I’ve got a beauty for you all today, Wayfarers! I’m so excited to get to help promote –

JENNIFER STRANGE, by Cat Scully,

releasing July 23, 2019 from Haverhill House Publishing.

Not only did she get to design her own cover, but also create the illustrated map for her book, as well. How cool, right? Has that ever happened before? So unique! This cover was officially unveiled on YABC, so go find that post for the giveaway and details – which IS international, yay!!!

When I first discovered this was coming out, I knew I needed to get as involved as I could! JENNIFER STRANGE is to be an illustrated YA horror/comic AND I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!

So, scroll down a bit to see the beauty…

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And the map –

About the Book

When her father disappears, Jennifer Strange moves in with her estranged sister Liz in Savannah, Georgia, one of the most haunted places in the United States. When the ghosts begin to tear Jennifer and Liz’s lives apart, the sisters must learn to trust each other again if they hope to uncover the truth about their family history. If they can’t sort out their differences, they’ll not only destroy the veil between the living and the dead, but fall into the hands of a rival family that wants them dead.

Cat Scully’s illustrations bring the ghosts and demons of her fictional world to eerie and beautiful life, harkening back to the style of SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK and Ransom Riggs’ MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN.

I was also lucky enough to have gotten to ask Cat Scully some questions about designing her cover, so read on, Wayfarers!

Concepting it! I loved seeing how many different covers I could come up with to represent the same thing. One of my favorite images wasn’t used as the final cover (because it wasn’t EXACTLY what I wanted) but I will probably do a giveaway of it in the future. That’s my favorite part about art is the process and finding the right image and typography to convey the right message. I am such a designer! All of my writing I think visually first. Honestly, I was so nervous to do the cover. I thought our staff cover artist, Dyer Wilk, was going to do it. His work is so brilliant. I’m in awe of his talent. I sheepishly sent him a sketch of what I was thinking. He told me I was good. I didn’t need him. And I totally didn’t believe it. I didn’t feel good enough to do my own cover! I gathered my courage and did it though. I’m so happy with the result, and it makes me want to do more covers!

2. Hardest part?

Having to be my own client as well as my own designer. There were moments I had a lot of “Oh I’d love to do this kind of map!” or “That cover style looks awesome, but which style? They’re all good! I can’t decide!” I had to be the designer and go “that isn’t possible in the time frame” or “that style doesn’t work for what you’re going for.” But it really wasn’t as bad as all that. Actually, I have sort of the opposite problem as a designer. I’m notoriously good at taking criticism and at being a gun-for-hire when it comes to design. Maybe too good. But Jennifer Strange was the first art project I’ve ever done where I had such a strong artistic vision and I had to speak up with my own voice. I was very nervous to illustrate my own project, believe it or not. When I had to stand up and say something for myself artistically, I realized I do have a voice, and I want Jennifer Strange to look like THIS.