It’s that time…My latest novel is now in the hands of my stern and exacting editor (Hi Michelle!) which is always daunting, and while I have a bit of a breather, I’ve been working on the book cover.
As I always do, I try out several different designs and ideas and spend a fair while scouting around the web looking for inspiration. This cover took me slightly less time the designs for books 1 and 2, and I only went through a dozen or so iterations before settling on this one.
So here it is–drumroll please–the cover for Transformation Protocol–Joe Ballen, Book Three!
As with all my covers, I created the image by modelling the scene in Blender 3D and then rendered it out at high resolution, in multiple layers. I then tweaked and polished these using the Gimp image editing software.
All together, I probably spent a hundred hours or so working on these images– maybe a few more if you count unsuccessful variations. A labor of love for sure 🙂
I hope you like the result. The final cover will be a wrap-around design—I’m still finalizing the back copy. I’m looking forward to getting the book launched and, of course, writing more! Here are a few FAQs for anyone new to the series.
Who is this Joe Ballen guy and why would I want to read about him?
He’s a flying cab driver/space engineer with the kind of smart-mouthed wiseassery™ that inevitably leads him into trouble. If you’re new to the series, you can expect fast-paced, near future sci-fi thrillers with engaging characters, cynical humor, and plausible science.
How can I catch up with the series so far?
Books 1 and 2 are available on Amazon.
How can I stay up to date?
For updates on everything Ballen and exclusive previews of stories and artwork, sign up for my email list. In fact, sign up now and you’ll get a free short story right away—well as soon as I check my email that is 🙂
