Monday, February 24, 2014

Cover Reveal: GOLDEN DAUGHTER . . . plus interview with Julia Popova

Dear imps, I have been eager to share this cover with you since last summer. But publishing schedules being what they are, I have had to exercise patience until now. At long last, however, I am at liberty to share with you the beautiful cover for my newest Tale of Goldstone Wood novel . . .

Beyond the Realm of Dreams

Is a World She Never Imagined


Masayi Sairu was raised to be dainty, delicate, demure . . . and deadly. She is one of the emperor’s Golden Daughters, as much a legend as she is a commodity. One day, Sairu will be contracted in marriage to a patron, whom she will secretly guard for the rest of her life.

But when she learns that a sacred Dream Walker of the temple seeks the protection of a Golden Daughter, Sairu forgoes marriage in favor of this role. Her skills are stretched to the limit, for assassins hunt in the shadows, and phantoms haunt in dreams. With only a mysterious Faerie cat and a handsome slave—possessed of his own strange abilities—to help her, can Sairu shield her new mistress from evils she can neither see nor touch?

For the Dragon is building an army of fire. And soon the heavens will burn.

Coming November 25, 2014 


So what do you think? I am so thrilled with this cover, I can't even begin to tell you! I love that the new color scheme stands out from all of the other books, but the circle theme from the first three books is brought back beautifully in this image. It's a dramatic, dynamic image; so much more than just a pretty girl posing in a pretty dress! Sairu is interacting with her unique setting, surprised at what she has just discovered through that gate. Did you notice that the landscape through the gate behind her is very different from the one into which she has just emerged? I love the glorious stars, the ocean, the gate, her knife, her costume . . . so many wonderful details from the book are captured in this one gorgeous image!

And yes, for those of you wondering, that is our favorite poet-cat, Eanrin. Making his cover debut and looking very fluffy while he's at it.

If you'd like to learn more about Golden Daughter, do visit the new book page! There are several fun articles, including a "Characters You Will Meet" page. And you bloggers can help me out by sharing the blog button below:

Please include this link when you share

And now, dear imps, I had the fun opportunity of interviewing the brilliant cover artist who created this cover! She is a very gracious and talented lady with a wonderful eye for color and composition. I was enthralled by the images I saw on her website and so delighted to have her become the new Goldstone Wood cover designer! She creates images that fit nicely with the original cover designs, but brings her own unique and magical style that is so perfectly suited to fairy tales. I hope you will enjoy learning more about Julia Popova and her work. First, here is her bio:


Julia Popova is a digital artist from Russia. She lives in Novosibirsk city.
She devoted a long period of time to studying programs of digital image processing. Every day she creates new photo-art uniting fantasy and technical experience. This is a perfect way to allure audience into a bright world of art and happiness, to share dreams and ideas. Julia makes an emphasis on kindness and positive principle. For her digital photo-art is a hobby which grows into work. Work that becomes as pleasant as hobby.
Julia has higher economic education. In addition she studied in art school for a long time. She uses Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended, Wacom Intuos 4 and stock images for photomanipulation.
Julia is 26 years old. She is happily married. 

INTERVIEW

Endless Dream
Hello, Julia! Welcome to the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog. I'm so glad you could feature here today. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Were you always an artist even as a child? Do you come from a creative family?

Julia: Hello! What shall I say about me? Well . . . To tell many good words about yourself is not very modest, but I am cheerful, curious, and creative person.  I was born in Altai region, and much of my true inspiration is still connected with nature, with mountains and forests. I would say I was an artist when I was a child because I received a profile education in art at my school over the course of nine years. I cannot say that my family is totally creative but I think that my parents have creative talents.

Your art work is so beautiful. Where did you study art?  Did you start out drawing and painting, or have you always preferred digital art? 
Prayer for Comeback

Julia: I’m very glad to hear kind words about my artwork. As I have said, I received an edcuation in art, focusing on classical subjects – drawing, painting, color and composition, various arts and crafts, world art etc. And it was perfect base for start with digital art. 

