BLOODBOOTS IS AVAILABLE!

People have been reading Megan, and for the most part, they seem to be liking it.

Who knew?

I'm currently working on the sequel. Maybe trying to work on it is a better way to phrase it. Wait, actually trying to get started on trying to work on it is actually more accurate.

Things are moving pretty slowly.

I'll have it done by fall. I promise. I won't let all three of you down.

In the meantime I put together a short story that fits into the Breadcrumbs world. It's a bit different from Megan, darker, a bit more subversive. It's told from the perspective of Bloodboots, who by all accounts, isn't that great a guy. He doesn't look at the world the same way as Megan, or even Blueeyes. He's a little nasty and a lot gross.

You'll hate him.

You'll get to learn just a little about the world before everything went sour, how Travis made his living, a whole lot about his little brother Patrick, and what drove him to become what he ultimately became.

This one is available only as an ebook and it's cheap.

It's really cheap.

It's $0.99.

Which is pretty cheap.

If you liked Megan and want to hang out in the world a little more, give it a read. Even if you hate it you're only out $0.99. That's nothing. You can't even buy a Snickers with that.

~Steven


If you feel like snagging a copy for your Kindle, click HERE

Want to learn a little more about the series, click HERE

A NEW BOOK!

I finally wrote a new book.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to write anything new. It's been a few years since I finished the Forts Trilogy. Work has been busy. I guess that's part of it. There's also my laziness. That probably had something to do with it too.

I spend my days as a graphic designer. I also have the luxury of working from home. I commute about fifteen feet, work in my underwear, and generally don't shower until noon. I do a lot of projects for social media companies, and small print houses. Occasionally I find myself with an illustration job. I also do most of the show branding for Koldcast.tv, and a bunch of other stuff I'm too bored to name. On top of my regular jobs, a while back I somehow fell into doing book covers for independent publishers and small publishing houses. I've done a lot of book covers.

Holy crap have I done a lot of book covers.

Basically, I'm trying to say it's been a busy year.

Busy isn't much of an excuse though. I like writing. I should have found the time to do it.

Also, I sit at a computer all day long. It can be tough to convince myself, and my wife, that I need to sit at it even longer.

It takes me a while to formulate an idea. I don't plot. When I come up with something I really like, I don't even write it down. If I can't remember it, it probably wasn't very good. That's what I tell myself. It's dumb. I know it's dumb. I like to pretend it's smart, but I secretly know it's dumb.

It's also an excuse to be lazy. 

I had the basic idea for the new book about two years ago, a few big moments, specific lines of dialogue. I knew how I wanted the story to begin and I knew where I wanted it to end. When it seemed too big an idea for one book I decided to break it into three. Then I sat on it for a year.

Then I sat on it for another year.

Remember the whole laziness thing?

At no point during my sitting did I ever forget about the book. I thought about it all the time. When I was taking my noonish shower, I'd play out certain scenes in my head, imagine them with some snazzy background music. When I was snacking on bag after bag of delicious, fattening potato chips, I was working stuff out. When I went for my nightly run to burn off those potato chip calories, I cleaned up bits of dialogue in my brain. When I was naked with  the wife I was thinking about it too.

That last bit stays between you and me, got it?

Somehow, despite being too lazy to take a single note, I remembered everything. The big moments that popped into my head two years ago are the same big moments that made it into the book. The same characters get smacked around and the same characters die. Some of the stuff in-between has been tweaked, but it probably wasn't good enough to remember anyway. 

I like the new book. It took a while to get from my brain to the page, but it was mostly worth the wait. It's a solid read, heavy, unforgiving, violent, maybe a little gross. I'm sure a few people will complain that it's a bit short, but I'm oaky with that. A lot happens. It feels like the first chapter in something bigger, because it is. There are zombies, and mutants, and cannibals, and guns, and monsters, and explosions. Despite that very awesome nonsense, I think it all has a point. The characters aren't just fodder for the next explosion.

Rest assured, they do blow up.

When they blow up, they blow up for a reason.

It's classy like that.

