Create a bestselling e-Book and PoD for Book 1 of the Trilogy about the extraordinary ISABELLA

Rickard Isachsen

Author

Create bestselling Book 1 e-book and PoD cover for the Trilogy of the
extraordinary "ISABELLA".
Title: ISABELLA.
Sub Title: THE LEGEND OF THE LITTLE GENERAL.
Author: RICKARD ISACHSEN
Setting: A brilliant young girl is forced to grow up fast in
Fourteenth Century Europe, amid political intrigue, murder,
assassins,
wars, battles, adventures and romance, and always surrounded by The
Black Death. The novels are Speculative Fiction, set in the real
world, not fantasy.
Target: teens to adults of all ages.
Values: Isabella is a golden blonde, beautiful, exciting central
character. A front cover message of Isabella with action and
adventure.
Style: Artistic and bold. I see a gladiator-clad Isabella with sword
featuring as the visual link between each of the 3 Books.
Colours: "ISABELLA" to be in oversized capitals, medieval style if
possible, in gold and to appear as if raised. This to also allow the
option of embossing for Print on Demand version. Other colors and
fonts at artists' discretion.
PoD dimensions: preferred 5" x 8" (127mm x 203mm).
Images: Must be acceptable for e-books distributed via Smashwords,
and Amazon (kindle); PoD acceptable by Createspace (via Amazon).
Size: Allow say 600 pages, plus front and back matter.
ISBN: I have ISBN and Barcode for print version in my possession.
Front Cover Contents: Title, Subtitle, Author, Book 1 of Trilogy.
Additional words: "Adventures and romance with a brilliant young
woman, and a cast of extraordinary characters". If these 14 words
words make the front "too busy", leave them off. Option: leave them
off for e-book, but on for PoD.
Spine: Title, Subtitle, Author, Book 1.
Back Cover Contents: See attached file for the proposed 198 words.
Fonts at artists' discretion.
Background: I envisage battle scenes, and/or other characters (see
attached file for brief descriptions of characters and soldiers),
either strongly featured, or faded, or overlapping.
Synopsis: Story follows Isabella Mondeo from age 12 as she develops
into a beautiful, but fearsome commanding officer, first into battle,
last to leave. She is a brilliant battle strategist, soon known as
The
Magician, a skilled sword fighter, and martial arts Zen Master,
assigned the name The Serpent Warrior by age 15. (Serpents become her
motif, and will feature (on a gold shield) on the cover of Book 2).
Inducted into the army at age 16, she is given her own brigade, which
she trains into herculean gladiators. She takes on the persona of a
spectacular looking gladiator, partly to distract the enemy as she
attacks. She must also fight enemies within as she fights against
overwhelming odds and weaponry to save her nation.
Physical description: Tall (when 16), a lovely, heart-shaped face,
large almond shaped brilliant green eyes, slightly angled upwards at
the outer edges. Thick golden hair almost reaching her waist.
Gladiator outfit: The following is extracted from Book 1, moments
before she orders her gladiators to attack. She is sitting astride
her
pure white stallion, Barca, which she always rides bareback. (She is
not necessarily required to be on horseback). Her then rank is Major:
Isabella wore a colored band around her head to keep her hair over
the back of her shoulders, where it fell in golden waves to her bare
waist. Tight leather shorts were barely covered by a leather modesty
skirt, split to the waist on each side to allow unrestrained kicks.
From the waist, she was bare up to the handcrafted leather and wool
halter that cleverly covered the front and wrapped over the shoulders
with an additional layer of hardened leather for protection. Rosa had
stitched Isabella’s rank insignia to each shoulderpad. A narrow
strip of soft leather tassels across the back covered the straps
keeping the top in place. A dark brown woolen cape was attached by
studs to each shoulderpad to cover her otherwise bare back. Rosa had
somehow managed to design the studs to instantly release if anyone
should grasp the cape.
Isabella’s legs were bare except for ankle-length boots. Though
light, they were specially constructed with tips and outer rims of
steel to add power to her already deadly kicks. Light calfskin gloves
allowed a firm hold on the magnificent sword designed for her by
Zhang
Chen. The intricate carving of interwoven serpents around the grip
and
pommel counterweight had been completed by a master craftsman.
A light smear of olive oil over her bare skin highlighted
Isabella’s muscular legs and abdominals in the brilliant afternoon
sun, completing her new battle persona. Her gladiator-like appearance
was in no way overshadowed by the 500 fearsome-looking men sitting
quietly on their mounts behind her. Etc. Etc.
Note: A bare midriff is fine, but not her navel. Isabella should look
attractive and exciting, but not erotic in any way. A chapter
describes Isabella's gladiator look in an oil portrait of her in
battle. I took care that her belt was looped in such a way that her
navel was not visible to the viewer. 14th century was very prudish in
that regard.

Artists: Isabella is in a real Europe, in real events and surrounded by the actual plague, so she must look real, not cartoon-like. This book has enough spectacular action for 2 movies (which I intend to canvass), and nothing is set in stone, so you can be as creative as you like!
After choosing the cover, I will launch a contest for a logo, incorporating Isabella's motif of a serpent, and her initials. Keep an eye out for it soon. Also look out for contest for Book 2, currently in final editing stage.