AVA - Character Artwork Reveal!
...and more personal facts about who this character is to me and why she matters.
TW: Mention of pregnancy loss
You may have already seen Ava through the eyes of artist, @Mistys_Canvas. If you missed it, here it is again!
I love the scene she chose and the details (not to mention the rays of neon light coming in!). It’s been so fun working with different artists, discussing character personalities, geography, significant objects that play an important role in the story…that I’ve had to comission more than just one. (I really, truly couldn’t help myself.)
[Also full disclosure — I only work with artists who DO NOT USE AI. That’s very, very, very important to me.]
Today, I’m so excited to share some more character art with you today around Ava!
Truth be told, I actually didn’t know what character art was until more recently. I was on the search for a cover illustrator, and had to make tough decisions because there are so many wonderful artists out there. That said, I was looking for ways (excuses?) to still be able to work with aall of these AMAZING ARTISTS and character art came up.
I reached out to a few artists I really liked. I’m always drawn towards artists with bold styles. Something where if I’m scrolling, I recognize their work right away because their style is so unique/distinct.
While I wish I could ask artists to read the entirety of my book before diving into the art, I manage to give them a prompt about the character. I actually made a full on presentation for Ava here to share with the artist (perhaps I’ll share that later on — but not yet since there are some spoilers in it!).
The artist
For now, here is Ava as envisioned by the wonderful artist, Polina Bakalina. She was an absolute pleasure to work with, I think her style is just so unique and clever, and I hope to work with her more.
AVA
(If you ever wonder what I do with the funds from paid subscriptions for this newsletter, know that most of it goes to artists for projects like this along with book covers, editing services, and more. As my newsletter continues to grow, I hope to be able to collaborate more with other creatives. For example, illustrations of the other two main characters by Polina would be incredible and is on my wishlist!)
Here are a few facts about Ava (without spoilers!) that explain why her character is so close to me:
In this final draft, Ava takes lead as the main focus among three main characters. Originally, she had started off as the third focus among the three. After feedback from my two editors (David Monsen who also edited my last book Milk and Blood with another co-editor and Jennifer Rees who edited The Hunger Games) and half a dozen BETA readers, it became clear that they all believed that Ava needed to stand in the center of the story.
I’m very, very into names. I always have been. To me, names are not only fun but FASCINATING. Oftentimes I’ll name something before anything else in story. This doesn’t always mean that the actual “meaning” of the name is what is leading the reason for a name being so critical. Sometimes it’s something else or a combination of things.
In this case, the name Ava represents “Life” in meaning. However, the main reason I used the name Ava was because it was the name my husband and I had reserved for our first child when I was pregnant for the first time. Six pregnancies, four miscarriages, and two full-term births later, Ava would be the first child in our family, but we would not meet her in this lifetime.
I used the name Ava while grieving the “eldest” child I would never meet. I had always loved the name, saving it for my first girl, however, after the loss, I didn’t feel I could use it for other children. It still felt hers. Using it in a story here allowed me to keep the name close and honor it without necessarily feeling like I was replacing her or forcing another one of my children to bear the weight of the name.Ava pulls a lot of inspiration from my tennis days. I was often traveling alone to tournaments and longed for company. This is how the idea of Nylos came to be. With a creature she would bond with, her flying axolotl, she would never have to be alone like I was.
In the same vein, Ava’s entire character ARC was born from the idea of my tennis days. I was always forced to play a certain way for the longest time. I was coached into a strategy and forced strengths that never felt right. It wasn’t until I blocked out everyone else that I really felt like I had found what I was meant for and how I was supposed to be playing the game!Like me (and all of my sisters), Ava is a mixed race. My feelings of growing half-Korean (especially in predominantly white areas like Utah) is something this character inherited and was really important to include and explore through the story. She has some secrets about where she comes from that she tries to hide, and it’s a long journey for her to understand why that gets planted in this book and will grow in theme as the story continues.
After most pieces my readers comb through, the inevitable question comes through: Is this true? Is this character you? What is actually fiction?
I give the simple and easy answer because it’s true: They’re all me. Bits and pieces. Perhaps when you read, you might find bits and pieces of yourself. We’re all part of the magic.
Nylos in the Cache is available for preorder on Amazon today. Help show your support by ordering the eBook now!
While you can always become a paid subscriber at any time (which is much appreciated), now is the LAST WEEK readers can sign up to be a paid subscriber in order to have their name included in my book.
That means you can sign up for a monthly subscription for just May at $5 if you wanted to and get your name printed in the eBook and paperback PLUS receive a free digital copy of Nylos in the Cache (sold at $7.99).
Funds from subscriptions go towards covering book cover artwork, editing services, and character art just like this. (I NEVER use AI for my writing—be it book or blog—or the illustrations/animations to support my stories. I love working with real humans (it’s some of my favorite parts of publishing books) and I do my best to pay them fairly for their work!
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Love to see the character art, and how different people interpret her. Thank you for taking the time to commission these. At least for me, visuals help make the characters feel more "real".