Four Chibi Ladies

My Name: KAYLA

So I was looking up the different meanings of my name and Urban Dictionary provided a disturbingly realistic description of myself. Its like, whoa, I DO have doppelgängers!!! 

Here's a short list:

Kayla means "Wise child"
and "Keeper of the Keys" in English
"Wise child" in Arabic
"Queen" in Italian
"Pure" in African
"Beloved" in Greek
"Crown of Laurels" in Hawaiian
"Who is like God" in Hebrew 


Interesting. I like "Wise Child", "Keeper of the Keys", and "Who is Like God" but that last one might be pretty stretching xD Although I do care highly for a lot of people, even that hobo down the street I give a dollar to. If I trust you, I become your best friend. I will help in any way I possibly can. 


Here's the freakishly (almost) accurate portrayal of  me:

(Two because they're funny)

Someone who is very loud, crazy, has the LOUDEST LAUGH, and of corse is awesome to be around with because they will ALWAYS entertain u! oh yah and will start singing at random moments! Person #1: Hey whats upp? Person #2: I DONT KNOW Person #1: Why are u yelling! Person #2: DO U REMEMBER WHO I AM?! KAYLA! Person 1#: Oh ok... Person 2#: LALALLAA

A girl who isn't the tallest girl around, but doesn't care. She's proud of who she is, no matter what people say about her. Always extremely random and loud, also somewhat clingy, yet still lovable. Loves to smile and laugh and is always energetic. Clumsy, and has a lot of dumb moments. Will always try to find a bright side in the worst of situations. Tries to make friends whenever she gets the chance. Doesn't like to be alone, unless she needs space. Doesn't always like to be in control. Shy, afraid to stand up for self. Lazy, but will do things when necessary. Has an amazing personality. Thought to be a flirt, but actually just likes to be herself. Doesn't care if she's popular or not, or if she's got haters. When she says she loves you, she means it, with everything she's got, even if she can't think of any way to show it. Confusing and hard to understand. But once you prove to her that you should be able to get to know her more, she'll tell you everything without holding back.

Here's the website and have fun! Or you can just go and google stuff you know :P thanks for being patient with me, friends. I assure you that this blog will return to its almost glory soon. In other news, I start college in roughly…three weeks? What witchery is this?! 0.0

http://www.urbandictionary.com/

Happy Belated Birthday ^V^

Sweet babies~~~

Happy Birthday to my original characters Lily and Violet! Truth be told it was July 2nd, correlating with my other friends birthday, and I’ve been…occupied. I swear, in the reality where OC live with their creators, they must be beating me violently. 

Lily is the one with blonde hair Violet has black hair. Its dyed so people can tell the difference between them. Yes they are twins. And they are also Kitsune.

The second picture is Lily and my friend Derek. The three share the same birthday. He’s ___ years old now just like me!!! Behold his comicbooky form on the second picture, playing tennis and winning with Lily, his favorite character from my comic book Come&Sleep. His favorite catchphrase? “COME ON!!!"

I'm Sorry for the Wait =_="

I'm fairly certain that many people are upset that I haven't posted in some time since May. Well, I've graduated, realized IAIA was way too expensive for me, chose a different college, got accepted, applied for financial aid and scholarships, and have found a new illustration job. So, here's the cover for the third issue of the Anime Club I promised, featuring my original character Sophie in a rabbit mask as a ticket…puncher? She punches holes in the tickets lol before you go to prom, the MASQUERADE!!!


Everytime I think of masquerade the song from Phantom of the Opera begins to play in my head. That song was a major inspiration for this picture and I'm glad it came out well. 


However, I always do sketches before I start on the final product--you'd be surprised how many times I have to change the dimensions, the focal point, colors, yadda yadda before I find something I like.

So yah, just something I wanted to post >.< I'll be more regular in posting and updating this blog alright? And I'll digress about the illustration job later too KEEP YA IN SUSPENSE MWAHAHA


Thank you to the followers who still follow me even though I'm a total butt about this blog

I bring this up because I love that bike!!!!

