Mark Geyer Inquisitor's Apprentice Illustrations are here!

On a more pleasant note than my last post ... here's a quick preview of Mark Geyer's illustrations for my upcoming children's fantasy novel, THE INQUISITOR'S APPRENTICE (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2011). One of the most fun things about writing a kid's book was getting to have a real live illustrator. I actually started out my writing career as an aspiring children's book writer/illustrator. So I have huge respect for Mark's talents  -- and I've had a lot of fun watching these illustrations develop over the course of the last year or so. 

J. P. Morgaunt's Library (copyright Mark Geyer)

Mark is best known for his wonderful pen-and-ink illustrations of Stephen King novels, including THE GREEN MILE and BAG OF BONES (actually, my favorite Stephen King novel of them all). Mark's work evokes the down-and-out grittiness of the 1930s and yet also boasts a level of detail and a quality of draftsmanship reminiscent of Gilded Age artists like Charles Dana Gibson. We needed someone for THE INQUISITOR'S APPRENTICE who could illustrate the whole spectrum of Gilded Age New York, from Millionaire's Mile to Coney Island and the Lower East Side tenements. So Mark was a perfect match for this book.

Harry Houdini and the Stolen Locket (copyright Mark Geyer)

These are the first two finished illustrations. Unfortunately neither of them show the Lower East Side setting, which Mark has captured beautifully. However, these two examples definitely get across the overall feel of the book (as well as offering a glimpse of some of the historical figures I've used and abused in my tale!)

And hopefully I'll have some of the Lower East Side illustrations to pass along soon....