the cover

this is a love story cover reveal!

On November 1, I sat down with my illustrator, cover designer and good friend Amber Wallin, over good food and cake, to approve the final edits of the cover for this is a love story.

I’d feel most comfortable at this point taking time to thank people, or talking about how there is still so much more work still do, or all of the difficult emotions I have as the release date gets closer (April 2023! We have a month now).

Instead, I am going to unashamedly say: I am proud of myself. I have worked so hard to get to this point. I wrote a story, I’ve been leading a book production team for years, and soon, I will have finished creating an actual BOOK, and then I will be working on getting it into the hands of readers.

Sign up to read this is a love story before release!

Speaking of readers… if you’re as excited as me and you want to read this is a love story as soon as you can get your hands on it, sign up HERE to get an advance copy and be a reviewer! You’ll receive an e-copy in February. In all my research, for any book, self- or traditionally published, reviews are super, super important. It’s such an easy way to be involved in supporting me (and any author you love)!

Ask me anything

I’m also going to do an AMA (ask me anything) on my Instagram @asherlockwrites tonight at 7:00 PM CST for you to ask me any questions about my book, cover design, process, my life, cats, or literally anything else, so please join me for that. If you’ve ever been wondering anything about me, my writing, or my book, this is the time! If you don’t have Instagram, feel free to ask me a question in the comments on this post, or on my Facebook page for me to answer during the AMA.

What you’ve been waiting for…

Back to the cover. It was both surprising and not surprising that the cover ended up coming together pretty easily. I mean, Amber and I have been working together for a year now, so we really understand how to work with each other, and have nailed down our process. Writers, pro tip: just work with your cover artist on your book for a year before working on the cover! (ha). Amber had an idea, liked it, and was ready to fight for it. Thankfully, she didn’t have to fight too hard because I liked it too. Okay, that’s enough talking.

*drum roll*

this is a love story, coming April 2023.
creative non-fiction/poetry

This is a love story you haven’t read before, a raw and vulnerable story of finding hope, love and friendship through struggles with mental illness.

Alyssa Sherlock was a sensitive, anxious child who grew up into a sensitive, anxious adult. In this collection of poetry and essays, Sherlock lays out the reality of becoming her own person while experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and the illness of loved ones, before exploring how complex friendships can be the support that is needed for recovery.

This book is for anyone who struggles with their own mental health or the mental illnesses of others, to remind them they are not alone, and that there is love and belonging to be found in the most unexpected places. Written in collaboration with friends Erin Toews and Amelia Warkentin, and including illustrations by Amber Wallin, this honest autobiographical collection is perfect for fans of dodie’s Secrets for the Mad.

Some fun facts about the cover design:

• I love houseplants, and the cover features some of my favourite houseplants, as well as the houseplants of some of my contributors!

• The ugliness/messiness of mental illness is a theme I come back to throughout this is a love story, which is why the plant tables are a bit chaotic.

• My name on the cover is my actual handwriting, so everyone who buys a copy gets a signed copy (kind of)! I will not tell you how many times I had to rewrite my own name, it is embarrassing.

• Many of the items on the plant tables are nods to either contributors or pieces in this is a love story.

• My current D&D character is in there somewhere. Can you find her?

Have fun exploring the little hidden gems! My social media cover reveal will go live tonight before the AMA, and I would very much appreciate if you could share it wherever you hang out online.

What do you think of the cover? Based on what’s on the cover, what do you expect to find inside? What is your favourite plant? Leave a comment or send me a reply!

Happy December!

Alyssa