#and boy howdy do i love how the combination make it look like the sky is glowing

[embroid-away]

from Secret Empire #10 (2017) by Nick Spencer and Rod Reis

A 2021 Marvel Trumps Hate ( @marveltrumpshate​ ) commission - Part 1 of 2

Completed with embroidery floss, watercolors, acrylics, gouache, and iridescent fabric on 22-ct aida cloth in a 5″ diameter bamboo hoop.

Bonus for the sparkles and shine:

[wholelotofweird]

Hi! Hello!

I recently had the huge privilege of working on the Season 4 Cover Art for the Actual Play Podcast @crudelydrawnswords​ (listen here!! or on your podcatcher of choice).

Part of that process was helping design new outfits for The Hawks and I just want to talk about my thoughts through that process! 

First, I think the evolution of my personal designs for them is important because it fully informs where we ended up, I think. 

When I first considered doing fan art I looked around for any existing fan art, this is something I always do, I think maybe to feel like I’m not WAY off base? (Which is super silly, get off base with fan art! That’s why it’s fan art!) But I do it. 

I think this piece of art by CDS’s own Magnus (follow Mag on twitter!) was if not THE first, one of the very first pieces I saw:

This image really heavily played into how I drew The Hawks. ESPECIALLY the color pallets. There are some real obvious similarities between this and where I ended up for a couple reasons. 

Despite the changes I’ve made to their designs I’ve always thought it was important to keep their main colors intact, Bambari in browns, Tristan in reds, Percy in stark silver, and Enigma in green. 

Keeping their colors consistent has been a specific choice on my part, largely to pay homage to this specific image, and partially for visual consistency. Meaning, even if I messed with the structure of the outfit, the vibe would remain (hopefully). 

I think this is most obvious with every group and “special” group art I’ve done of The Hawks. Here’s a couple examples of what I mean by “different structure, same vibe”:

The two pieces have very different fashion choices, but the intent was to remain true to the characters through the use of color. 

Percy: Well put together with colors that invoke the sky just before a storm, combined with over-polished silver. 

Tristian: Reds and blacks, with pieces that are very flashy. 

Enigma: Green and simple, something easy to move in. The one time I drew her in a skirt I tried to make it obvious that it was as easy to move in as possible. 

Bambri: Browns, simple, fabric textures that are basic, no attempts to evoke fancy fabric. 

Color, for me, does a lot of heavy lifting when I draw The Hawks, the colors are always a conscious choice, even down to the little stuff like “How sunburned should Tristan be?” “Which of them should have similar eye colors?”. I mention this, because it was a factor I very much kept in mind when designing the Season 4 art. 

Sooo, with all that in mind, let’s chat about the outfit drafts I came up with! Shout out to Ben (twitter here!) who was my point of contact for all of this. He had a very clear vision for what the energy of the cover art should be, as well as passed on the style references from The Hawks. 

We’ll start with Percy, I’m just going to cut and paste the brief I got from Ben: 

Percy will look less the knight in shining armour. The armour is tarnished, he is wearing tattered robes over it, he perhaps looks a little careworn but there is focus in him as well. 

He also sent a couple of reference pics that were very influential. With those together I ended up with these 4 variations: 

There’s some real difference from 1 to 4. The thoughts I had were along the lines of:

1: Very close to the reference image I liked most

2: Fun, funky, more visual interest and still very much showing off his Paladin garb.

3: Low key, with still a touch of the regal vibe I try to insert into him (it’s the cape.)

4: VERY MUCH PALLY, despite liking this choice, It is def the furthest from the reference I was sent. I included because I wanted to make sure there was still the option of showing off his Pally side. 

In each of the 4 designs there is either an obvious scarf or (in the case of 1) the hint of a scarf shape. A scarf was not a feature of his design before this, it was a feature of the design I had most recently landed on for Bambari. It was VERY important to me to have SOME sort of visual touch that connected the two. 

You can also see I went for similar brown shades and Fabric Styles, again, it was absolutely on purpose to draw a connection between the two. 

