in a trailer, and she had a gargoyle statue on the deck part of the trailer.

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  13. This is a really cool cover! Thankfully I've never met a gargoyle. I mean they just look scary :)

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  14. You lucky traveling girl! Great idea on combining the stories, and I love the cover, too :-)

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