Other than that, I've been WORKING like crazy to finish my Senior Year with no regrets. Well, there have been some but they're little regrets that I'll probably forget, like, not remembering to have my picture taken when I dressed up like a 1910's newsboy for homecoming or forgetting to ask about if my parents could do a little dedication for me in the yearbook...

ANYWHOO!

No doubt you miss my artistic-ness. Well, you'll have to deal with these little sketches I've made on my computer. 

Yes I know that I said I don't draw on a computer, but a teacher from my high school kindly lent me a WACOM tablet (click here to learn more) as she heard that I was going to college!!!!

Me likey the tablet NOM
LOOK!
It must be from Tron due to its blue-lighting!

That and I'm an Early Admission Student for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe :) I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED!!! I'll be starting college in August but for now I have to make sure my Transcript is smoking (but not enough to burn the envelope, mind you) and my portfolio rocking. 

My residence for the next four years :)
I CAN'T WAIT!!

Although I know for sure that I would not have been able to make it WITHOUT the amazing family, friends, and mentors as well ^.- You know who you are...


Thank you very much :)


If you're curious, I'm applying as an Undergraduate Student for a Bachelor's Degree in Studio Arts, with a concentration on painting. However, I would like to try the different medias available here as well, as I love learning different types of expression. 


Buuuuuut thats the end of this summer. Right now I have to concentrate on homework, school, art, scholarships, and maybe some art. The Anime Club is doing alright, but I've resigned as President, as I knew the transition would be easier rather than the rest of the members having to start from scratch next semester. 


The Anime Club is a club I helped cofound three years ago as a sophomore, when I was Vice-President, and held the Presidente office for Junior and Senior Year. It was really fun, and I met students that I may never had ever spoken to (unlike my counter-blooger-part, I'm very quiet and withdrawn in the real world, unless we both love Strike Witches and its WWII references, then we'll get into a two-hour discussion and become friends). 


Quite recently they've been raising money for a trip to the Albuquerque Comic Expo taking place at the Convention Center downtown. They've changed the date to 2013 on my suggestion so that they can concentrate on schoolwork and pace themselves much better. The little buggers. :') I'm certainly going to miss our escapades. 

the coolest folks you'll ever meet :)

One of the major facets and provider of our fundraiser (ahem there's AHHH they're grown up!!!) was making our own little 'zines, called BHS Bobcat Suki-Chan Comics, which consisted of a little Advice Column with fictional character Namae Takahashi (who've I helped co-design with my friend Sarah), comics by Sarah, Jasmine, and I ranging from high school romantic/angsty/comedic stories, dedications to great manga/anime creators, and a big story about a little grape who just happened to be a ninja...


So far we've released two issues and we're on our want to make the third before summer begins. Its had great reception, really, more than I thought actually, and we have indeed sold out and made people share and read a little comic magazine that could. 


The third issue will be mostly me, along with contributions from the rest of the club, as I am making ten pages of Grape Ninja, two Masquerade-themed illustrations with my OC's (original characters FYI [for your information]), glorious cover (which I'm keeping a secret) and an editorial bidding our dear readers fare thee well until next year, my favorite moments of the Club, and the hope I have for the new members.

Sarah's excellent and well-received cover, despite her well-intentioned misspellings
:) I love you!!! You'll be fine as President, and I'll always be a phone call, text, email
away, alright? I love your style and I'm happy that I was able to introduce you into
the wonderful world of japanese comics and animation. You still owe me a smutty comic!!!

The summer-themed cover by Miss Jasmine Sylvester, one of the most talented,
self-taught artists I've been fortunate to know :) That girl knows her shoujo X)
I'm looking forward to her future, as it will be awesome
You'll do a great job as VP and Treasurer!

So, yeah, a fifty-pager, compared to our meek twenty-page offerings before. It'll sell at three dollars, and our little town is having a pre-summer festival so we'll get a booth and try to offer our wares there as well. If anyone's curious, I suppose we can work something else :) But you better be wary, because these little self-published comics might be a gazillion dollars in the future, okay?! Haha, just kidding.


Of course I won't be completely gone...I might make my own contributions to future issues, provided that I'm not as busy ;) 


That's what's been going on with me lately, so I better get back to work. 


