Making cover art for my epic fantasy Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four

In keeping with previous posts about how I developed my cover art, I’m showing the path to completion of my latest release, Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four.

To maintain the same look for the series, I’ve held to a similar technique. I begin with a very basic watercolor of the character of Lyra, my heroine. As this series has progressed, I’ve been painting less with brush on paper and more with Photoshop. However, I do like the softness and texture of the watercolor underneath. It adds to the feel I wanted for these covers.

Next, the watercolor image is scanned. It is digitally cut from the background paper and color corrected, before adding to the background. This background required more work than usual, since magical dragonflies, rocks, grass, etc. seemed to be in the wrong places.

Here’s the cover with some of those changes as well as some painting accomplished on the character.

After many more hours and crossed eyes, working on painting and lighting effects, here is the final image. I’m pleased with how the look fits with the others in the series.

Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four by Marsha A. Moore

Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance

Description:

Lyra McCauley, current Scribe of the Alliance, is the only one who can decode magic hidden in the recently retrieved ancient texts written by her ancestors, the first four Scribes. Information in those writings can help Lyra locate the four missing keystones, which will restore power to the Alliance and allow overthrow of the Dark Realm. With peace restored, she and her beloved, Cullen, could finally marry.

Time is short with the Black Dragon’s Dark Realm increasing attacks to avenge the death of his heir. Many innocent lives are lost. Alliance residents are forced into hiding. Magicals and blue dragons follow leadership of the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians into battle to defend the Alliance.

While Lyra unlocks the ancient magic, she opens herself up to scribal powers from her ancestors. She alone can fight the deadliest of the Dark Realm’s forces—the cimafa stealth dragons—but at a cost. The energy flux threatens her health and ability to learn where to find the missing keystones. Can Lyra overcome this shrewd tactic of the Black Dragon to decimate the Alliance?

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CCW98P2

Enchanted Bookstore Legends (series description):

The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day. Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast implications.  

Lyra was first introduced to Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake, through a gift of one of those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted her into the parallel world of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume and forgot the world and Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she is thirty-five, standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs her.  

When Lyra reopens that enchanted book, she confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good Alliance from destruction by the evil Black Dragon. While learning about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.

Purchase Links for previous books in the series:

Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two

Seeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One

Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three

 ~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, Book Three, LOST VOLUMES, and Book Four, STAUROLITE.. For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Mystical Rubies—drops of blood from battling dragons—in Fantasy Fiction

I’m putting the final touches on the fourth book in my Enchanted Bookstore Legends, entitled Staurolite, which will release this month. In Staurolite, I’m expanding and developing the foundation of the magical lore of my fantasy world. The basis of magical power is a group of four mystical gemstones that connect with the four Chinese elements of nature: air, earth, fire, and water. The book’s title is actually a known gemstone, staurolite. The gem corresponding to fire I have chosen to work with is the ruby. In my series, it serves as one of the four powerful keystones which can empower the good Alliance to overcome the threatening attacks of the evil Dark Realm.

When I selected the gem that would be my keystone corresponding to fire, I considered many attributes that would make it an empowering symbol. My fire keystone plays a strong role, with a power so great it can easily overtake those who attempt to control it. I was intrigued by rubies from the moment I learned those gems have long been known as hardened drops of blood from battling dragons.

The gemstone ruby has held a regal position in myth, legend and lore for thousands of years. Rubies are said to respond magically, warning of danger by changing their color. Catherine of Aragon wore an infamous ruby, rumored to have turned dark and dull the day before Henry VII announced he was divorcing her. Rubies engraved with fantasy animals, like dragons and serpents, have been popular for attracting wealth and enhancing magical energies. A ruby was considered to be an important gift to honor Buddha and Krishna because the Hindu people believed the gemstone's red glow came from an internal flame which no human could possibly extinguish.

Many believe the gems possess energy to help overcome forces of darkness, protecting wearers from malicious spirits and evil spells. As a shielding stone, it can send out protective energies to surround the wearer at all times. This is an especially good way to help prevent psychic attacks. It is a stone of authority, excellence, but also of vanity. It brings to its wearer happiness and love. A ruby can strengthen the heart, restore lost forces, drive away melancholy, awaken passion and sexual desires. Its energy is intense and vivid, helping you see your own strength to encourage leadership and increase concentration and intellect.  

