Interview with Ashlee Craft

Published 2013-11-02.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The very first story I wrote was a book about talking rabbits and guinea pigs. I wrote this when I was 10 or so, and the finished book was about 40 pages long. Additionally, I had written several short stories around and possibly before that time, and most of my stories at that age were about children my age and the pets they had.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Actually, I don't remember the first book that I ever read. I've always enjoyed reading & being read to. My parents read to me ever since I was a baby. When I was about eight years old, I began reading some juvenile mystery books which I enjoyed very much. From that point on, my love of reading became even more cemented. As far as the impact any particular book has had on me, there wasn't a specific book which I remember made me say "I want to be a writer!" but the Harry Potter series did have a large influence on my early writing.
How do you approach cover design?
Because I'm an artist, I am able to make all my covers myself. Usually, I make the cover once I have finished writing the book, as it gives me a better idea of the feel of the book & therefore, what should be featured on the cover. First, I come up with a theme for the cover - should it be abstract, bold, realistic, artistic, minimalist, etc? Once I know what qualities I want the cover to have, I go about deciding what should be on the cover. In some cases, I choose a scene from the book - for example, Strange Occurrences & Samantha both feature the book's pivotal scene on the cover. In other cases, I choose something which represents the book, such as the books in my Four Seasons poetry series, which all feature a season-specific scene. Other times, I use more of a symbolistic approach, which ends up being the case for my A Thousand Cranes poetry series or the cover for Summer Hayes & the Idol of Neuworth. Additionally, with covers such as Dark Hours & Pressure Point, the theme of the cover is supposed to be bold, loose, artistic symbolism of an important conceptual element from the book. Coming up with something which represents my stories isn't always easy as it looks, so I'm always glad when I arrive at an idea I want to pursue. Once I've decided what I want the cover to look like, I create the cover, either using art materials such as paint, watercolor, pencil, crayon, or marker, or with Photoshop.
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Latest books by This Author

Creative Fuel!: 65 Projects to Expand Your Creative Horizons
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 1,670. Language: American English. Published: February 18, 2016 . Categories: Nonfiction » Psychology » Creative ability, Nonfiction » Self-improvement » Creativity
In this fun and whimsical book, you'll find 65 ideas for unique and creativity expanding projects that will help you discover your own creative genius and expand your horizons in writing, music, art, photography, and filmmaking. A book of interpretation, there are no right or wrong answers - the results of each project will be entirely up to the artist - and that's you!
Flowers, One
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 1,060. Language: American English. Published: February 17, 2016 . Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Photography - Photo books
A zine featuring 24 photographs of flowers & three poems from photographer, writer, & zine-maker Ashlee Craft.
A Beautiful Question of Where & When
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 9,390. Language: American English. Published: February 5, 2016 . Categories: Poetry » Themes & motifs » Love, Poetry » American poetry » General
it was the fifth of May – I was smiling & you laughed at some joke I told, about the fact that it was raining out – I kissed you on the lips as we walked from the bus station – the storefronts lit up night with neon – watching the moon slowly rising, above the boardwalk & my hand was in yours A Beautiful Question of Where & When is a collection of 42 poems.
Octopus (Wonderful Wildlife, #4)
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 950. Language: English. Published: January 25, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Children's Books » Animals / Marine Life
The octopus is an invertebrate (animal without a spine) and mollusk that has eight arms and large eyes. They are closely related to cuttlefish, squid, and the nautilus. If you are talking about more than one octopus, you can say octopi, octopuses, or octopodes. Learn more about octopuses with this fun book for children ages seven and up.
Radiant
Price: $2.49 USD. Words: 53,920. Language: English. Published: January 21, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Social Issues
Radiant is the story of 16-year-old Ally, a girl who hates herself, has a poor body image, and faces bullying and negative parents every day of her life. This is her journey in learning to love herself.
Sunny Days, Rainy Days
Price: $1.49 USD. Words: 840. Language: English. Published: November 11, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Children’s books » Fiction
Read the story of how the Sun learned about why it rains with this cute illustrated book with the message that inside every cloud, there is a silver lining.
Christmas Poems
Price: $1.49 USD. Words: 6,280. Language: English. Published: November 10, 2013 . Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry, Fiction » Holiday » Christmas
Christmas Poems is a collection of 32 poems relating to the Christmas season.
Sloths
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 1,320. Language: English. Published: October 17, 2013 . Categories: Nonfiction » Children's Books » Animals, Nonfiction » Children's Books » Animals / Jungle Animals
Learn all about sloths in this fun & educational book featuring six original illustrations.
Summer Poetry Art Book
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 5,750. Language: English. Published: October 13, 2013 . Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry, Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Fine art » Subjects & themes / general
In this art book version of Ashlee Craft's poetry book, each poem is accompanied by an original coloring page relating to the poem.
Art Poems - Volume 1
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 5,750. Language: English. Published: October 13, 2013 . Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry, Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Artists
Art Poems, Volume 1 is a collection of 30 paintings by Ashlee Craft. Every painting is accompanied by an original poem relating to the theme of the painting.
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