Ep. 98 To celebrate the holidays, the Warner Family is sharing their Christmas Eve tradition. Each family member creates a story, poem, song, or play highlighting a memory from the year to share on Christmas Eve. We’ve chosen a few of our favorites and hope they bring a smile to you this year. Most of all, we wish you a healthy and memorable holiday season. Love, The Warner Family
Ep. 81 In Ch 34 & 35 of Lies of the Magpie, Maleah is desperate to find help for healing her body, and following the recommendation of friends, she visits a homeopathic doctor in her area.
Ep. 80 Listen to these FREE sample chapters from the best-selling memoir Lies of the Magpie by Maleah Day Warner. In these chapters, Maleah questions whether she is “sick enough” to merit seeing a doctor. The challenge is that she isn’t bleeding, bruised, or having any specific pain. She knows she doesn’t feel “right,” but struggles to put what is wrong into words. She is terrified the doctor will say it’s “depression.” For Maleah, depression isn’t a legitimate illness, but rather a judgment of a person’s weak character. Maleah thinks she would rather get a cancer diagnosis than be told she has postpartum depression. In the end, her diagnosis isn’t at all what she expected, and will create more complications and confusion as the story progresses.
Today’s audio selection brings listeners to the end of Part 2 and the beginning of Part 3.
Chapter 30 I Need a Mother Feeling shaky and weak, Maleah gives a presentation to the Chamber of Commerce. Driving home she is dizzy and disoriented and doesn’t have breast milk to feed Jack. Aaron asks why she won’t go to a doctor. Maleah worries that she isn’t really sick enough to go to a doctor and that people think she is a lazy faker.
Chapter 31 Ears to Hear Maleah takes Kate to a new ENT specialist who correctly diagnosis Kate’s hearing issues. Maleah realizes the difference a good doctor can make and determines to schedule an appointment for herself with a new doctor. When her efforts are thwarted, Aaron steps in to comfort her. He has a chance encounter with the doctor and is able to schedule Maleah an appointment.
Ep 78 Sample a FREE audio selection of Amazon’s best-selling memoir on motherhood, Lies of the Magpie.
In Chapter 28, Danny is rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for emergency surgery. Aaron returns home from the hospital, he stays awake all night to finish the magazine in time for deadline. Maleah realizes their life has no wiggle room for unexpected events, and with four young children, there are always unexpected events. She decides she must quit teaching piano lessons.
Chapter 29 is titled Minivan Caravan. The Warners travel to Utah for Christmas and return to Arizona followed by a train of minivans. They host 35 extended family members for New Years. On the final night Annice asks Maleah if she is alright. Maleah answers, “I am just so tired.”
Ep. 76 Today I’m sharing FREE audio sample chapter 24 & 25 from my best-selling memoir, Lies of the Magpie.
In Ch. 24, Maleah finally schedules her 6-week postpartum checkup. Aaron wants her to ask Dr. Woods about postpartum depression. Maleah is unsure of what to ask.
In Ch. 25, Maleah flashes back to memories of “episodes” that happened after Kate’s birth since she is experiencing similar things now. She questions whether she has postpartum depression and questions whether medication will help or make things worse.
The final decision came down to one surprising element. (Read the end to learn the deciding factor.)
Thanks to everyone who has followed, made observations, and given feedback through this process.
There is a LOT of thought, calculation, and psychology that goes into designing a cover. If you are interested in the behind-the-scenes process of choosing the final cover, below I will walk you through the concept and evolution of each cover, the audience response, the pros & cons, and ultimately why the cover was or was not chosen.
If you just want to see the FINAL COVER, skip to the end.
The first cover was illustrated and painted by artist Bethany Baker three years ago. Check out her work at Midsummer Studios. She will create a custom whimsical portrait of your child, family, or fiancee.
Concept: “The Carnival of Life” Watercolor. Illustrates a mother’s role escorting her child on the rides of life.
