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It took me two years to create the images for The Forgotten Queen Trilogy. Every image went through multiple iterations—some of them hundreds of iterations. Initially, I planned to publish the books with the illustrations, but in the end, I decided that the current market did not support that idea.
At first, the results were poor. Terrible. Agonizing. Laughable, even. And yet, by the time I finished writing book one, I had created more than 2,000 images—most of them terrible. But as my skills progressed, and as I found programs that supported my ideas—my plan, my hopes and dreams for the story—the images gradually improved.
About eighteen months into the process, after using multiple platforms, multiple processes, and multiple programs, I finally began to land on the canon versions of each character. One day, after feeling discouraged, something happened. Something beautiful. At last, King Arthur came out the way I had hoped.
THAT single image CHANGED EVERYTHING for me.
It showed me that it was possible to achieve the results I was looking for, even if it took me a year and a half to do it.
Once I had the canon versions of the characters, future images became easier. Now, it usually took only 10–20 iterations to finally get the image I wanted. But there were still times when I failed completely to create a rendering that worked. In those instances, I sometimes chose to abandon the image altogether.
In the end, there are fewer than 100 images that really stand out, and even fewer that I am truly satisfied with. Those that I choose to share are not perfect—but they depict the truth of the world I created in the books.
Avalon
The image of Avalon at the right was the result of several hundred attempts and iterations, using multiple programs, and a massive amount of work.
At first, as I began the process of trying to establish a canonized version of Avalon, the results were absolutely awful. I felt defeated. Incapable. Alone.
And yet, for some reason I kept working at it. More than a year later, I began to make the progress I needed. But, the image to the right continued to evade my efforts. I knew what I wanted. I knew how it should look, where she should stand, the expression on her face, the dress… but I kept failing at the creation.
When the image finally began to come together, I almost fell off my chair.
The image on the right took me a full two years before I felt satisfied with the result. This was one of the last images I created before publishing the trilogy.
BELOW is an example of my early failures in making Avalon’s canonized image. I knew the image wasn’t good. I knew it wasn’t right. But getting what I wanted WAS DIFFICULT. At times, it felt impossible.
Lancelot
Obviously, Lancelot is an iconic part of Camelot. But for me, in every retelling, I never felt the authenticity of what he went through. The psychological basis for the affair and the love triangle between Arthur, his truest friend, and Guinevere, the woman he loves, were never truly fleshed out. And so I was determined to make that happen in The Forgotten Queen Trilogy. The grittiness–the messy humanity had to come through. Characters had to be torn apart and rebuilt. I wanted to show how their personal desires and the demands of leadership collided, leading to heartbreak and unintended consequences. In The Forgotten Queen Trilogy, I feel that the tragedy lands.
Morgana
Morgana is highly skilled and deceptive. She’s cunning. Brilliant. And as a woman, she has an advantage no man can match. Due to the century she is born into, she is discounted as less than she is, making it possible for her to manipulate events in horrific ways.
This image is one of my favorites. Once I established the canon image of Morgana, this image came easily into place. I love it. You can feel the depth of her power. She is iconic and unforgetable.
Tournaments
Lancelot and Arthur duel in the spring tournament. But things have changed now. Arthur suspects betrayal and Lancelot is tired of lying. They are both reaching a breaking point and it plays out in front of the crowd.
Merlin
Merlin’s skill as a scientist and magician blend together during this post-Roman era.
Guinevere
Guinevere was everything a kingdom could ask for in a queen—beautiful, noble, poised, and politically invaluable. She represented stability, alliance, and legitimacy. She and Arthur appeared perfectly matched. Only those closest to them understood the quiet tragedy: the ideal queen was not the love of his life. And he was not hers. They both had become trapped in this marriage of obligation. But that did not mean Arthur would not love her. Once he made his vows, he gave his whole heart to the marriage, unaware that Guinevere was not capable of doing the same.
Arthur Kneeling
At the beginning of Book 2 of The Forgotten Queen Trilogy, Arthur is at his lowest. Guinevere has betrayed him, and the consequences of that betrayal are both personal and political. He is forced into battle again, this time with the knowledge that his closest friend, tournament champion, and highest-ranking knight has gone against everything he once stood for. Avalon is long gone, and Arthur has lost hope—for himself and for his kingdom.
Avalon
Toward the end of Book 3 of The Forgotten Queen Trilogy, Avalon walks among the ruins of what once was. Her power is at its fullest, but she will never regain what was lost.
