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Cozy Fantasy: Cupid’s New Book Covers

By Beth Greenberg February 6, 2023 February 6, 2023

Cupid's Fall new cozy fantasy covers - 4 books in series with Cupid leaning against a column in his half-toga.

What does ‘cozy fantasy’ even mean?

Have you ever heard of a “cozy fantasy”? Neither had I until very recently. But the moment I heard the term, I knew it perfectly captured the essence of the Cupid’s Fall series.

What’s cozy fantasy? Take the small-town, relatable hero of a cozy mystery (think Miss Marple and Murder She Wrote) and add an element of imaginative fiction – magic, supernatural beings, or in my case, Greek gods. The genre often features quirky characters, light world-building, romance (of varying spice levels), and an absence of gratuitous violence. These are feel-good, slice-of-life stories where the good guys usually win by doing the right thing.

It’s time for Cupid’s wardrobe change.

SO – cozy fantasy it is! No more worrying or wondering where to file my modern-day Greek mythology romantic-comedy low fantasy literary romance! YAY! My genre-bending series would finally have a home on its rightful shelf!

Aside from there being no actual shelf, I had just one rather large problem – my four books were already clad in wonderfully romantic-comedy-esque covers. And while they beautifully communicate the whimsical tone I originally wanted to convey, they fail to evoke the magical element inherent in a story about a bunch of gods walking/floating/screwing around on both Mt. Olympus and Earth.

Time to find a cover artist!

Enter Holly Dunn

I’m thrilled to have partnered this time around with graphic artist Holly Dunn, who specializes in gorgeous hand lettering, intricate and colorful scroll designs, and creative art nouveau-inspired imagery.

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A post shared by Holly Dunn | Book Cover Designer (@hollydunndesign)

I encourage you to check out her dazzling book covers and creations on her website. While you’re there, download and enjoy her coloring pages of your favorite mythology characters!

[For the record, my original cover artist and dear friend, Betti Gefecht, has been totally supportive of the redesign but was unable to create the designs herself this time around.]

I was immediately drawn to Holly’s designs, but what clinched the decision for me were the case studies she included on her website. I knew that working with Holly would be an artistic collaboration we would both enjoy. Let’s face it, I like to have my say! But I also deeply appreciate and respect an artist’s gifts.

Our collaborative process

Design scan

I contacted Holly by completing her intake form, which asked for a lot of detail I was very happy to provide: story themes, design elements and plot points. It was an interesting challenge to convey the essence of each book and overall series to someone who had absolutely no inside knowledge of characters or plot.

I shared a dozen or so fantasy covers that evoked the mood I was hoping for – and several of those covers were Holly’s own designs.

After the initial input, I waited for Holly’s interpretation of my stories…

Initial designs

Holly returned three different design concepts of single-color line drawings for direction.

Welp! Right out of the blocks, without any prompting from me (because I’d never thought of it!), Holly had incorporated a brand-new design idea that immediately clicked – an “above and below” area for each book! Readers of the Cupid’s Fall series know there are two simultaneous storylines playing out at all times, one on Earth and one on Mount Olympus (“Mt. O”). That simple (and now obvious) fact had never directly been depicted in the covers.

You’ll see this concept in the final designs. The godly realms include swirly clouds and icons of ancient mythology. The Earth space is more concrete: trees, a house, a pool, mountains, the ground.

Holly’s initial drawings included some truly wonderful depictions of Aphrodite, Ares, Cupid, and Pan. I was sorry to see them go, but I had made the strategic decision not to include any representational figures on these new books – especially Cupid and Pan, who’d already been drawn in cartoon form in the original covers.

Honing the design

Aligned on concept, we next discussed which individual design elements best represented the stories. We had the advantage of working on all four books at the same time, which really helped clarify styles and thematic arcs from book to book.

Holly beautifully infused mythology into the designs with ancient architectural elements such as the wonderful Ionic columns and lushly depicted Aphrodite’s palace. She highlighted the fantasy aspect with her gorgeous drawings of Cupid’s wings, Aphrodite’s dove-drawn chariot, and the gold-tipped arrow rising majestically from Hephaestus’s fiery forge.