Pros: I love the symbolism injected in custom artwork. The red balloon represents the woman’s hopes and dreams. The weight of the magpie is holding down the ballon, preventing it from rising to the height of its potential. Bethany designed the image to wrap around the book’s front and back cover and included space for the title and author.
Cons: I commissioned Bethany to create this cover in 2017 when I was considering self-publishing. Since then, I’ve learned the importance of matching the cover mood and style to the book’s genre. This painted image conveys a children’s picture book more than an adult memoir.
In March I began working with my publisher’s cover designer. I gave her a synopsis of my book as well as the genre and overall tone and said I’d like a magpie and possibly a necklace. The following are the concepts she created.
Concept: Vector image. This was the first design I previewed from the designer and it took my breath away. Seeing this made my story come alive.
Audience Response: Facebook Favorite. Marketing Specialist’s Favorite. This was the clear winner of all the vector images.
Melanie: “To me it signifies there is something in all of us. From the outline of the women and the bird within.”
Colleen: “Creative flow and I love the color”
Kerry: “The theme Lies of the Magpie and it whispering in your ear fits.”
Shanda: “It needs the silhouette of the girl for the human touch effect.”
Jill: “It draws me in. My kids who love to write voted this one as well.“
Pros: The woman’s profile in silhouette hints she has a personal struggle. Something is stopping her from facing life straight on, and you get the hint the magpie plays a big role. Clear and easy to read.
Cons: Hard to find a con other than the weight of the image is heavy on the left and the mood is a bit depressing.
Concept: Live photography magpie at window. This was one of my early favorites.
Audience Response: Facebook Winner
Kylene: “By far my favorite.”
Clarissa: “Caught my eye quick.“
Tasha: “Intriguing.”
Lisa: “My least favorite. I find it a little confusing.”
Pros: The image evokes curiosity and lets you know this will be an emotional story. Lovely use of black & white with hints of color.
Cons: Ultimately the cover is too confusing to understand at first glance. There is a lot going on. The title gets lost in the image.
Concept: Live Photography of Magpie
Audience Response:
Larita: “Both Lies and Magpie are distinct and pop out. Neither words are mixed into the photo. So clear and grab at you.”
Laurel: “I like the emptiness and use of the negative space.”
Ryan: “Nice and simple. No images conflicting with the title.“
Pros: People like this cover for its clarity and use of white space.
Cons: Gives the impression of being a nonfiction nature book rather than literary memoir.
Concept: Thieving magpie flies away with the story.
Audience response: Editor’s Favorite.
Brooke: “Like the colors and letter font. Love the bird in flight“
Ashley: “The blue one!”
Pros: The color and unique font. Reminds people of the book Wonder.
Cons: While the font is awesome, it’s also difficult to read. And it’s hard to tell if this book is for teens or adults.
Concept: Woman in Cage. In an unintentional effort to confuse my cover designer and complicate the process, I found this image of a woman in a cage which I LOVED. My designer created a dozen variations of this concept including the magpie holding the cage by a chain in its talons. This is the cover I’ve had the hardest time letting go of.
Audience Response: Publisher’s Favorite. Author’s favorite (except for the final cover).
Kris Stena “It intrigues all of us in my family, makes us want to know why she’s in there.”
Sashleigha: “Girl in the cage for sure.
Tessy: “Shows there is a story within the book.”
Jean: “This is the most intriguing to me… it’s like… hmmmm. what’s this book all about???”
Roberti: “This one feels very depressing and personally, I would not pick it up.”
Pros: I love the idea of a woman trapped in the cage while the bird is outside calling the shots. A lot of power and metaphor in the image. Also conveys there is an intricate story within the pages.
Cons: Some readers were turned off by the oppressive tone of this cover image. Some confused it for a story about domestic violence.
Final Cut: While intriguing, this cover could trigger too much negative emotion and might mislead readers to thinking it’s a story of abuse.
Concept: Live Photography with whispering magpie.
Audience Response: Mr. Warner’s Favorite. A Facebook Favorite, this cover tied in votes with the Magpie at the Window.