Onto Tristan!

Again, from Ben:

I think we have already raised the likelihood of Tristan being dressed absolutely in the style of "Welcome To The Black Parade" era MCR.

I wish I could describe the feeling I had when I read this. It was intense, visceral, joy. Not only were MCR a part of my heavy rotation through High School, but The Black Parade is so visually “my shit” it’s not funny. If I could draw every character in a Marching Band Inspired Outfit I would 1000% do it. 

The downside of this specifically, is there aren’t a TON of variations to play with. So, I mostly went wild with Jackets. 

I wanted to make sure I kept the very ornate feel, while also staying true to marching band. For folks that were part of marching band (waddup), you’ll notice that the pants in 1 and 3 are absolutely the baggy look that that is the most true to the vibe, but they aren’t the most true to Tristan T. Wilde, world famous bard. 

One of the extra variations of this I sent off for approval had red accents, but I’ll be honest, I’m glad that the final choice was for all sliver and white. Choosing to remove the red from his outfit completely sends a big visual message about where his character is at currently. 

You can see in all 4 options the coat has some form of sharp arrow style cut. I was important to me to keep him from looking boxy, and keep his outfits looking very specifically Fit For Him. 

And Enigma! Once more from Ben:

I don't have a definite visual reference for Enigma yet, but she is a Ranger now.

And she has a magpie.  

So. Uh. Initially that isn’t a lot to go on. But, I’ve been drawing Enigma for A WHILE, I felt confidant that I could direct myself to something that was very “Authentic” Ranger. 

After about 9000 google searches, I came up with 4 ideas. 

Boy howdy. I think her’s may be the most diverse, style wise. I’ll be honest, I love all of these. There are certainly a couple who are less Her than I would normally go for, but in each of them, I tried to make sure there were Obvious Engima Touches.

3 is perhaps the least interesting, as it was the most similar to how I had already been drawing her. 

1 & 2 (and a little bit 4) were an excuse to draw muscle definition, no doubt, don’t @ me, I think it’s important to note that by this point I had been binging F@TT, so 1 is ABSOLUTELY inspired by art I have seen of Hella, you are free to @ me about that. thank you. 

ANYWAY, with all of these I again considered the fact that even if she was no longer a rogue, she wouldn’t be giving up her amazing parkour skills, so she would still need to flip about. 

2 & 4 were designed specifically with that in mind, as in: What will look coolest when she’s flippin’ around? 

And if you’re looking at any of these and thinking: Hm, there are some design elements here that I used for Bambari’s design, again you are correct. I was less concerned with making the connection obvious here than I was with Percy, but I still wanted to insert some of that. 

Later, Ben mentioned that if we could a little more Aloy from HZD that would be ideal. 

SO! HOW DID ALL OF THAT COME TOGETHER?

I’m glad you asked. 

I’m so glad that even with these changes I was able to keep most of the color standards for The Hawks. 

Enigma is still in green. 

Percy still has that silver, even if it isn’t as bright. 

Tristan no longer has red, but my hope is that his attitude still stands out. 

They’ve been through a lot, but they are still them. 

I will admit, there was a selfish part of me that was truly glad with the choices the players made here. Despite really loving all of the outfit choices, these were my favorite from a narrative arc standpoint and also from a re-draw-ability standpoint. 

If you’ve made it this far... Shit dude. 

Thank you. 

I have a lot of feelings about this show and I still can’t really believe I was asked to do this. It was a delight working with Ben to make this vision into a reality. 

The Hawks truly are rad as heck. 

[faejilly]

@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@spacemomnephmoreau replied to...”

oh man I'm leaving you so many comments but AH that makes sense re: Percy/Vex because I know so many people are SO INTO IT and I am still lukewarm at best (although I like how it's handled on the show, at least so far, for the most part). Friends getting friends to ship these is The Most Dangerous.

Friends Are Very Dangerous (and I like your many comments! never stop! well maybe someday this post is kinda ridiculously long already)

jadesabre301 replied to your post “@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@spacemomnephmoreau replied to...”

