Jan S. Gephardt's December 2020 Newsletter

Hello, Reader!

I hope this newsletter finds you well, cozy, and prepared for the holidays! The challenges and opportunities of 2020 continue, but I hope on the whole things are well with you!

Around here, we're seeing progress with the ongoing Library Project. In last month's newsletter I shared a picture of the new flooring and painted walls. This month we've moved into the messy period when most of the infrastructure is in place, and we're starting to move in. The bookshelves aren't filled yet. My office and studio furniture isn't yet in its final arrangement, but some of it has been staged in the "east end" of the room.

New on the Fiction Front

I'm excited to report that the added features for the reissue of What's Bred in the Bone have moved to a new phase. I've sent the lists of names, places, etc. and acronyms to one of my intrepid editors for a final review. I've also reached a new milestone in the final round of revisions for A Bone to Pick, the second book in the XK9 "Bones" Trilogy.

Best of all, my wonderful cover artist Jody A. Lee has delivered final cover art for A Bone to Pick! And you, dear newsletter reader, get to see it first!

This project has been the labor of more than a year. I sent her an early draft, she found a scene she thought could make a dynamic cover, and then we settled into the difficult details.

Jody is best known for her gorgeous fantasy covers that have become a hallmark of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series, but she was determined to master the bizarre perspective of a toroidal space station's interior.

Add to that the topography of the undulating, terraced hillsides of Orangeboro, and she faced quite a challenge. Yes, they do kind of look like tiered birthday cakes, don't they? The closer you look, the more varied crops you'll see.

While I'm at it, I'd also like to give a shout-out to another illustrator friend, Lucy A. Synk, who helped me create some of the reference materials I sent to Jody.

If you'd like to read more about Rana Station, its social and political structure, its policing practices, or a collection of different articles about its agriculture, the links I've embedded will take you to blog posts I wrote on those topics.

Looking forward

Coming soon on the blog: Ranan holidays, creating a calendar for a space station, and a series of Pack Personality Profiles.

Coming soon on Amazon and elsewhere, a chance to pre-order A Bone to Pick! I'll have more information about that in next month's newsletter. It'll be a while longer, before I can offer Advance Reader Copies and an opportunity to join my VIP Street Team. But as ever, Because you're a newsletter subscriber, you'll see it here first.

Thank you for subscribing! I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. I also hope your holidays are merry and bright, however you celebrate (or don't).

With all best wishes,

Jan