Your online name is ForestGirl. Is nature your primary inspiration for your art? 

 Julia: I believe that nature is a very big creative power and a constant source of inspiration for me. Sometimes I receive the inspiration from books, music, world art culture, or images of famous photographers. 

Are you a full time artist, or do you enjoy other hobbies or work as well? 

Julia: I am a full time artist but I have many hobbies. I have a higher economic education. I love reading. I would be happy to read Golden Daughter in Russian. and I`m sure the translation should be done once! 

I spend time researching the stock images industry and am working to find my place there. Travels with my husband always were unbelievable, inspirational, and unforgettable for me. I like to plan our travels from zero without a travel agency, and I like searching for places to visit. I am big fan of sports and yoga--stadium on summer mornings or gym over winter are my favorite places. My lifestyle is self-development, self-perfection.

Warrior Cats: The Power of Three
Your art always has a magical, storytelling quality to it. I feel as though I am seeing a story in every image. Do you have a story in your head when you create each work of art?

Julia: I usually don't have a complete idea for a story when I am starting work. I view the work  in process and sometimes a good idea for a story dawns upon me. And I think about this story more and more as I go; I contrive new signs which helps me to tell this story from image, add the details to image and complete the fairytale. I always adore when people have a lucky guess at what I meant.
  
Winter Souls
And finally, since this is a blog that loves fairy tales, I’ll ask: What is your favorite fairy tale?

Julia:  I am absolutely in love with The Snow Queen tale. And also with modern 3D interpretation by Disney – Frozen.
_______

Thank you so much for the interview today, Julia! It was really fun to get to know you better.

I hope all of you readers enjoyed learning about this wonderful artist. Be certain to visit her website, Julia Popova, Art & Retouch to see even more of her wonderful images! And you can like her page on Facebook and keep track of all her exciting updates and news.

And now, in an exclusive sneak peek, I'm going to show you what the full wrap-around cover of Golden Daughter looks like . . . before the text! 

  

I hope you're excited for this newest adventure in Goldstone Wood. I love this new story and am eager to share it with all of you later this year. You will be happy to learn that this is by far the longest Goldstone Wood novel yet . . . a good 50,000 words longer than Dragonwitch (which used to be my longest). So lots of epic adventure awaits!

In the meanwhile, do please share the book cover and tell your friends. And do take time to enter the giveaway I'm hosting to celebrate this reveal.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

51 comments:

Rina's Reading said...

Love the full wraparound cover! Julia, you did a wonderful job and I love your other works as well.
Anne Elisabeth, thank you for putting together the book page. I really enjoyed reading the history behind the writing of this story.
Oh, and the two big ToGW fans at my school that I showed the cover to this morning were excited as well and loved the cover. H said she was wondering when you'd tell the Goldstone's story and G said she can't wait to buy it on her Kindle. :-)

Unknown said...

Wow, Mrs. Julia! Your artwork is ethereal and divine. I was going to play hard to get and say Heartless or Starflower is my favorite cover, but I am sold on this one! My question is... do you take the photos you use in art, or do you find them from other sources? Thanks for stopping by, and congratulations, Anne Elisabeth! :D

Anna said...

When I scrolled down and saw this cover, I almost gasped out loud! Absolutely stunning! :D It is definitely my favorite! Wow...

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful :) I love all your covers!

Unknown said...

Stunning, amazing, GORGEOUS work! I especially love the interplay of the colours--such a vividly dreamy atmosphere!

I love that your favourite fairy tale is "The Snow Queen", Ms. Popova--that's one of mine, too (though I have a special spot in my heart for Russian fairy tales as well--The Firebird and Vasilisa the Brave, etc.) I loved the winter fairy art on your website. :)

Jenelle Leanne said...

Love the new cover! I cannot decide which is my favorite though. I really really like them all. However, if I had to pick a favorite, it would still be a toss-up between Heartless, Shadow Hand, and this newest one.

Hannah said...

This cover is so amazing! The colors, the model, the water...beautiful!

