Book Cover Junkie Interviews Literary Fiction Author Paula Onohi Omokhomion

 

Paula Omokhomion is a Master of Public Policy student at the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, though she’s fairly certain that won’t be forever. She holds a B.S. in Public Health Nutrition from UNC Chapel Hill, where she also minored in Creative Writing (Fiction) and graduated with highest honors for her 120-page thesis novella, New Age Taffeta.

Paula developed her skills and love for writing fiction in a very, very interesting Nigerian boarding school, where the lack of television meant she had to invent entertainment for everyone else. She loves reading manhwa, watching Indian TV dramas, listening to music, and writing short stories.When not doing any of those or in the classroom handling R code, she’s refining her LinkedIn or taking Instagram selfies.
She lives in California with her family, including her two fellow triplets, and is currently dreaming of a future PhD in public health—and maybe another novel.

Visit her website or connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. 

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

My book, Shape of the Sun, focuses on a heir to an Indian construction empire that has to decide between choosing ethics or not when he falls in love. The stakes are higher because he is going against his half-brother for this inheritance, and the latter is playing very dirty, so love is an obstacle and he’s trying to maneuver it. 

I believe I was really inspired by how fiction canon traditionally does not express male leads in an unflattering manner, and going further, how some actually have male leads that do terrible things but put in major efforts to compensate for it, which could come off as whitewashing in realtime. Raj, SOTS’ male lead really is that central character that is by no means misunderstood and is particularly consciously unreliable. There is also meta-fictional commentary on whether romance can really wipe out negativity as well as the effect of family neglect, and performative masculinity. 

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 actually thought of Shape of the Sun after seeing a particularly sad image that won a Pulitzer, I believe. The sun was being particularly oppressive in the picture to a child that was malnourished and at risk of being prey to a vulture. The next day I believe, I was listening to a friend discuss how the sun was a proof of life and something that everyone cherished.

In that moment, I couldn't help thinking how the sun could be two-faced and given meaning based on who was describing it; it was a problem to some and a promise to others.

Raj, SOTS’ lead is exactly like that. Sure, he is rich and handsome and is the lead, but based on who you are asking, he might not have done some really nice things, which you get to see in the book. 

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

Yes, I didn’t want it to be too priming in a way that readers concluded what the themes were and entered the novel with that idea in mind. Sure, there is romance and I could opt for the popular go-to of a couple on the cover, but that book really involves more themes than that. So I wanted a cover that conveyed seriousness, but not to the point that people thought it was horror or something like that. 

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

I was the cover designer, and I did it in Canva. 

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

I haven’t gotten many comments on the cover compared to the content, but one did admit that the cover might be understating the rich content and a possible problem for garnering interest. Thus, I am contemplating a revised cover after a few months of floating the original. But nothing is certain yet, as I am watching for more reviews. 

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

Try Canva templates first. If you can afford it, Threads is a good resource for finding out from other indie authors which artists produced their cover work. 

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

Shape of the Sun is literary fiction, romance, inheritance drama and family saga all at once. Readers should approach it with an open mind and also be prepared to expand their worldview and perspectives. All reviews are always welcome. 

 

Book Cover Junkie Interviews Coming of Age Literary Fiction Author R.C. Dickens

R.C. Dickens is the pen name of Juniper Ray, a black, queer writer, choreographer, teacher’s assistant and disaster living in Appalachia with big dreams of escaping out to the West Coast. Along with their debut novel, Crown of Blooms, they have worked as a ghostwriter for several years and have published several short stories. In 2023, Juniper won the Webby Award for Best Single Episode of a Podcast for their appearance on Snap Judgement. When they aren’t writing (which is rarely) Juniper enjoys dancing, singing, anime, cosplay and generally being a menace to the general public. 

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ https://rcdickens.wixsite.com/website 

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRCDickens  

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/rcdickens_author 

Interview:

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

Crown of Blooms is about a 15-year-old pastor’s son named Kayden who starts to fall for one of the boys in his youth group. What transpires is a story of queer awakening, religious trauma, young love and betrayal. It was inspired by my own upbringing, growing up black and queer in the buckle of the bible belt. A lot of the themes of religion, sexual development, and adolescence are pulled directly from my own life. I would call the book thematically autobiographical in that way. It actually started as a short

story about a boy protesting a pride event who sees his ex-lover across the fence. 

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?

Crown of Blooms was a very late decision. I’m actually terrible at titles. I knew I wanted to tie together the religious themes, the idea of transformation, and leave room for a trio of titles, as Crown of Blooms is the first in a series. I actually named the third book, Crown of Roses, first and worked backwards from there, titling the middle Crown of Thorns and the first Crown of Blooms. 

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like? Who is your cover designer, and how did you find him/her?

Funny enough, I basically won the cover. The cover designer made a post on TikTok saying, “comment your book idea and I’ll design a cover” and she happened to pick mine. She made this gorgeous cover, and it just fit so well, I had to go with it. I may go for something different with the next book as my sensibilities and plans for this series grow, but who knows. 

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

People have been pretty responsive to it, and I personally think the cover, combined with the title, communicates everything you need to know before going into this book. 

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

A good book cover should be equally meaningful and beautiful to you. If you only try to create a marketable cover, you’re gonna end up losing some of your identity as an author. Trust the designer, of course, but don’t forget it’s your cover. 