YESSSSSSSSSSSS JANIE YES YES YES WHAT SHE SAID

i LOVE ME1 Kaidan I LOVE THAT HE HAS HIS SHIT TOGETHER

I mean on the continuum you have Carth (completely wrecked), Alistair (just a sad puppy), Sky (wrecked but doing okay), and then Kaidan's all like "yeah I mean I accidentally killed a guy when I was seventeen but I've had time to work it out I'm good" and I was all *heart eyes forever*.

Which is part of why I have to like completely ignore Kaidan/the Kaidanmance in ME3 because they completely removed that essential part of him, that he HAS HIS SHIT TOGETHER, and he's just such a woobie and whatever, writers, whatever.

*this.gif*

Like, ME1 Kaidan = FAVE FOREVER and I still haven’t played ME3 Kaidan. Also I’m still mad about the way they treated him and Ashley in 3 and ALSO the way they like dumped almost all the LIs from 2? LIKE 2 was ABOUT YOUR TEAM BUILDING and then 3 they threw them all away. well that was an important team chapter! *rage.gif*

@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@spacemomnephmoreau replied to...”

and fandom is so *weird*, like, look at Quark and DA2 (my experience wasn't helped by the fact that I played through with *Thistle*), clearly things took off for her there, and I felt bad that I was less invested in something so important to her but I just couldn't find anywhere that *fit*.

Also I killed Fenris on my first playthrough but that's not canon, cough.

Also I didn't understand how important Fenris was because I also didn't *know* Fenris like at all, cough cough.

I also managed not to either friend or rival Varric, which Quark still marvels over.

"HE'S *DESIGNED* TO BE YOUR BFF! HOW DO YOU FAIL TO GET INFLUENCE WITH HIM?"

Varric is not any of Hawkes’ BFF on a meta/storytelling/RPG level. If, you know, that helps you feel better. (I don’t remember what I did with actual gameplay approval stuff.) I just ... I feel like sometimes I am playing a drastically different game than the one that other people play? I mean, I frequently adore characters that fanon deplores, but it’s a symptom of a greater disconnect, I think, not just the only example.

I mean, the game should be somewhat different with a different sort of OC, (I mean, Thistle, she is a difficult person) but at the same time you should be able to see where it is the same game, and sometimes I cannot manage that. See: the world’s reaction to Sebastian. ;) (I mean, I like fanon Fenris way more than the relationship the game actually gave me. Much like I enjoy fanon Miranda while the potent combination of sexism/titillation/judgemental-asshatery that’s in the game makes me vaguely ill at best.

@mireliambar replied to your post “I somehow have two entirely separate Sebastian POV wips that are kind...”

Just like I have 2 blackwall stories in my head... and I don't want to drop either

I have at least five Erana/Blackwall related stories, and there’s some ME and DA2 always and also still So Much Theia and I mean, honestly, with the exception of actually having written my Yuletide and posting it on time (thanks to @jessaknits) my WIP-List-of-Doom is almost exactly identical to the way it was three months ago.

@jessaknits replied to your post “@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@spacemomnephmoreau replied to...”

See, this is why I follow the people I still follow. Because you guys (including your commenters, because obviously) are awesome (and see the same ick that I see, because boy there is some ick out there, yeesh)

there is a lot of ick, yes. and you are also awesome

<3.

@jessaknits replied to your post “@jessaknits replied to your post “you know like I wrote that...”

I totally get the appeal of the disaster husbands, boy howdy. And that story doesn't play the same way if you gender swap, because Patriarchy. Hmph

They have to be the right kind of disaster husband though. It’s very hard to explain. :D But yes. Husband who is too awesome for any lady to keep up with is instantly icky, but wife who is too awesome for anyone to keep up with is instantlly glorious. 

Because Patriarchy

@leahazel replied to your post “@mireliambar reblogged your photo and added: oooh...”

tbh I always assumed they made Cass straight for the same reason they made Alistair and Aveline straight -- because they have a mental block against the idea of "Lawful Good" types being bi.

