Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Book Cover Junkie Interviews Self-Help Author Giselle Mascarenhas

Giselle Mascarenhas is the founder of BECOME™, creator of the BECOME Methodology™, and author of She Forgot She Was Free. An entrepreneur, speaker, and transformational guide, she has dedicated her life’s work to helping people reconnect with who they were created to be so they can live with greater purpose, freedom, and intentionality.

After years of building businesses, leading organizations, and walking through seasons of personal growth, Giselle recognized that lasting transformation does not begin with external success, it begins with remembering one’s authentic identity. That realization became the foundation of the BECOME Method™, a proprietary methodology designed to guide individuals through a transformational process of self-awareness, healing, alignment, courageous action, and embodied growth. Unlike a framework that offers guidelines for achieving a specific outcome, The BECOME Method™ is a comprehensive method of personal advancement that can be applied across every area of life, leadership, and purpose.

Her debut book, She Forgot She Was Free, is both a deeply personal memoir and an invitation for readers to embark on their own journey of remembrance. Through honest storytelling, reflection, and faith, the book explores the universal experience of losing ourselves beneath expectations, fear, pain, and performance, and the courageous journey of rediscovering the freedom, identity, and purpose that have always existed within us. Rather than simply telling her story, Giselle invites readers to see themselves in its pages and begin writing the next chapter of their own lives.

The book became the catalyst for the broader BECOME movement, an expanding ecosystem of transformational experiences designed to help people move beyond inspiration into intentional action. Through immersive workshops, retreats, leadership development, educational programs, community experiences, publishing initiatives, and speaking engagements, Giselle equips individuals with practical tools to create meaningful and lasting transformation. Every experience is grounded in the belief that personal growth is not about becoming someone different but remembering and embodying the person God uniquely created each of us to be.

Known for her ability to blend heartfelt storytelling with practical application, Giselle creates spaces where people feel seen, challenged, and empowered to take meaningful action. Her presentations combine vulnerability, strategic thinking, and actionable guidance, allowing audiences to leave not only inspired but equipped with a clear path forward. Her work resonates with entrepreneurs, leaders, professionals, educators, faith-based communities, and individuals seeking deeper purpose and authentic fulfillment.

Beyond her work as an author and speaker, Giselle is passionate about developing leaders who create ripple effects within their families, businesses, organizations, and communities. She believes transformation is contagious, that when one person remembers who they are and chooses to live courageously, they give others permission to do the same. This philosophy continues to shape every initiative within the BECOME movement.

Through future books, collaborative publishing projects, leadership academies, retreats, and global speaking engagements, Giselle’s mission is to help millions of people reconnect with their God-given identity and become the fullest expression of who they were created to be. She envisions BECOME as a worldwide movement that empowers individuals to live intentionally, lead authentically, and create lasting impact for generations to come.

Giselle lives in Texas with her family and continues to write, teach, speak, and expand the global reach of the BECOME movement. Whether on stage, in the pages of a book, or through transformational experiences, her message remains the same: the person you are searching for has never been lost, you have simply forgotten who you are. Remember. Rise. BECOME.

Visit her website at www.thebecomemethod.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤Twitter: https://x.com/giselleempowers

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giselleempowers

╰┈➤Instagram: https://instagram.com/giselleempowers

╰┈➤Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21957760.Giselle_Mascarenhas

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?

My husband named it!

I had just come home from this extraordinary discovery session with my publisher at Mija Media House. I had walked into that session with absolutely no idea what I was going to write, we prayed, and about twenty minutes later the entire framework of the book was on a whiteboard.

But I still didn’t have a title.

That night, my husband Ruben and I started workshopping ideas together. When he said, “She Forgot She Was Free,” I knew.

That was it.

Because that was the entire story.

I hadn’t become free.

I remembered that I already was.


Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?

The cover came to me almost like a download from God.

I love experiences. I love creating things people can participate in rather than simply observe. And I’ve always found coloring incredibly soothing.

Then I started thinking about how every one of us has this vivid life made up of moments that helped shape who we became.

I thought, What if the cover could be part of the experience?

I didn’t want someone simply looking at my life on the cover. I wanted her to be able to participate in it.

So the front and back covers bring specific moments and imagery from the chapters to life in the style of a coloring book. There is intentionally a lot of white space because the cover isn’t finished.

The reader gets to finish it.

She can color my moments while she’s reading about them, but in doing that, I hope she begins thinking about the colors and moments of her own life.

The cover becomes hers, too.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?

The final illustration was created by the illustrator my publisher, Mija Media House, works with.

I was very involved in the concept. I actually created my own mockup and gave the illustrator a detailed list of the moments and elements I wanted represented.

And she absolutely nailed it.

