Cover Reveal of Antigoddess and Exclusive Interview with Kendare Blake

Cover Reveal For Antigodess and Interview with Kendare Blake

Kat Kennedy: Stephanie Sinclair and I are here with the awesomest of the awesome authors, Kendare Blake, about the cover of her upcoming novel, Antigoddess!  Kendare! Thank you for coming to talk to us today!
Stephanie Sinclair: We are very excited to see the finished cover!
Kendare Blake: Thank you for having me. I was so psyched when Cuddlebuggery agreed to feature the cover!
Kat Kennedy: Well, you’re only one of our favourite authors ever, so I guess it wasn’t too much trouble for us!
Kendare Blake: And after that excellent interview we had post-Anna Dressed in Blood…we’d bonded in a virtual near death experience.
Kat Kennedy: I still dream about that interview
Stephanie Sinclair: Thanks for saving us… me.

Kat Kennedy: My first question is, why didn’t you hire me to do your cover?
Kendare Blake: About not hiring you…I didn’t know you were available. I feel ridiculous for not suggesting your genius.
Stephanie Sinclair: She has mad photoshop skills, yo.
Kat Kennedy: Well, a lot of people don’t know this but I design covers.  It’s a hobby.
Stephanie Sinclair: They fly completely under the radar.
Kat Kennedy: is it too late for me to do your cover? Cause I brought some mock ups.  Maybe you could have a look at them?  Show them to your publisher?
Kendare Blake: All the best stuff flies under the radar. I’m dying to see these mock ups. I might single-handedly paste them over the top of the books.
Kat Kennedy: Okay, well if you could, that would be great!
Stephanie Sinclair: I won’t lie. I hang all of Kat’s creations in my living room.
Kat Kennedy: Okay, well here’s the first one

Kat Kennedy: I don’t actually know what your book is about because I feel like knowing the content ruins the inspiration so here I was going for a real, KILL A GODDESS theme.
Kendare Blake: Which is a great theme. And it’s so RED. Fits with the Anna covers, actually. A progression of gore 🙂
Kat Kennedy: I know right?  Really murdesome. I thought you’d be into that.
Stephanie Sinclair: Red for love and gore. I like where this is going.
Kat Kennedy: Okay, so already we may actually have a hit.  This is good. Usually authors are a little picky, I find.
Stephanie Sinclair: Kendare is special. She has vision.
Kendare Blake: And I have no sense of visual arts! So I have no preconceptions!
Kat Kennedy: Okay, well, I have a lot more genius where that comes from. So maybe we can find something else you’d like too!
Stephanie Sinclair: But you have to give her options, Kat. So show her cover #2!
Kat Kennedy: This is the second cover I came up with:

Stephanie Sinclair: I love this one!  Really drives the title home. Don’t you think?
Kendare Blake: I like it! So literal. And the snake looks more offended by the snub than the goddess does.
Kat Kennedy: It’s the juxtiposition of the giant red cross out and the goddess that really makes it sparkle.
Stephanie Sinclair: IS that a snake goddess?
Kat Kennedy: I have no idea.  Could be the goddess of penis metaphors.
Stephanie Sinclair: LOL
Kendare Blake: Good point. That girl could just be the thing holding the snake goddess. Of penis metaphors.
Kat Kennedy: Haha!
Kendare Blake: This is excellent. I sort of want more penis metaphor covers.
Stephanie Sinclair: copywrite that, Kat!
Kat Kennedy: Can I just say, Kendare. You have come to THE right place for penis metaphors.
Kendare Blake: I suspected that might be the case. You guys are known for your dick jokes.
Kat Kennedy: It’s an artform, Kendare.
Stephanie Sinclair: *Nods* The force is strong with this one.
Kendare Blake: I shouldn’t make it sound so base. Dick jokes seems less than what you do. Maybe phallus humor.
Kat Kennedy: I like your style. Dress it up! Erect it where it belongs!
Stephanie Sinclair: LMAO
Kat Kennedy: I have one last cover to show.  This one is less literal. I took a more artful, subtle path.
Stephanie Sinclair: More metaphoric, if you will.
Kendare Blake: Oooh. The anticipation…
Kat Kennedy: Here it is:

Kat Kennedy: Audience, we’re just waiting for Kendare’s response now.
Stephanie Sinclair: Girl in a dress or troll in a dress? You be the judge.
Kat Kennedy: The suspense is killing me.
Kendare Blake: That is hilarious. I want to change the official tagline.
Kat Kennedy: Yes! Does this mean I’m hired?!
Stephanie Sinclair: Success!
Kendare Blake: I’m so showing these to my editor. She can’t help but be wowed.
Kat Kennedy: OOOHHHHHH! Steph! I can feel a burgeoning career in cover art coming my way!
Stephanie Sinclair: One look at these covers and your book will be flying off the shelves.
Kat Kennedy: I guess you should show us whatever cover they gave you before we exchange it for one of mine.
Kendare Blake: I know! but it sort of raises expectations for what’s inside. These covers are too good. I’ll send you the “other” cover now…
Kat Kennedy: Oh, I’m kind of excited.
Stephanie Sinclair: The “tentative” cover.
Kat Kennedy: I can feel the tingles.
Stephanie Sinclair: That’s just because I was holding onto your arm cutting off circulation.. sorry.
Kat Kennedy: Oh okay.  No, it’s alright. You can touch me any time, Steph!
Stephanie Sinclair: *Clutches Kat*
Kat Kennedy: Should we hold onto Kendare while we wait?
Kendare Blake: Wow, this is getting weird.
Stephanie Sinclair: If Anna gives me permission. Don’t want to have a repeat…
Kendare Blake: File sent. I hope.
Stephanie Sinclair: OHHHHH
Kat Kennedy: Steph! Forwards it! NAOW!
Stephanie Sinclair: I just have to gaze at it a second…
Kat Kennedy: NO! NO GAZING! JUST SHOW IT ME!
Kendare Blake: Gazing is good, right? Unless you’re gazing in horror. Which is still sort of good…
Stephanie Sinclair: No, it’s awesome! Sorry, Kat. It wins.
Kat Kennedy: I wanna see it! I wanna see it!
Stephanie Sinclair: You lose.
Kat Kennedy: NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Stephanie Sinclair: Yeeeesssss!
Kat Kennedy: HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE?!!??!?!?! It still hasn’t come through yet
Stephanie Sinclair: You mean, “Where did I go wrong?”
Kat Kennedy: I’m going to cry! No. I’m never wrong.
Stephanie Sinclair: Probably at the troll guy.
Kendare Blake: That troll guy was pretty great.
Kat Kennedy: OMG! NOOOOOOOO!!!!  It’s so good! *Weeps* My career as a cover designer is over!

Stephanie Sinclair: Look at that blood drip!
Kat Kennedy: you just like blood, Steph! So this cover is awesome! Okay, it wins. You can keep it.
Stephanie Sinclair: I do. It’s true. but I promise I sparkle for no one but you.
Kendare Blake: Sidenote, an early draft had the bloodspot sort of misplaced. It made the feather look like a…well, a maxipad.
Kat Kennedy: LOL! What can you tell us about your journey toward this cover?
Stephanie Sinclair: Kinda goes along with the ANTI-goddess.
Kendare Blake: Good point, Stephanie. And maybe we could’ve gotten Always sponsorship.  Journey to the cover was great. The Tor team is truly amazing and creative.
Kat Kennedy: Did you get much input?
Kendare Blake: As luck would have it, my editor and I had similar visions. And then our vision didn’t work out exactly. So…yes and no.
Kat Kennedy: Ha! Sounds hilarious!
Stephanie Sinclair: LOL
Kat Kennedy: So the feather on the cover, is that like because feathers are choking Athena? And she’s dying?
Kendare Blake: Exactly. And it’s hard to see in this file size, but there are cute pairs of owl eyes all up in the trees.
Kat Kennedy: Aw! So what, in your words, is the book about?
Stephanie Sinclair: Can you tell us how your cover relates to the story?
Kat Kennedy: That’s a better question, Steph.
Kendare Blake: I’m going to have to come up with something to say when people ask what the book is about. I never know what to say!
Kat Kennedy: It seems to be about a lot of gods and goddesses dying. Which was a similar theme for Anna Dressed in Blood.
Kendare Blake: The cover relates to the story in lots of ways. It’s dark. And sort of menacing. The feather and the owls feature in it. The water represents Poseidon. Are you guys into Greek myth?
Kat Kennedy: Kind of. There’s lots of sex so I’m down with that.
Stephanie Sinclair: Ohhh, yes! Me me me! Also, ditto to what Kat said.
Kendare Blake: Ha ha. Lots of sex. I guess I was cheated, writing about one of the virgin goddeses!
Kat Kennedy: But I’m just going to come out and say this – you seem to like murdering people in books we’re getting a little suspicious, Kendare.
Stephanie Sinclair: Because it’s FUN, Kat.
Kendare Blake: I do find myself talking about guts and serial killers a whole lot. Maybe more than is healthy…
Stephanie Sinclair: Kat said: You google search history must be enough to get you a lifetime sentence. (Her computer shut down, she’ll be back in min.) Kendare, she doesn’t understand people like us. She lives in a place where magical ponies fly.
Kendare Blake: Ah. That must be a nice place.
Stephanie Sinclair: I guess, if you like rainbows and butterflies.
Kendare Blake: Huh. Butterflies are okay. But I’m really only down with flying ponies.
Stephanie Sinclair: They could be useful in battle. So, what was your reaction when you saw the cover for the first time?
Kendare Blake: Relief!! And wonder. It looked so different from the Anna covers. And the first cover concept.

Kat Kennedy: I have to say, I’m pretty excited about this book! Athena’s my favourite.
Stephanie Sinclair: I am too. I love greek mythology.
Kendare Blake: Mine too. But I worry how people will take this reimagining of her. Everyone has their own image of her already, you know?
Kat Kennedy: Yes, it must be difficult having to work from those prexisting character traits
Stephanie Sinclair: True, but it’s fun to see her re-imagined.
Kat Kennedy: I also believe, other than your beautiful cover, you have a giveaway for our American readers!
Kendare Blake: I do! One shiny signed copy of Girl of Nightmares, and a spiffy UK paperback edition of Anna Dressed in Blood!
Kat Kennedy: Oooooh! Signed!  I’m so jealous now!
Stephanie Sinclair: WHOA! Lucky winner!!
Kat Kennedy: Your cover has made me so excited to read this book, Kendare.  Thank you so much for talking with us today about it.
Kendare Blake: Thank you for the lovely covers. I’m going to cherish them, and keep them, and hold them, and give them pet names.
Kat Kennedy: You are so good at being creepy, Kendare… O.O
Stephanie Sinclair: That’s how she writes awesome books.  What Kat really means, is that she wants to be just like you when she grows up.
Kendare Blake: Seriously though, you guys are hilarious, and Cuddlebuggery is a great blog. Thank you so much for letting me stop by.
Stephanie Sinclair: Thanks for stopping by!
Kat Kennedy: Always a pleasure to have you!

Don’t forget to check out Antigoddess, out September 10th 2013!

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

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