From Writing Books, to Making Books…

 

 

            

 

 

 

 Writing Books to Making Books…

 

In college I used to hand sew my own books. I miss the assembly, but I think since then I’ve found something with the same satisfaction, and joy. Recently, I’ve been designing book covers for other writers and I love it. I’ve done a business book for an entrepreneur/CEO in California called Iron Ambition, an Art book for a very intriguing project where artists interview artists, based off the blog Thinking About Art by J.T… My own books, both Moonlight Manor and Feather Book Series, and then some sample covers for wall-street guru’s and real-estate tycoons…

By literally quitting my job, I have found a whole new avenue. After writing my first book, I knew that making and designing signs for the University in a tiny office with no windows, was not for me. Deciding to cut down on my hours at the University was a heavy decision, especially when I was on the cusp of getting a mortgage for our the house I had been remodeling for over two years. I lost the dream health coverage, and the security that the job brought, but what I’ve found is that in the two months since, I have built a career outside of that place, with little effort and all the talent I could give. 

I was wasting my talent at the University, literally flushing each great idea down the toilet, with no hope of advancement. When I first started there, I worked my tale off, but like most state jobs, you realize there is no point in being an over achiever beyond earning a lame slip of paper that says you are employee of the quarter (I was nominated twice and won once) After I won, I was a little bummed. Where did that get me? NOWHERE…

I feel that the freelance I am doing now is gratifying, self-fulfilling, and certainly more entertaining. I have my small office in the basement, it’s warm, cozy, my cat’s visit on a regular basis, and I can exercise, do laundry, bake bread, clean, and run errands while I send artwork to be approved and changed by my clients.

Freelance isn’t for everyone, I believe you really have to have the mind for it, and the talent. I work weekends, because I love to work, and the schedule is all mine. Being busy makes me feel alive, gets my blood pumping, and my mind out of the negative…

Needless to say, I love it, and I’m glad I made the leap, and took the chance.

And my mortgage got approved 😉

Abra

 

If you need or like any of the designs in this blog post, or are looking for layout of your own book, or design for business reasons, or other, feel free to contact me…

abra@featherbookseries.com

or find me on elance: HERE and review my portfolio

Coming Fall/Winter 2009…. The Moonlight Manor

Image Copywrite Abra Ebner

 

Copyright Abra Ebner

 

 

The Moonlight Manor

It’s not just your home anymore…

A house forgotten by time, but not forgotten for the creatures inside it. As we step into the world of our imagination, we will find a house of magic, and mystery, and a group of friends bound by the fate of their curse, and eternally tied to the place in which they live.

Come follow Jack, a young boy suddenly thrown into the midst of their world, where each thing has it’s place, and each creature their purpose. A house tricked into eternity, and locked in a curse so deep, it shakes it’s very bones.

Abra Ebner’s second journey into the worlds of her mind, and the mysteries she finds have plagued her all her life. What do you imagine when you take in the world around you? Come see what Abra sees as she works to illustrate it for you, creating a thick web of beauty, and characters that will leave you wondering for years to come…

I’m Excited About How The Book Release Is Going, and I Love All The Reader Comments!

I am pleasantly suprised to find that after the release of Feather: Book One, I have recieved a lot of positive feedback. Despite Feathers small editorial hiccups in the past, it’s good to hear that my readers really enjoy the overall story, and are anxious to read Guardian: Book Two.

The unique release of my Authors Version, on paperback now, has been fun. Each book is signed, and contains a small note from the “Desk of the Author” and it really is. I think it’s good form to take the time to thank all those that support me, and my growth throughout this series into a credible writer of fairy-tales, adventure, and romance.

I just hope, as the original fairy tale once did for me, that readers will walk away from this series, and continue to think of it for years to come. I hope that by reading Feather, readers will think differently whenever they are falling in love, or feel that life is without its joys or challenges. After all, what we do not accomplish in this life, we will in the next.

Thank You All!

Abra E.

 

Get your limited Authors Version today at www.featherbookseries.com

The Trials of Being a Young Writer…

For many of us, becoming a writer takes time, and effort, as it inevitably will for me. But, the one thing that always sets someone apart, is talent. I believe, as I always have going through college as an art student, that certain talents, can’t be taught. Creativity is an inherent trait, thatgrows from a strong forgotten mind, a mind tortured by itself, finding its only solace through expression.

The root of my creativity grew from my youth. I’ve always had the desire to write, but never took it into consideration, beyond that of my extensive collection of journals. Having a journal is a forgotten treat of the memory. When I was fifteen, I recorded my first tale of love when I met my first boyfriend. What I cherish most about that record of life, is that he died, but I will forever have those raw moments of emotion to read over, time and time again, keeping his memory alive.

In college, I never paid any mind to grammar, or sentence structure, and so I’m growing to learn this as I go, but I believe my plots, are that of deep reflection, and raw imagination. A real story is born in the subject matter, not the manner it is written. If I reflect on the nature of the Twilight Series, I find that what makes the book amazing to most, is the manner in which Stephanie wrote the characters, the root of the subject matter, and the way it effects us all.

Stephanie was also a virgin writer, as am I, but what sets me apart, I suppose, is my age. I don’t often talk about my age, because I find people are to fast to past judgement, as though saying that I haven’t lived enough life to know enough to write. I believe, there are some people that have lived more in a day, then many have in months. I am intuitive, and try my best to realize all that goes on around me, to take it in with each precious moment as though it was the last. I’ve traveled the world, studied and read everything I can, and have seen things, only a handful ever will.

Having experienced death so close to my heart, you come out with a different understanding, especially when that soul died so young, before he even got the chance to share his talents with the world. I fear death, and perhaps that’s why I’ve pushed myself to live life to the extreme, to take every whim, and embrace it.

I’ve never wasted time with bad grades, with lazy effort, or worthless careers, and I hope, my readers come to understand my journey, and grow with me, as I surely will. Perhaps it’s the fact that I feel I’ve found my real point of expression, but writing for me, has a long way to come… And I’m very excited with where it’s going…

Remembering a Forgotten Artist… Johannes Vermeer

Pic from Wikipedia.com

A Talent Once Forgotten…

When I think of my favorite artists, I always think of Johannes Vermeer. A once forgotten talent, lost in the fabrics of time, he was the first true artist of the light. Johannes, buried under the name Jan in 1675, utilized the deep contrast of sideways rays, characteristically almost always shining from the left.

His undeniably opulent ability for fabric was obvious, creating not only texture, but sheen, and even flaws. Silk was his best example as he layered the rich colors, creating an almost three dimensional feel.

His use of rich colors, especially cornflower blue, was risky, yet a true example of his deep love for his work. If you were to compile a collection of Johannes’ paintings, you would notice an similar thread between them all. Most commonly, Jan painted in his attic studio, and as such, most paintings posses that sideways light, and even the attic window, as experienced by the popular “Girl With a Pearl Earring” movie, and portrait.

In my book series, Johannes plays as the frontrunner for my web of history, an artist not recognized in his lifetime, but now an important member of the Dutch Golden Age. I needed an artist that could portray an undying love, a mysterious stare, and an unforgettable appeal. One thing I have always loved about his work, is the mystery. a glimpse into a scene from life, as though suddenly interrupted.

pic from wikipedia.com

I invite you to come view the works of a man not recognised in his lifetime, but now in the next. A fingerprint left to ponder over, in a way so easily read to human eyes.

Also, check out my website for more information on Feather Book Series, and other characters making their historical debut. Book available on Paperback, Mobipocket, Kindle, Books on Board, Diesel Books, and Barnes and Noble…

Abra Ebner