Hot Cars And Warm Memories

/ Diane Henders

Woohoo! The new cover for Book 2: THE SPY IS CAST is finally ready!  Playing with the Audi R8 was fabulous, and it brought back memories, too.

I’d love to blame the long delay on ‘circumstances beyond my control’, but the truth is I’m doing the covers myself and it took so long because I’m short on ‘spare’ time and dog-slow at Photoshop. But hey, I’m getting better! By the time I’ve finished updating all the covers, I should be a pro. (Or, more likely, a trained chimpanzee repeating rote behaviours without grasping the underlying concepts, but whatever. It kinda looks the same to anybody who isn’t a pro themselves.)

Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

I’m pleased with the sophisticated gray-on-gray (no, not Fifty Shades) look, and I’m thrilled to have a real R8 in the picture! When I wrote the book, I never dreamed I’d actually end up sitting in the car of my literary fantasies. Many thanks to Doug S. and the staff at Glenmore Audi for letting me do the photo shoot at their dealership!

My only regret is that I didn’t ask to go for a ride in the R8, but I’m not too sad about missing out. It isn’t right to make a car like that slog along in Calgary traffic, and there’s no place around here where it could really strut its stuff. But even though I didn’t go for a cruise, the thought of riding in a hot car brought back a happy memory for me.

I’m not sure whether a love of high-performance automobiles is genetic or learned, but either way I was destined to inherit it. My dad’s dream car was a 1966 Corvette Stingray with the 427 big-block, and sometime in the mid-70s he bought one. (Aydan’s 1966 ‘Vette in the Never Say Spy series is based on my dad’s car. Are you surprised? Nah, I didn’t think so.)

We lived out in the country on gravel roads that weren’t Corvette-friendly, and Dad lived a busy life. The ‘Vette didn’t get driven very often, but every now and then he’d fire it up and go for a run. Since he had a wife and three kids and only one passenger seat, we kids didn’t get to ride along very often; but one day it was my turn. I was in my mid-teens at the time, not quite old enough to have my driver’s license, but old enough to know safe driving habits.

We rumbled out the lane and idled along the gravel road until we got to the highway, which was straight and flat with miles of visibility. Dad looked both ways, turned onto the highway… and punched the gas! He was always a careful and law-abiding driver, so I wasn’t sure whether to be terrified or exhilarated. The big engine roared and the tires chirped through the shifts. Dad dodged back and forth between lanes, showing off the handling (which was pretty good considering it was a brute-force muscle car), and then he pointed it straight and let the horses run.

As quickly as it had started, it was over. He slowed down and turned around, and we drove home as sedately as if we’d been in the family sedan.

But one or both of us might have been grinning.

So thanks again, Doug and the gang, for letting me “borrow” the R8, and for reminding me of a beloved memory of my dad and his dream car.

Corvette

Dad’s Corvette 30 years ago. Yes, that’s an outhouse in the background.

 

35 thoughts on “Hot Cars And Warm Memories”

  3. What a wonderful memory of your dad and you. Every girl needs at least one of those tucked away. Great book cover – I am impressed you did that yourself with your own self as the model – wow!

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    • Thanks, Jenny! And thanks for putting up with WordPress’s oddball comment quirks, too! The blog works work pretty well most of the time, but every now and then it seems to have a brain fart. (I guess I can’t complain too loudly, though – I’ve been know to have a touch of mental flatulence now and then, too.) 😉

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      • No, it wasn’t your blog, it was me. I didn’t realize the comments go from newest to oldest, so I was checking the bottom for mine and re-posted when I didn’t see it there.

        Didn’t want you to think you had a problem when you didn’t 🙂

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  4. Extraordinary post! The cover is awesome too. The whole picture just flows together beautifully. The car is fantastic, your hair (Photoshopped or not ) is gorgeous, the partial shot of your face, legs etc. just scream “Read this now!” LOL What wonderful memories of your Dad and his car and your time with him. Makes everything even more special when memories are sweet.
    By the way, thank you for your kind thoughts too. Events are evening out and with good drugs………(LOL) it’s getting better!
    I’ll be maintaining my watch for #10 while still clinging to #’s 1 thru’ 9.

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    • Aw, thanks! The hair colour was enhanced to give the cover a punch of red, but the hair itself is the real thing. It used to be almost the colour on the cover but now that I’m going “naturally platinum” it’s not so bright. 😉

      My books all go through a similar process – I start off writing furiously, then have to slow down while I go back and fill in all the little details and hooks that will turn into big things later. Then I get bogged down in the middle while I sort out everything, and finally I get to the point where everything’s ready and I can write furiously again. I just hit that point on #10 a couple of days ago, so now all I need is some quality writing time. That’s easier said than done with the summer gardening ramping up but the book is just screaming to be written now, so I have a feeling it’ll go quickly!

      And I’m so glad you’re feeling better! Gotta love good drugs! 😀

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      • Relax about the hair thing. I’ve been a natural platinum for years, and look at me. Oh. Okay. Point taken. 🙂

        But speaking of feeling better, how are you doing this week? MUCH better, I hope!

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        • LOL! I’m not worrying about the hair one bit. As long as it’s still attached to my head, I’m happy.

          And thanks for asking – I am feeling much better! Still not much of a voice and I’m almost deaf because my ears are so blocked (I keep thinking I’ve left my earplugs in and trying to remove them), but it beats coughing ’til I puked the way I did last weekend. Whoever develops the cure for the common cold will be rich beyond their wildest dreams!

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          • Repeat after me: Southern Comfort, lemon juice, honey. Southern Comfort, lemon juice, honey.

            And if you catch a cold, do it some more! 🙂

            Administer until just before a hangover sets in and hold it at that point until the symptoms have disappeared. Along with probably half your friends.

            Some of the best times I’ve ever had have been while experimenting with cold remedies. So I’ve been told…

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            • That is truly funny! The sickest I ever got, and the best lesson I ever learned as a teen regarding drinking, was at the neck of a bottle of Southern Comfort. Oh yeah. My limit to this day is 2 of anything and that is sipped slowwwwly.

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    • Hi Nigel! Yes, I totally muffed that opportunity with the R8. I should have told them I needed driving-action shots! (Except for the fact that I would have been terrified to actually drive it in traffic.)

      And you know, I don’t remember ever riding in the ‘Vette again. I’m not sure if that’s just my execrable memory (entirely possible) or the truth. In any case, nothing could have topped that memory with my dad. 🙂

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  11. Your cover is fantastic! I’m SO impressed you can do that yourself. I had to hire out for mine. And are those your gams? Va va va voom!

    Very cool your dad was able to get his dream car. Everyone deserves to have at least one thing they’ve always coveted. Mine would be a car made of chocolate. Sadly, I haven’t acquired that yet.

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    • Thanks, Carrie! Yes, those are my legs, and I’m happy to say that’s the least photoshopped part of the image. My face, however, was a different story… 😉

      I did hire a professional for the first set of covers, but I’m a geek and I was really interested in learning Photoshop. My graphic designer was kind and patient enough to teach me some basics, so once I knew enough, I could find the more advanced techniques on the internet. Who knew all that design training in my checkered past would ever pay off?

      And hmmm, a chocolate car. Could be problem in summer, but I’m sure you’d find a way to deal with it. 😉

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  12. Ah, yes. Sweet memories of terror runs and misspent youth!

    Excellent job with photoshop. Very nicely done. The anonymous model you selected purely at random is totally hot, too. Just an FYI.

    And almotht thixty per thent! You theriouthly rock!

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