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We're continually asked about cover designs by followers and we're responding by commenting on each book we produce to bring people into our world of all things books. So, we've been going back and forth with midlands author, Lyn Maloney, and our Niall has listened carefully to her brief re book cover design. Quite a lot of thinking goes into making a cover both impactful to readers and meaningful to an author. It should speak to the book's content... For her debut book of short stories, set in rural Ireland, 'The Plainest Jane Of All', we played around with several concepts before we got the final approval from Lyn. Here's some ideas which worked to degrees but required refinement. First, Lyn wanted an orange background and very plain (get the pun?) cover...We then migrated to the idea of an elderly man in a pub with his faithful dog and came up with a few iterations on this theme finally landing on an obviously aged dog sitting beside his owner who is quietly enjoying his pint. Could we get any more Irish than that? Niall's final front cover uses softened tones and clearer visibility with gentler tonal shift for a faded, dreamlike appearance. It has slight amber warmth added to lighting for hearth-like intimacy and full sepia styling to push the vintage, nostalgic mood. We love it! And, importantly, so does Lyn!<figure id="figure-ji5kof2loemfdx4e8n"><img id="ji5kof2loemfdx4e8n" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/35lNnVY81uAz24snuaYHsSX5OmF4sxrfgSM51luiJwGFltLXZcJIR7fpAYJfq6cn.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 selected" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/35lNnVY81uAz24snuaYHsSX5OmF4sxrfgSM51luiJwGFltLXZcJIR7fpAYJfq6cn.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-mce-selected="1"></figure> #bookcoverdesign #bookcover #ruralreland #shadowscriptpublications

Book Cover Design

Our Niall loves his photography jaunts and felt some detail on his stark capture of Dr Michael D Meyer's Author book signing event might be useful…<figure id="figure-puglym95mwmf5nc4qr"><img id="puglym95mwmf5nc4qr" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2f57MaX5nzQyifZRdCTJ1ZCpEg7h204mw9dG1iXB45JSt8cJyfpyGWPnH2xdDLmy.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2f57MaX5nzQyifZRdCTJ1ZCpEg7h204mw9dG1iXB45JSt8cJyfpyGWPnH2xdDLmy.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure>1. Composition The subject (Michael signing books) is framed tightly, which pulls the viewer into the action. The slight diagonal created by his bent arms and the angle of the book adds dynamism. The cluttered background (posters, door, and hands of other people) tells the story of a live, organic event rather than a staged one.2. Lighting The natural light streaming from the right creates a high-contrast effect, perfect for black and white. Michael’s traditional cap and beard catch the light nicely, adding texture and depth. The shadows falling across the page and table emphasise movement and intimacy.3. Black &amp; White Choice This strips away distractions, allowing focus on gesture, expression, and atmosphere. The textures; wool of the cap, tattoos, wooden door and paper pop beautifully in monochrome.4. Storytelling This is more than just a book signing; it captures persona and ritual. The tattoos, rings, cap, and beard suggest a strong identity, almost a character in himself. You can feel the weight of the moment: author connecting with reader, words moving from page to hand to heart.5. Technical Notes Depth of field is quite forgiving. Sharp focus on hands and book, slight softness on background, which helps separation.“Ink on skin, ink on paper. Every signature is a story within a story.”#BookSigning #AuthorLife#LiteraryCommunity #Storytelling#WritersOfInstagram #CreativeJourney#BookLovers #InspirationThroughWords#ArtInBlackAndWhite #LiveYourStory See less

Book Launch Photography

When Leaving Cert Students Return to School—Can We Get Them Off Reels and Into Real Reads? Welcome back, Leaving Cert survivors! As school kicks off this week across Ireland (hello again, senior cycle!), the challenge isn't just remembering your locker code, it’s prying your teenagers’ eyes off the glowing TikTok and YouTube vortex and steering them toward the printed page instead.<figure id="figure-c8ayemc2nnmer7id0r"><img id="c8ayemc2nnmer7id0r" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1649927045/photo/social-media-social-media-marketing-engagement-post-structure.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=cf7IaEzpHR2NNj25zqywkXaqgg9c60o46MbITLmcsIU=" alt="Social media,Social, media, Marketing, Engagement, Post - Structure," title="Social media,Social, media, Marketing, Engagement, Post - Structure," class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1649927045/photo/social-media-social-media-marketing-engagement-post-structure.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=cf7IaEzpHR2NNj25zqywkXaqgg9c60o46MbITLmcsIU=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>The Screen Strikes BackSmartphones are not innocent bystanders. They’re brain-hijacking attention bandits. A recent study across Ireland and the UK found nearly three‑quarters of students admit their phone habits hinder study, while over 75% reported negative effects on mental health. Sleep disruption and feeling “disconnected from real-life experiences” were especially common (KSBY News).TikTok-style reels are particularly pernicious. One 2025 study determined that rapid, infinite-scroll content can erode attention spans and derail students’ ability to sustain focus during longer tasks (Preprints). Meanwhile, experimental findings show that short-form video feeds like TikTok or Instagram, significantly impair prospective memory, undermining students’ ability to remember tasks set before a distraction (arXiv).So, sorry to say: brain rot is real.Page-Turners Versus Page-Swipes We’re not just nostalgic book-lovers here at ShadowScript. Research finds that comprehension from physical books is six to eight times better than from e-readers. Why? Because turning pages creates a spatial “index” in the brain that cements the memory of what you read (www.ofcom.org.uk, Psychology Today). Beyond that, reading printed literature such as novels, poetry, serious nonfiction, gives your brain a breather. It encourages deeper vocabulary, richer thought, and calmer engagement than the dopamine-fueled flick of a thumb down a screen (Psychology Today).<figure id="figure-uxn8lxuwhcmer7o6br"><img id="uxn8lxuwhcmer7o6br" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2187389224/photo/a-open-book-on-table.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=FRorWeAZZw6AkskYBZwSLQZm3SVZkhjRGMPcSMI4rnw=" alt="A open book on table" title="A open book on table" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2187389224/photo/a-open-book-on-table.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=FRorWeAZZw6AkskYBZwSLQZm3SVZkhjRGMPcSMI4rnw=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>What Literature Does to the Soul Let's talk emotional and psychological muscles. Social media and short-form feed bingeing has been connected with anxiety, especially in girls. One study reported that girls who spend five or more hours a day on social media are three times more likely to be depressed than peers who don’t use it (The Guardian). Reading, especially real books, is the antidote. It’s like emotional yoga for the mind. It improves empathy, self-awareness, reduces stress, and supports better mental health (though exact figures vary, the consensus across the literature is clear).Back to School, Back to Books So, how do we ease students off the reels and back into real reading?Lead by example. Teachers and parents start the trend. Share what you're reading and why it matters. Helmet the habits. Create short, intentional reading routines. 4 p.m. with a paperback, away from screens. Reward real engagement. Use gamified reading challenges or contests to build momentum (similar to the Indian reading‐contest model that sustained engagement weeks afterward) (arXiv). Tech with purpose. Encourage using screens for long-form learning content and not constant scrolling. <figure id="figure-1e4tppdmgemer7otkr"><img id="1e4tppdmgemer7otkr" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2183244316/photo/middle-aged-female-high-school-teacher-looking-smiling-at-camera-with-joined-hands-in.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Kl-Wg4nwjEXwWhUZJWv8xgjL9Glgmrxq7vSHTP5ZYx8=" alt="Middle-aged female high school teacher looking smiling at camera with joined hands in classroom." title="Middle-aged female high school teacher looking smiling at camera with joined hands in classroom." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2183244316/photo/middle-aged-female-high-school-teacher-looking-smiling-at-camera-with-joined-hands-in.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=Kl-Wg4nwjEXwWhUZJWv8xgjL9Glgmrxq7vSHTP5ZYx8=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>Wrapping up&nbsp; Leaving Certs: You’ve survived the prep, and now the real battle is staying mentally resilient in a world engineered to distract you. Books aren’t old-school. They’re your brain’s secret weapon. You need to nourish it.&nbsp;&nbsp; References Kushwaha, R. (2024). A study on the adverse effects of social media on young people's reading habits. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(5), 3543–3546. (Psychology Today, ResearchGate) Opara, E., Adalikwu, T. M., &amp; Tolorunleke, C. A. (2025). The impact of TikTok’s fast‑paced content on attention span of students. Preprints. (Preprints) Chiossi, F., Haliburton, L., Ou, C., Butz, A., &amp; Schmidt, A. (2023). Short‑form videos degrade our capacity to retain intentions: Effect of context switching on prospective memory. arXiv. (arXiv) Altamura, L., Vargas, C., &amp; Salmerón, L. (2023). The case for paper: Books vs. e‑readers. Psychology Today. (Psychology Today) Research firm Fluid Focus. (2025, June 23). Students on track to spend 25 years of their lifetime on phones, study warns. KSYB News. (KSBY News) Agrawal, K., Athey, S., Kanodia, A., &amp; Palikot, E. (2023). Digital interventions and habit formation in educational technology. arXiv. (arXiv)

Leaving Certificate Students Return...Love Books

dragon statue decorates the staircase at Linh Ung Pagoda in Da Nang in Vietnam in Asia

Let's have a peek into an amazing book titled 'The Spirit Dragon's Keeper' (book 1 in The Polar Saga Series) we had the pleasure of editing with Swedish born author, Catarina Lilliehöök. "I have two immediate problems. The first is my hair. It’s cut short, like that of a boy. The South China sun is bearing down on my neck like a flaming beast.&nbsp; “Tamen laile!” Beyond the curtain of swaying bamboo, excited voices announce our arrival. My throat tightens. How old will the boys in there be? And how many? I have dreaded this moment for nine long moons, and this is my second problem. Long Si, the Dragon Temple, is not for girls, especially not nine-year-old foreign girls. With twitchy fingers, I follow my master. Curved rooftops dance in my side vision, and tall mountains tower menacingly around us. How did I get from reindeer herder to this? Everything is still unreal. I have not seen a motorcar since we crossed the border; we have no horses, and Master Li’s money has dwindled along the way. The long walk has left me bone weary, and fear spikes in my system in front of the imposing gate. We enter, and I nearly stumble into my master as he halts in the lower courtyard. Buildings, mounted stone tablets and sculptures of lions and turtles surround me. My eyes instantly pick out the grand structure beyond the stairs and the upper courtyard: the Blooming Lotus Flower’s Palace Hall. I know it from Master Li’s drawing. He made me memorize it all. For a suspended moment, everything in the courtyard stops. Next, a flurry of boys surrounds us, gawking, drawing near in tighter and tighter circles. Five feet away, they stop. Their gazes strip the meat off my bones, making my heart beat wildly. Pressing my lips together, I try to hide the toe peeking from my worn left shoe. “It is good to have you back, Abbot Superior.” An old woman with a laundry basket nods in greeting. “Ah, Mei. I hope the washing is not too hard on your joints.” A second woman, wearing an apron, hurries across the upper courtyard brushing flour from her arms. “You’re back!” “Cook Ma,” Li sharpens his gaze, but at her almost imperceptible headshake, disappointment flits across his face. The crowd quickly melts away as a man with broad shoulders pushes through. His face has a carved quality, and the ends of his long black moustache nearly dips into the forked beard below. “Master Li,” he nods curtly as he comes to a stop.&nbsp; “Master Gang.” Li offers a tight-lipped smile. “How are your fighting classes?” “Very good.” He puffs up his chest, nodding at a boy with square cheeks and hard eyes. “Yong Da’s excelling. As you know, ta ai chi ku.” The boy eats bitterness like sweets. Yong Da rakes me with his gaze. I can tell what will come will not be pleasant, so I bow my burning face. A big cockroach scuttles between the throng of black canvas shoes. “Ta shu she.” The boy spits out my birth year: Snake. Master Li told them? Shock prevents me from glancing at my master. “She won’t be able to fight any warlords.” Fight warlords? Despite the heat, I shiver to my toes. Apart from the two boys flanking Yong Da, the others look away, embarrassed. I’ve learned it’s not the Chinese way to be so direct. Yong Da does not care. “Nüwu,” he snorts: witch. They know I’m a girl. My short hair is fooling no one. Or did Master Li tell them this also? I am not a witch.Anyone born in the year of the Snake can have many good qualities. Master Li taught me about China. “Xiao long,” says a little boy no more than five or six, staring from under somebody’s arm. “It’s not snake; it’s xiao long.” One of the masters pats his head. “That’s right, Xiao Wei.” He adds the prefix for little. “Little dragon is what she is.” In the Chinese zodiac, Snake comes next to Dragon, and to soften unpleasant connotations, Master Li told me that it is common to call oneself small dragon instead of Snake. How can a birth year matter so much? And why did he tell people in the village I’m an orphan? I heard him. Guer, tai kelian le. I had bitten my lip in anger. Liar! I am not an orphan. I am Mila. My parents are reindeer herders in the wild lands far above the Polar Circle. Master Li stole me and gave me a new name: Lu Mi La. In China, the surname comes first, and Lu means reindeer, so now I am Mila Reindeer. But that was many moons ago, and my memory is hazy. “Off you go,” the master gives Little Wei a gentle push. “All of you, back to your chores.” He turns and smiles. “I am Master Peng, teacher of scripture. I will show you to your room.” My room—as though this is home. Home is so far from here that my throat tightens. Home is Sápmi, the northern part of Fennoscandia, a region stretching over four countries of arctic territory: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Temperatures often go below thirty, and the sun in winter does not even reach the horizon. Where it’s wild and free, where life moves with the seasons and the migrating herd, and where you learn to observe. I have been here less than five minutes, but already I know three things: Cook Ma bears a secret, Master Li has something Master Gang wants, and Yong Da hates me. Teeth cutting into my lip, I keep my eyes trained on the ground. The cockroach has advanced further into the throng of feet.."*Catarina's book is available to buy on Amazon and in selected bookstores globally.&nbsp;

