Artists Support Each Other: Two Portrait Painters Inspire an
Author of Suspense
First let me thank Diane Burton for offering me a blog spot
on my release day! This is the very
first time a blogger has sought me out for an entry, and I’m humbled by the gesture. Diane is an active member on the Roses of
Prose Blog, and though we’ve never met, I know her as a fine writer and a good
friend. Thanks for the invitation!
I want to talk about two other artists who helped me
immensely in creating my romantic suspense novel, Cézanne’s Ghost http://a.co/i5Ve5w2 You probably won’t be surprised that Cézanne,
the great French Post-Impressionist, is a painter who inspired me. Though he died in 1906, his brilliance lives
on. Here’s a self-portrait of Cézanne’s to
help me introduce him to you.
One of
my favorite Cézanne landscapes came home from Aix-en-Provence on a little
magnet. Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley,
completed by the artist, between 1885 and 1887, now gains more fame on the
cover of my novel. Here it is in all its
beauty.
Very
much alive and still drawing is my other artist contributor, Jeff Haines. I’m thankful he drew himself so you could
meet him, as well. Meet my friends,
Jeff!
I found
Jeff by bumbling around on Pinterest, looking for the ‘ghostly’ portrait of a
woman to represent my heroine. I found a
drawing of just the right woman and asked Jeff if I could buy a copy of the
print. Now, he’d never sold a print to a
novelist for a cover, but he was happy to negotiate with me. He crafted a special rendition for me to
grace my story; his portrait of Aline inspired me throughout my writing journey.
Enter:
my cover artist, Kris Lynn, a whiz at pulling graphics together with extraordinary
effect. Say hello to the cover of Cézanne’s Ghost.
What creative art or artist is integral to your success as a
writer?
Three young American women vanish in Aix-en-Provence, France.
The FBI suspects their American tour guide.
Leon Beaudet, formerly a U.S. Olympic wrestler, is proud of his
five-star guide business, but when tourists disappear on his watch, the FBI
dredges up a violent episode in Leon’s past and tap him for the crime. Worse,
his new tour group includes Aline Kerig, who is as beautiful and
carefree as the three missing women. Leon is fascinated and puzzled by Aline
even while he fears for her safety. She refuses to go back to the States,
forcing the FBI and local police to involve her in the hunt.
With the French tourist industry about to collapse and Leon as a
prime suspect, how does he protect Aline and find his lost tourists?
About Rolynn Anderson
Scandinavian, Army Brat, Wife, English Teacher, High School Principal, Golfer, Boater, World Traveler, Author. She delights in creating imperfect characters faced with extraordinary, transforming challenges. Her hope: You'll devour her ‘makeover’ suspense novels in the wee hours of the morning, because her stories, settings and characters, capture your imagination and your heart.
Web and Blog: http://rolynnanderson.com
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A lovely cover and intriguing premise!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bish. You'll find I had several medical specialists help me build an accurate plot for Cezanne's Ghost. When you read my forward, you'll discover how 'personal' this novel became...stranger than fiction!
ReplyDeleteI love the story about how your cover came together.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane. So much of writing is serendipity, isn't it? Like trying to release a book on the day of an eclipse. What was I thinking?
ReplyDeleteI love the story behind the cover, Rolynn. Sounds like a fantastic story. Happy release day!
ReplyDeleteLeah, thanks for the enthusiastic response. We'll see if I can eclipse an eclipse with my story :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm still looking for stories about how other artists helped you launch a novel. I mean, we writers help each other, but what about other creative folk. Wouldn't it be neat to have an artist illustrate our novels, or attach videos about certain information. I know multi-media stories are coming soon. Note the BIG push for audio. Skilled narrators help make our plots and dialogue pop!
ReplyDeleteYour cover creation story is a novel in itself. One you should write someday, Rolynn. Breathtaking cover. Best of luck with the book. Plus, ****waving here**** Hey, Diane.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margo. Seems like every book we write becomes an adventure of its own. I'm doing research on drones for my next book. Dug deep into the weeds to find out Homeland Security bought a bunch at BIG expense and aren't using them. Raises new questions...might make the plot of yet another novel!
DeleteThanks for the wave, Margo. Hope you're enjoying your vacation.
DeleteThe story about your cover is so interesting- and it sounds like the story captured inside is as well. Congrats on your release!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating premise! And I love the way you found just the way you found just the right image for your cover. Thanks so much for sharing the story!
ReplyDeleteOh wow....how interesting!
ReplyDeletegreat post.
Good luck and God's blessings
PamT
The details in your cover and how it came about shows through! Fascinating cover and story!
ReplyDeleteI love this post!! It's so cool how art inspired your novel. The cover is amazing. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteGreat story about the development of your cover!
ReplyDeleteWow. This sounds fantastic! And I love the evolution of your cover. Very neat. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete