Introducing the cover of Fickle Animals…

Seeing the cover design come together makes it seem all the more real. The art and imagery on the outside of a book are, to me, equally as important as the actual story inside it.

My inspiration for the cover was 19th century lithographs of birds and other wildlife. This matched well with the animal motifs in the novel, in addition to having that classic meets modern feel I was going for with the cover.

Some cover designs I was drawn to when doing research on the style I was looking for…

Each of these makes me curious about what story is hidden inside its pages. That’s the kind of feeling I want my covers to evoke in readers.

The bird on the cover of Fickle Animals is the Great Crow-Shrike, known more commonly as the currawong, a large, striking Australian songbird with black and grey plumage and piercing yellow eyes. Despite its melodic voice, it is entirely carnivorous: a predator that impales its prey and stores it for later. Beautiful on the outside, ruthless underneath. It felt like the right bird for this story.

Fickle Animals is coming in 2026. If you want to be the first to know when it’s available — release date, pre-order links, and everything in between — you can subscribe below or visit the Upcoming Works page to learn more about the book.

It’s almost real. That’s still a strange thing to say.