After May 18th, I will become a high school graduate. 


And future artist, therapist, adventurer, ramen connoisseur, college student, freshie, 18, and of all things, something to change constantly.


Gosh now I'm getting all sad...


I'm not a pretty crier so I'm afraid that my post-graduation pictures, once I throw that cap into the sky, will look like someone just told me it was all just a dream.


And what a wonderful dream it was.


Here's my senior quote:

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching, 

Or cool one pain, 

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain."

Emily Dickinson

She's my second favorite poet, as Walt Whitman will always be my first, Robert Frost my third, and Dante as my fourth. I'm pretty open to every type of poetry, so I'll be on the lookout and post anything new and awesome I've found.

BTW I made a poem about graduation. It still makes me tear up whenever I read it, considering I wrote it spur of the moment last year as I realized one of my friends was leaving to a new state and future. Of course I was happy, but it made me think of other friends leaving and eventually so, along with my own imminent graduation. Needless to say the original was peppered with clumsy, large teardrops.

My Wish

By Kayla

My dear

The equinox draws near

I see your fear:

“Never leave me”

Is your fear

Don’t despair

My friend

My sister

My brother

My love

My equal

I’ll be thousands of miles away

You’ll always be close

I’ll be on the podium

You’ll be on the dewy grass

I’ll be crying

You’ll be laughing

I’ll struggle through the crowd

Looking for you

As you are struggling through the crowd

Looking for me

I whisper

As we embrace

For a moment

We’re one, we’re together, we’re—

And then

We’re lost

In the sea of people

“Never forget me”

Is MY fear

Don’t despair

I will always

Be with you

The times we’ve had

The jokes we’ve had

The sadness we’ve shared

The love we’ve shared

Do you remember?

Frolic in the rain

For now

“Never forget us”

That is my

Unbreakable wish

Dear Gosh I better stop I mean---

AGHHH!!! SKRILLEX! DON'T!!! THIS SONG MAKES ME THINK OF EVERYONE I LOVE AND THE PAST AND FUTURE JOY WE'LL SHARE ALONE WITH FOND MEMORIES STOP IT!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq-geJ9UwG4

(its a really good song)

TOO LATE.


Well, thanks.
So much.
I really, really appreciate everything.
I don't need some dedication with my baby picture
or photos documenting my school career
Memories are forever
and if they're as lively as I remember
I will never forget any of you.


Now excuse me as I go cry in a corner and smile for being a melodramatic fool

so emotional right now you DON'T even know...

YA'LL BETTER SIGN MY $90 YEARBOOK!!!

LOVE, ME 

>.<

AH HELLS YEAH

I'M EXCITED
FOR MY
RECEPTION

HERE'S TO THE END OF SMELLY BUS RIDES, SMELLY CLASSMATES, THAT REDNECK THAT HIT ME IN THE FACE TWICE WITH A DODGEBALL, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ITS SCARY TEACHERS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAY HAVE NOT KILLED ME, BUT SURE MADE ME A HECK OF A LOT STRONGER (NOT THAT I CARED MUCH FOR THE INTENTS OF SCARING ME)

CLASS OF 2012!!!

What's Been Shaking!!!

Spring Break is over!!!
And now I have to go back to school blah


But I have an appointment for a scholarship application and I'm really hoping it goes well, seeing as how I probably have less than an hour to impress these folks into giving me money so that I may go to college. Oh, and I've been researching Italian superstitions so \m/ (that's the horn sign to stave off the evil eye) 


My spring break was pretty awesome: a five-day road trip from my house to Flagstaff, Arizona,  Las Vegas, Nevada, San Diego, California, Phoenix, Arizona and back here again. The trip, according to our little Stubby (our red Mitsubishi), we logged in 2100 miles. (o.o)

IGNORE THE BLACK BOXES THEY WERE ACTUALLY
SUPPOSE TO SUPPLY INFORMATION >,<

It was a fairly eventful trip, and I got to see some pretty cool stuff, despite seeing the Hoover Dam and getting insanely nauseous. That bridge is horrifying and beautiful at the same time. Humans are either the scariest or ingenious beings ever to make that monster. I mean, seriously...