Brooke: “It looks like the magpie is whispering lies.“
Emily: “This is my favourite – it’s alluring, intense, emotive.”
Janine: “I like this one best. I was intrigued and wanted to know what the magpie was whispering in her ear….”
Lori: “The visuals are mentally stimulating and curiosity evoking.”
Pros: This cover showcases what a rockstar the designer is. Look at the lighting on the woman’s hair! So much emotion. Title is clear and easy to read.
Cons: My daughter thought this looked like the cover of a romance instead of memoir. Cover reveals too much of the story.
Final Cut: This cover almost needs a warning that says “Spoiler Alert.” It gives away too much too soon.
Concept: Simple illustration of magpie with locket in its beak.
Audience Response: Gotcha! I didn’t show this image on the Facebook or Instagram polls because I wanted it to be a surprise!
Abigail: “Love this. Looks very clean and professional.”
Cons: Interestingly, when shown to fellow authors from my publishers group, NOT ONE person voted for this cover. And yet this is the cover. WHY? There is a lot of calculation and psychology that goes into cover selection.
Pros:
Final Cut: Ultimately, one factor finalized the decision to go with this book cover.
MEN!
Yes. You men were the deciding vote!
One might think a book that recounts pregnancy and childbirth in explicit detail might be just for women. However, the beta readers who finished fastest and had the most to say have all been men. A majority of my first endorsements were from men.
Perhaps this is because men have always wondered what goes on in a woman’s head and this book gives them a front row seat to one woman’s psyche.
Ultimately, the final selling point was choosing a cover that wouldn’t be a barrier to men reading this powerful story. In addition to all the above factors, this is a cover a man could hold in an airport or have on his office desk or nightstand without appearing to be reading women’s romance.
I’d love to hear your comments. Thanks for following this cover journey.
Leading up to Mother’s Day 2016, I was launching the Grand Opening of my website: mommaleah.com.
This Mother’s Day I am remembering significant events of four years ago that have impacted my life. Isn’t it interesting how events line up to change your trajectory?
At that time, I had decided to stop working on my memoir—the story of my healing journey through postpartum depression and chronic illness—which at that time was titled Prozac & Prayer. Writing my story had been an essential part of my healing process. But in 2016, it was ten years after the events of the book had taken place. Certainly women were no longer struggling with postpartum depression. I figured that the medical world had long since solved the issues and that new mothers were receiving the diagnosis and treatment they needed.
So it was time to move on to other projects. I outlined a series of nonfiction mothering books and brainstormed a website called mommaleah.com where I would teach and share all things related to mothering. The vision was a website where mothers take classes, learn tips, find awesome tools and resources, and be part of a mothering community.
The website included a bookshelf (because I love a library!) where women could check out blog posts, classes, books, videos, and sample my favorite things.
I worked hard creating headers, learning javascript, and trying to make friends with technology. My goal was to build the website on my own as much as possible without running crying to my husband (the real technology genius) every time the computer was mean to me.
The preparation included writing blog posts, recording video, designing webinars, and teaching a mothering class at the Provo Library.
There were sweepstakes and giveaways. Subscribers could win my favorite books or my favorite family movies. I was excited, but still, my heart wasn’t one hundred percent invested in this idea of teaching housekeeping tips and organization. (I mean, organization tips from me?)
In the process of planning, building, and preparing to launch mommaleah.com, I learned about the passing of Emily Cook Dyches due to complications of a postpartum-induced panic attack. Emily and I both went to Snow College. My brother was her middle school science teacher. She dated my husband’s best friend. Her passing was the wake-up call for me that maternal mental health issues had not been fixed and that there were real women still struggling to find help and healing.
As Emily’s family bravely shared her story, they taught me the power of story to bring healing, hope, light, and change.
So while going forward with mommaleah, I also pulled out my manuscript and tried to figure out how to transform my experiences from personal therapy into crafted literary narrative.
