Happy weekend, all! I know, based on tweets and emails from friends, that many of you have snow on the ground right now. And it’s SUPER chilly in the South, a rare thing for this time of year. But the good news is, we can always write indoors or do something fun and creative on the weekend :) I’m guest blogging today about writing and music over at my Twitter friend Keri Neal’s blog. You can read the post here. What type of music do you like when doing tasks, or do you prefer silence?

Many thanks to those of you who were able to visit Keta’s blog yesterday and leave a comment. Della is our lucky winner and she wins a free copy of Water’s Blood in digital format :) What does everyone have planned for the week and weekend? Wednesday, known as hump day, is the marker between the Monday blahs and the Friday excitement. Looks like warm weather is *trying* to come to the South, so I am hoping the weather will be nice. I’m going on a writing retreat and will be pressing my little fingers to the keyboard all weekend to get mucho work done on RAGING FIRE, Book Two of the Elemental Clan Series, which is due out this summer. Writing retreats, whether done alone or with other writers, are a great way to pump up the creativity. You learn each other’s patterns and what works and what doesn’t, and it’s helpful to have others there to brainstorm. So…for this Wednesday and weekend, what are y’all doing?

Hey all, I love Indie Authors. I think it’s because we all know how tough it is to find an audience for our books, and we crave telling stories that will make our readers feel emotion. Many thanks to Keta Diablo for hosting me today on her blog. Read the post here, and leave a comment on her blog for a chance to win a #FREE ebook! Elaine

I’d like to welcome my fabulously-talented and artistic graphic designer to my blog today!

I found Taryn Knight on the Deviant Art web site, and she has been an incredible resource in doing my book covers. To see the work she has done for me so far, check out the covers for WATER’S BLOOD and RAGING FIRE.

For those of you who aren’t writers, she also does digital portrait modifications, enhancements, etc.

Tell us, did you always know you wanted to go into design? When did you make the decision to become a graphic designer?

Definitely. As a child, I wanted to design illustrations for children’s books; though that was before I’d discovered the media of photo-manipulation. Though I became much more certain it was what I wanted to do after I joined the art website deviantART, discovered digital art, and began to practice it. I completely fell in love with the craft from that moment on.

How do you begin projects or decide what might work? What is your “creative process” if you will?

My projects always begin with inspiration, which then forms into an idea. Whenever I get stuck trying to work out details or I’m unsure of what I want something to look like, I usually just take a break from it or look at the work of other artists and it eventually comes to me. There’s really no telling for sure what will work and what won’t, it just a matter of diving in and giving it a try.

What is your favorite thing about graphic design?

I really enjoy it because it allows me to be expressive in so many ways: color, layout, details. It’s a lot like putting a feeling or a dream into something visual, something that can be shared.

What is your least favorite thing?

Doubt. Occasionally, there comes a time when nothing seems to work, and it can lead to doubting myself as an artist and whether or not I should just drop the project idea altogether. It helps to walk away from it and come back later with some new ideas.

Do you have a particular type of project you enjoy doing the most? What is it and why?

I find I really enjoy it the most when I’m working on something that’s really expressive and personal. I’m usually happier with the end result, because it means more to me.

There are numerous tools out there for graphic design. What is your favorite to use? Photoshop? Fireworks? Why?

Photoshop, without a doubt. I can’t say I’ve explored many other programs, but I’ve always felt comfortable working with Photoshop because I’ve been using it for so long and it no longer takes me hours to try and find where everything is. There’s really nothing quite like the bond between a graphic design and their editing program.

Hey all,

In honor of all things Irish and St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve put WATER’S BLOOD on sale for 99 cents (ebook format only) for Saturday and Sunday only.

It’s already getting 4 and 5 star reviews, so check out the sale :)

Listen to some Pogues music, relax and have a green beer or two, and enjoy your weekend!