I'm hugely excited today to share the cover for the second installment of Jenna Black's Gifted series, Schism. Jenna is one of the clients I have thanks entirely to this blog as I was lucky enough to meet her at an event I was covering in Cincinnati, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect because she just happened to need a designer for her new series. I'm so grateful to her for taking a chance on me early in my cover design career as the two we've done together are all-time favorites.
I've talked a few times about how second books in a series can be a little tricky in terms of design, something that seems counter-intuitive given having an already established aesthetic should in theory make the process run more smoothly. In this particular case though that's exactly how things went, and we arrived at a final design in what felt like record time. Jenna had a clear idea of what she wanted and how this cover should set itself apart from The Gifted Dead despite the main ouroboros symbol remaining the primary focus, so after only a few color tweaks to the initial comp we found ourselves with finished artwork.
Before I get to Schism though, here is a quick reminder of The Gifted Dead:
THE GIFTED DEAD
Politics and magic make dangerous bedfellows.
Deep within the Order, the seeds of corruption have taken root. While younger generations of the Gifted have embraced modern democratic values, a secret society of old-guard zealots seek a return to the past, when only European men of distinguished bloodlines held power.
Now, three venerable European families and a maverick American each plot to seize control of the Order and shape it to their will. A cutthroat game of political intrigue will decide the winner; and the stakes couldn't be higher, for ruling the Order carries with it the power to grant—or deny—an afterlife.
What begins as a battle of wills could turn into an all-out war. And magic could prove deadlier than any missile.
And now for SCHISM!!!
(releases November 18th)
As his power grows, so does his malice.
No one is safe. No one can fight back ...
...But they can die trying.
Unforgiving and power-maddened Alberto di Tommaso threatens to take over all of Europe with his iron fist and sinister magic, endangering the very existence of the Gifted. As Alberto's influence and his vile agenda spread, the rebel Patriarch, Matt Landy, and some unlikely allies must stop him before he provokes a war the Gifted cannot win. But with Congress and Homeland Security starting to turn against the American Gifted, the conflict is destined to be greater than any of them imagines. This time, good may not stand a chance against an evil so toxic.
But they will fight.
Find Jenna:
Jenna is running a giveaway for The Gifted Dead at All Things Urban Fantasy, be sure and pop by to enter!
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If you want to see more of my work, you can check out my full portfolio online at Seedlings Design Studio!