A few tweaks later, the line drawings were in great shape. It was time to nail down the all-important lettering.

Lettering

Holly’s early vision was a lovely hand-drawn script to highlight the romance aspect. For me, this landed us a bit too far from the cozy fantasy/mythology feel. By the same token, the original covers’ classical block font did not leave enough room for magic or romance.

Fortunately, Holly had a third route up her creative sleeve – hand-drawn block-style letters with a romantic flourish. At least that’s how I view the final lettering!

One element that was non-negotiable: that stand-out, all-important letter “Q” in each title! Holly accepted this challenge and upped the ante with individualized arrows piercing each title.

Colors

This part was hard! I really wanted the titles to pop, which translates to a big contrast between background and lettering. Once I saw the gold-filled lettering, I knew the background would have to be a deeper shade – of something! We considered black but agreed it was too dark for the whimsical nature of the stories.

I’ve always loved the color progression of the original covers. Holly was able to maintain the series flow from (blue) sky through which Cupid falls to the (gold) posh interior of Ruthie and Zach’s home to the (aqua) pool where Cupid and Pan meet Reed to the (rosy) blooming of mated love between Cupid and Psyche. Yet Holly’s use of richer tones evokes ancient paint colors and sets the backdrop for the dazzling drawings that seem to be lit from behind. A true GLOW UP.

The Covers – Deconstructed

First Quiver cozy fantasy cover - Mt Olympus in the clouds, quiver and arrows falling to earth against a dark sky

Book 1: First Quiver

High above the mortal realm, floating on the fluffy Great Cloud, sits Aphrodite’s palace, the only home Cupid has ever known, from which he is cruelly thrust at the opening of book one (not that he didn’t earn it!).

Feathers, arrows, and Cupid’s quiver tumble to Earth along with the tragically virginal God of Love. The sturdy trees and the simple line beneath them indicates the solid, firm grounding of Cupid’s new reality.

The arrow running straight through the title brings to mind cause-and-effect. Naughty act >>> punishment. Tiny sparkles lend a magical air to the atmosphere. After all, a god has fallen to Earth!

Book 2: Into the Quiet

Above, Aphrodite’s team of doves burst into flight to draw the goddess’s golden chariot through the Olympian sky. The clamshell used to represent the goddess is reminiscent of Sandro Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” painting. Presumably, Aphrodite is racing to meet Ares (God of War and Cupid’s bio-dad) for a “strategy session,” but we know the two illicit lovers are up to their ancient tricks.

On Earth, all appears tranquil from the house’s neat facade, but behind the white picket fence lurk secrets and half-truths that are tearing Ruthie & Zach’s marriage apart.

Roses (along with their swirly thorns) symbolize the treachery afoot in both worlds.

Into the Quiet's cozy fantasy cover - Aphrodite's chariot drawn by doves in the clouds, below a house on a quiet street

Quite the Pair's cozy fantasy cover - Olympic pool below with Cupid's arrow rising from a fire at the top

Book 3: Quite the Pair

The third book – Pan’s love story – always ends up being zanier than the others and with good reason. When Cupid falls for his BFF, formerly the satyr Pan, all heck breaks loose!

The brilliant fire represent the forge of Hephaestus (God of Fire, estranged husband of Aphrodite and loving stepfather to Cupid), who takes matters into his own hands and crafts a forbidden gold-tipped arrow to help Cupid fulfill his duty. The dark puffs of smoke represent anger shooting from Hephaestus’s ears when he learns he has once again been betrayed by his wife and his brother Ares.

Below, an “Olympic” lap pool represents the setting of many pivotal scenes of this story. Cupid tries swimming to relieve the awful tension of his unbearable desire and love for his BFF Pan, who turns out not to be Q’s to love. Splash!

Book 4: The Quest For Psyche

The series finale brings a parting of clouds and a brilliant burst of sunlight. Could those be Cupid’s wings awaiting his ascent? Does he even want any of his old life back?