I love your art, Ms. Popova! It's so ethereal and lovely.

EEK! Golden Daughter is THAT much longer than Dragonwitch??? Oh MY GOSH!

This cover is without a doubt beautiful. It's definitely among my favorites. But the Heartless cover is still very dear and the Shadow Hand cover is even more gorgeous in person. So I'm not sure...

Joy said...

My favourite cover is Starflower. I love the calm blue tones.

Carl Scott said...

I think my favorite cover is the one for Shadow Hand. Thanks.

Emily Bennett said...

I love all of your covers, but I think my favorite is still Heartless. :)

Anonymous said...

Um... that's sort of hard. I love all the covers!! They all have a lovely and mysterious touch to them. I have to say Shadow Hand is especially vibrant and beautiful. Also, Goddess Tithe and Golden Daughter have a kind of different look, but still very fantastic! :)
So excited to read Golden Daughter!
-Shantelle

Georgina said...

All of the covers are so beautiful! In fact, the covers were the biggest factor in my decision to start reading the books! Heartless has always been my favorite but I think Golden Daughter may have replaced it. :) Gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Either Heartless or Starflower. Heartless' cover is what made me want to read the series

Marisa (a.k.a Queen Elsa)

Chelsey said...

Oh goodness! I am so excited!!!!! :) The cover is so beautiful!!
I think my favorite cover is Shadow hand or Starflower

Erin G. said...

This might be my favorite- but it's so hard to choose!

Unknown said...

Ooh, that's a very beautiful cover! I'm looking forward to the book.

Very nice art by Ms. Popova

Lady DragonKeeper said...

Shadow Hand is my favorite cover ... the colors and color contrast are very harmonious. It also different from the blues, purples, and darks in the previous colors.

Golden Daughter looks amazing though! I care more about characters and storylines in books, but I have to admit as an Asian American, it is kind of a thrill to see Asian or rather, Asian-inspired characters in Christian/Inspirational market --I think this may be a first for the Christian Fantasy genre? =)

Has Mrs. Popova been the cover artist for all of the Goldstone Wood books? Her work is amazing! I'm sitting in on a digital painting class right now and am "insanely jealous" of Wacom's Intous tablets ... they're very good!

Unknown said...

I Love all your covers!! However, there's something about Winter Souls that grabs me. Looking forward to reading your books.

Clara said...

Oh my...this is absolutely stunning! Simply cannot wait for this book. Also, I checked out the art on your site, Julia, and it is absolutely enchanting. The horse pictures were probably my favorite!

Chelsea said...

I love all your covers, and when I saw the cover for Golden Daughter, I squeaked just a little bit (to some strange looks from my classmates). That being said, I think my favorite cover is the one for Starflower, I really like the blues and the way Starflower is sitting on the ground with the flowers around her and the waterfall in the background.

Ryebrynn said...

I would have to say that my favorite cover is Shadow Hand's, then would come Heartless or Starflower.

I positively love the cover for Golden Daughter! It's brilliantly done. :)

-Ryebrynn

Anonymous said...

The cover for Golden Daughter looks great! It's brighter compared to the rest of them and I also like the mixture of colors.

Is Eanrin upset that six book covers have gone by and this is the first one he's on? :)

How do you pronounce Masayi?

- Heather

Camryn Lockhart said...

It looks beautiful! I am so excited to read this book. I think it might become my favorite one so far.
I absolutely love the cover! And that has nothing to do with the fact that Eanrin's on it! (Yes, it does.)
Masayi Sairu is a beautiful character. She has an elegance, even when she's discovering a new world. I look forward to reading about her this fall. :D

~ Camryn

Anonymous said...

The cover looks like...Something awsome...Words fail. Waking up today was like Christmass morning

Jemma

Anonymous said...

The cover looks like...Something awsome...Words fail. Waking up today was like Christmass morning

Jemma

Anonymous said...

The cover looks like...Something awsome...Words fail. Waking up today was like Christmass morning

Jemma

Angie R said...