The power of ruby may help you know and follow your dreams and bliss, to change your world. To help improve your ability to enter a lucid dream state, wear or carry a ruby during your sleep. The gem is thought to help you to remain lucid while entering the dream state and increase your ability to control the dream without slipping into a normal sleep pattern.

With all this power, I had no trouble selecting the ruby to be my fire keystone. Throughout the Enchanted Bookstore Legends series, Lyra comes upon the forces of this special stone. In Heritage Avenged (book#2), she is drawn to a ruby displayed by the Dark Alchemist, Tarom. Lyra is born under the Aries fire sign and cannot resist the powers of the fiery ruby which are like her own. He knows this and tempts her with a taste of what the ruby’s energy can do to multiple her own powers, eliciting dark qualities of greed to pull her off her path of what is noble and good.

In Lost Volumes (book #3), Lyra travels into the underground world of Terza and learns how the first Scribe also fought against the seductively powerful Emtori Ruby she was expected to remove from the collection of the Black Dragon. Lyra discovers a startling fact—the ruby was hidden rather than destroyed as most thought. It still exists!

In Staurolite (book #4), Lyra learns how the first Scribe worked hard to control the Emtori Ruby and avoid allowing its powers to overtake her own. Lyra wonders if she will be able to control the valuable keystone when she must locate it and return it to the Alliance.

Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four

Lyra McCauley, current Scribe of the Alliance, is the only one who can decode magic hidden in the recently retrieved ancient texts written by her ancestors, the first four Scribes. Information in those writings can help Lyra locate the four missing keystones, which will restore power to the Alliance and allow overthrow of the Dark Realm. With peace restored, she and her beloved, Cullen, could finally marry.

Time is short with the Black Dragon’s Dark Realm increasing attacks to avenge the death of his heir. Many innocent lives are lost. Alliance residents are forced into hiding. Magicals and blue dragons follow leadership of the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians into battle to defend the Alliance.

While Lyra unlocks the ancient magic, she opens herself up to scribal powers from her ancestors. She alone can fight the deadliest of the Dark Realm’s forces—the cimafa stealth dragons—but at a cost. The energy flux threatens her health and ability to learn where to find the missing keystones. Can Lyra overcome this shrewd tactic of the Black Dragon to decimate the Alliance?

Other references to rubies in fantasy fiction come to mind. I’m a big Harry Potter fan and remember rubies showing up several times throughout that series. Godric Gryffindor’s sword was adorned with egg shaped rubies. Rubies filled the Gryffindor house hourglass. Also, goblins in Gringotts wizarding bank kept busy weighing piles of rubies.

What other works of fantasy do you know that use rubies in mystical or magical ways?

Photo credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, and Book Three, LOST VOLUMES. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and

Mystical Moonstones in Fantasy Fiction

In the process of writing the fourth book in my Enchanted Bookstore Legends, entitled Staurolite, I’m expanding and developing the foundation of the magical lore of my fantasy world. It’s based upon a group of four mystical gemstones that connect with the four Chinese elements of air, earth, fire, and water. The book’s title is actually a known gemstone, staurolite. The gem corresponding to air that I have chosen to work with is the moonstone. In my series, it serves as one of the powerful keystones that can empower the good Alliance to overcome the threatening attacks by the evil Dark Realm. When I selected my keystone which corresponded to air, I considered many attributes that would make it an empowering symbol.

I’ve long been fascinated with blue-white opalescence of the stone, sometimes described as ‘billowy light’ gliding over the smooth cabochon surface. Gemologists refer to this characteristic as adularescence, and a synonym for the stone is adularia. Moonstone can be colorless, white, yellow, green, brown, orange, pink, or grey, but it always has a white or blue sheen. The best moonstone is colorless with a blue sheen. The colored varieties mainly come from India.

The mystical connections of the gem intrigue me. Moonstone is considered a birthstone for February, a mystical birthstone for June, an astrological birthstone for the star sign Cancer, and the Ayurvedic birthstone for September. I’ll soon be studying Ayurvedic yoga during my teacher training this year and am eager to learn how this stone is used in that science.

