Final Cover Artwork.

I’ve now had a chance to look at the new version of our final cover choice, the one that will go to  the printers (I think it’s there now, actually!)

A few changes have been made to the lettering in order to introduce more depth. Naturally, I’m extremely pleased with the end result. It’s going to look incredible.

A sample chapter of If I Never can be read here.

To pre-order your copy of If I Never, please click here.

© 2009 Gary William Murning

Image © 2009 Gudrun Jobst

Cover Artwork for If I Never.

Yesterday, I got the final three possible covers for If I Never through from my publisher. I’d been expecting them but, still, it was a nerve-wracking moment. Already well familiar with the work of Legend Press’s designer, I shouldn’t really have been worried — but seeing a visual representation of a piece of work you spent ten months working on for the first time… well, nine o’clock in the morning and I was wondering whether I should have a Jameson’s to steady my nerves (I didn’t!)

The first image was a gritty urban scene — brick wall with the title of the book written graffiti-like across it. Had there been no other options I would have been very happy to go with this one. However, I still had two more to look at!

Image number two was very blue and striking — a hand holding something I couldn’t quite make out and a figure sprawled in the road ahead. Excellent work but a little too “crime” for If I Never, I thought.

So far, the first image was a clear winner…

… and then I opened the final file and saw this:

To say I was blown away is to understate it. I immediately sent my publisher a text message (he was out of the office, hobnobbing with royalty yet again — go Tom!) letting him know my preference, and heard back from him a short while later saying that we were in agreement.

So the image above is now the final cover choice for my debut novel, If I Never. As I’ve already said, I am over the moon with it and would like to take this opportunity to thank Gudrun Jobst for the wonderful work she has done in creating this unbelievably atmospheric visual representation of my novel.

A sample chapter of If I Never can be read here.

To pre-order your copy of If I Never, please click here.

© 2009 Gary William Murning

Image © 2009 Gudrun Jobst

Promotional Cards.

I’m in the process of making more promotional cards for If I Never. Business card-sized, they’re really handy to keep in your pocket and, so far, we’ve given out hundreds locally. My local Waterstone’s has also been extremely helpful in agreeing to take some. In fact, they’ve been extremely helpful full stop.

It occurred to me that, given that I know so many incredibly wonderful and generous people (grovel, grovel ;) ) around the UK, this might work on a more national scale. So, if you’d be interested in taking some to give to your friends/family — or, if you’re feeling especially brave, into your local Waterstone’s — please email me your details and I’ll get some to you…

© 2009 Gary William Murning

If I Never — Free Sample Chapter.

Over recent weeks, a number of people have been asking me if samples of If I Never would be available online. After discussing it with my publisher, we’ve decided to — given all the support and encouragement I’ve been getting from my online friends and followers — make the first chapter available here.

This is the unedited manuscript version (a little more than will be in the book itself), so I suppose it could be considered something of a collector’s item ;) Please feel free to download it and forward it to any friends you think may find it of interest.

I hope you enjoy it.

Read the free sample chapter of If I Never by clicking here.

© 2009 Gary William Murning