I love all your covers but Starflower is probably my favorite.

Rebekah said...

Congratulations!! Hey, now we've got a guy on the cover ... even if he is in cat form. : )
Anxiously waiting!

Meredith said...

Congratulations, Mrs. Anne Elisabeth. I'm so very excited for you and eagerly awaiting the book! The story sounds incredible! So nice that Eanrin is actually depicted on this cover.

I really enjoyed the interview with Ms. Popova. She has a God-given talent.

God bless and congratulations once again. What publisher are you using for this book?

Sara said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS! My fave cover up until now was Heartless, but I think this might surpass it. And I actually squeaked a little when I saw Eanrin! Also, I'm excited that this book will be the longest yet. Write as much as you want...I'll keep reading!

Anonymous said...

I've got to say I love this! Probably my favorite cover so far, with a close second being Dragonwitch.

~Christina M

Unknown said...

My favorite cover is Heartless--Una looks so much like my mental image of her.

Alyssa said...

I love the cover as always. Excited to read it.

Lauren said...

Beautiful cover! And probably my favorite yet, since it has both purple and a kitty!

The Wanderer said...

My favorite book so far is Heartless, made me cry!! :D My favorite book cover would be Shadow Hand!

Emily Chapman said...

Oh my goodness, this cover is so gorgeous, I can't even. O_o

My favorite Tales of Goldstone Wood book cover is... oh, dear... either Heartless or Golden Daughter, I believe. I really like Shadow Hand's cover as well, though! ^.^

Alright, changing my mind. I think Golden Daughter is my favorite. ;)

Annie Douglass Lima said...

I think my favorite is Starflower, but this one is pretty awesome too!

Molly said...

Oh wow, it's gorgeous!! Like Emily said: I can't even.

My favorite book as well as book cover is Starflower hands down. I love all the books/book covers but I am just in love with Starflower. I've only read it once, but I intend to get one for keeps to read as much as I want!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful cover, and what a talented artist! Just love all of her work :)

Unknown said...

I just saw the question about the covers ... oh, what a hard one! To tell you the truth, I'm going to have to go with Heartless! I still love the "dragon's eye" theme going on with that one. Although the color scheme on Shadow Hand is pretty great, too ;)

Katie Phillips said...

Beautiful! I actually visited Novosibirsk this past fall for the first time.

Sarah Pennington said...

I love the cover, though I like Dragonwitch and Shadow Hand better. I love the other images as well, especially 'Winter Souls' and the unnamed one of the red-haired girl in the forest.

Hannah said...

The new cover is lovely! It is my second favorite, but my favorite cover is definitely the cover of Heartless. I love the various elements in it, it draws me in, and it stands out among other YA fantasy to me.

Kathleen said...

It's soooo cool, I want to be a graphic artist so it was really interesting

Lacee said...

This is great. So glad the series is continuing.

Galadriel said...

My favorite cover is either Starflower or Shadow Hand

Rebecca said...

Wow, this is a stunning cover! I am even more excited now to read Golden Daughter! Julia did phenomenal!
My favorite covers are Heartless and now Golden Daughter! Keep up the amazing work Anne Elizabeth and Julia! :)

Anonymous said...

My favorite cover is Shadow Hand
Jemma

Anonymous said...

My favorite cover is Heartless.

Caitlyn

Unknown said...

I could sooner pick a favorite star in the heavens! All of them are gorgeous. However, there’s just something about Heartless that first drew my eye. I didn’t even realize there was a dragon’s eye on the front until I studied it more. Dragonwitch is definitely my next choice. But then Golden Daughter’s cover is breathtaking as well…

Christa Wilson said...

I love the new cover! The colors and the scenery are absolutely beautiful, and it's nice to see Eanrin making an appearance at last. :)

I think I would say my favorite Goldstone Wood cover is Shadow Hand, but seeing this new cover makes it hard to decide. I really like all of the covers, though! In fact, the cover of Heartless is one of the main reasons I started reading the series. :)