On Earth, summer gives way to fall. Cupid’s final mission draws him to the mountainous terrain of Lake Tahoe, where he discovers his reluctant soul mate.

The rose-gold backdrop is the perfect marriage of ancient myth and the present-day embodiment of Cupid & Psyche.

The Quest for Psyche cozy fantasy cover - autumn mountain scene below with clouds parting on a brilliant sunburst and Cupid's wings above

So what do you think about the cozy fantasy covers?

Whether you’ve read the series or not, I’d love to hear how these new covers strike you.

Does this vibe fantasy? Magical realism? Low fantasy? Some other genre I’ve never even heard of yet? Lemme know!

How Do I Get Mine?

Thanks for asking! Click on any cover to find all the paperback and ebook buy links – just please make sure you’ve got the cover version your heart desires in your shopping cart! (And if you don’t, RETURN IT for the right one!)

The new hardcovers will be available later in the year as collector’s editions.

Did you know you can receive blog updates straight to your inbox? Yup! Just enter your email address in the box just below and hit “subscribe.” This is a no-spam zone!

And if you want all the news FIRST, you’ll want to join my email newsletter list. Heck, those folks got to see the cover three days ago.

Comments, questions, concerns? Let me hear it!

Flash Fiction, Writing

My new very short story has 280 characters

By Beth Greenberg January 8, 2023 May 2, 2023

two lines of people dressed as different types of characters in a would-be story

The Very Short Story (aka #vss) Challenge

I’m not about to argue that writing a “very short story” (specifically, participating in the Twitter #vss365 challenge that requires your story or poem to fit within 280 characters) is harder than writing a novel. It’s not!

Dude, writing a novel is hard! Writing a series is harder still.

BUT it can be (truthfully) said that the challenges of infusing meaning, creating memorable characters, and telling a compelling story are more difficult the fewer words you’re working with.

Then why, oh why, do I torture myself writing ever shorter stories?

#1 – I’m a sucker for a challenge!

Proof text: I am a golfer.

There’s an entirely separate artistry involved in the craft of short story writing. [I invite you to read my previous blog entries exploring the worlds of flash and micro fiction.]

To give one quick example, a great story always “sticks the landing.” You know what I mean if you’ve read a short story with a zinger of an ending. A great writer seizes the unique opportunity afforded by the scarcity of words to surprise the reader with a big revelation, a punch line, or a gut-wrenching twist.

Ernest Hemingway's famous 6 word story illustrates this beautifully:
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

When you get it right (and I’m definitely NOT saying I do this 100% of the time, but it is ALWAYS a goal), you are rewarded with an endorphin rush that explains the addiction.

#2a – I love learning.

The discipline of telling short stories is a speed ramp to improving one’s writing. Short stories teach you how to distill your message into the “bones of the story.” You don’t have time to flail around or lose yourself down a side path with just 240 characters at your disposal. (Obviously you don’t want to do this in long-form writing either!)

Here are a few “rules” I try to abide by:

Use power (not necessarily bigger) verbs that capture not just movement but mood.

The shorter the story, the harder each word needs to work. Think of the difference between ‘slogged’ and ‘skipped.’ You can feel the energy levels AND see the action.

I like to relieve my writing of as many am/is/are verbs as possible.

Use efficient (and dramatically exaggerated) descriptors that draw vivid pictures.

What to describe: Choose only the most important details and leave the rest to the reader’s imagination. Rather than spend my valuable words describing hair color, I’d probably choose to convey personality traits instead.

How to describe: Adjectives are sometimes useful but not always the most satisfying to a reader. You might have heard the saying, “Show, don’t tell,” a general philosophy I ascribe to with a judicious dose of oversight.

Anothony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See) is masterful at introducing characters. Here’s a snippet of Zeno from his newest bestseller, Cloud Cuckoo Land:

He is an octogenarian in a canvas coat; his boots are fastened with Velcro; cartoon penguins skate across his necktie.

Note how much we readers would have missed if he’d just told us Zeno was “”an old guy with a green tie.”