Traditionally, some believe moonstone can be used to balance a one's yin and yang. The gemstone is thought to soothe and balance emotions and evoke calm responses. Called a visionary stone, moonstone brings inspiration, strengthens intuition and sensitivity, enhances creativity, allows the wearer to see situations from different angles, and helps one to see things more clearly. It has even been said that moonstone has the power to grant wishes. Some believe this stone will build self confidence, enhance compassion, and promote happiness and longevity. It is also thought to be a stone of protection, especially for travel at sea, pregnancy, and childbirth.

It is also considered an ideal stone for lovers, since moonstone is reputed to bring forth tender feelings, protect true love, support a person's emotional and dreamy tendencies, and increase sensitivity to others. It is said to attract friendship and loyalty to the wearer, encourage personal attachments, help obtain romance, and arouse tender passion.

With all of these positive characteristics combined with a captivating appearance, it’s no wonder this stone is often attributed with magical properties in fantasy fiction. One series I especially love that uses moonstones as a foundation for mysticism and spirituality is Sharon Shinn’s The Twelve Houses. Her goddesses are guided by gemstones, the most widely followed being the Pale Mother/Silver Lady/Goddess of the moon who uses the moonstone as her symbol.

What other works of fantasy do you know that use moonstones in mystical or magical ways?

Photo credit: By Memecry2 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, and Book Three, LOST VOLUMES. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Making the Cover Art for Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three

In earlier posts on the Speculative Salon, I’ve showed the progression of how I created Books One and Two, and now I’ll continue and reveal the steps I took in this new cover for Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three.

My process began the same as before, with limited watercolors of the two figures. They are a tiger owl named Kenzo and a pseudodragon named Noba. Both are helpers to Sire Cullen Drake, the Imperial Wizard of the Alliance. After two books, these little guys received so much attention from readers, they deserved a cover spotlight. And they do play big roles in the adventures of this book.

Then I removed each image from the scanned paper and placed it on the background.

Next came hours of painting and shading. After I added font, I had fun playing with several light effects to produce the final cover. I’m pleased with the result, and it’s one of my favorite covers I’ve done.

Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three by Marsha A. Moore

Genre: Fantasy romance

Description:

When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all, she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.

She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert. Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance and avenge the murder of his heir.

Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands, Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live a life with Cullen.

Purchase at Amazon

Series Blurb: Enchanted Bookstore Legends

The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day. Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast implications.

Lyra was first introduced to Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake, through a gift of one of those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted her into the parallel world of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume and forgot the world and Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she is thirty-five, standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs her. 

When Lyra reopens that enchanted book, she confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good Alliance from destruction by the evil Black Dragon. While learning about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, and Book Three, LOST VOLUMES. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Lost Volumes Cover Reveal

The Salon is proud to present our very own Marsha A. Moore!

Everyone at the Salon congratulates Marsha for her continued success and thanks her for letting us reveal her cover from her newest release. 

Before we unveil Marsha's cover, a description of Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three: Lost Volumes:

When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all, she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.

She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert. Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance and avenge the murder of his heir.

Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands, Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live a life with Cullen.

*drum roll*

I love her cover and can't wait to read it!!!

Check out Marsha's Page above to find her links and info on all her wonderful titles.

Creating the Cover Art for Heritage Avenged

At the Speculative Salon we often discuss fantasy art, so I’m going to, once again, reveal some of the steps taken in creating the latest cover art for my Enchanted Bookstore Legends. Like before, I started with a watercolor image of the heroine, but this time I spent much more time on digital painting steps. *GIVEAWAY CONTEST at the bottom for chances to win a free copy of Heritage Avenged*

 The background began as a photograph.

                                        After alteration with filters it became this.

The figure began with a very simple watercolor. I spent far more time on the line drawing, to get the action pose correct.

This was scanned, lifted from the background watercolor paper, and edges were adjusted and smoothed.

Then, hours of digital painting and playing with shadows were spent to get the look I wanted, one that would complement that of the first book, Seeking a Scribe.

 

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~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, and Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.