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

This book has been such a labor of love. I’m still in the phase of my career where every individual purchase, like, comment, and review means the world to me, so please, don’t think your support goes unnoticed. Also, I’m looking for beta readers, so if you’d like to get an early copy of the sequel, Crown of Thorns, please let me know. Just check out my linktree to know where to find me. 

Interview with Dwaine Rieves, Author of 'Shirtless Men Drink Free'

Dwaine Rieves was born and raised in Monroe County, Mississippi.  During a career as a research pharmaceutical scientist and critical care physician, he began writing poetry and creative prose.  His poetry has won the Tupelo Press Prize for Poetry and the River Styx International Poetry Prize.  His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Georgia Review and other publications.  He can be reached at www.dwainerieves.com.

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

Shirtless Men Drink Free is a novel about souls and the bodies that won’t let them go.  In more earthly words, the novel is the tale of three highly successful professionals altering their lives in attempts to redeem the troubling deaths of their parents.  The story is set in Atlanta 2004, when the state is in the midst of a gubernatorial election.  Dr. Jane Beekman’s mother has just died of an overlooked cancer while her husband Dr. Price Beekman must confront the reasons behind his father’s suicide, a suicide that just may impact the election of the state’s next governor.

In short, Shirtless Men Drink Free deals with how a parent’s death impacts his/her grown children—the need for making something noble or at least meaningful from the death.  As the book cover notes, Shirtless Men Drink Free makes vivid the human soul’s struggle in a world bedeviled by desire and the fears that leave us all asking—Why? 

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

What an experience to tell!  My novel is a work of literary fiction, so I initially sought the assistance of an agent experienced in this genre.  With the completion of a final working draft, I queried over 200 agents.  Yes—over 200!  The vast majority never responded.  Probably a dozen responded, and six requested the full manuscript.  The feedback I received from these six agents was consistent—“Dwaine, the writing is great and the story compelling; but it will be hard to sell this work.  The market is so tough now, unless you have a connection, a track record or fit clearly into a market niche, the big houses are just not going to take you on.  Sorry.”

Indeed, one well-known agent called to apologize for not being able to take on the novel because: “You just can’t write like this initially.  You have to have a track record of more accessible, popular novels.  Then, you maybe can go experimental with a traditional publisher.”

I have heard many versions of “sorry.”  Being a poet, I guess I’m used to rejection.  Too, I knew Shirtless Men Drink Free, would never be an “easy sell.”  It wasn’t supposed to be “easy.”  The novel makes no apology for its Southern soul, which is not an easy commodity for the market.

Shirtless Men Drink Free is being published by Leapfolio, an imprint of Tupelo Press, which published my first poetry collection. 

Leapfolio is a form of a hybrid press—a creature I had never heard of until Jeffrey Levine at Tupelo Press introduced me to the Leapfolio model. In this model, the press and the author invest time, sweat and finances into the book’s production.  I particularly like the model because Leapfolio allowed me to make the final sign-off on all aspects of the book’s production.  I have a friend who recently had a novel published by a traditional publisher, and I was surprised to hear of how little control the author had over the book’s presentation.  Perhaps I’m a control freak!  But after working twelve years on a novel, I sure wanted the final presentation to align with story itself.

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?

Shirtless Men Drink Free is a slogan from the gay bar that has a role in the novel.  I chose the title—even at the risk of it sounding somewhat pornographic—because it carries a strong metaphor.  The freedom within quenching a thirst with no penalties or constraints of the world or body.  That title came to me at the close of the book, following discussions with my publisher.  Initially, I had considered solely Shirtless Men.  But, no doubt some readers would have been looking for pictures.

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

I wanted the book cover to be engaging and coy—an image that suggests a mystery, some narrative awaiting discovery.  Of course, one idea was to picture a shirtless man, but no way!  That sort of image would have really carried us into the gay porn world, which would have disappointed a great many readers interested in a lurid story about shirtless men.  Instead, we settled on an iPhone image shot—a serendipitous discovery of a fairly typical man contemplating something serious.

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

I worked with the cover-design folks at Leapfolio, vetting many cover options—abstract images of artwork, digital creations, various photographs from museum pieces.  Ultimately, we settled on an image from my iPhone, a photograph I had taken because the light in that moment appeared almost magical in its redness.

How was your experience working with the designer?

Leapfolio was top-notch.  With the teamwork approach, I believe we achieved exactly what we were looking for in a cover.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

To date, readers have been engaged.  Red seems big this year, more saintly than bloody.

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

Don’t settle for less than the “Yes, Indeed!” cover.  I believe the author should have the final say on any cover, although I also believe it is so useful to have others (cover designers or not) help vet the cover options. 

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

Yes, Indeed!  Here are some of the advanced review comments:

“This is brilliant and rare work, as attentive to an absorbing plot as it is to a poetic, chiseled cadence."—Paul Lisicky, award-winning author of The Narrow Door: A Memoir of Friendship

“These characters are all too real. Rieves, as Faulkner, McMurtry and Larry Brown, writes people and story that will worm, burrow into you.  Change you even.” —Adam Van Winkle, Founder and Editor, Cowboy Jamboree

“Vividly sensuous, this novel is full of textures, sounds and smells.  Rieves tells a terrific story with the sensitivity of a poet.” —Margaret Meyers, author of Swimming in the Congo

Published by Tupelo Press joint venture partner Leapfolio, Shirtless Men Drink Free will be published in trade paper (ISBN: 978-1-946507-04-4, 326 pages, $16.95) and eBook editions.  The novel will be available where fine books are sold, with an arrival on January 22, 2019.