#2b – I’m about to lead a workshop* on writing 100-word micro stories and wanted to exercise my short story muscles in preparation!

On the practice green where I occassionally work on my putting, there is one hole that is much smaller than the others. In fact, it’s barely big enough for the ball. The theory is that if you get used to practicing with such a small target, the actual hole will seem much larger and putting successfully will be that much easier.

280 characters averages around 50 words, so I figure by the time class rolls around, 100 words will give me all the freedom I need.

*Interested in the workshop? It’s open to all adult learners and will be taught on Zoom. Check it out here – and if you have trouble registering, shoot me an email. [There is a fee for the 4 sessions]

#3 – I love editing.

I let my characters direct the first draft. After that, the crafting is up to me.

I don’t see editing as “cutting.” Less CAN be more, but not always. I view the process as carving away the excess to reveal the story underneath, then sharpening, molding, and massaging to bring out the best.

#4 – I enjoy creative community.

While I have little use for the cesspool known as Twitter, I do appreciate the amazing community of writers who inspire creativity and lift each other’s work. We are all so very different, and yet we share this enterprise. It’s way cool.

#5 – The daily #vss365 prompts are like bonbons

I do not lack for writing prompts in my life. No person could live long enough to write down all the stories in my head. But there’s a value in a shared writing prompt. If you have ever played Wordle, you understand the thrill of participating in the same challenge along with other enthusiasts around the globe.

I’ve only recently committed to taking on this daily challenge, but some of these crazy tweeters have been at this for 6 years! Here’s a bit of the backstory and a link for you to sign up to receive the daily prompt via email.

Which, by the way, you absolutely don’t need to do. All you really need to find the prompts is a twitter account. You can search for the hashtag #vss365 and find a slew of stories using that day’s hashtagged word. Nor do you need to post your creation on Twitter (or anywhere else) for all the world to see. Keep a little Word doc socked away in your slice of the cloud.

Please do tag me on Twitter if you give this a try. I would LOVE to read your creations!

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for… a sampling of the very short story form!

I hope you’ll enjoy these. Feel free to follow my Twitter account for more shenanigans. And please feel free to drop your very own #vss into the comment section using any of these prompts!

[Note: Clicking on the hashtagged prompt will take you directly to the Twitter page where you can read more of the stories and poems from other writers.

1

A week in, my Styrofoam cup was the only one without a green sprout.
Mrs. Poe squeezed my shoulder. “Bad lima #bean, I guess.”
“Nah, I threw mine away. I hate beans.”
“I see. Then what are we growing?”
“A Hershey’s kiss.” I’m no dummy.

2

“It’s garbage!” Sal slams the #script on the desk. “They turned my book into a porno!”
“Hon-”
“And the screenwriter hides like a coward behind a pen name.”
My cheeks flare. “Maybe they-”
“They WHAT?” He rounds on me.
“Know what sells?”

[Guess who ‘hon’ is]

3

“When were you last intimate?” Dr. Kay asks.
“Hmm, are we counting the time Alma turned around and barked, ‘Aren’t you done yet?’”
I shoot Alma a #deadly glare, but my attack comes too late. She’s already dealt the mortal blow.

[This is an edited version I wrote after considering an astute comment left by a friend/fellow writer. I left the original up on my Twitter account as written.]

4

“You #coddle the boy, Aph. It’s time for our son to grow up.” Ares was right, but banishing Eros from Mt. O tore at Aphrodite’s heart. “What if he fails?”
Ares bared his teeth. “Then, my goddess, we shall punish him till he succeeds.”

[I sure hope this sounds familiar! Lovingly crafted from one of Aphrodite and Ares’s many “private conferences” in First Quiver]

Thanks for reading!

P.S. – Did you know you can receive blog updates straight to your inbox? Yup! Just enter your email address in the box just below and hit “subscribe.” This is a no-spam zone!

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Adventures in Publishing, Books, Writing

Escape to my son’s imagination – the world of Isotopia

By Beth Greenberg August 9, 2022 February 6, 2023

Fan of the dystopian Divergent series?