From Chapter 1, The Spirit Dragon's Keeper by Catarina Lilliehöök

As it's Thursday morning, let's have a peek at the second short story from the book, 'Where's Mum? Stories of Love, Loss and Menopause' by Dr Michael Meyer&nbsp; <figure id="figure-k0a1zrn10jmeb8um0s"><img id="k0a1zrn10jmeb8um0s" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2196838395/photo/valentines-day-message-frame.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=OhHFRErQxuE3xh8CcgWE_AfWb2DSYllpiVBnOIknays=" alt="Valentines day message frame." title="Valentines day message frame." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2196838395/photo/valentines-day-message-frame.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=OhHFRErQxuE3xh8CcgWE_AfWb2DSYllpiVBnOIknays=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>Marriage Counselling "JP had calmly entered the kitchen a few hours earlier, cleared his throat, and made deep eye contact with Maggie. He quietly stated, “I've been thinking about our relationship for well over a year. Anytime I’ve tried to talk to you, you’ve shut me down.” “Don’t be daft. What on earth are you talking about?” Maggie responded as she glanced up from her computer. She was watching RTE News and obsessed with social media, as always, and didn’t fully register what he was saying. “If you have a long, hard think about how you’ve treated me and everyone close to you the past couple of years, I’m sure you’ll figure out what I mean,” JP quietly replied. “I’m sorry it's come to this, but I can’t see any other way. I understand you are going through a type of living hell on some days, and I hate to see you like that.” “What do you mean?” Maggie interrupted in an aggressive but shaky voice before JP had finished talking. JP continued, “I’m too young not to have pleasant conversations with a companion in the future.” “I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re on about,” she countered. “You do,” he finished. He handed Maggie an envelope and picked up his small suitcase. He turned and walked slowly out of the kitchen. Maggie heard the front door quietly close before opening the large manila envelope and was shocked to the core by its contents. The divorce papers were spread out before her on the table and her cup of tea had long gone cold..."<figure id="figure-wq6ecw7kovmeb8vp6x"><img id="wq6ecw7kovmeb8vp6x" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/2170428685/photo/divorce-settlement-agreement-document-with-wedding-ring-and-pen-on-table-top-for-legal-and.jpg?b=1&s=2048x2048&w=0&k=20&c=MC8unpnlWa2e-kjBJ9uJIEOh4W1M6ukFu-0dRFp3r2k=" alt="Divorce Settlement Agreement Document with Wedding Ring and Pen on Table Top for Legal and Financial Context in Family Law" title="Divorce Settlement Agreement Document with Wedding Ring and Pen on Table Top for Legal and Financial Context in Family Law" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure> #bookmarketing #newbookalert #menopause #bookhubpublishing*Michael's book will be launched in The Latin Quarter, Redcross, Wicklow on Saturday August 30th 2025. &nbsp;

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Leaving Certificate Students Return...Love Books

From Chapter 1, The Spirit Dragon's Keeper by Catarina Li...

Where's Mum? Stories of Love, Loss and Menopause' by Dr M...

Global Anxiety Post Pandemic