Art Inspired by My Writing

I’ve got many visual artists in my family, including both my parents. My mom, Sally Amft Gerke, is a retired primary school art teacher, and she’s been making beautiful images of the characters in my MG novel (currently titled SERENITY AND THE SOUL IN THE WALL).

Charcoal drawing of a glasses-wearing white girl wearing loud colors and holding a large cat and a Korean girl dressed in white and khaki. They are in front of the ocean and ominous dark hands are reaching for them out of the sea.
This is my book’s main character Serenity (AKA Ren), her sister Sofia, their cat Sir Fuzzybutt, and a glimpse of Mister, the soul of their grandmother’s seaside motel.
Charcoal drawing of a middle aged white man on the beach doing bird of paradise pose.

Here’s my main character’s mother, reorganizing Nana’s chaotic kitchen in a frenzy.

Charcoal drawing of an African American mermaid wearing a witch’s hat.
This is Tempest, a building soul from Ren’s neighborhood who’s taken the form of a sea witch.

Charcoal drawing of an anthropomorphic shrimp weari by a bikini and surfing.

This is Minnie, the soul of a local all-u-can eat seafood buffet, who enjoys surfing.

And Footlong, the pun-loving soul of the local hot dog stand.

Book Aesthetics

I’ve put together a couple aesthetics for SERENITY AND THE SOUL IN THE WALL, and I may be updating these as I get more amazing art from my mom.

Pic collage of a mid century modern motor lodge, a vintage Myrtle Beach postcard, a ghostly figure, a hurricane hitting a pier, and people doing yoga on the beach at sunrise.
Inspiration for the Sea Mystic Motel, the spirit living in its walls, called Mister, and some stuff that happens in the book.
Collage gathering of the same charcoal images as above.
Some supernatural, super-Myrtle-Beachy characters from my book. Footlong, Tempest, Mister, Minnie, and Rank, president of the Building Spirits Association.