If you rooted for Tris and Four when they battled against the suffocating hard lines of their clan-based society, you’ll love Isotopia, where the polished surface of the city is hiding a dark, dangerous secret.

Life is grand for Patch, the hotshot superstar of the hunting clan, until dead bodies start turning up in the Marketplace. By-the-book Detective Jimmy Lask can’t get any answers – not about the murders he’s tring to solve, not about his mysterious new boss, and not about the ranks of enforcement officers that seem to multiply daily all around him.

Detective Lask’s gut tells him to trust no one, but he forms an unlikely alliance with the brash, young hunter, whose appetite for illegal herbs might get them both killed. Together, Patch and Lask build a ragtag army of soldiers, healers, and scientists, who must set aside ancient rivalries to battle the forces determined to destroy the clan system, the very foundation of a free Isotopia.

Trigger Warnings: drugs, violence

What inspired the author, Jeff Greenberg?

Isotopia is the debut novel (and tragically, the final literary work) of author Jeff (a.k.a. Jeffrey) Greenberg, who happens to be my son. A scientist by training (Jeffrey held a Masters in Computational Psychology), Jeffrey was inspired by his favorite books and TV shows (House, The Leftovers, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, The Wire, Always Sunny in Philadelphia) to bring his own story to life.

His ear for snappy dialogue and delight in intense personal connection greatly influenced Jeffrey’s writing style. Readers of Isotopia will enjoy the lively exchanges between brash, young Patch and career officer Jimmy Lask. You will bask in the warmth emanating from ol’ Koop, the healer, as Jeffrey thrived under the mentorship of his own personal hero, Dr. Michael Kahana.

But Jeffrey relished the dark side, too. His deep appreciation of heavy metal lyrics and unfortunate fascination with mind-altering chemicals influenced the way he viewed the world. In his efforts to understand his fellow humans, he was always searching for the motivations behind the behaviors. Hence, Jeffrey’s “bad guys” are fully drawn and believable. You will appreciate how young Rayne Hobb’s unfulfilled yearning ultimately directs his behavior. You may cringe (as I do) while reading the more graphic scenes of Isotopia, but you will feel the plight of The Forgotten.

How did this book get finished after the author died?

This story belongs to Jeffrey, but he wrote it to share with the world. My goal was to bring Jeffrey’s story from the obscurity of his laptop into the light of day, staying as true to his voice and intentions as possible. Fortunately, just a few weeks before he passed, Jeffrey and I had the opportunity to spend many hours together, specifically reviewing my notes on his most recent draft and brainstorming ideas for the ending. His manuscript was nearly finished before I touched a single word.

Jeffrey designed the rich architecture of the forest, the marketplace, and the battlegrounds that comprise the world of Isotopia. As to the nitty-gritty of who wrote what, the majority of my edits were fairly straightforward: formatting, punctuation, or minor style points Jeffrey had agreed to during our conversations. Out of the 760 comments I’d left on his last draft, he bristled at only one suggestion, a character’s name he was reluctant to change; I didn’t touch it. I also didn’t sugarcoat his action scenes.

“Take one last look before I gouge your eyes out.”
Levol pushed at Hobb’s knees with all his remaining strength, but the heat pellets were doing their job, emptying the brute’s charbroiled guts onto the floor. Hobb snagged the hunting blade from his boot and stabbed a sloppy circle around Levol’s left eyeball. While Levol screamed and clawed at the ravaged socket, Hobb carved out his other eyeball and threw it across the room.
Isotopia, chapter 85

The last few chapters required substantial original writing on my part, only because Jeffrey hadn’t fully fleshed out the details of his newly discovered ending. I’d like to believe he would be very pleased with the outcome.

Behind the Cover

Book cover of Isotopia - forest background with solitary hunter and "Isotopia" in transparent text

The uber talented Betti Gefecht created this gorgeous cover, which elegantly captures both the dark and light elements of the forest that is critical to the plot. As Jeff intentionally set his story in a universal place and time, Betti and I were free to interpret the particulars of the vegetation unbounded by any actual geography. We viewed hundreds of forest photos until we landed on this combination of tall, thin trunks with a leafy canopy and just the right balance of shadow and light.

