Creating a Book Cover

My cover was created by Jaimey Grant ( http://www.anauthorsart.com ), the cover design artist for Treasurline Books Publisher.
She is a woman of amazing talent both as a writer and as a cover designer.

The cover of a book is almost as important as the contents. The saying to "Don't judge a book by its cover" is only really true when it applies to people--not actual books.
Lets face it, a good cover will make you pick up a book that you would have not picked up other-wise.

It comes as no surprise, that during the "Twilight" craze, Little Brown re-packaged some old classics like "Wuthering Heights" and "Pride and Prejudice" with covers to match the iconic solid black background and single red or white flower of the "Twilight" books. Did I pick it up? Yep! I sure did! After closer inspection I realized that I was holding two old books in a new cover. I thought it was a witty idea.

So while I wrote and wrote and dreamed and dreamed, I also thought and thought about what I wanted my cover to look like.
I think I even posted some examples on some of my earlier posts.

At one point I asked Linda Boulanger from Treasureline Books, about covers and she did a great post on her blog ( http://writersshelflife.blogspot.com ). So after reading that post I went to work at finding stock photography that I thought I could use for my cover.
I spent a solid weekend looking at more pictures that I care to remember, finally I found three pictures that I thought could mesh into a cover.









Jaimey took these three pictures and with her magic keyboard made an awesome cover! I did go a little diva on her a few times, wanting to try different things and fonts. I'm sure every time she sent me a new re-mix on the cover she rolled her eyes and said a prayer!

In the end all my bright ideas didn't seem all that bright and I learned that she was spot on from the beginning!
So here I am, one step closer to the actual hold in my hand 6X9 matte with cream colored pages Dream!

Woo Whoo, I’m an Alien

…I’m a legal alien!
It’s intricate work being an alien, there’s lots of fine lines to walk and a lot of taboos to learn about. The name itself is a daunting task—alien. Right off the bat you know you stand apart, not “natural born” but of foreign origin.

Then there’s the language, one my favorite lines from a movie “A Walk in the Clouds” the character of the father says to the guy that just married his daughter, “I don’t think with an accent.” Man, I love that line.

When I first moved to the U.S. at age fourteen, I really confused a lot of people. My appearance has always been incongruent with my accent. Or complete lack of understanding of the English language, because when I first moved to the U.S. I spoke no English. Sure, I could say “Where’s the bathroom?” and “My name is Silvina. Hello, how are you?”

In Argentina, my mom made us all take English from a young age. She considered it a must for us kids, and even started her own English Institute in Buenos Aires when I was twelve years old. The problem with me and English was that I never thought I would use it, so I never cared to learn it!

Some of it must have stuck, because my first High School English class I took, I got an A. We were studying Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and I could read and write somewhat in the language. My mom was furious! She actually complained to the Principal about my A, asking him why I was given such a grade when I couldn’t even speak the language.

School wasn’t easy for me here, in spite of my initial A, and neither was making friends. One look at me and most kids would peg me for an American, then I would speak and I could see their wheels start to turn. “Australia? Sweden? South Africa?” Yep! Believe it or not, those were the usual suspect countries that I was peg to be from.

I could have tried to fit in with the Latino crowd, but that was equally impossible. They would hear me speak with my Argentine accent, and wonder where on earth I was from.

Alien, I was an alien. Alienated on both sides, but don’t feel too sad for me. These things build character, so I turned to books!

The other part of being an alien that is tricky is the whole “status” thing. Until I became a “Naturalized Citizen”, I had to keep my status in check. My parents were “Permanent Residents”, a very coveted status to have. But as such they could not keep me in the U.S. legally after I turned eighteen. So I had to apply for a “Student Visa” and study. This I did gladly, but a tragic turn of events rendered my father unable to work, so I was faced with two choices. Go back to Argentina, or transfer schools.

My mom was teaching—then at a two year school—where I could study for free. The problem now was that I was a senior, majoring in Spanish Lit. The college my mom was teaching at was working on a four year program in that same department, but it was a long ways away form materializing.

Thant’s when Culinary School came into my life! Not only was I able to keep my status as a student, but I was also able to learn the art of cooking. So now I’m the Queen of Eclectic!

My accent is my own, with no discernible root. Visually I’m as gringa as they come. Now a mother and a homeschooler, a treadmill-runner, stationary-biker and incense burning yoga-freak!

In February…or March, perhaps I’ll add “Published Author” to my eclectic list. Wahoo! …and still an Alien!

