Hey now, pretty thang!  This map, you guys, I love it!! Even though I have a giant version (that I haven’t yet hung on my wall), it’s always exciting to look at this copy and see all the details…the little boats, the walled city of Camaçari (BOOK 2!!), the tents at Performers’ Camp…it’s pretty darn awesome.  Jemma Young did such an incredible job giving readers a sense of what Santarem looks like!

I just ordered a few more bookplate maps because some people missed out on the original giveaway. If you want one, all you have to do is email me proof of purchase (picture of yourself with the book, screenshot of the receipt, whatever), and your mailing address, and I’ll mail you a map AND a bookmark AND a postcard. You can use the contact form here or email me at becky (at) beckywallacebooks (dot) com.

Deadline is July 15, and yes, it is open to international addresses!  Hard copy or e-copy is totally acceptable.

I really, really, really, don’t have very many. So this is definitely first come, first served.

Thanks!!

Happy Friday!  Fridays are such lovely days.  The sun is shining, the air is crisp, I get to deliver books to someone!

And the winner of the Welcome to My Website Prize Pack is….

AMOREENA B!!!

I’ll shoot you an email and we can work out the logistics.

WAHOOOO!!!!

Have a great weekend and tune in next week to hear about my editorial process!

Once upon a time a long, long time ago, I worked in sports.  This was back in the day when the Memphis Grizzlies were getting a new logo.  I interviewed their marketing director about the design process and all the elements that went into selecting the colors, the fonts, the mascot imagery, etc.  It was pretty darn fascinating.

I’m not nearly as cool as the Memphis Grizzlies, but there was some actual thought that went into designing my website, and a lot of it has to do with my book. Since no one has read THE STORYSPINNER (except for a very small group of critique partners and my editorial team), this will be a very early, very small introduction to THE KEEPERS’ CHRONICLES and the world of Santarem.

The Wagon

The main character, sixteen year-old Johanna Von Arlo, is a Performer.  Similar in concept to Cirque du Soleil, the Performers travel to each of Santarem’s ducal states to…well…perform.  They are acrobats, actors, singers, dancers, animal trainers, flaming sword jugglers (oh yeah!), and storytellers.  They live in multi-purpose, uber-functional gypsy wagons. They love bright colors, ornamentation, and tend to be a bit ostentatious. When my web designer, Denise Biondo, presented me with this gypsy wagon, I thought it was perfect representation for Johanna and her family!

The Weird Pine Trees

I love araucaria pine trees!  Aren’t the branches beautiful and curvy and almost other-worldly?  My husband went to Brazil several years ago and brought me two paintings of these trees, and I’ve been writing them into backdrops ever since. In THE STORYSPINNER, they set the scene for murder, mayhem, and mystery! In our world, araucaria are native to subtropical climates like southern Brazil and the eastern coast of Australia.

The Birds

This freakish looking little bird is called a Potoo. They’re a night bird with an irritating call, and they scatter (like most birds) when faced with danger.  The birds on my site give the same sense…DANGER!! You’re now entering the website of an author.  Proceed with caution… Not really.  🙂

The Compass Rose

I don’t know if you noticed, but there is a compass on each of the pages to denote movement.  There is an epic quest in THE STORYSPINNER and I love that it’s reflected on my website.

And…I think that explains most of what you’ll see on beckywallacebooks.com  However, if you interested in seeing more pictures that inspired the world of Santarem you can visit my pinterest or facebook pages.  There are a lot of cool images (and recipes) there as well!

WAIT!!! Don’t go! Have you entered my giveaway?  There are a lot of great prizes.  Click here to use the rafflecopter widget!