Placing the solitary, armed figure in the foreground as he peers through binoculars, we can feel the hunter Patch’s vigilance and readiness to do whatever it takes to protect his beloved Isotopia. At the same time, this character’s eerie loneliness will serve as his internal engine throughout the story.

We wanted Jeff’s name to stand out from the background, and Betti accomplished this beautifully with the simple, bold font. The outlined title hints at the powerful forces lurking just beneath the surface of Isotopia.

Many said that Isotopia seemed to re-blossom into the same jumbo plant each day. The City contained everything that any decent city in its place and time would be expected to have, yet it was also small and homey. ~Jeff Greenberg, Isotopia

See why I named my business “Isotopia Publishing”? Here’s more history on how that came to be.

Here’s a teaser:

Patch’s gaze swept the slowly-clearing marketplace for good-looking women, landing instead on Cole, charging straight at him.

“Hey, Cole!” Patch called, greeting him with a cheery wave. “What’s—”

Cole’s fist slammed into Patch’s nose. Blood spurted in a sickening arc as he dropped to the pavement. The crowd gathered quickly, surrounding Patch with gasps and murmurs and greedy curiosity.

“Here, let’s get you up.” Koop’s voice cut through the fog of stunned disbelief as he helped Patch to his feet. “Are you okay?” Koop’s anxious gape blurred a bit, then shifted back into focus.

“I’m fine,” Patch answered, craning around Koop to make sure Cole wasn’t about to pop him again. Not a chance—Lask had him pinned from behind.

“It’s all right, man,” Patch said to Lask. “I mean, he’s all right.” He said it louder this time, spinning a three-sixty to address the whole crowd. “He’s my friend.”

Lask huffed. “Some friend. So, what’s going on here, guys? Trouble in the sack?”

Patch rolled his eyes, then racked his temporarily scrambled brains. “No idea.” He turned to Cole. “Dude. What the fuck?”

“If anyone should be asking that, it’s me!” shouted Cole. Lask tightened his grip, and Cole kicked and squirmed.

“Whoa, buddy,” Lask said smoothly, “how about you give it a rest? You have the man’s attention.”

Cole jerked his shoulders once more, but it seemed more for show than an actual threat. He nodded at Lask, who let him go, but not before Cole flashed them both a look of disgust.

“So… what, Patch? You stop coming by, and now you’re trolling with Enforcement?”

Patch had barely thought about Nectar the past few weeks, let alone Cole. Sure, they’d shared plenty of good times, but Cole was his drug dealer first and his friend second. “Look, man, I’m really sorry I haven’t been around. I’ve been extremely busy lately—”

“Save your breath. I know all about your little escapades with your new friends. How could you just bail on me? Am I nothing to you but a bottle of Nectar?”

Patch shot daggers at Cole, but the damage was done.

Lask let him have it. “Ah! So, this ‘friend’ is your drug dealer! And you’ve been buying Nectar off him for how long, now?”

“Shut the fuck up!” Patch yelled at Lask.

Lask grabbed two fistfuls of Patch’s shirt and yanked him forward. “Don’t forget about my badge just because we’re working together, you damn degenerate.”

“Let go of me!” Patch pushed Lask’s hands away. “What, you think you’re better than me because you’re IES? And just who do you think is going to hunt down our enemies when chaos erupts? I’ll give you a hint: the hunters.”

Lask chuckled. “Have you ever even seen the IES in action? Have you witnessed an operation? Seen our weapons?”

“See this?” Patch jabbed his thumb toward the heat rifle strapped to his back. “This thing can kill and flash-cook a full-grown pogg before you can even whip out your damn hand gun!”

“Oh, well that’s perfect! When shit starts getting heavy, we’ll all hang back and let you cook our enemies for us! Because that’s exactly what we need—cooked terrorists!”

Get your copy of Isotopia today!

E-book

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sci-fi | dystopia | adventure

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