Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The Birth of a Cover and Playground Accidents

“You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover.” - English Proverb

Sorry folks. I was contacted by Samhain and asked to remove this post regarding the cover art!
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You ever have one of those days when you're constantly busy, but feel like you're accomplishing nothing? That was yesterday for me.

We started the day off at about eight a.m. I decided to do some gardening (!) before school... just move a few plants, get the bushes put into place. It should only take half an hour or so.

DD, energetic and excited as always, went bombing out the back door to her swing set. I went through the front to open the garage door and get out my shovel. That's when I discovered that DH had pushed the boat up against the garage door and I couldn't get it open. So... no shovel. Well, heck, I still had my trowel. So I gathered up my baby shovel and gloves and went out back.

That's when I heard a very, VERY weak... "Mom!". DD is on her back in the mulch, calling with pretty much no volume. This is NOT typical of DD. I hurry over and ask what's happened. Seems she ran up the slide (yes, up... yes, I've advised her strongly not to do this) and it was wet with dew and she was barefoot. She slipped and fell, half on, half off the slide, smacking the edge with her middle back. For a while she said she couldn't move, couldn't breath, couldn't speak. She was absolutely certain she was paralyzed.

And, I was out front mad at the boat while my DD went through that.

She didn't want help, but didn't want to move either, so the dog and I sat with her until she was up to going in.

Scratch gardening.

Scratch school.

I'm not going to go through the entire day, but suffice it to say that it really never got better. I was moving, moving, moving and getting nothing done.

I really hate days like that.

I did manage to move a few plants at the end of the day, fighting of black flies (they're he-e-e-e-e-e-r-e) and Dakota (who endlessly fought me for the trowel -- it looks like a big stick, I suppose -- and whatever plant I had in my hands).

But, I replaced the liatris out front from a plant I had in the woods. I moved the Scottish Bells out front as well. I dug up a dead small leaf rhododendron and chucked it into the woods (I LOVE having woods behind me!!), moved three red-leafed coral bells into DD's garden and picked off about a thousand red lily beetles who have ALREADY all but decimated the few Asiatic Lilies I still have.

How was YOUR day?

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Which flower are you?

Pink Rose

You are sweet and pretty. Romance is very important to you, and your male friends long to be the one to bring it into your life.

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12 comments:

Diane Craver said...

I'm glad you were persistent about your cover. It's awesome. I don't think the woman looks like Liv in the ones you rejected. She was petite and this one looks like a taller person. I liked the cartoon cover too.

I had a little trouble but not too much with the first two. I had the most difficulty with artist about my book, Never the Same.

Devon Gray said...

Thanks for sharing your cover trials! I giggled a little (sorry- I'll get mine soon, I'm sure!)but agree the one in the end is the best! I see you had a title change. That scares me to death. I just can't see my book named anything else...how many times have the pubs heard that line do you think?

I hope today is better than yesterday for you and that your DD is feeling better. I always ask my kids (cringing that I sound like my mother) "Why don't you listen to mommy when she says not to do something?" I bite my tongue and cut off the zinger my mother always added: "Do you think I'm doing it for my health?"

Lianne Lopes said...

Wow! What a day for you. Mine wasn't much better, but at least no one got hurt. Unless you want to count my spitting headache at the end of the day. But today was much better. I took some spring pictures, and flowers and spring and taking pictures that turn out well always puts a smile on my face.

Neat story about your book cover. When my book came out, ages ago, I hated the cover, didn't think the characters even looked like their time period, but I didn't know I had the right to complain. Oh well! Live and learn. :)

Hope you have a better day today.

Dena said...

Hi M, Your poor little DD, she must have knocked the wind out of her and hurt her back bad, how scary. I hope she is feeling better.
You get to have a lot more input on your cover than other's I've read about. On Liz Fielding's blog she had a guest blogger recently that discribed what went into her covers and it was a lot different. She was able to give character descriptions but that was it. Then the higher ups picked what it would be. I like the cover they ended up with too.

I am a Pink Rose.

Dru said...

oh my. I'm glad/hope DD is much better today.

I like the end results of your cover but find it interesting how cover artist goes your printed word to a graphic concept.

I'm a pick rose too.

I hope today is a better day for you and DD.

Anonymous said...

*hugs* to your daughter! Having the wind knocked out of you is a horrible feeling. It happened to me when I was in grade school. On the school bus which had hit a pothole. I, too, thought I was dying. Scary!

Brandy said...

Awww, poor DD. My Son climbs up the slide all the time and I cringe every time he does it.

I hate I didn't get to hear about your cover story, story. Oh, well.

The quiz, I am a lily. "You are quiet and caring, displaying an elegance that few can."
I kinda like that. *G*

I hope today is much better than yesterday. Have a nice day!

Diane Craver said...

I just got home this afternoon and read my email and saw all these comments about your daughter. I came back here to read what happened. I'm sorry she fell and glad she's okay.

I guess I better not visit early in the morning before I leave and skim. Also I took the quiz and I'm a lily.

Ceri Hebert said...

Well pooh, I missed your cover and the story. I guess I'll have to wait.

In the meantime Im so glad your daughter is okay. My DS runs up slides all the time. It's such a kid thing to do.

Melissa McClone said...

Hugs to your daughter!

I missed whatever the cover story was. Bummer.

Jen said...

My day was about like yours. I'm so sorry DD had such a hard fall. It sounds like she got the wind knocked out of her.

Anonymous said...

Hugs to DD. How is she doing now?

I'm glad I got up a tad earlier than usual and browsed through your post...I loved the progression of the covers!