Behind the Cover – Get to know artist and author Melissa Lettis

Among my many projects, one of my favorites is the Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore. These whimsical short stories take place in the world of Draem and how this project started and what it’s become is why it’s so special.

The idea for the Daydreams came from a random chat and I wrote two or three of them before a friend of mine actually had to undergo surgery. When that happened, I wrote a Daydream as a get-well card and started inviting people I know from around the world to visit Draem. For the first volume of the Daydreams, I knew pretty much what I wanted for the cover but for the second installment, I was stuck. 

 

Enter Melissa Lettis. Talented, diligent, sharp as anything you can imagine, patient, and kind. These are just some keywords I can use to describe her and my experience working with her. Which is why I wanted to invite her to the blog, so you can get to know her, her work, and possibly help you connect with her if you need an artist for your cover.

 

 JD: So welcome to the blog, Melissa. So lovely to have you here. Care to tell people who you are, where you’re from, and all that jazz?

 

I like jazz! I’m an illustrator and author living in Pennsylvania. I grew up in Alaska and Seattle, studied music and English, and now I freelance with illustration and design. I also drink tea. Lots of tea!

 

JD: Blessed be the tea and jazz then! Talking a bit about your career, how long have you been designing and what would you say are some of your most notable works? (You know, besides a certain short story collection about daydreams.) 

 

I’ve been doing art for most of my life, but I only started working as a full-time freelance artist in 2021. I’ve worked on several picture books with self-published authors, but I don’t know how to choose which is most notable! You may have to check out my projects on my website, www.MelissaLettisArt.com , and decide for yourself! (Yes, shameless marketing - it’s part of the freelance life).

 

JD: We encourage the shameless marketing! :) Here’s a tricky question, what would you say is the specialty that sets you apart from other designers?

That is tricky, as there’re so many amazing artists and designers out there! One thing I like to focus on is how everything comes together. From the very beginning of the project, I’m already thinking about how all the pieces will fit into place. It’s not just the illustration. It’s not just the title and the font. It’s not just the text. It’s not even just the page for the interior of a book. It’s how they all relate to each other, and I think keeping that in mind from the start can really help shape the project and help everything click together in a really natural way.

 

JD: Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2 was a project that was challenging for me. Can you walk us through the process on your side of this creative equation?

Sure! I started by reading the text (which is always a pleasure!) and jotting down some of the more dynamic visuals that I thought might work for the cover - and there were a lot! Daydreams is such a visually rich world. Once we chose which direction to go, I did a few thumbnail sketches for the layout and planned out where to place all of the elements on the cover. I knew we wanted a similar color palette to the first book’s cover (and I love that peachy-coral color so much), but we still went through a number of color options. As the different stages of the artwork were approved, I kept refining and adding details, and then finally we settled on the title fonts and laid in the text.

 

JD: I can attest to the exploration process and although each artist is unique in their approach., I really enjoyed how you went about it. How about the biggest challenge for the Daydreams?

 

Haha, probably the dragon scales! I never know how much detail to add to textures like that, so it definitely went through a few different versions there. I’m quite happy with how they turned out though. I can’t say I ever expected to draw a dragon-train-teapot!

 

JD: Well the Falkori will invite you to imagine and draw some pretty interesting things. I also really loved the detail in the scales and all the tidbits hidden. Going back to your process, what are some things people who work with you could do to help the process?

 

So much of it is about communication (isn’t everything?). It will always be easier to make changes in the early stages of a project than once the art is close to finished. So, if you really like the direction something is going, or if there’s something that isn’t working out as well, definitely say something!

 

 

JD: Communication was definitely key in our process and I’m so thankful for you and your patience. You really were pivotal in helping me find my way and helping identify the soul of the book to get it the covered it needed. Now to throw you a random question, if someone designed a font in your honor, what would it be called and how would you describe it?

Enchanted Tea Time - magical, legible, and swirly. It would pair well with cozy little hand-writing serif fonts.

 

JD: What sort of projects really call out to you and you’re interested in working on?

I love drawing fantasy characters and nature. Give me something with cozy magic, and I’m 100% there for it. On a more technical end, I mostly do picture books and illustrated book covers, but I’m also branching out into comics.

 

JD: Your fav restaurant called and they’ve noticed all the times you’ve had a meal there. They want to do a Lettis Special as a small thanks. What would that special include and how would it taste?