Working with an editor helped me learn how to let the story speak for itself. The manuscript got a new name: Lies of the Magpie and won 2nd place in the Utah Arts Council Original Writing Competition that year. The prize was $500, the first money I’d ever earned from writing.
Since that time, I have worked to fine-tune the story and also learn how to get it published. That is a long story for another post.
Here, four years later, this story is ready to go into the world.
I hope it will be found by a woman in need, so that she’ll know she isn’t alone and that another woman has been where she is. Most of all, I hope through story she will find relief, humor inside darkness, and the assurance that healing is possible.
Typing mommaleah.com into your web browser now brings you to maleahwarner.com, an awesome website designed completely by Mr. Warner. You’ll notice that I have been podcasting for over a year and that the book Lies of the Magpie is available very soon. The vision for mommaleah is not gone, but revised. Rather than tips, tricks, and home organization secrets (I’m still looking for those), the website focusses on teaching healing for heart, mind, and body.
It is interesting to reflect on the past four years. The Emily Effect has impacted major changes on legislation to increase screening and resources for postpartum mothers. This is a mission I’m excited to be part of.
mw
The final decision came down to one surprising element. (Read the end to learn the deciding factor.)
Thanks to everyone who has followed, made observations, and given feedback through this process.
There is a LOT of thought, calculation, and psychology that goes into designing a cover. If you are interested in the behind-the-scenes process of choosing the final cover, below I will walk you through the concept and evolution of each cover, the audience response, the pros & cons, and ultimately why the cover was or was not chosen.
If you just want to see the FINAL COVER, skip to the end.
The first cover was illustrated and painted by artist Bethany Baker three years ago. Check out her work at Midsummer Studios. She will create a custom whimsical portrait of your child, family, or fiancee.
Concept: “The Carnival of Life” Watercolor. Illustrates a mother’s role escorting her child on the rides of life.
Pros: I love the symbolism injected in custom artwork. The red balloon represents the woman’s hopes and dreams. The weight of the magpie is holding down the ballon, preventing it from rising to the height of its potential. Bethany designed the image to wrap around the book’s front and back cover and included space for the title and author.
Cons: I commissioned Bethany to create this cover in 2017 when I was considering self-publishing. Since then, I’ve learned the importance of matching the cover mood and style to the book’s genre. This painted image conveys a children’s picture book more than an adult memoir.
In March I began working with my publisher’s cover designer. I gave her a synopsis of my book as well as the genre and overall tone and said I’d like a magpie and possibly a necklace. The following are the concepts she created.
Concept: Vector image. This was the first design I previewed from the designer and it took my breath away. Seeing this made my story come alive.
Audience Response: Facebook Favorite. Marketing Specialist’s Favorite. This was the clear winner of all the vector images.
Melanie: “To me it signifies there is something in all of us. From the outline of the women and the bird within.”
Colleen: “Creative flow and I love the color”
Kerry: “The theme Lies of the Magpie and it whispering in your ear fits.”
Shanda: “It needs the silhouette of the girl for the human touch effect.”
Jill: “It draws me in. My kids who love to write voted this one as well.“
Pros: The woman’s profile in silhouette hints she has a personal struggle. Something is stopping her from facing life straight on, and you get the hint the magpie plays a big role. Clear and easy to read.
Cons: Hard to find a con other than the weight of the image is heavy on the left and the mood is a bit depressing.
Concept: Live photography magpie at window. This was one of my early favorites.
Audience Response: Facebook Winner
Kylene: “By far my favorite.”
Clarissa: “Caught my eye quick.“
Tasha: “Intriguing.”
Lisa: “My least favorite. I find it a little confusing.”
Pros: The image evokes curiosity and lets you know this will be an emotional story. Lovely use of black & white with hints of color.
Cons: Ultimately the cover is too confusing to understand at first glance. There is a lot going on. The title gets lost in the image.
Concept: Live Photography of Magpie
Audience Response:
Larita: “Both Lies and Magpie are distinct and pop out. Neither words are mixed into the photo. So clear and grab at you.”
