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.