I almost vomited when I took this picture but I took it anyway. They finished this bridge abnormally fast--five years!!!

We first stopped in Flagstaff after driving across the desert and Death Valley (jk) to see our first landmark, the Grand Canyon. It was grand. That, and there were so many tourists from all over the world. I think my favorites had to be the Asians, as me and my mother, from watching so many foreign films, had fun trying to determine their language and race. Even more hilarious was that a buttload of people thought we were Asians too. Uh, no, we're native Americans :P specifically the Dine. Not to mention a middle-aged Chinese man kept giving me the leer on a bus. It was both flattering and creepy.

I also got a little stuffed owl from the Grand Canyon bookstore. I'm not showing him because he's too insanely cute. My little Chuck B...

Anywhoo, having never went to Arizona until last week, I generalized the climate and brought spring, summer clothing. Big mistake. Me and my family woke to this lovely landscape after a brief respite in our hotel room. Don't get me wrong I love snow  but this is coming from a girl with a little sweater and even thinner t-shirt. I even forgot my wonderful wool coat!!!

I didn't get a picture of our car but it had a foot of snow on top of  it.

I loved it. I'm all for gloomy and wintry weather, and the more gray and cold it is, the better. Of course I didn't like it as much as I didn't have the proper gear, and the obnoxious Europeans  at the Continental Breakfast just rubbed it in more with their fancy shmancy winter gear. Seriously, if they have so much money, why go to a dumpy little hotel and make everyone miserable with their obnoxiousness? I love Europe but some of their inhabitants tend to make me want to, well, assimilate them into good ol' American fashion.

Anywhoo before I go on another tangent: I LOVE KAIBAB FOREST. So much that its my new nickname, bestowed upon me by my hilarious father. And by hilarious I mean he is the funniest man ever and I hope that I can carry that legacy.

On our way to Las Vegas. This is one of my favorite pics out of all the others I've taken. Favoritism!

Las Vegas was pretty crazy. So in keeping with tradition, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Except for this picture with a tips person dressed as Bumblebee SQUEEEEEEE~~~~!

Oh wait no squee...I forgot to save the picture on my phone and thereby I cannot upload it...DANGIT!!!

Well you can check out this picture then, of the fake Eiffel Tower.

We also saw the Bellagio fountains. I love the song that they play its so old-timey and makes me want to dance like a lost old woman. Which I did momentarily before the Asian tourists starting staring at me again. It was One Singular Sensation from A Chorus Line, a famous Broadway show. Here's a link if you want to hear it but you can only really TRULY experience by going there yourself. You might even see me!!! Jk 

But what I didn't know is that the songs are regularly rotated from Whitney Houston (RIP) to Elton John, meaning that the song I heard is different from the others. Technology is so sophisticated!!! I say this because I am sometimes not very good with technological stuff unless its computers or the music genre.

We stayed at the Mirage, a hotel that was really nice compared to the ones I've been to, even beating one I stayed at in New York. Not only did they have a circus, wonderland vibe going on, they had a SECRET GARDEN WITH DOLPHINS AND BIG CATS!!!

The dolphins were insanely cute and I almost leapt into the pool, as windy and cold it was, and the big cats made me depressed, as you could clearly see they wouldn't mind eating some tourists before hitting the road and leaving the zoo. 

It was hilarious, however, when some tourists got sprayed by a male white tiger during his marking territory thing. It was all calm and then PBBBBBTTT!!! CHAOS!!! >:D

After that we traveled a long ways to San Diego, went to Oceanside, and saw the Ocean.

Words can't describe.

All I can say is that, according to my father, as I was on a seawater high and couldn't remember anything, I screamed "IT'S THE OCEAAAAAN!!!" and ran outside with rolled-up pants and nappy sweater, running and dashing in the sand and nearly falling into the ocean.

Basically acting like a little kid that's seen the ocean for the very first time. Picked up some cute shells and chased my sister with some seaweed, yessiree. Also ran screaming and waving into a crowd of seagulls and gaped at a flying pelican. I love those things!!!