Laurel: “I like the emptiness and use of the negative space.”
Ryan: “Nice and simple. No images conflicting with the title.“
Pros: People like this cover for its clarity and use of white space.
Cons: Gives the impression of being a nonfiction nature book rather than literary memoir.
Concept: Thieving magpie flies away with the story.
Audience response: Editor’s Favorite.
Brooke: “Like the colors and letter font. Love the bird in flight“
Ashley: “The blue one!”
Pros: The color and unique font. Reminds people of the book Wonder.
Cons: While the font is awesome, it’s also difficult to read. And it’s hard to tell if this book is for teens or adults.
Concept: Woman in Cage. In an unintentional effort to confuse my cover designer and complicate the process, I found this image of a woman in a cage which I LOVED. My designer created a dozen variations of this concept including the magpie holding the cage by a chain in its talons. This is the cover I’ve had the hardest time letting go of.
Audience Response: Publisher’s Favorite. Author’s favorite (except for the final cover).
Kris Stena “It intrigues all of us in my family, makes us want to know why she’s in there.”
Sashleigha: “Girl in the cage for sure.
Tessy: “Shows there is a story within the book.”
Jean: “This is the most intriguing to me… it’s like… hmmmm. what’s this book all about???”
Roberti: “This one feels very depressing and personally, I would not pick it up.”
Pros: I love the idea of a woman trapped in the cage while the bird is outside calling the shots. A lot of power and metaphor in the image. Also conveys there is an intricate story within the pages.
Cons: Some readers were turned off by the oppressive tone of this cover image. Some confused it for a story about domestic violence.
Final Cut: While intriguing, this cover could trigger too much negative emotion and might mislead readers to thinking it’s a story of abuse.
Concept: Live Photography with whispering magpie.
Audience Response: Mr. Warner’s Favorite. A Facebook Favorite, this cover tied in votes with the Magpie at the Window.
Brooke: “It looks like the magpie is whispering lies.“
Emily: “This is my favourite – it’s alluring, intense, emotive.”
Janine: “I like this one best. I was intrigued and wanted to know what the magpie was whispering in her ear….”
Lori: “The visuals are mentally stimulating and curiosity evoking.”
Pros: This cover showcases what a rockstar the designer is. Look at the lighting on the woman’s hair! So much emotion. Title is clear and easy to read.
Cons: My daughter thought this looked like the cover of a romance instead of memoir. Cover reveals too much of the story.
Final Cut: This cover almost needs a warning that says “Spoiler Alert.” It gives away too much too soon.
Concept: Simple illustration of magpie with locket in its beak.
Audience Response: Gotcha! I didn’t show this image on the Facebook or Instagram polls because I wanted it to be a surprise!
Abigail: “Love this. Looks very clean and professional.”
Cons: Interestingly, when shown to fellow authors from my publishers group, NOT ONE person voted for this cover. And yet this is the cover. WHY? There is a lot of calculation and psychology that goes into cover selection.
Pros:
Final Cut: Ultimately, one factor finalized the decision to go with this book cover.
MEN!
Yes. You men were the deciding vote!
One might think a book that recounts pregnancy and childbirth in explicit detail might be just for women. However, the beta readers who finished fastest and had the most to say have all been men. A majority of my first endorsements were from men.
Perhaps this is because men have always wondered what goes on in a woman’s head and this book gives them a front row seat to one woman’s psyche.
Ultimately, the final selling point was choosing a cover that wouldn’t be a barrier to men reading this powerful story. In addition to all the above factors, this is a cover a man could hold in an airport or have on his office desk or nightstand without appearing to be reading women’s romance.
I’d love to hear your comments. Thanks for following this cover journey.
Ep. 68 What are the three most common mistakes we make regarding mental health issues? Join the podcast to learn how our instinct to respond by ignoring issues, reacting with fear, or trying to force a recovery actually compound mental health issues. Learn simple things to do instead that will encourage health, build relationships, and end the stigma and shame surrounding mental health issues.