Which is almost miraculous because I am VERY visual and VERY particular. LOL.

There was only one edit!

She understood that I wasn’t asking for a traditional illustrated cover. I wanted something intentionally unfinished because participation was part of the concept.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

The thing I hear most is:

“This is different.”

And I LOVE that.

People pick it up. They look at the front. They turn it over. They start noticing the different elements. Then they realize they can actually color it.

One of my favorite moments happened when I was speaking in New York at the Boss Babes Brunch Conference.

A woman came up to me who had purchased my book about two weeks earlier. She had been looking for something motivational and had several choices, but she chose She Forgot She Was Free because of the cover.

Think about that.

Before she knew my story, the cover made her curious enough to pick it up.

That is exactly what I wanted it to do.

Activate something.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?

Know what you want the reader to feel before you decide what you want the cover to look like.

That would be my biggest advice.

Don’t begin with, “I like this color,” or “I saw another book that looks like this.”

Start with the experience.

What should happen inside someone when they see your book across a room?

What should make them reach for it?

And once it’s in their hands, what should make them turn it over?

Then find someone who is willing to understand that vision instead of simply making something pretty.

I was able to give our illustrator a mockup, specific imagery and the reasoning behind what I wanted. That gave her something much deeper to interpret than, “Make me a beautiful book cover.”

A beautiful cover is wonderful.

A cover that continues telling the story is something else entirely.

Anything else you’d like to say about your book?

The woman illustrated on the cover is Gi today.

She’s free.

She’s vibrant.

She’s living in vitality through the messy parts of life, not because she somehow created a life without them.

That’s an important distinction.

She Forgot She Was Free is a journey through the patterns we create to keep ourselves safe and the moments that can leave us stuck long after the danger has passed.

But those same moments can become something different when we look at them again through love, compassion, faith and truth.

They don’t have to remain weights.

They can become wings.

That’s why I could never imagine this book with a polished photograph of me on the cover.

This isn’t a book about looking at Giselle.

It’s about looking at your own life and recognizing that every messy, beautiful, painful, joyful piece of it has color.

So I intentionally left some of mine blank.

You get to choose the colors.


Sunday, July 26, 2026

Book Cover Junkie Interviews Christian Speculative Fiction Author Randy C. Dockens

Dr. Randy C. Dockens has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without being enemies of each other.

After completing his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been administered (i.e, absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted).

Through the years, he has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas, including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to seek and develop new and novel medicines in these therapy areas.

He has also had his attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon.

Randy has recently retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian (The Coded Message Trilogy), end-time prophecy (Stele Prophecy Pentalogy), science fiction (Erabon Prophecy Trilogy), uniquely told Bible stories (The Adversary Chronicles), speculative fiction (Cities of Light Series), and a combination of science fiction / speculative fiction (Parallel Universe Saga). All his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers.

He has also written some nonfiction books as well. One is to show how all humans are connected from God’s viewpoint by looking at biblical prophecy (Why is a Gentile World Tied to a Jewish Timeline?: The Question Everyone Should Ask). This book shows how all scripture is connected and inclusive of everyone. In addition, he and his editor have written two books about writing. The first is on writing techniques themselves and is entitled Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing: Creating Vivid and Colorful Stories that Readers Want to Read. This book not only addresses the techniques of writing, but what makes writing unique to each author. It conveys not only how to better hone one’s craft of writing but also the brand an author wants to portray. This helps an author make their writing unique as well as captivating for his/her audience. The second is a companion book to this one entitled Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Self-Editing: Framing Your Colorful Masterpiece to Keep Readers Engaged in Your Story. This is best used in conjunction with the first one. Yet, self-editing, though intricately connected to writing, is a distinct event. The better the quality of a writer’s draft manuscript when it is delivered to one’s editor, the higher the final quality of the manuscript will be for readers, and that is extremely important.

Dr. Dockens still has creative ideas to share so stay tuned! 

Dr. Dockens’  latest books are Retrieving the Future & Resolving the Future (Books 1 & 2 in the Parallel Universe Saga Series)

Visit his website at https://www.randydockens.com.

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ X: www.x.com/RandyCDockens

╰┈➤ Facebook: www.facebook.com/Randy.C.Dockens

╰┈➤ Instagram: Randy C Dockens (@randydockens) | Instagram

╰┈➤ Goodreads: Randy C. Dockens (Author of T-H-B) | Goodreads

How did you choose the title for your books? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?


The titles came after I thought about what I wanted the story to be about but before I started writing. The title of the first book, Retrieving the Future, I think fits the storyline of the book as the main character, Declan, is traveling to parallel Earths to gain advanced technology he can bring back to his Earth so his company can reverse engineer it and market that specific technology. This brings some kind of advanced technology forward before its time. Therefore, it is like he is retrieving a future for his world. The cover design shows several Earths in a line getting smaller and smaller to represent there are many Earths for Declan to choose to visit.

In the second book, Resolving the Future, Declan and his girlfriend, Rose, travel to a parallel Earth to discover why their company sends Declan on these missions. Therefore, it is as if he is resolving the reason for the future he is helping to create for his world. This cover is like the first, but with specific differences. It shows a man and women entering a portal with several Earths again shown that can be visited. Yet, these are more out of focus to represent the time dilation field they will need to pass through.

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like? 

The way my covers work is that I typically have an idea for how the cover should look and my cover designer will make it look better than my original idea. This can take several back-and-forth conversations via email before we completely gel on the winning cover design. I will find pictures that she can use on the cover. She may use those or find others that better enhances the ideas I had for the cover. She adds finesse to the cover art and often produces a cover that is similar to what I first imagined, but usually much better in both design and color.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?

My cover designer is Suzanne Lawing. She also formats the book’s interior as well. My publisher is the one who introduced me to her. She is quite talented and typically gets on board with my vision for the book cover fairly quickly. There have been times that it has taken several back-and-forth messaging for us to gel creatively, but that is how a creative process works. From more than two dozen books she has helped design, I can count on one hand when there was significant frustration in getting her to envision my design ideas. She typically is on board almost from the get-go. She has a great eye for getting the vision to be even better than my first thoughts about the cover’s design. She takes my ideas and then makes them “pop.”

What has been the readers’ response to your covers?


To be honest, I haven’t received a lot of feedback from readers but the few who have commented said the covers were very intriguing. I have received more feedback from those who have helped me market my books in some way. They stated that the covers were very striking and notable.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?

You need a designer who can get on board with your vision but still not yield to everything you say. The back-and-forth conversations between you and the designer is what makes your cover design come to life and become something bigger and better than you had at first envisioned.

Anything else you’d like to say about your books?

I would like to say that I think my covers are eye-catching and interest people so they will at least take an initial notice of my work. While the genre may not be for them, I think it at least piques their interest.

Most of my books have a science fiction feel to them and I think my covers reveal that aspect about them. While the stories themselves go from dystopian, to speculative, to science fiction, I do think the covers give that vibe to them and in some way complement the plot of the story itself.

 

Sunday, July 19, 2026

Book Cover Junkie Interviews Young Adult Fantasy Author Lee Mavin

 

Lee J Mavin is the author of 11 books. He is also a teacher and father. He has a Masters in Creative Writing and am solely focused on writing fiction (fantasy and horror) and poetry. He is now in collaboration the illustrator Karolina Piotrowski, a Polish artist who has brought many stories to life. He has worked and studied in China and Japan and studied with Dr Xiaohuan Zhao (a master of Chinese poetry) to complete his book Li Bai’s Shadow, at the University of Sydney. He has two children who are both avid readers, so he is always in the loop with trends in children’s fiction. He is married and lives in Sydney, where he teaches English.

His latest book is the YA fantasy, The Wars Between.

Visit his website at leejmavin.com. 

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.mavin.925/ 

╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mavin798 

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103759.Lee_J_Mavin

╰┈➤ TikTok ➜ https://www.tiktok.com/@leemavin4  

Tell us about your book! What inspired you to write it?

The Wars Between is a fantasy young adult novel that was inspired by the invasion of Ukraine. It is a novel about Outis Everrett and simple young poet, who journeys across the sea to bring change to the


world. In this world there are three main countries, one being a monarchy: Asalandia of which Outis is from. Another being Kastanair, a democratic country that has been at war with Asalandia for thousands of years. The other country is Syanthia, that is the centre of trade. They claim to be neutral in the ongoing wars and benefit from producing all the weapons for Asalandia and Kastanair. They also produce most of the meat. Gwenia Xiachung, a young girl who is determined to travel to Syanthia and stop all meat production as she is a vegan activist. On her way, she meets Outis and everything changes.

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?

I was brainstorming some titles with my daughter and she came up with the title The Wars Between. The title came after the first draft.

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like? 

The cover was designed my illustrator Karoline Piotrowski. I have been working with her on previous children's picture books. I thought she captures the essence of Gwenia and Outis well on the cover.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?

I found Karolina online as she is Polish. I am Australian so we are very far apart.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

All good so far. I think it is more appealing to young girls but I hope to gain more interest from boys and men too.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?

Look on facebook, fiverr and over online platforms and ask for samples beforehand.

Anything else you’d like to say about your book?

I am very pleased with this book and am confident it will be a success. I feel the issues are relevant these days.