Overall, the book says what I wanted it to say. It's not going to sell a heck of a lot of copies. It's not the kind of book the masses are buying these days. No one falls in love. There's nothing romantic about it. There's no kinky sex and there's no strange, kinky-romantic sex. Plus I'm lazy about promotion. The chances of me knuckling down and promoting the hell out of it are slim. If a few people buy the book, awesome. If a few people like it, double-awesome. It really doesn't matter. I didn't write it because I thought it would sell and I'd be able to quit my day job. I like my day job. I work in my underwear. What's not to like?

I wrote the story because actually writing it was the only way I'd stop thinking about it.

Now I just need to finish it.

~Steven



If you feel like snagging a copy for you Kindle, click HERE

Paperback copies, click HERE

Want to learn a little more about the series, click HERE

PRE-MADE COVER EXTRAVAGANZA!

So, here's the deal.

I do a lot of covers for a lot of people these days. Sometimes when I whip up something for a client it doesn't exactly work for their book and I have to give it a second go. It's all part of the process. It happens.

Unfortunately, this means that I'm left with a pretty decent cover that doesn't have a home.

Covers are just like people, right? Every cover wants to be loved and every cover deserves a home.

Also, I'd like to at least get my money back for the stock images. That's a part of it too.

With that in mind I've decided to implement the First Annual Pre-Made Cover Extravaganza! (You know it's important because it's in caps.)

Here's how it works: Have a look at the covers below. If you think one of them might work for something you've written all you have to do is drop me a line at novakillustration@gmail.com (or leave a comment in the comments section) and it can be yours.

I'll remove the novakillustration.com watermark, plunk in your title and your author name, and even putz around with the fonts a bit if you think you'd like to try something different. If you like most of the concept but want to make some changes I'm sure we can work out a price that'll make every happy.

I'll do all of that for a measly $40. (Payable through Paypal) 

Come on, that's a serious deal. Final images will be sent to you in printable 300dpi quality, as well as three sizes for all of your online needs.

Deal city, people. Deal city.  

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Steven



COVER 1 - AVAILABLE


COVER 2 - SOLD


COVER 3 - AVAILABLE


COVER 4 - AVAILABLE


COVER 5 - SOLD


COVER 6 - SOLD


COVER 7 - AVAILABLE


COVER 8 - AVAILABLE


COVER 9 - AVAILABLE


COVER 10 - AVAILABLE


COVER 11 - SOLD


COVER 12 - AVAILABLE


COVER 13 - AVAILABLE


COVER 14 - AVAILABLE


COVER 15 - AVAILABLE


COVER 16 - SOLD

A CARING DEED FOR BECKY

Last year I illustrated a picture book titled, A Caring Deed For Becky for Featherweight Press. It was written by Susan Wigden.

I've spelled her name "Widgen" incorrectly at least a thousand times, but that's neither here nor there.

In any case, Susan is currently making the rounds with the book and I thought I'd post a video of a school reading she did earlier this year.

 Want a copy? Of course you do.

Get it through Amazon HERE and Barnes and Noble HERE.

WIFE IS GONE - BAD GUYS COVER

My wife has been gone for a week. She's visiting family in another state and won't be home for another nine days. 

I'm up late.  I miss her.

I'm bored. 

 Here's the cover for The Bad Guys #3 

 That is all.

Webcast Beacon Blind Date

About a month ago I signed up to take part in an interesting little exercise over at the Webcomic Beacon. Basically I was paired up with a random writer and we were asked to put together a little something webcomic(y) in honor of Valentie's Day.

David Tulloch of Virtually Comics was tossed in my way, he tossed a few script ideas my way, and we banged this little gem out.

 Maybe "banged it out" was the wrong way to word that. 

In any case, it was all said and done I was left sweaty and spent and I needed a cigarette. Also, feel free to head over to Dave's website and the Webcast beacon site by clicking the links above as well.

Steven

GOATS EAT CANS IS COMING!

With the Forts series wrapped up, I've moved onto something else, and believe it or not that something else is getting released in March!


Goats Eat Cans is coming soon!

What the heck is Goats Eat Cans and why should you care about it? Trust me when I tell you that you're going to like this thing.

If you hated Forts and you hate me for writing Forts, you're still going to like this.

Goats Eat Cans isn't Forts. It's nothing like Forts. Nothing at all.

Click the picture below to head over the official Goats site. You won't regret it.


Maybe.