Well, yeah. I thought that was obvious? It’s why the only time they managed an entire Bisexual Cast was when they were basically all criminals and Disaster!Children.

@janiemcpants replied to your post “@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@spacemomnephmoreau replied to...”

I love how Kaidan explicitly already took care of his shit and doesn't need you to fix him, yet he's the one always labeled "whiny".

ALWAYS *GRR*ARGH*FOREVER AND EVER AMEN

@leahazel replied to your post “@jadesabre301 replied to your post “@spacemomnephmoreau replied to...”

At least it doesn't have dragon shapeshifters? But unngh, fairy tale retellings are my kryptonite.

Mine too! (and also, how do you KNOW it doesn’t have dragon shapeshifters? HMMMM? Voltage is pretty good at finding my Id, after all, they  might manage it there as well.)

@jessaknits replied to your photoset “marthawells: The Harbors of the Sun in Paperback The Harbors of the...”

I really really need to read her stuff. I followed her Tumblr for that reason and I have to say even her blog is one of my favorite things right now. <3

SHE IS SO GREAT

HER BOOKS ARE SO GREAT

HER PATREON IS MY FAVORITE EVER

20/10 WOULD RECOMMEND

[lovelyparanormalbooks]

Book Blitz: Grand Finale: A Cowboy to Keep by Karen Rock (Giveaway)

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Book Tour Grand Finale for

A Cowboy to Keep

By Karen Rock

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops, go back and check them out...

Launch - Note from the Author

Best of all, this novel is the prequel to my ROCKY MOUNTAIN COWBOYS series that starts November 1, 2017. THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN COWBOY series chronicles the lives and loves of Jack's ranching family, the Cades (hot-tempered, passionate rough-riding rebels) and their neighbors, the Lovelands, (laconic, stubborn, gritty loners), with whom they've feuded for over a hundred years. They are loyal, strong and determined cowboys who work hard, play harder and love forever. I know you’ll fall in love with them as much as I have!

Christy's Cozy Corners - Dani’s 10 Tips to Running a Dude Ranch

Howdy all! Dani Crawford, stable manager at the Mountain Sky Dude Ranch outside of Denver, Colorado has learned a lot on the job and she’s ready to share her tips to running a dude ranch... 1. Carefully plan your horse line-up. Keep horses that don’t like each other apart, pair the right horse with the right human and always put the gassy horse in the back- lol.

Rockin' Book Reviews - Review

"This is a tale of secrets, judgement, redemption, mystery, suspense and romance. , . . This was a very enjoyable book to relax with."

Katie's Clean Book Collection - Excerpt

Jack rolled his eyes skyward and his chest rose and fell. “Ma’am. I have no quarrel with you. Let me have my gun and I’ll be on my way.”

Dani blew out a breath. “Kick it over here.” He did, and the Glock skidded to a stop at her feet. “Don’t move unless you want your head blown off.” At his nod, she snatched it up and straightened, her rifle still trained on the trespasser. “I could shoot you. It’s the law.” “But you won’t.” He lowered his arms and crossed them.

Bookworm Nation - Review

"I really enjoyed this one. I I thought the plot and setting were a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the characters of Dani and Jack."

I Am A Reader - Things Bounty Hunters Hear

Jack’s been chasing criminals since bond jumpers gunned down his little brother two years ago. He wants retribution, but most of all he wants redemption since he blames himself for not protecting his sibling like he should have, as an older brother. Life on the road is hard, but he won’t quit until he takes as many lowlifes off the streets as possible so that no families have to suffer as his have. Here’s a sample of what he hears every day on the job:

1. “You’ve got the wrong guy.”

Nicole's Book Musings - Excerpt

Dani’s stomach fluttered at Jack’s appreciative look, then he strode down the hill. When she hustled after him, he stopped at the base. “What are you doing?”

“Going with you.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, it’s too dangerous.”

