Great news for Cedar Sanderson!

 

Friend, fellow blogger, illustrator and author Cedar Sanderson has been nominated for a Dragon Award.  For those who don't know the awards, they're conferred by DragonCon every year.

 In a world of the ordinary, the Dragon is most astonishing. Its heart burns with determination and desire as it soars from page to canvas to screen. The Dragon’s inner fire elevates it above the mundane, and once released, inspires respect and awe from all who witness its greatness.

Like the Dragon, our recipients are extraordinary and unique. Fueled by the passion for their art, they have spread their wings and soared above us all. Their inner fire, the burning in their hearts and souls, cannot be restrained. Once set free, their work, their fire, has influenced and inspired countless others, burned into our hearts and minds forever.

In the spirit of the Dragon and with infinite admiration, we created The Dragon Award as a token of their individuality and greatness. We are pleased to present all of our award winners with the essence of the Dragon, its fire, suspended perpetually as a permanent reminder of their contributions.

Cedar's nomination is in the category "Best Illustrative Cover" for her work on the book "But Not Broken".  She also edited the collection.

The blurb for the book reads:

Fourteen stories of surviving and healing from PTSD. Fiction has the power to give us an escape from where we are, and an ability to envision where we could be. None of these are easy stories, but all offer hope, and healing, for those who need to see a path through the fog of pain.

I think Cedar did a wonderful job of capturing in her art the heartbreak and heartache of those who suffer from this disorder.  The book is seriously good, too, as is its predecessor volume, "Can't Go Home Again" (which she also edited and covered).  I highly recommend both to your attention, particularly if you've "been there and done that" and still feel the effects of a high-stress environment.  You're far from alone.

If you have a personal favorite in the "Best Illustrative Cover" category for this year's Dragon Awards, by all means vote for it.  If you don't, remember, voting is open to everybody.  I'd love Cedar to get the recognition her art deserves, so please vote for her.  She's designed the covers for several of my books, and I have more lined up for forthcoming volumes.  Here, for example, is a draft of Cedar's cover for the first book of a US Civil War naval trilogy that I'm currently writing.  (Here's an excerpt.)

Look for it soon, God willing!

Congratulations, Cedar.  We're holding thumbs for you.

Peter