Here's a picture that my mother snapped of me and my sister when we were lost in joy:

After that we crossed the border to Phoenix where we stayed at a sketchy, overpriced, malnourished hotel and promptly spent five hours in a mall the next day.

I bought a Hello Kitty style bento pack, two pairs of Hello Kitty hair accessories, and a Choco Cat shoulder purse. Suffice to say I spent it all on junk but IT WAS WORTH IT!

My life goal--be so awesome that I can wear a dress made out of Hello Kitties and maybe have as much charisma as Gaga

Then we traveled through deserts, like the Tonto National Forest, full of desert shrubs and rocks along with those huge caucuses, saguaro if I'm correct. I don't like cactus, and even mores if my mother makes me stand next to one that's ten feet freaking tall so she can get a picture.

I say this not out of spite but out of the fact that I sat on a cactus when I was young. Yeesh. And my relatives were peeking as my exasperated father was forced to pluck the spikes out of my butt. Maybe that's why its so small. 

Then we returned home to good ol Land of Enchantment, but not before visiting my sister and getting a new book from Barnes & Noble.

Funny thing I kept looking for a bookstore in whenever city we went to during the road trip, so much so that my family would try to hide the locations of them, or convince me to go somewhere else. Speaking of which I didn't see the rare bookstore in Las Vegas :( but I did go to some corporate bookstores!!! 

Like any good bookworm I brought books on vacation with me. Ahem. Quickie Review!!!

I'm a big fan of Wertz work and I was finally able to find a copy of her semi-auto-bio of her big move to NYC from San Fransisco in a little mountain town B & N. Needless to say I devoured, digested, and maybe ate it again over the course of the trip. Funny, a little melancholy and a whole lot of self-deprecating humor, this book is one of my favorites. The art is perfectly suited to Wertz's however crude, raunchy humor, and relates a coming-of-age tale without being overly preachy. 

 OMFG. I've been reading the Millennium trilogy for some time ever since the first book came out, and I love the conclusion. On the surface it may seem the trilogy is little more than a crime/mystery novel but its based on real events in Sweden, and Lisbeth Salander has to be the greatest, snarliest, and awesome heroine in literature. This book, tho', concentrates more on the result of her rather violent actions, and provides great build-up, tension, and a great court case. Bravo. 

I'm a big fan of visual  novels, which are like novels but they're more short and contain  illustrations, and are almost always a  series. One such is Spice&Wolf, a wonderful blend of medieval fantasy, economics, and romance.  This is the fifth book in the series, and concentrates on the relationship between major characters and love interests Holo the Wisewolf and Lawrence the Traveling Merchant. The series started as a novel, then an anime series (which I got into with the help of my father who bought me an anime/manga magazine that had S&W as a major feature and review) and a manga series as well.

I read/watch all of them and find the series to be one of the more mature (not in that sense but moreso in that each characters are portrayed realistically and that the research is very well done) and thought-provoking anime I've seen. And the romance is original (A cute deadly wolf goddess and a stoic flustered human male?) and lovely that you can't help but cheer for the two to finally kiss. And this book made me scream, cry, and finally smile, much like Holo whenever she wants some meat. I'll talk more about it in another post.

Don't let her appearance fool you. She will turn into
a giant wolf and eat you in one bite. 

Whooo! So, that was my vacation. Starting tomorrow I'll have to go back to school, but I will surely post as much as I can, alright? I hope your spring break, whether it happened or is about to happen, was as fun-filled and memorable as mine was. And it doesn't even have to be all roadtrippy or fantastic, just as long as you got some rest and whatnot. 

