This is way too exciting to wait until my next newsletter.

Here it is. Ta-DA! Designed by Aaron Yeagle, this is the cover for Blackthorn, my soon-to-be-released gothic novel!

The book is written, but it’s not done yet. It’s not baked. At this stage, consider that it is in a warm room, rising. It will go into the oven soon.

The cover, like any other stage of this process, has taken place over several weeks. A few images here, some conversations there, a lot of back and forth, more images. And then Aaron went for it. Photo, typeface, tagline, every little detail is a collaboration, with him at the helm of the design process, sending ideas and mockups.

This is so much fun!

Our last hang-up, after a few iterations, was the thorny branch. Don’t ask me how Aaron accomplished this, but the thorns finally made their way my computer screen, and they are perfect.

There is a lot of symbolism surrounding the blackthorn plant, and its relationship with humans as food and tonic goes back thousands of years. Its spiritual and healing qualities were well known to the Druids. Harry Potter’s wand was made of blackthorn. Irish men used hard-as-ebony blackthorn clubs as weapons. Blackthorn can herald dark deities or protect against evil. If you have a hawthorn in your backyard, observe its spines. Hawthorn and blackthorn are sister plants.

Blackthorn fruit is a dark berry called sloe. Does anyone know that vile concoction known as sloe gin? I will rest my case.