Here's one of my favorite Recepes from Culinary School

Larry King Live Interview Part II

As promised I made a second interview!

In this second part to the interview between Tess, the main character of my soon to come out book titled "VEILED", Tess talks to Larry about the gifts that some of her clan members have.
Larry gets a bit disgruntled when he finds out what Tess' gift is.
Hope you enjoy this next bit of silliness!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Some times I wonder if my children got computer classes in heaven. They seem to have come hard-wired to work that mouse and know instinctively how to surf the net. I was 21 when my room-mate called me to her room to show me this "new thing" called the Internet and e-mail. Nowadays instead of teaching our children to use the computer, we have to teach them what a record player is; and they look at you like you're some sort of pre-historic creature.

When I see this video I can't help think that perhaps this little girl (now a teenager)took a lot of art classes in heaven, before coming to Earth.




How about this other little girl who most likely was one of those angels who she now sings about...






Whatever our talents and gifts in this life might be, one thing I know for sure. They are God given and they are meant to be shared.

Larry King Live Part I

Many authors are trying to capitalize on the popularity of youtube videos to promote their books. So I thought I would do the same!

When a friend of mine posted a funny video from www.xtranormal.com I knew I would have to check it out! One hour later, and with the help of my ten year old, we had this funny interview.

It's addicting and terribly fun, so I'm sorry to say that you'll be subjected to Part II and quite possibly Part III of this interview throughout the next few weeks!
I would love for this video to go viral, so if you feel inclined to share it, go to www.youtube.com , type in sbniccum and you'll see it!

Hook Lines, Book Covers and Potty Training.

(still a work in progress, but almost done!)

As women we are expert multi-taskers. We can wipe a butt, think of a cool hook line and muse on the shade of our upcoming book cover all at the same time! No big deal!
Sure, we get a little frazzled in the process, but it's all part of life.

I often wonder how many books I could boast of if I had no potty training to worry about, or didn't have to stop and teach my son decimals all while trying to keep a clean house and my carpet puppy urine free!

I imagine, none.

When I first started writing I felt that life got in my way. But now I realize that if it wasn't for my life I would have nothing to write about.

My crazy life is my inspiration and I am Thankful for it!

What is Christian Speculative Fiction?

When I started writing this story I didn’t know what genre it would fall under. In fact it wasn’t until it was written that I found out.

I went to a Writers Guild of Texas meeting, where a Christian author and Agent was conducting a lecture. After doing his best to dismay us, and tell us how impossible it would be for us to get published, he opened the floor to questions.

Don’t get me wrong, he was doing what he thought would be best: telling us how it is. He was right about a lot of things, but I found his well rehearsed bubble popping session a little condescending.

Look, I know, getting published through a BIG publishing house is very hard, impossible even. Getting an Agent is equally hard and time consuming. But I’m the kind of person who believes that when there is a will, there is a way—paved that is, with hard work and patience.

This agent did one thing though, that I am very grateful to him for; he gave my book a Genre. After the meeting was over, I approached him and briefly described my book to him. He irrevocably pronounced it “Christian Speculative Fiction”.



So what is this mysterious genre that I had never heard of?
Commonly called CSF, this genre is fast growing in popularity among those who want fast pased, action packed, yet clean fiction. The themes are biblical and morally uplifting. The settings vary between science fiction, futuristic, superhero, time travel, supernatural, end-of-the world “Armageddon” type and alternate realities to list a few.

The best known examples that fall under these categories are “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Lord of the Rings”. We have in fact C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien to thank for the renaissance of this genre. They, in my opinion, did in the twentieth century what poets like Dante and Milton have done in their time.
Now days a slew of new authors are bringing this old genre back to life.



Most of us are however still in the fringes of the Christian market—not for lack of demand—but rather due to an inability for large publishers to change old set in traditions.

Another reason why CSF writers are opting to get published through smaller publishing houses, like TreasureLine Books, is because these publishers offer Print on Demand (POD) services.

This is a low cost, no middle man (agent) way to get your book into the reader’s hands. These books will most likely never hit a “Big Bookstore” shelf, but it will be online at popular booksellers like Amazon, Amazon's Kindle, Smashwords and the Publisher’s and Author’s web site. The benefits of POD for the readers are obvious—low cost.

For me and many other authors that choose to go this route, the benefits are that we get to live our dreams of writing good, clean stories, and keep our current lives. No traveling, no life altering careers, just our life and our dreams!
Reading is a great form of entertainment and a powerful way to shape our world and CSF writers are doing both!

Pictures by Gustave Dore'