News:
16.02.08
Contest
Here's the deal - I'm opening either a CafePress or Zazzle store (I'm still weighing the pricing, etc, on both to see which one is better for my fans), and I'm looking for a cool tee-shirt design to showcase. Since I'll be the first to admit that my drawing abilities rank somewhere below a spastic cat with paint on its paws, I'm looking for all the artists I know out there who'd like a chance to design one. Below are descriptions of the major characters - the only guidelines are:
1. The design has to be in to me by April 1, 2008.
2. The design needs to be PG-13 at the most.
Yep, that's it. I'm giving y'all free rein (gods help me) - what's more, if you want, please post this on your blog and let others know. I'll post all the designs here the week after April 1, and let the public vote.
And, of course, there's a prize: The winning designer will not only get a portion of the proceeds from the shirt, but they'll get a signed copy of Not Your Father's Horseman and a chocolate gift. As a further prize, I'll put the name of everyone who votes in a hat and do a drawing for a special prize of chocolates, tea and a signed copy of one of my books.
Here are the major characters:
Nikki Jeffries: 22. Long dark straight hair, dark blue eyes, pale skin. Prefers jeans and tee-shirts. Attracted to Shadows. The Horseman Death.
Rick Jackson: 24. Shoulder-length dark blonde hair, amber eyes. Tanned skin. Usually in a rumpled shirt and jeans. Writer. Sensitive (as in the Talent, not as in "sensitive guy.")
Justin Greystone: 24. Curly, vaguely-longish, sandy blonde hair. Hazel eyes. Pale skin. Usually in silk shirts and rumpled chinos. Earth/Shadow Mage. Grounds spells in worry dolls.
Alex Masterson: 35. Short black hair, dark eyes. Pale skin. Shadow Mage. Usually in sharp suits. Very much in charge.
Alenya n'Nyx: looks late 20s. Long black hair, emerald green eyes, pale skin (in human form), large black panther with emerald eyes (hunting form). In human form, wears all black. Shadow Lord.
Another element that could be incorporated is moonflowers - they appear a LOT in the book.
Good luck!
Email me the designs or any questions at vg_ford at yahoo dot com by midnight EST, April 1, 2008.
My name is Val Griswold-Ford, and I’m an author. And no, this isn’t the weekly meeting of Writer’s Anonymous – that’s down the hall. This is your chance to take a peek into the mind of an author of dark, paranormal and urban fantasy, with some possible side trips into the realms of epic fantasy and horror. There might even be some naughty bits – you never know.
Here’s the short version: In 2005, Dragon Moon Press (out of Calgary) published my first novel, “Not Your Father’s Horseman.” It is the story of Nikki Jeffries, a young woman who discovers there is more to the world than even she could imagine. It’s a dark fantasy, and the first book in the Apocalypse Cycle. “Dark Moon Seasons,” the second book in Nikki’s story, is due out from DMP in 2007. You can check out the prologue to “Horseman” on the Works page under the “Apocalypse Cycle".
I’ve also helped out on several nonfiction books from Dragon Moon, “The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy” and “The Fantasy Writer’s Companion.” Both books were finalists for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. “Fantasy Writing: The Quest for Publication” is due out the beginning of 2007, and is a guide on what to do once the novel is finished. Check out my Works page for more.
What you’ll find in this site is someone who’s insanely curious about the world around her, and the worlds in her head. I’ll lead you down the road I take as I write, and show you paths you can take as well. I’ll introduce you to the odd characters who live with me, and their stories. Hopefully, I’ll entertain you, amuse you, educate you. And maybe, just maybe, scare you a little.
So check out the site. Drop by the blog and say hi. Or drop me an email. I love to talk to folks.