The Logo

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This tiger is my de facto logo. I use her as my avatar and add her to all my paperback books. She appears on all my social media sites, Amazon, and Goodreads. I am looking into merchandise now and am positive that she will be on a lot of that. She is special. A one of a kind. She represents Ophelia Kee.  
​I chose her for a lot of reasons, but there is definitely a story behind her. It just so happens that according to the Zodiac astrology, I was born a Leo. But my birth year also happens to have been the year of the tiger according to Chinese astrology.
I am a bit of a big cat. I have crazy curiosity and get easily entertained by ridiculously simple things like strings and baskets. For my family, I am definitely the lioness. I have always protected the cubs. But in my professional career, I am far more the tiger. 

I have a creative mind. I need to use it. I have always sought ought employment that allowed me to utilize that. For many years I have worked in education. But recently, there has been less and less creative outlet in that field as number crunching, test scores, and initiatives took over and demanded an inside the box structure. That boring meeting that many of you may have read about before led to the creation of the dream, the writing of that first book, and ultimately to independent publishing. Incidentally and accidentally, it also led to my tiger. She is the symbolic representation of the fierce determination I have to succeed as an Independent Author as she represents an outlet for the creativity that I prefer not to stifle, my spirit totem if you will. She has become my Logo even if I had no idea that was what she was when I crafted her. (Yes, she was crafted. Real wild tigers do not have elliptical pupils or green eyes. I also like the black background.) 

Why a Logo?

Why a Logo? Logos are the picture symbol of my brand. It is a representation designed to elicit an emotional response to my work. If you have read my stories and liked them, perhaps if you see my tiger again, it will remind you of a crazy determined independent author who wanted to craft words and weave a tale that others might enjoy. You might have a pleasurable memory of having enjoyed a good book. If you see her for the first time, you might smile at the fact that she is always in the place where my face should likely be and wonder, why? I would hope it would elicit the curiosity found in the big cat and lead you to investigate the dream a bit closer. (Also, it does not hurt that my books do have a lot of immortal shifters, and a animal representation of a person does kind of go along with the fantasy theme.)

There is a lot of opinion about whether or not a logo is necessary to an author. I can't speak for others, only myself. I intend to tattoo my logo on everything associated with my work. Name recognition wins elections, drives merchandise sales, and creates a greater connection between my work and the readers who love my stories. So no pressure. Only an image to act as a gentle reminder or spark curiosity. I dislike the use of force if it is not necessary. No pressure and low pressure sales requires time and a 7/11 approach, but in the end is the far more sustainable business model for my journey.

Of Course what kind of author would I be if I did not plug my latest book? Dragon Masters launched yesterday! Book Twelve is a reality. I can't believe that I am saying that even as I realize that I have 14 full-length novels and several short reads on my bookshelf. It still blows me away. If you have been reading the series, Thank you! Dragon Masters like all the other novels in the Draoithe Series FREE with Kindle Unlimited! The debut price to purchase the book is 20% off. Blue and Torch are back in the lead role. This time the mission matters more than ever. To save the greatest treasure, they will have to become Dragon Masters. Continue the epic saga into the dream and Grab your copy today!

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I hope you have enjoyed my explanation on why I chose to use a logo in my author walk. If you too are considering a journey into self publishing as an independent author, I hope what I have doen can be an inspiration, or maybe an example not to follow as the case may be. For those who come just to learn the behind the scenes for the dream, I hope I managed to give you a good glimpse. Remember when you read to leave your kind reviews. I have to drive.
Be Careful!
Happy reading,
​Ophelia Kee