I’ve had a work in progress for a while that involves two boys who meet over parkour. I’ve been fascinated by parkour/free running/obstacle courses since I first saw Ninja Warrior on TV a few years ago. It seemed an interesting way for two athletic guys to meet. I finally figured out how to complete the WIP and am headed towards self-publishing it in early February (stay tuned for an exact date).
Self publishing is a cool adventure in itself, and something I’ve considered for a while as another outlet for my work. I love working with publishers, too, but it’s cool to operate on your own schedule sometimes as well and be able to put out stories whenever you want.
Part of the adventure is in doing the cover. I’m not a great graphic artist by any stretch. The sliders you see on the front of the home page of this site are about the extent of what I can do. On a couple of the podcasts I listen to–Self Publishing Podcast and Rocking Self Publishing Podcast—99 Designs has been a sponsor and gets good feedback from those podcasts. I decided to go for that. It was exciting to watch the five day cover competition as a number of designers created covers for Flipping for Him.
I’m headed into the final round where I’ll pick the cover of the book. Want to help select the cover? I’m running a poll right now (which will likely end on Sunday, January 11), in which you can view an array of covers that were submitted. You can rate them and leave comments. I’d love to get your feedback as a potential reader what catches your eye.
To help you decide, here’s the blurb for Flipping For Him:
Kevin McCollum is a high school junior with the usual things on his mind: getting good grades, having fun, and finding a boyfriend.
On a warm afternoon, while studying in Central Park, Kevin notices a guy practicing parkour—jumping on rocks, running up trees, doing flips. Kevin’s a fan of the sport, and many of the hot guys he’s seen do it on TV. After watching “parkour guy” for several days, Kevin is surprised when Shin comes over to introduce himself.
As the two begin dating, cultures clash when Shin’s parents reveal their expectations that he dates only Japanese boys. Pressures mount and Kevin isn’t sure how he can fight to keep Shin when the opposition are his parents and traditions. Is their twenty-first century love doomed before it even truly begins?
Click here to go to the poll and vote! Thanks for your feedback!
