'Tis Nyte! by Elizabeth Watasin

What this is: IN progress, the dressmaking and model fitting for the new Dark Victorian photo covers. More at: http://www.pinterest.com/ewatasin/new-dv-cover-ref/

This project has been in progress since October 2013, though I think I started dialogue with the principles involved since September. The Dark Victorian series is meant for eight books, and in making the decision to go to new photo covers, I also made the (expensive) decision to have the model cast and Victorian costuming designed and made. THIS IS what happens when writing an uncanny Victorian super heroine who happens to be an artificial ghost. Is there a stock photo for that? No!

It was time to move on from my own illustrations for the covers. Though I'm obviously no Random House, somehow as an indie author I've managed to swing this incredible project. It's basically like shooting the tiniest movie ever, not even a book trailer but many stills which I will gleefully utilise in many visual and graphic things, besides the book covers. As an illustrator, I am happy. *rubs hands*

And as a storyteller, I am amazed to see the character of Artifice come to life. I see lots of steampunk/sci fi authors dream of movie deals. It can't be helped, sci fi and fantasy tend to be very visual, fantastic stories. One steampunk writer sank dough into an incredible audio production. Another sci fi author into a book trailer (although that was more the investment of the director, who liked her book). But I've worked on movies and I think maybe that's why I'm not into those sort of ancillary projects or forms of expression, or in all practicality, that sort of expense.

I would Love to if I were well-financed, but I'm not. If I want my Victorian super heroine in 'real life', I ought to find a reasonable way how.

I could not do this, of course, without the amazing help of the photographer, Teresa Yeh, who has been hands-on and managing/coordinating the project from day one, and the dress designer Cavalyn Galano, who has been a wonderful collaborator in wrestling my vision into Victorian aesthetics. I am also grateful for the book cover model herself, the gracious Elizabeth Worth.

But we're not done yet! Perhaps a large third of the project yet to go, which is the actual shoot! And that third is not counting the final render into digital art. That, I must consider at another point.

While this progresses on the Dark Victorian series front, the Dark Victorian short story, "Alice at the Vesta" is with the editor, I am still working on getting the rest of the Charm School books into digital and at least one into actual print. Someone I admire has done me the kindness of saying 'yes' to writing the book's foreword. Thus, we keep going!