Meniscus: The Struggle … Creating the Cover

poetry and prose about place

Meniscus: The Struggle … Creating the Cover

Sometimes choosing the theme for a book cover is difficult. Sometimes it is so easy.

In my new book, Meniscus: The Struggle, Abra is trying to discover a way to overthrow the alien Dock-winders. As she wanders along the shore of the Vastness, she thinks she sees a Dock-winder from the corner of her eye.

Startles as she sees a shadow.
Parody of Dock-winder physique—
purple, angular, thin,
long neck, single coil of hair.
Abra relaxes with a nervous laugh.
The shadow an anomaly, a teetering pile
of pebbles built
by some wandering child.
All the real Dock-winders
are gathered in arrogant bouquets
on the streets of Sintha, Enbricktow,
Prell and Bleth.

I liked this idea of the Dock-winders casting their shadows across the sands of Meniscus.

The cover painting took less than a day to paint. The colours are mellow and there is lots of room for the cover text. All of the Meniscus books have included the two Meniscus moons: Cardoth roe and Cardoth grill’en.

A lot of the work for the final book is done. The edit is complete, as are the drawings. I was without a scanner for a while but with our new printer, I can scan each drawing and place it in the text where it should be.

Then I will order a proof and use it to make any final adjustments. Once my beta-reader has had a chance to react to the book, I will be ready to publish.

June, sometime in June.

All my best!

Alexandra, a.k.a. Jane