Cover Talk: The Jungle Within by Charles M.

Title: The Jungle Within
Author: Charles M.
Publisher: Createspace
Pages: 308
Genre: Drama/Suspense

When Evan and Katie said “I do”, they expected to navigate life together side-by-side. But when a car accident and a tawdry affair disrupt life as they know it, Evan and Katie are forced to venture on alternate paths, alone. In the darkest depths of an unforgiving coma, Evan fights to survive the treacherous jungle of his mind. He embarks on a spiritual journey to understand the meaning of life and the beauty of death…forcing him to face his deepest fear. Meanwhile, Katie ventures through her own guilt. On a strenuous moral journey, she juggles the consequences of infidelity and the strain of caring for her unresponsive husband. But are their paths truly separate? Or are they simply on parallel journeys that are destined to converge?

For More Information

• The Jungle Within is available at Amazon.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Charles M. Talks Book Covers

My cover was painted on canvas by an artist named Mindy Gray. She is an amazing painter. I had the idea for The Jungle Within inside my head, but I cannot paint, nor am I any good with graphic design. So after a few iterations of painting, she nailed it. Afterwards, she took a high quality photo of it and went to work on Photoshop, adding the title and other information. I have the original artwork hanging up on my wall next to a shadowbox containing the final book. It’s there to remind myself what I’m really capable of.

The cover is basically an abstract depiction of a jungle with a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a small light. We all know what that means. Above the jungle are a pair of yellow eyes. I don’t want to give away too much information, but those eyes play a big part in the book. Right around chapter 4 is where the reader has the “Ah-ha” moment regarding the cover. It’s awesome to hear readers say that the cover was perfectly described.

The saying goes, never judge a book by its cover, but in today’s book market I think that it’s incredibly crucial to have a good cover. The writing may be the best in the world, but nobody would ever know if they don’t read it. With all the books out there, you only have a fraction of second to get that reader to open it or read the back cover. During my research I found that the number one thing against self-publishers was non-edited books and bad covers. To me, the cover must intrigue the reader and give away some clues. It needs to look the part.

About the Author

Despite growing up in a small town, I always knew I was destined for bigger things. At age eighteen, I enlisted in the US Navy, a move that allowed me to see the world and explore my passion for life. After 6 years and an honorable discharge, I settled into civilian life, earning my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Technology Management.

Always eager to challenge myself with new and different roles, I took on the role of “Author,” writing my debut novel among the roles of full-time engineer, local business owner, and family man. But, I have no plans to stop there!

I am an avid outdoorsman, enjoy camping, hiking, snowboarding, shooting, and fishing, making the Land of Enchantment an ideal place to call home.

I look forward to sharing my novel and experiences with all of you!

Charles’ latest book is the drama/suspense, The Jungle Within.

For More Information

• Visit Charles M.’s website.
• Connect with Charles on Facebook and Twitter.