With Love for Books - Review

"Karen Rock writes about a beautiful ranch with stunning horses situated in a former mining area. There are many places for a criminal to hide, both on and close to the premises, and while Jackson and Dani visit them because they're looking for someone, I could still enjoy the vivid descriptions of the amazing countryside, a combination I liked a lot. A Cowboy to Keep is an original love story. It's filled with suspense and at the same time it's really romantic. I loved this fabulous story with many unexpected twists and turns."

Reading Is My SuperPower - Interview

Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be? Karen: Hmmmm… there are so many good ones that I wish I had… I would love to fly. Sometimes I really, really wish I could make myself invisible. Also, it’d be fun to morph into different animals, like dolphins or eagles, and get to see their worlds. But, if I’m true to who I am, my superpower would be storytelling because I believe in the power of stories to uplift us and transport us from our everyday lives. I’m a big believer in hope and positivity and faith and I hope my books give that to my readers.

Urban Book Reviews - Review

"The book was intense. Sweet, hot, and intriguing. I couldn’t stop reading it. Karen Rock has created two characters that will never be forgotten. An emotional attachemwnt occurs once the book is read. Once, one reads this, it will be hard to let go. Addictive, well-written, and highly engaging. Overall, I highly recommend this romance to readers worldwide."

The Silver Dagger Scriptorium - Jackson’s 10 Tips to Courting a Cowgirl

Howdy! Jack here. Tracking bandits is easier than chasing cowgirls. When I first lady eyes on Dani, my heart about stopped beating. Of course, she’d pulled a gun on me for snooping around the dude ranch, so that might have been a contributing factor. Still, I knew right then and there I wouldn’t rest until I’d swept her off her feet and into my arms. I don’t love often, but I love hard and I knew she was the only woman for me. Here are my tips on how best to court a strong, gutsy cowgirl like Dani: 1. Don’t leave home without your wranglers and your cowboy hat. And a little face scruff never hurt none, neither.

Hearts & Scribbles - Excerpt

“Thought you were waiting for my signal.” Dani’s voice was breathy. “If I waited any longer, I’d be drawing social security.” “Ha-ha,” she said slowly, so Jack understood exactly how funny she thought him, and, contrarily, wouldn’t suspect that she really did find him amusing. No more flirting.

Brooke Blogs - Review

"A Cowboy to Keep was such an enjoyable book. Between Dani’s past catching up to her, the chase for Smiley, and even more twists and turns, you will find yourself staying up late to finish this one. I liked the suspense and I really liked the romance. It was tender, sweet, and believable. If you like sweet, wholesome romance plus suspense, then you will enjoy A Cowboy to Keep by Karen Rock."

Okie Dreams Book Reviews - Review

"If you’re looking for a terrific contemporary romance with a good dabble of suspense mixed in, pick up a copy of A Cowboy to Keep by Karen Rock. It’s a great read and the perfect prequel story to what promises to be a stellar new series: Rocky Mountain Cowboys."

Falling Leaves - Excerpt

Jack. When he smiled, Dani couldn’t help smiling. When his face turned sad, something inside her broke a little. She wished she’d met him years ago, before she’d gone left instead of right, taken the wrong turns that kept her from ever traveling beside him.

But she had him for now and she’d make the most of it.

Paulette's Papers - Jackson’s 10 Tips to Tracking Down a Criminal

Hey all. Jack here. I’ve been tracking bond-jumpers since my brother’s murderers skipped out on their court appearance. This cowboy’s picked up a few tips for tracking down criminals: 1. A little menace goes a long way in persuading reluctant witnesses to talk.

Getting Your Read On - Review

"In addition to romance, this book has a bit of danger, mystery and suspense to liven things up. . . . It's hard to resist a good cowboy story!"

Thoughts of a Blonde - Excerpt

All her feelings for him—hot and beautiful in her heart—dissolved on her tongue, strange, new and inexpressible. He twined his fingers in hers, his thumb circling the center of her palm, slowly, and Dani disintegrated.

Becky on Books - Interview

Where did the inspiration for this book come from? I’m a huge fan of westerns, especially ones with renegade heroes like Jack Cade. Those dark, conflicted cowboys tempt the good gal in all of us who hope to tame these strong, fierce men. I was also inspired by the idea that sometimes the person who most needs to forgive us for our past mistakes is ourselves. Both Jack and Dani have troubled pasts and their path to love requires them to confront, and forgive those mistakes before they can be ready for their happily-ever-after. I always want my characters to earn their happy endings and when Jack and Dani finally get there, it’s all the sweeter for the challenges they overcame.

Book Reviews - Review

"I loved this story by Karen Rock. . . . If you love cowboys, horses, and adventure, you will love A Cowboy to Keep."

Heidi Reads... - Excerpt

And then he pulled back, his eyes on her, his expression a silent question she couldn’t answer. Instead, she reached up and kissed his scar, wanting him to know that it made him beautiful to her. How much he meant to her. How every atom of her wanted to be here with him.

He angled his head and kissed her once more, slowly and tenderly.

Fire and Ice Book Reviews - Review

"FANTASTIC!!! Another fantastic read by Karen Rock. This story not only had the chemistry between Dani and Jackson but had tons of twists and turns some that I didn't see coming. "

Mel's Shelves - Reasons to Vacation on a Dude Ranch

The first time I learned about dude ranches was in a funny movie titled CITY SLICKERS with Jack Palance, playing a tough as nails cowboy, and a three city boys, comedians Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern, who are hopelessly out of their element after they sign on for a cattle drive. Watching the grandeur of the West, the freedom and sense of independence life on the range can give, I’ve always known two things: 

1. I would someday visit and/or live out west and I would write a book set here.

Lola's Reviews - Review

"If you’re looking for a great slow building romance with a well done, but subtle suspense element I would definitely recommend this book. There was so much I enjoyed about this from the realistic and interesting main character to the wonderful setting, the suspense element which kept me on my toes and wondering about people their motivations and some side characters that made the story complete. The romance feels real and these two were so great together. This might be my favorite book by this author yet and if I am correct this is the first book in a new series!"

Zerina Blossom's Books - Interview

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why? My favorite chapter is always the Happily-Ever-After chapter. I put my characters through quite a bit before we reach the ending and it makes the final scene the sweetest of all because we know that the hero and heroine have truly earned that joy. It’s that smiling through tears part of the book and I can’t wait to write those scenes!

Don't forget to enter the fabulous giveaway below, if you haven't already...

A Cowboy to Keep

by Karen Rock Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 384 pages February 7th 2017 by Harlequin

Can't stop running from the past Dani Crawford has a secret…and if bounty hunter Jackson Cade finds out, he could ruin everything. The scarred yet handsome cowboy has tracked a dangerous criminal to the dude ranch Dani manages, and to get rid of Jack she'll have to help him catch his man. But the closer they get to cornering their quarry the more Dani wants Jack to stay. Spending time with him is making her long for things she can never have thanks to a past mistake. And if the truth comes out she may be spending her future behind bars rather than safe in her cowboy's arms…

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Book Depository│Harlequin

About the Author

In a quest to provide her ELA students with quality reading material, educator Karen Rock read everything out there and couldn't wait to add her voice to the genre. In addition to her work as a Young Adult romance novelist, she's now an author for Harlequin's Heartwarming line and thrilled to pen stories that moms can share with their teenage daughters. She's loved Harlequin books since she spent summers going through her grandmother's Presents books that she passed along in paper grocery bags each year. As half of the writing duo J.K. Rock, Karen also pens young adult romance. When she's not busy writing, Karen enjoys scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother's family recipes, reinventing her gardens to suit her moods and occasionally rescuing local wildlife from neighborhood cats. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, her very appreciated beta-reader daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels, who have yet to understand the concept of "fetch" though they know a lot about love. For more information about Karen's upcoming books, check out her website.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Tumblr│Pinterest

       Tour Giveaway

- 1 winner will win the above Prize Pack: 7 Paperbacks & a $50 Amazon Gift Card (US only) - 1 winner will their choice of an ebook of one of Karen's backlisted titles (open internationally) - Ends February 14th a Rafflecopter giveaway