It’s a brunch special. It has a fancy bacon-egg-cheese biscuit with your choice of mushrooms or avocado, a side of breakfast potatoes (crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside), and a mini pastry that rotates daily (today’s pastry is a cinnamon roll, but the gooey pecan rolls are popular, so come back on the weekend!). Served with a tea latte.

You’re asking the important questions here, I see.

 

JD: ALWAYS ask the important questions lol. But swinging back to work: How would an ideal project roll out for you?

The short answer is good communication and no bugs in my art programs. And both parties walk away happy with the product.

 

JD: Succinct and so well said. Now to wrap things up and roll out the blogs red carpet, tell us: how can people get in touch with you if they have cover, character, or other design needs?

 

My website, www.MelissaLettisArt.com , has a contact page and links to my social media platforms (I’m currently on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or are looking for a freelance illustrator and designer!

 

* * * *

 

And there you have it folks. Once again, my thanks to Melissa for visiting the blog and taking from her busy schedule to chat it up with us. Ever thankful to have crossed paths with her and a perfect example of how the writer community sticks together. I had not one, not two, but three artists that weren’t able to take this project on when fellow author Mike Jack Stoumbos was kind enough to recommend Melissa and not only was she able to do the project, she was a perfect fit. Here’s to connecting creatives so we can all thrive and bring our dreams to Raelity

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

 

Si tú te creías que yo no venía...

Saludos, mi gente y comencemos una semana de ¡PURO Comic Con! Este viernes estaremos de vuelta en el Centro de Convenciones para el Puerto Rico Comic Con del 7 al 9 de abril. Esta será mi séptima vez en el Comic Con mientras también celebro mi décimo aniversario como autor publicado.

 

Como saben, marzo fue un mes bien fuego a la lata con dos libros nuevos: el segundo volumen de los Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore y Penumbra, mi primera colección de cuentos oscuros en español. Estoy muy orgulloso de ambos libros y está muy curioso que publique el libro más oscuro e intenso y el libro más dulce de mi carrera a la misma vez. 

 

Las portadas, de show y estoy muy complacido con el contenido. Espero que se los disfruten. Además, tuve la Marcha de los escritores en donde desarrollé temas para hacer posteos para cada día en el mes de marzo y tengo que quitarme el sombrero a todos los amantes de las letras de PR que le metieron con todo. Se lucieron y espero que se lo hayan gozado. Aparte de eso, pues muchas más aventuras de la vida.

 

Eso dicho, me siento como todo un súper saiyajin que le dieron con TODO durante el mes de marzo. Ya que lo superamos, vamos a llegar a un súper nivel porque lo que viene este wikén es pura gozaera. Estaremos en el exhibidor 134 y abajo les comparto el mapa para que me encuentren.

 

Además, ¡LIBROS NUEVOS!

 

Penumbra Cuentos oscuros

Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2

Como siempre, tendré MUCHOS OTROS TÍTULOS DISPONIBLES, aunque ojo, CANTIDADES LIMITADAS así que asegúrate darte la vuelta por el exhibidor tempranito.

 

Hay muchas ganas de verlos y espero que de aquí hasta el fin de semana tengan una semana bonita para cerrarla con broche de oro.

 

Un abrazo,

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marcha de los escritores día 20: Curiosidades como escritor

El tema de hoy es para compartir detallitos curiosos de ti como escritor. 

Aquí te comparto 5 de los míos y a ver cuán diferentes me salen a los de inglés.

1. Escribo mayormente en inglés. Aunque soy puertorriqueño y mi primer idioma es el español, sólo tengo dos de mis veinte libros que son en español. Aunque finalmente me siento más cómodo escribiendo en español, por mucho tiempo he tenido complejo y no he estado seguro de mis habilidades como escritor en español fuera de lo profesional ya que MUCHO de lo que he trabajado en mi carrera profesional ha sido en español. Por suerte, ya me he soltado y con Penumbra, el mensaje es claro: prepara tu librero :)

2. Nunca he tomado un curso de escribir. Estudié psicología, publicidad y mercadeo y nunca he tomado ni un taller de escribir. Todo lo que he logrado como autor ha sido autodidacta y a pulmón. Por MUCHOS años escribí en un blog y eso me ayudó más de lo que te imaginas. El detalle es que AMO escribir. Claro que quiero fama, dinero y éxito, ahora ante todo AMO escribir y es una parte integral de quién soy.

