There is a thin line between reality and the spiritual realm.
Welcome to the November 15th stop on the blog tour for The Prayer Warrior by Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
My decade-long Evolution of My Book Covers
Traci Wooden-Carlisle
I majored in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations and Photo Journalism. I obtained a job at a Newspaper as a graphic artist, where I gained a great deal of experience and knowledge, but it taught me nothing on to use my book cover to sell my books.
My first book, a book of poetry, entitled ‘A Symphony From Heaven’ made me think of clouds in the sky. Instead of going with a photo I decided to illustrate my cover with four puffy gold and white clouds, set in the design of a diamond with the title emerging from the light shining between the clouds.
It sounds great, but my clouds really looked like cotton balls and the light, though it was intended to look as though it were illuminating the title, just wasn’t able to peek through the clouds. By today’s standards it would look like a slightly discernable attempt at a painting by a 10-year-old.
My publisher told me that I should go with a photograph and just get creative with the font. She said that if it didn’t look like I took my cover seriously, no one else would. She also advised me to look at other book covers in my genre.
I followed her advice and had pictures taken, thus turning my book cover into something that looked more attractive.
She also said, “The book covers is the greatest opportunity your book will have to make a positive first impression. It should represent your story otherwise readers will feel deceived.”
I would like to say I learned my lesson, but my next book was another cover disappointment. I used a picture this time, but it wasn’t a good interpretation of the title. I looked at other books that had the same coloring, but I was using way too much artistic license and not enough communication.
I had to ask myself, what overall message did I want my cover to portray and how best to convey that across cultures, creeds, and nationalities. Even though I knew who my target market was, I didn’t know if I was going to keep the focus small or wide. For me, the larger the market, the closer my cover needed to portray what was inside.
I understood that with my first cover, I made readers work to connect the image with the title and genre.
My next attempt at creating a book cover went much better because I went through hundreds of covers in my genre and tried to choose pictures that would complement my title.
Since this book was the first of a series, I also had to consider how to connect it with the rest of the books in the series. At this point I hired a professional cover designer who took my images and made few tweaks that took my books to the next level. I decided to carry over the layout and font to each installation of the series and it has worked well. You can use the same font or similar picture styles.
The most important thing I believe I learned from all of this was that I had to be flexible. Even after the second iteration of my cover, I had to concede that my cover could use an update.
With ‘The Prayer Warrior’ I had to put my ego aside even more because it wasn’t just my work. I had a co-writer that also had a vision of what the cover would look like, and I had to do a little compromising. I think we hit it out of the park through.
About the Book
The Prayer Warrior
A Suspenseful Christian Fantasy
by Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten
Published 25 March 2021
TawCarlisle
Genre: Christian Fantasy
Page Count: 254
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
There is a thin line between the natural and the spiritual realm. Ms. V., a humble servant of the Lord, has been placed on assignment at Center of Hope Christian Academy.
By day, she serves as a trusted counselor for students, giving them a safe haven to pour out their innermost feelings while providing professional and honest truth wrapped in a firm kindness and love that inevitably draws them closer to Jesus. Not to be outdone, the faculty also bends her ear from time to time.
By night, Ms. V. enters the spiritual realm and takes her place on the battlefield as one of God’s faithful prayer warriors. She wields her whispering sword, slicing through the enemy’s plans to bind the precious hearts under her charge.
Her assignment’s burden on her physical body is taxing, but can she withstand the strain and remain victorious?
Saving souls is her true mission, but at what cost?
Readers are in for a journey of spiritual intrigue and biblical insight as they experience the ramifications of each character’s life-altering decision.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
Excerpt
“You’ve been talking about your relationship with Kevin, and I understand your struggle, but what have you been talking to Jesus about lately?”
Porch bit her lower lip for a moment, a sign Ms. V. had come to understand as Porcha’s way of considering whether or not to exaggerate the truth.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth.” Ms. V. reminded her softly.
Porcha let out a deep breath.
“I haven’t really been talking to Jesus. I mean. I say my prayers in the morning and before I go to sleep, but He’s gone quiet. I don’t hear Him like I used to.” Porcha’s sniffles turned back into sobs.
“Sshh, honey calm down. Why does this make you cry so hard?”
“I think He’s left me. It used to be so easy to talk to Him.”
“Ahh. No. God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, and He has yet to break any of His promises. I am absolutely sure He wouldn’t begin with you, especially if you’ve been wanting to talk to Him.”
“Then why can’t I hear Him?” Porcha asked in a near whine.
About the Authors
D. “Tina” Batten is a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter and Mima to her grandchildren. She is a gifted visual storyteller who is passionate about bringing encouraging messages of inspiration and hope to the world.
Tina Batten, a writer for over eighteen years of various dramatic works of performing art via stage, and film, encompasses unique ways of creating fascinating story concepts that touch the heart of most who view or read her work. She is both honored and thrilled to have teamed up with long-time friend, sister in the gospel and co-author Tracy on this phenomenal collaborative book project. With such a humble heart and desire to bring people together in love and unity, Tina Batten will continue her work as a visual storyteller spreading the good news of Jesus Christ one project after the other.
As Always, D. “Tina” Batten gives God All the Glory!
Website | Facebook | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Amazon
Traci Wooden-Carlisle
Traci Wooden-Carlisle began writing to publish in 2011 and enjoys writing stories that provoke thought and evoke emotions. Her desire is to draw readers into the lives of her characters and share messages of God’s love, His faithfulness and peace. The messages in her books speak to her way before they speak to her readers.
Traci lives in San Diego with her husband, David. When she isn’t writing she does some light traveling or assists people with their physical fitness, creates graphics, designs pretty things for her jewelry business and swag for authors.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten will be awarding $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Sept 27 | Sandra’s Book Club | Oct 4 | Kenyan Poet |
| Oct 11 | Kit ‘n Kabookle | Oct 18 | Literary Gold |
| Oct 25 | Fabulous and Brunette | Nov 8 | Gina Rae Mitchell |
| Nov 8 | Straight From the Library | Nov 15 | Westveil Publishing |
| Nov 22 | The Avid Reader | Nov 29 | Our Town Book Reviews |
| Dec 6 | Readers Roost | Dec 13 | Two Ends of the Pen |
| Dec 20 | Vickie’s Kitchen and Garden | Jan 3 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews |
| Jan 10 | JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder | Jan 17 | Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read |
| Jan 24 | The Faerie Review | Jan 31 | Long and Short Reviews |
| Feb 7 | It’s Raining Books | Feb 14 | travel the ages |
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Thank you for hosting today!
Thank you for sharing your guest posts, bios and the book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading your book
What are three things, that you wish you knew before you wrote your first book?
Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.