See ya!

p.s a sketch :)

Satan and his sarcastic secretary Sophie
I love alliterations too much
:D

pss! if you guys get bored here's some links to some websites I like to go too when I'm bored 2!

horror:

http://www.creepypasta.com/(IF YOU'RE FAINT OF HEART THAN DON'T GO TO THIS WEBSITE!!! But if you have a fascination for fear and all things freaky, then go right ahead. It contains scary stories (some are even submitted by people) which can be either real or fiction, based on whether or not you want to get some sleep. 

art: 

http://yamino.tumblr.com/ (she has a webcomic and does boatloads of fan art. She's also hilarious and the most insightful person I know on the web. Her blog is brilliant! And she makes me laugh everyday with her gifs, videos, and links to other stuff. Also she posts recent news and provides a viewpoint that most news people tend to avoid. Did I mention she's awesome?!)

http://blog.drawn.ca/ (another tumblr, but they post everything illustrative from cartoons to comics to everything, and a little in between. It's a beautiful site and great if you're looking for some new scenery or a new artist to follow. Plus it can be funny as heck.)

http://mutantmagic.com/ (this is one of many blogs of Jillian Tamaki, a cartoonist I respect and greatly admire. Her comics make me laugh and think and her art style is so brushy and I'm drooling. She also dispenses great advice and always updates. More than me for sure.)

humor:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/rage+comics I love this website! Makes me laugh whenever I feel crappy, and going through the archives is guaranteed to make your stomach hurt. It's worth it!

THE REAL REASON JAPANESE PEOPLE
ARE A STICKLER FOR TAKING
YOUR SHOES OFF PROPERLY
:D

AUF WIERDERSEHEN~~~!!!

Tomorrow doesn't always mean the next day

OKAY I LIED
BUT I CAME BACK, AT LEAST!!! 


So, since school is over for briefly a week and it is also getting warmer, I'm now on Spring Break. 

Let's do this shindig!!!
Lol a sketch of (l to r) Momo, Lily, and the ever vivacious Violet preparing to do... something...in their sleepwear
Drawn by dear friend and Treasurer, Jasmine Sylvester.
Thanks!!!

COMMENCE PARTYING!!!


I merely jest about the partying. As any good, sane person would know, partying may relieve some stress but too much of a good thing is never really good. Meaning its bad. I'd also like to say that I have never gone to a party, although I have gone to some involving cake, presents, and screaming children.


Anywhoo back to the main thing--I'm going to Las Vegas, y'all! With my parents and younger sister, we will tackle the Strip (not its counterparts the Pole however) and lounge in the luxury of the Mirage. Also, shop. Shop. Shop. Shop. 


For me, I would very much like to go to Bauman's Books.

Yes. There IS INDEED a bookstore on the Las Vegas Strip. See here.


In fact it's the only bookstore on the Strip. Yeah, yeah, I'm secretly an old man in a young girl's body but, my goodness, this place sells such cool stuff! Like the first edition printing of Cat in The Hat, that isn't covered in gunky little kid-prints or slapped with a library sticker! And it's not just old stuff--everything from the 15th century to the latest novels sell here!!!


I'm totally bugging my mom. Besides, there's a pretty nice foodie place nearby as well. Eh....


Of course we'll be go see the other entrancing attractions as well but I think you guys have your own plans as well so I wish you the best, happiest, and awesome Spring Break EVAH!!! But not to "crazy" as I would hate to see some poor soul getting arrested by the popo for trying to recreate Project X. Which, by the way, has to be the most horrible idea for a movie, and is prompting many impressionable teenagers to create or improve upon this really really REALLY crazy party. Yeah.


As I've promised from my last post, I would tell you more about the winnings and book cover for English Expo. So, the book I've read, Everyone Dies, by Micheal McGarrity, is a crime-fiction-mystery-horror novel that explores the notorious and deadly side of serial killers. Especially convicted serial killers with a grudge and their parent's house. It starts off like a bad romantic novel (but not too bad) as police chief Kevin Kerney starts a new, peaceful life with his wife and future child. Then things turn to crap. 


A prominent gay attorney is brutally shot out his home apparently in the midst of jogging. Then, more and more deaths, inflicted on both human and animal in the most cruelest and savage ways possible (trust me it gets pretty gory further into the novel), with threatening, calm notes left, that clearly state: "everyone dies. the last will be the two you love the most." 

Not so picturesque, not to mention I'M FREAKIN' GOING THERE FOR COLLEGE!

