The moment has come, ladies and gentlemen, to drop the veil, to part the curtains, to open the box and reveal in all its, what I hope you will think is, glory. Here is the full cover of the new Amanda Cadabra cozy paranormal mystery sequel! (Ta-daa)
Now, I can introduce you, if you don’t already know about, the artist Daniel, and give you a little peep behind the scenes at how he is able to create such visual wonders. First, Daniel is Daniel Becerril Ureña, Bachelor of (Digital) Arts (BA) and Animation, about to complete a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Oriental Painting. Daniel’s quest for knowledge, perfection and artistic development has spanned the globe, taking him from his home in Mexico across to Europe and over to Seoul in South Korea. Here are a couple of clips of Daniel at work.
If you’d like to see more (for interest or, indeed, to watch and learn), you can find Daniel’s work here:
This cover, in a sense, began earlier this year when I saw … First, allow me, please, to provide some context. This is how we work. I send Daniel a detailed synopsis of the story. (Once I know what it is!) Then after a little percolation, Daniel sends me 6-8 sketches. And the better he gets, the harder it is to choose just one. They are dazzlingly beautiful, and I feel profoundly moved looking at them. Somehow he brings the characters to life on the page, and, I think you’ll agree, Daniel has Tempest down to T!
For the last book, Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree, there was one sketch that I immediately wanted for this new 
sequel. In fact, it inspired a scene at the climax of the book. That was a first. A sort of creative reverse-engineering event.
So, when it came to the cover of this book, I mentioned this to Daniel, who adapted that particular image for this tale and included that in the 6 sketches. And much as I still love it, there was another that I thought you would like even more. All I can say is, see if you can guess what the scene was when you read the new book. Oo, and please let me know, in the comments, on Facebook or email me (my favourite).
Feedback so far on this cover:
‘I like it!’ ‘Loved it!’ ‘Love it.’ ‘It looks fantastic! Daniel has done a great job.’
I hope that you enjoy seeing it just as much.
What Next?Coming up: on Sunday the launch date will be announced. After that: the trailer. This will be a video about 1 minute long to further whet your appetite. I am also planning to read aloud and record the first chapter. As I say, that’s the plan. We shall see. But thrilling times are afoot.
After that, there’ll be the launch day video and Letter to Readers to prepare. I promise to announce the date as soon as I know what it is. All I can say at this point is ‘soon.’
As I write this, I live in hourly expectation of the arrival of the edited manuscript from Kim. This is, in a way, a breathing space, in that I am away from the text, to write to you and to create some accompanying images for your pleasure. Off now to conjure the aforementioned visual delights. Back soon.
Happy November,
Holly
PS If you want to start the series now:
Dear Readers,
The cover of Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree is revealed!
All credit must go to our esteemed and talented illustrator and visual developer, Daniel Becerril Ureña. Daniel has travelled the world, enhancing his skills as an artist, bringing to the Amanda Cadabra series a blend of drama and cosiness that is a perfect fit. All of the books have had the full Ureña treatment except for Book 3. Hence, a new cover for Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan is a treat anticipated for this year.
How does a new cover come into being? you may ask. If you’d like to discover the process, I described it in exciting detail when the last sequel, Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr, was in the making: Cover Magic.
I would love to know your reactions to the look of the new book. Please let me know, in the comments, on Facebook or, my favourite, by email.
The Seven VeilsI like to think of the emergence of each new story as a dance. Not just any dance: the Dance of the Seven Veils during which they are dropped one by one. The first falls when the announcement comes that a new book is in the making. The second is cast off with the title reveal, which was two weeks ago. In the last Letter to Readers, veil number three was let fall with the partial cover reveal. Today, the fourth veil is relinquished as the cover is displayed for your enjoyment. Next week, the fifth veil is lifted for the trailer. After that, the penultimate covering is drawn off as the first chapter is laid out here. Finally, the last veil flutters to the ground: the launch.
The fifth veil. Heypressto, the publisher of the Amanda Cadabra series, under the aegis of Chartreuse, will be bringing you the trailer video for Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree.
Happy Mid-March,
Holly
PS If you want to start the series now:
