You can purchase it via Amazon, or any good book retailer.

To hear about the background behind the new cover, check out this link.

Hi, I would like to know are there going to be more books from yourself?

Kind regards Mr C Bagnall.

They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. This may be true philosophically speaking, but in today’s world of slick marketing, short attention spans, and digital media, a well designed cover is often as important as the contents in terms of sales.

How often have you walked past a shelf and reached out to something that has caught your eye visually? Do you click on weblinks because of the words, or the pictures that accompany them? Emotionally, people are attracted by pretty or interesting things.

Colour pallets, graphics, topography, layout and even title placement can all have a profound impact on how well a book sells.

So what kind of work goes into the process of producing cover art? And does the author have much of a say?

I’m sure this is different for everyone, but personally I’ve been lucky enough to work with a publisher who is very collaborative in this sense. Joe Gregory from Dangerous Little Books (DLB) came up with a great first round design for Hellbound (above), based off some sourcing templates I sent through. It was quite easy, but essentially all the creative came from his end.

For the pending release of Hellbound in hardcover, DLB came to me and said they wanted to do something special. Rather than replicate the original artwork, they wanted to approach a fine artist to collaborate with. I was very excited at the prospect. I’m a big art fan, despite having zero drawing skills whatsoever. In the end, we settled on an incredibly talented up-and-coming artist called Christopher Page. DLB connected Chris and I via email, and I had the privilege of going back and forth with him to create something new.

Below is a behind the scenes snapshot of how Chris went about evolving something original:

Round 1: I sent through a few images to Chris of pieces of art I liked for different reasons:
White Rose, by Gustave Dore, because I love etchings, The Omnipotent by William Blake, a classic piece I’ve always liked, and a few Ben Templesmith pieces, because I really dig the colour pallets he uses.

From here Chris and I got together on Skype and had a chat about what we wanted to do. We both thought an urban setting would suit well, since it reflected Hell in the book, and that the main characters of Satan and Michael would be walking through. After a week of sketching. Chris sent through some initial mock-ups. I’ve also included some rough sketches he sent me in terms of composition to illustrate how he sets up the spacial look of his sketches.

Comments from Chris: “Here is a sketch of the kind of thing that has been running through my mind for the cover of Hellbound. Bear in mind this is just a sketch. Let me know you’re thoughts on going down this kind of route. The ‘camera’ could change angle – be more birdseye for example. I think the font of Hellbound should certainly change. What do you think about it being a sign? The two characters are not worked out yet as you can see – i have been thinking mainly about the scene. The composition is not right either – should be more space above the title and below the feet of the characters.”

Tim’s response: I like the idea of the composition and the colours are great! I think the camera angel is fine. As you say I think the font needs to change and would prefer it to be laid over the artwork rather than part of it. Buildings looking good, would be great to see some older style ones in there also, like a modern take on the gothic style with gargoyles and or dark spires. Some new, some old if you get my drift. Characters need some work as you say but all looking sweet as a concept.

Round 2:

Tim’s feedback: I think it definitely coming along well. The buildings are looking much more menacing, and I think the colour is great. I would like to see the characters a little more dynamic. I think looking up and to the side, maybe with Satan pointing. I think Satan needs to look more menacing also. The city/sky look a little lifeless in terms that there isn’t any kind of movement. The city appears deserted. Maybe an addition of a silhouette of a helicopter, or bat, or lightening in the sky. Maybe a light shining from a building with a figure standing in the window.

Round 3:

This was the final approved art, which Chris came up with. Sketches on either side are combined and then colour is added in.

After this, the final step was for the DLB to place the fonts onto the artwork. This can sometimes be a little heartbreaking, especially for the artist. However, it would be commercial suicide out a book with no name and no author. After a few back and forth’s we finally settled on the below.

This is the final approved design that is just about to be released.

A huge thanks to Christopher Page for being so professional and easy to work with and to Dangerous Little Books for allowing us to work together. To check out more of Chris’s work, please visit his website.

Hi God,

Hows things up there in Heaven? I hope you’re well and haven’t got any of that swine flu that’s been going around down here.

I’m wondering if you might be able to help me out by doing a few things if you have time. Not all of these are super important, but I’ve listed them in order of priority in case you can’t get to everything.

1. Please come down and straighten out who you are and what people should believe in. All of the Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Atheists, Agnostics etc etc have been bickering about this for quite a while. If you just come down, or at least send a messenger with unequivocal proof of your existence and an updated mandate of rules it would really help us out. Potentially it could create world peace, which would be nice.

2. If you could sort out this climate change thing it would be awesome. Lots of people are freaking out about it, and it’s causing a crap load of problems around the world, with floods, droughts, mudslides and the like. A consistent cycle of change would be fantastic.

3. Cure hunger and poverty. Martin Luther King Jnr told us you created all men equal. So how about equal opportunity (for the womenfolk too). If everyone could have enough to get by, have some shelter and be happy, we may evolve into something more complex and interesting to watch from up there.

4. Please don’t kill anymore children or babies. These guys are really just innocent little fellas. If there is an important reason they have to die, then please explain it to us. It would avoid a lot of confusion and grief.

5. Please send Justin Beiber to Hell. He’s really annoying.

That’s it for now. Like I said, if you could manage a couple of these it would be rad times a million. I’m not asking this for just me of course, I’m asking on behalf of the world. I’m pretty sure I’d have their support (at least on the first 4).

Anyway. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Don’t be a stranger, you’re welcome to stop by and say hello whenever you like.

Kind Regards

Tim Hawken

But how realistic is it that anyone will actually make it through an adult life without slipping up now and then?

Sex before marriage‚ you’re doomed. Sex with a condom even while married, doomed. Priests who molest children? No amount of praying will save you for that Father. Working on a Sunday because you need to feed your family, doomed. Eating pig, doomed. Eating non-halal anything, doomed. Believing in the wrong version of God, hot poker in your anus.

On that last point, how many different religions there are in the world? According to the most reliable source of all knowledge, The Google, there are over 70 different religions on the planet right now. Nearly every single one of these says that it is the one true faith, and people who don’t believe in that specific religion won’t get the chance to enter God’s big nightclub in the sky (which only plays harp and trumpet music).

So what are the odds that you’ve picked the right one? Well, if you’re playing the odds it’s best to go with the big ones. Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Unfortunately each of these have their various sub-branches, and once again, only the truly faithful with get the big tick when the Rapture comes.

It’s a prickly situation. The Devil is everywhere; in the television, in the rock and roll music and in the internet. So who’s to say he isn’t in the churches as well, the false ones that is. Simply put, if we’re talking probability: You are going to Hell. You may as well get used to the idea and you may as well understand the ins and outs of the place before you get there.

This is where Hellbound comes in. Take a read, and you’ll see, it’s not as bad as you think. Don’t be afraid, enjoy yourself while you’re alive. Because if you want to hang with the Angels upstairs, you’re shit out of luck, the VIP passes have all been taken.

It’s obvious isn’t it? The 2nd commandment is: Thou Shall Not Make Yourself an Idol. Whoops, it’s not even in the fine print. Moses chiselled that shit into some stone tablets on top of a mountain and then ran down the hill screaming it to everyone who would listen. The 2nd commandment! It comes before Thou Shalt Not Kill, giving the impression that it’s more important to obey than trying not to murder someone!

But what is the motivation behind this commandment? Essentially it’s God saying, don’t do anything that will draw attention away from me. What a spoilt little brat. He’s like that kid who puts on a talent show for his family, and punches his little sister in the face because she gets more applause. At least Kelly won’t be alone down there. Most celebrities are destined to burn. If there’s a poster of you on a teenager’s wall, then you’re being worshipped over God. How many teenagers have a poster of Jesus on the wall instead of Justin Bieber? Not many.

Does that mean all of those kids are going to Hell as well? I assume so, since according to The Bible, worshipping anyone over God is a direct offence against the 1st commandment.

So, if you‚Äôre striving for excellence in any field, then you’d better be careful. When you get good enough to be recognised, then Satan will be waiting in Hell, with a red hot poker to shove up your anus. In addition you’re setting up innocent children to come down to the fires because they thought you were cooler than going to church on Sunday. Safer to live a life of mediocrity and leave nothing behind that could be viewed as an original or inspired thought.

The natural beauty of this land takes my breath away.

Sometimes I forget my wife, Tara has cancer.

If you just sat up a bit stiffer in your chair reading this, you just experienced a fraction of the jolt Tara or I feel when we remember. It’s not like she has a broken arm with a cast on it you can see. Her scars from surgery are no longer visible, buried under her rapidly growing hair. It’s actually quite easy to momentarily forget she has an insidious tumour in her brain. But it’s there, for now at least.

But life rolls on, for both of us. And as strange as it sounds, it has enhanced our lives in many ways. We are eating healthier, we feel great, we are travelling through a continent that we’ve always wanted to see. We are literally on the trip of a lifetime. But it’s the little things too. You appreciate a good cup of tea, you relish snuggling under a doona with your partner while it rains outside. Every experience counts.
The point is, that hardship, of any kind, can be seen as something that improves your overall ‘being.’ How do you know you truly need someone until you face losing them? How do you truly understand how good it feels to walk down the street unless you’ve had to hobble on crutches for a month? How do you know that an amazing slice of pizza is actually amazing unless you’ve had a shitty slice at some point?

We need bad things to happen. We need hardships to serve as reference points to really know when the good stuff is on our doorstep. How much better does it feel to win a game of Scrabble against your brother when you’ve lost 5 times before that? Johnny?

The key thing about tough-times, is you learn a hell of a lot more when things are difficult. Easy street doesn’t teach you much. I was talking to a man back in Australia at a meditation session for trauma victims. He was in a wheelchair. He said his partner of 12 years left him a few months after the accident, because she couldn’t cope. I guess he really got to know the kind of person she was when the chips were down. I also have a good friend, whose husband was paralysed from the waist down after an accident. She has stayed with him through tough times, and I’ve never met a couple who appreciate each other more and I really respect that commitment. We learn more about ourselves and others though adversity. Even businesses, who survive a recession, come out leaner, meaner and readier to make the best of the boom years.

So next time you stub your toe, have a fight with your lover, make a mistake at work, hit your head on the door of your van, burn your toast or crash your car; remember it’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to have a shit day. Ups and downs are essential. If we only had up-times we’d get bored. If we only had up-times they wouldn’t even be up-times, they’d just be times.

For media interviews please contact: tara@timhawken.com