Cover Story

The cover art for Between the Shimmer & the Blinding was created by Gregory Prestegord, my oldest friend dating all the way back to daycare at age two.

Gregory is a highly accomplished fine artist, showing in galleries all over the country, who generously provided his time and talent to help me bring Between the Shimmer & the Blinding to life.

Inspiration struck him on a snowy night as he rode his bike home from his studio on a tree-lined path toward a distant glow of city light. The next morning he went back to the studio and looked at the table he'd been painting over for 10 years. It was caked with paint from years of work, creating a depth of texture from time. Gregory saw what would become the cover image on top of this surface, so he sawed the table in half and began painting directly on top of it.

Beauty in grit is a theme in the cover, demonstrated by the power of the strokes and variety of materials, like coffee grounds for texture. That, combined with the thick paint from years of working over that table, gives the artwork its layered look and feel.

The painting itself illustrates the intensity and multi-dimensionality of the core decision that Sam and Clara face in the novel. The fact it’s painted on the wood that’s gathered the drips and drops from Gregory’s easel for the last ten years parallels the adaptation that our genes undergo with our experiences.

Thank you, Gregory, for your breathtaking cover art. I told you I wanted people to judge this book by its cover and, my friend, you delivered.

Follow Gregory on Instagram. View more of his work via Sloane Merrill Gallery and F.A.N. Gallery.