Aaaaaand like most heroic cop men with equally heroic wives (this one is serving in the military actually!), Kevin Kerney searches for the killer. 


I'm  a big fan of crime (but not a big fan of doing them, goodness no) and was attracted to this book as it was on the Young Adult list. The others meeehhhhh weren't as interesting. 


I liked it. It was kind of obvious in some areas but I found that the mystery was taken out as the writer also wrote part of the story in the killer's POV, although it was in brief, needful excerpts. Some, not as much. Kevin is also kind of an a-hole but what entitled cop isn't? I suppose it was probably because I read into a series without bothering to read the first book, so that I could better understand this character, but even that alone didn't alienate or confuse me. Quite a page-turner, and the increasing levels of tension and murders were enough to keep reading through. 


It was a realistic take, too, at serial killers, as most writers tend to exaggerate or glamorize vicious crimes for the sake of keeping a paycheck. (I mean you, Dean Koontz!) The possibility of homicidal feelings emerging in an otherwise "nice" person after a wrongful, brutal encounter with the police are quite plausible, and I've seen it before. Not to mention that New Mexico, or at least Albuquerque, is infamous for the many shootings and gang encounters that proliferate the state and further adds to the reality of this really happening. I don't know about you, but the cops in Abiqui can be quite dirty. 


If you would like to know more, you can always go here. It's an informal but really informative website that offers and updates current corrupt cop occurrences (such as cover-ups and revenge killings) around the Four Corners. If thats not your cup of tea, don't even click it. (Because, sadly, its all very too true.) I know it made me and the librarian sick to our stomachs and heavy on our hearts. 


Otherwise, written in a proper but not too proper style that fits the genre, its a novel that offers a quick and dirty mystery that, depending on you, may or may not stick with you for a long time. 


Sorry for the lengthy review but thats just how I roll with my books. 


So! What did I do for the cover? Well, I did it in black and white with minimal color, as I found overuse of color to be distracting and not very meaningful, especially in book covers. Such covers pique interest instead of crazily done, headache-inducing ones. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE.

Good book design!!!

WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING HERE?!

I opted for this. Now, as any good designer would know, book covers should not just grab, hell, YANK your attention and demand your eyeballs to look at it!!! If there's any good advice I'd like to digress, it's to make drawings/posters/covers/illustrations/whatever look so good that people would steal it.

Yes. Steal it. 

Here is my book cover, done in ink, permanent marker, and a red colored brush pen. Sorry its a photo and not a scan but my mother's hogging the computer as of now.

Chillin' like a villain

Personally I find it to be one of my more better covers. I'm still learning. So, what I was going with, and what I told the judges, was that the red colored objects served as integral symbols for the killer. Such as the red cloth he's wiping his gun with--it serves as his last, final action before committing his last crime. As for the red dot on the map, which details the back roads and dirt paths in Santa Fe, it shows the location of Kevin Kerney's future house, and also serves as the stage for the final climax. The red circle circles Kevin's photo in a newspaper clipping, as the final target, amidst the already killed targets above him. And the red highlighting on the book, about Samuel Green, the best and worst serial killer ever (seriously read THIS but thats if you want to okay?). The killer emulates this SOB like a girl emulates Barbie--and so takes notes of his killings and makes sure his are done in a clean, efficient manner.

I chose the setting of his small home (actually the home he was raised in, but he killed his parents and lives there alone despite the overall creepiness) and room with all of his tools because it is only briefly mentioned in the book. In fact its only a couple of pages. I found that really unsettling and interesting at the same time, as if Micheal McGarrity, the author, wanted to keep him enigmatic, like most boogeymen. 

So I decided to waylaid future readers into thinking this was a novel about a murder mystery through a serial killer's view. The reader goes into this book, thinking, wow, does EVERYONE really die?! But you don't really "see" the killer until the end. And for the reader, who knows nothing of the symbolism and history, will go in headfirst, until they finish, flip the book, and scrutinize the cover. Thats when they have the OH!!! moment. 

I love OH!!! moments, because you feel like Einstein and a brain-dead bug at the same time. 

So that's what I was going for.

Hope you liked it!