Book Cover Junkie Interviews Urban Fantasy Author Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden is the author of nine award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Cassie Scot Series.

Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but Christine believes great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. She writes primarily about people, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

In addition to writing, Christine is a freelance editor and political activist. Disability advocacy is of particular interest to her; she has a rare genetic eye condition called Stargardt Macular Degeneration and has been legally blind since the age of eighteen. In her free time, she enjoys role playing, board games, and a good cup of tea. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two kids.

Author Links

Website ➜https://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

X ➜ http://www.x.com/christineamsden 

Facebook ➜https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl

Interview:

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

The idea for Knot of Souls came to me in November of 2020, after a particularly divisive election cycle. I wasn’t sitting on the sidelines that year; I worked social media for two state senate campaigns where I got a front-row seat to some of the vilest comments you can imagine. The day after the election, I sat down at my computer and wrote three words:

Write something happy.

Joy got her name before she got a plot! :) 

Ultimately, I chose to write a story about two very different beings forced by circumstance and mutually assured destruction to work together … and come out stronger on the other side. 

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 usually struggle with titles, but this one almost wrote itself. It’s called Knot of Souls, and it’s about two souls trapped together inside one body where they get all tangled up. I played around with “tangle” and a few other synonyms, tried a few word orders, but this one popped early and obviously. It didn't come to me before I began writing, but it was early enough I don't remember calling it anything else. 

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

When I originally conceived the cover for Knot of Souls, I was sure of only one thing: there had to be a knot. A green knot, made up of blue and yellow light (Joy’s soul is bluish-white, Shade’s is yellow-gold). The knot could be Celtic, because that’s recognizable at a glance, but that part isn’t literal. The colors are. 

I worked with BZN Studio Designs, and the artist there helped me conceive the rest. I initially suggested a silhouette to de-emphasize the importance of the body (compared to the souls), but this idea apparently looked too science fiction! (I’m not always convinced by the line between fantasy and science fiction, but I understand the genre expectations.) So, no silhouette. We went through a few different designs before she hit on the idea of obscuring the model’s features by showing only the lower part of her face, chin turned off to the side. The effect was surprising, even dramatic, and it kept the focus precisely where I wanted: on the knot. 

I love the lighting effects most of all, When I look at this cover, I don't see one person at all. I see both Joy and Shade, and I hope after reading the book, others will see it that way, too. 

The skyline at the bottom is Kansas City, where much of the story takes place. 

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

BZN Studio Designs was a recommendation from a colleague. I used them last year, too, when I got the rights back on The Immortality Virus and needed a new cover. She did a beautiful job on that one, too (https://a.co/d/efZnVdd) and although it's a very different cover, I also loved the lighting effects there. It's why I went back. 

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

Overwhelmingly positive! Which is especially gratifying because this is the first cover I commissioned on my own, without the help of a publisher. 

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

Look at covers. Lots of covers. Look at the cover artist's portfolio, too, and make sure you like their work, then tell them (with examples) what kinds of things you're looking for. Communication is the key to getting what you want. 

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

Just that if you enjoyed my Cassie Scot books, I think you'll like this, too. It's got all the magic, mystery, and magical family drama you've come to expect from me, plus a wonderful buddy love at its core. 

Thanks for having me!

Knot of Souls is available at Amazon. 

Book Cover Junkie Interviews Urban Fantasy Author Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, which scars the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams. Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success.

Social Media Links:

·Website

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Check out Christine's latest book, Kaitlin's Tale at Amazon / OmniLit.

Interview:

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

I first met Kaitlin, Cassie's best friend, in Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective, she came with a theme song: “Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.” She slept with Jason in that very first book, a one-night stand that resulted in her son, Jay. But it might surprise fans of the series to know that I never, not even for a split second, considered a real romance between Kaitlin and Jason. Not because there's anything wrong with Jason – he's my tragic hero. But they're not right for one another. They never were.

To tell you the truth, Kaitlin wasn't supposed to get her own book. She was a secondary character in the Cassie Scot series who I originally thought would have a minor, mostly behind-the-scenes romance alongside Cassie. But Kaitlin, much like Madison (from Madison's Song), became too big for a footnote in someone else's book. She demanded her own story.

When your characters start ordering you around, you have no choice but to listen. And really, it was a relief, because I honestly had no idea who would be right for Kaitlin. I love her, but she's – well, let's face it, she's a bit self-destructive. Case in point: a one-night stand with a vampire hunter she knew would be leaving town the next day and who she would likely never see again. And that was hardly her worst relationship. She's been used and abused, and has convinced herself that in the world of romance, she the woman who “knows the score,” the one the hero discards in favor of the real heroine.

Still, a girl can dream. Kaitlin wants a fairy tale, and I wanted that for her too.

So why Matthew Blair, of all people? Fans of the series will recognize that name from Mind Games, when he tried to manipulate Cassie into marrying him. He was the villain of the piece. But he was never evil in the classic two-dimensional sense. And in fact, the more three-dimensional I made him, the more I realized that for the right woman, he could be exactly what she needs.

Kaitlin is a loyal, kind-hearted, damaged woman with a buried past. Who better to help her heal than a telepath? Who else would even get to know the real her?

As you can see, Kaitlin's Tale was not the inspiration of a moment. The story developed in the back of my mind over at least 5 years while I wrote the rest of the Cassie Scot series.

Tell us about your publishing process. What was it like? Did you go indie or the traditional way?

I've been publishing with Twilight Times Books (a small, traditional publisher) since book 1, Touch of Fate, in 2005. They've made it as easy as it can be (which is still extremely difficult) and have made me feel cherished as an author.

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

I chose Kaitlin's Tale as the title for this book when I chose Madison's Song for the title of my previous release. Both books tell the story of a character left behind in the Cassie Scot series – in Madison's case, her amazing musical gift lent itself to a title. In Kaitlin's case, the fact that she's always looked for a fairy tale romance drew me to her title.

Tell us about the cover design process.

Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?

I didn't have a clue what the cover would look like when I started out. I never do. To tell you the truth, the fact that I am legally blind makes this visual step a real challenge for me. It's so important, but I've seen so few book covers … I usually download audiobooks from the library for the blind!

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

My publisher found Tamian Wood, who also did the cover art for Madison's Song, but her initial ideas for Kaitlin's Tale kept misfiring. They were just boring – a woman in the foreground, nature in the background, nothing that said Kaitlin's Tale to me. I wanted something magical, but as we continued brainstorming, our biggest challenge was in finding a stock photo of a blonde woman running away.

Finally, I decided to borrow a friend's camera and a neighbor's daughter and take a picture myself! After that, it all came together beautifully.

How was your experience working with the designer?

It was a good experience overall. With Madison's Song, she came up with a great idea right out of the gate and I had little input. This time, it took more back and forth, but the more we brainstormed, the better the picture became until finally, I feel like this is the best cover I've ever put out!

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

Beautiful! Magical!

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

Know the cover art in your genre. And have an idea of what you want.

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

It's amazing! And no, I'm not biased at all. :)

Seriously, though, I hope you'll give Kaitlin a chance. My recommendation is to start with the Cassie Scot series. Kaitlin's story can stand alone, but you'll understand more of who she is and where she came from if you read the books in the order I wrote them. The love interest, Matthew, also appears in the original Cassie Scot series. (Though you probably won't like him there! He has a redemption arc in Kaitlin's Tale.)