3. Incluyo muchos personajes basados en personas de mi vida. Mrs. Fawn se basa en Mama. Captain Jane se basa en mi esposa. Fäet es mi representación literaria. Así hay un montón de personajes y siempre es divertido tener a la gente adivinando quién es de mi vida y quién es de mi imaginación.

4. El nombre Odstein es recurrente en mis obras como el apellido de Fäet. Por si no lo sabías: Fäet = Fate y Odstein = Destino ;)

5. Me encanta incluir detallitos y tributos a música y artistas. En español muchos de los capítulos y personajes de Penumbra salieron o fueron influencia directa de la música de Robi Draco Rosa.

Y ahí tienes 5 curiosidades. ¿Qué te parecen? Y ¿Cuáles son algunas de las tuyas?

Espero que te estés gozando la Marcha de los escritores. Un fuerte abrazo.

JD

March of the Writers Day 20: Quirkety Quirk

I actually haven’t used the blog to explore a prompt yet for this year's March of the Writers, which is so odd lol. Fortunately, I think this is a great one for that. 

 As a writer I have several quirks, but instead of exploring them all, here are 5:

1. I write most of my work by hand and later transcribe. There’s something beautifully intimate about writing by hand, even with the challenges it brings. Namely, my handwriting. Plainly put, it isn’t great and definitely is a challenge in regards to legibility, although it is an interesting exercise because it forces me to start editing. Also, Fun fact: Only Human took 6 notebooks of varying sizes.

2. Different size papers. Sometimes to get the right feel for what I'm writing I switch up the size of the paper I’m using to write on. Although I love composition notebooks and find them extremely comfortable, I’ve known to switch to legal notepads, sticky notes, and notebooks of all sorts of sizes. It’s curious how it impacts the writing. For instance, small paper FORCES you to be concise, while long-winding papers can do the opposite. I seriously recommend you give it a go because you don't know if something can work until you give it a go.

3. Different writing materials. I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again. I write poetry/lyrics in pencil, non-fiction and short prose in blue/black ink, and prose in red ink, although I’ve taken to use other colors and it’s been super refreshing. Again, it's all about mixing it up.

4. Love writing during flights. I used to love writing during long appointments but post pandemic things have definitely changed. I do still enjoy writing during long flights because I have no interest in wi-fi at 35,000 ft :)

5. I sometimes write with my non-dominant hand. I’ve journaled and written short verses or inspirational texts with my left hand. It actually improves your handwriting, and forces you to breathe and slow down, something I DEFINITELY need from time to time and you might need as well.

And there are PLENTY more where those came from, but those are my five for today :)

How about you? What are some of your writing quirks? What did you think of mine? 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

March of the Writers 2022 – Return of MOTW

It’s amazing how time flies and suddenly March is upon you once again. So in typical moi fashion, here I am announcing the prompts for this year’s March of the Writers! I’ll offer a brief explanation of each prompt though by all means, the main thing about this month-long shindig is to have fun and do these prompts on YOUR terms. This is all about connecting with new readers and fellow authors and creatives alike. You can be as brief or as extensive as you want. Are you in the mood to do blog posts, tweets, or BookTube/AuthorTube videos? Have at it. Want to do this on TikTok? Why not? Again, these are just ideas to connect to people and hopefully help you connect with people including yours truly. 

 

 So without further ado, here are the prompts!

 

 

1.     New month, who dis?

 

It’s the start of #MOTW, tell us who you are. After all what better way to start anything than introducing yourself?

 

2.     Show & Tell (Your Books)

 

I’ve changed the order of certain things to make sure we hit on some key things, like what you’ve written for instance! Have a book or twenty? Show em off, baby!

 

3.     Writing Muzak

 

Something I’m very proud of in regards to #MarchOfTheWriters is the writing playlist I’ve compiled. If you have tunes to share, by all means, suggest so we can keep feeding this list. Well over 1,000 tracks on both Tidal and Spotify so let’s share the wealth!

 

4.     For those about to WIP

 

Are you about to start a new project? Are you in the middle of a WIP? Tell us tell us what you’re working on. Genre, topic, character names, and if you’re particularly brave, title.

 

5.     Sweet spot: writing session length

 

The more writers you meet, the more you’ll realize how varied we are. Some people love long writing sessions. Some like several short sprints. What’s your ticket to wordcount glory?

 

6.     2022 goals

 

Regardless of the state of the world, which is pretty chaotic, we should all have dreams and things we strive for. Although two months have come and gone, tell us what some of your goals are for the rest of the year.

 

7.     Author Tribe

 

Another prompt I’m bumping up in the priority list is to share something about your writer tribe. Want to share a BookTube channel, podcasts, blog, or website we should check out? Go for it. Want to do a collage with your favorite people? Knock yourself out. Want to craft a message saying thank you to the people who are in your corner? No worries, these aren’t the Academy Awards and you can go as LONG as you want with no music to interrupt.

 

8.     Writer DNA

 

As writers, there are certain things that make their way into our projects. What are some of the core message, themes, and topics that make it into your work?

 

9.     Show off your TBR

 

Writers better read, so tell us what is in your reading queue or what you’re currently digging into!

 

10.  What’s on your calendar?

 

We all know the importance of pivoting, but we also plan and hope we can keep those plans! What are some things you’re looking forward to in the coming months?

 

11.  Writer Wisdom

 

We all live and we all learn, so why not share a lesson or three that could help a fellow writer?

 

 

12.  Filmspiration

 

I’m not one of those writers and book lovers who turn my nose up to TV and movies. Nope. I love me some boobtube goodness, so what movies have left a mark on you?

 

13.  Treat-yo-self

 

All work and no play makes anyone dull as dishwater! We NEED to learn to reward ourselves more often, but careful, I do know some people who always seem to find a way to reward themselves. That aside, when you achieve a milestone, how do you say thank you and congratulations to you?

 

14.  Return of the pitch

 

You got a working script? Share with us that pitch and let’s try and be constructive with feedback to help each other get the best spiel possible to convince people to not only be interested in our books, but pre-order the damn thing!

 

15.  How do you social?

 

There are plenty of ways we connect with readers and writers on the interwebs. What are some of yours or what tips would you offer a fellow creative in regards to connecting?

 

16.  Fanfare (reviews)

 

Getting a review is not only nice, but makes the world of difference. As a salute to those kind souls who put words to a review in support of us, share a review that touched you or taught you something important.

 

17.  Fav classics

 

People are ALWAYS raving about the next great new book, but what are some deep dive classics that shall always have a place on your bookshelf and why?

 

18.  Digital or Analog

 

The smell of a book or the convenience of carrying a library’s worth of books in a device. This topic shall never go away because we all have our preferences. So tell us, what’s your choice and why?

 

19.  Method to your madness

 

What’s a writing habit you learned that was instrumental in your writer journey?

 

20.  Block Breakers

 

You could have a proper block or just be exhausted, but blocks can and do happen. What’s something that definitely helps you to maneuver around writer’s block?

 

21.  Bookmark Brag

 

Beyond all the books we have, many of us have plenty of pretty bookmarks. This is not a time to be shy so SHOW EM OFF!

 

22.  Tools of the trade

 

Pen? Pencil? Laptop? Typewriter? Scrivener? Word? Speech to Text? What tools make your writing flow?

 

23.  Fav place to read

 

As creatures of comfort, we also have our favorite places to indulge in what we love. What’s your choice when it comes to getting snuggly with a book?

 

24.  Why do you write?

 

The writer equivalent of “Why are we here?” What is at the top of your Writer Maslow Pyramid in terms of needs when you write?

 

25.  What’s your brand?

 

Some people have done the writing thing for years. Others are starting out. What is consistent is that beyond the books we write, we are a brand. So you, yes you, what is your brand and why should people care about your work?

 

26.  Plot or Pants

 

Oh I do enjoy the passion in which pantsers defend their right to pants as much as I enjoy the methodical and logical approach of planners. So tell us, plot or pants, which will it be?

 

27.  Writer habitat

 

Also known as your writing desk or work area. Show it off!

 

28.  Book you’ve read the most

 

There are some books that are almost a tradition. What’s a book you’ll be rereading until you pass the page of this life?

 

29.  Unpopular Opinions

 

What’s a movie, book, food, band, artist, location, vacation destination, or author everyone loves that you can’t hhhhhhhelp but hhhhhhate.

 

30.  People to follow

 

We mentioned our author tribe before already, so what gives? It’s pretty simple…you’ll probably meet some new people in these weeks. So who has caught your attention and when are we doing a writer sprint?

 

31.  Keep in touch

 

The usual post where we share everywhere people can find us AND our books. Till next we march.

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

#SoftNaNo

November. 

A month where we think of Thanksgiving, where Fall gets confused with Winter in some countries or states, where leaves finally turn to new shades of wonderful colors, and where writers dive into National Novel Writing Month (also known as NaNo Wrimo – Pronounced [Na-no -Wry-Moe]).

 

I’ve done both NaNo Wrimo and Camp NaNoWrimo and have benefitted from both. To participate in NaNo during November, the goal is to write 50,000 words in one month. If ALL you’re doing is writing, it’s a doable task and one that teaches you discipline and has a very active community in many places around the world. For Camp NaNo, you’re the one who establishes the writing goals for the month. It’s more flexible and can be as intense or as loosey goosey as you want. Before I knew what Camp NaNo was, there was a moment where I did something I called #NaNoEstrada during November and set my own goals for several projects. In the end, the intention of this wonderful effort is to get people writing, creating habits, and pushing everyone a bit…but for some people, FULL NaNo is a bit intimidating and often frustrating. 

 

In my case, November has often been problematic for this type of writing because in the industries I’ve worked in, November often brings end of the year campaigns, communications, events, and beyond and adding 50,000 words to that is batty at best. From what I gather, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one for whom the month does little in the way of cooperating. This can lead to stress, frustration, angst, dread, and all sorts of goodies that we’re basically piling on ourselves.

 

2021 has had its own agenda and I’ve had to adjust continuously to stay afloat and motivated. So for this year, I’m doing what I’m labeling #SoftNaNo. It is closer to Camp NaNo but for me, I’m not measuring any word count or page count, I’m just focusing on broader milestones, i.e. finishing a chapter, outlining a story arc, writing a short story, writing three poems, editing a chapter or section of a book, and stuff of the sort. Although I have an overall idea of what I want to achieve during the month, there are two main goals: Creating Momentum & Enjoying the Process.

 

Too often I see people fixated on word/page count, on pushing, and pushing, and pushing, and enjoyment is set to a side. I’m not saying this is the case for everyone, by the way. I’m saying this has happened to me and I’ve seen it happen to others. This has everything to do with people finding motivation in different things and in different ways and that leads me to something I often recommend: do what works for you.

 

The NaNo Community offers a lot of support, but not everyone is on your side, which goes for pretty much every community. There are people who are in a constant state of worry and worry can be quite contagious. There are other people who share their word counts in a very arrogant manner and you see a person here and there who takes NaNo as the chance to compete and belittle fellow writers, which goes against the very core of what NaNo WriMo is. NaNo is about the individual AND the collective. It’s about rallying yourself and others. It’s about motivation and momentum. It’s not a word-count swinging competition for however much some people insist it is or at least I don’t think it should be (and I suspect I’m not alone).

 

With #SoftNaNo, what I’ve done is commit myself to do something writing related every single day and sometimes, that doesn’t even include writing a single word. Too often we focus on getting the words down that we lose our way in a story. As I’ve been working on Beyond Human, I also have a lot of other projects and what I’m in the mood for one day is not the same as the next. This includes short story collections, translations, and future outlines. If time or focus have not been on my side, I’ve sat down to have a proper think about the story, where it is, where it’s going and that led to adjusting 12 chapters of my outline after 2-3 times of sitting down to think. I’ve done a lot of writing by hand and have held from transcribing in the hopes of giving things time to settle a bit. I’ve also revisited some texts from a soon-to-come release and have adjusted accordingly. The goal is to achieve flow as often and in as many ways as possible and to be honest, it’s been very lovely.

 

I’ve stayed away from beating myself up over typos, unmet goals, and other stuff, and have instead focused on being mindful of all the things I’m doing, which includes leisure, relaxing, and research (i.e. watching movies, playing video games, reading, posting random stuff on social media, and enjoying life). Which reminds me, I’ve been posting more random stuff and not being so strict ALL the time about what I post and how I post it. Again, while some people are turning it up to 11 or 12, I’m turning it down and it’s been lovely. 

 

Life can often be hard…and sometimes the best way to meet something like that head-on is to be soft in return. I’m posting this today because we’re halfway through the month and halfway through NaNo. If you need to switch things up? By all means, take this as an invitation to cut yourself some slack. If full NaNo is working for you, cheers, kudos, and keep at it. I salute all writers during this month. May the muses dance with all of us and may we all write a collective storm. 

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls