With the re-release of Dead Man’s Hand, I knew some character artwork of some characters would be a wonderful way to promote the book. Despite my desire to create such artwork myself, I don’t possess the skill set for such a task at this point in time. As a result, I turned to Fiverr and searched for artists who might take the descriptions of four of my characters and give me their interpretations of Marcus, Bella, Dempsey, and Alexis. After sending out a flurry of inquiries, I chose my artist and sent him several excerpts from Dead Man’s Hand to describe the characters and a couple of locations to use as the background. And now I’m lucky to present his rendition of the above characters as well as a glimpse of the lounge Marcus walks into prior to the events of the tournament.
Marcus
With Marcus, the eagle eyed readers of Dead Man’s Hand will know that I don’t describe the main character. That was an intentional choice. However, for this project, I needed something to provide the artist. As a result, I went right to the first chapter and lifted the scene where I detailed the clothes he would wear for the poker tournament. I also provided him with the book’s new cover. Ultimately, I’m very pleased with the artist’s interpretation of Marcus’s appearance.
Excerpt describing Marcus
“…Contrary to his assumption, I had earned the money on this trip. While I’m willing to attend Dempsey’s tournament, I’m not stupid enough to try to fleece him with illicit money. So I’d stopped at casinos every night and built my nest egg. Granted, with all the jobs and cons Matt and I have pulled, we had enough money available to pay the fee and deck me out like any spoiled rich kid. However, every dollar had been linked to a use of my gift.
“Matt, not a single penny of what I currently have was the fruit of an illicit act.”
“What about transformed goodies?”
A rough chuckle seeped through my lips as I continued pacing the length of the hotel room. I wouldn’t have begrudged Matt the question if I hadn’t just precluded it. Technically, I hadn’t been explicit, but I considered those things to fall into the same bucket as an illegal act. Technically, the only thing that had to be real was my entrance fee. If there was anything wrong with my funds, Matt wouldn’t get the chance to tell me I told you so.
Everything else was fair game to supplement with my gift, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, it gave me a chance to hone my skills. And with all that work, I had earned enough cash to complete the ensemble, everything from the suit to the suitcase for my entrance fee and everything in between. I sauntered over to the closet and ran my fingers under the suit’s lapel. “Aside from the funds used to start the nest egg, everything I have now is nice and clean, including the handmade silk suit that I’ll be wearing.”
“Silk?”
I pushed the charcoal gray suit aside and pulled out the shirt. “It was worth the money, not to mention the time required to have it made. Same with the shirt. Silk is a luxurious fabric.”
“How fancy do you plan on getting?”
“Just the shirt and suit,” I said, as I rehung the shirt in the closet. “I have other important accessories like a fancy set of cufflinks, a fancy watch, and a truly expensive pair of leather shoes.”
“Aren’t you going a little overboard?”
I tapped the shoes resting on the shelf and shook my head.
“As a spoiled rich kid, there’s a certain image I need to maintain…”
Bella
As I sat down to come up with the characters to highlight, Marcus, Dempsey, and Alexis were obvious choices. However, I wanted more than a simple trio. But as far as that fourth character, it took me a moment to round out the group. While there are a couple other players who are more prominent in the actual tournament (which is a small portion of the book) Bella was by far one of the most impactful individuals who emerged from the story’s first act. That alone warranted her placement with the other trio. With her inclusion, I shifted to thinking about how she’d be depicted. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to realize a depiction from the waist up would be the best way to include her, and again I’m pleased with the results.
Excerpts describing Bella
“…She looked down at me with a very warm smile, and before I could speak, her silken voice, colored with a hint of sweetness, broke the silence. “Would you mind some company?”
My fingers tightened around my martini’s stem as it hovered under my nose. While the soft hints of citrus and salt tickled my nose, I purged the intoxicants from my glass, losing a trivial amount of body heat. After taking a sip of the non-offensive drink, I placed the glass on the table and clapped my hands together as I lost myself in her tranquil gray eyes. I wanted to say no. But those soft pools of gray soothed my inner voice. So I gestured at the chair she’d claimed. Besides, I could learn a lot through some friendly banter. That she was one of the more attractive women in the room was simply a bonus.
“You would be a very pleasant addition to my table.”
She slipped into the chair almost before I finished speaking. While she settled into the chair, I reclaimed my martini and took another sip. My gaze followed her every twitch as she composed herself. Despite the wonderfully balanced flavors of Simon’s work, she stole my attention. And it wasn’t simply her striking eyes captivating me.
Given some of the more flamboyant clothing worn by the present elite, her simple garb suggested she was a professional. The clothing had been selected for comfort, not to impress. However, that didn’t mean her selection was incapable of serving both purposes. The sleeveless teal shirt was so rich that it bordered on a deep blue, which only emphasized her pale skin. Despite the lack of color, this woman wasn’t sickly. Rather, it was reminiscent of a porcelain doll.
As my eyes dipped, I noted the elegant pair of gray slacks and sensible shoes. While they were more formal than a set of sneakers, you wouldn’t have expected to find them on someone in this ornate waiting room. But the most shocking contrast was her strawberry-blond hair. Heavy strands cascaded over her right shoulder, landing atop her bare arm, creating a trap that would ensnare even the most hardened. As she twisted in the seat, the light reflected off her flowing locks, and I noted the slightest touch of honey to them.
I pulled my gaze away from her exposed shoulder and studied her face. It took me a couple of passes to realize she hardly wore any makeup, but what she did wear was strategically applied. Despite the subtlety, she was stunning, and more importantly, she knew how to use her looks to manipulate people. She was going to be a challenging opponent. With a silence settling in between us, she pursed her lips as her legs crossed.
I’d like to say her lures didn’t affect me.
I really want to say that.
Unfortunately, that would be a lie…”
“…Now, don’t twist that into thinking she’s a vain woman; she’s not. In fact she’s unaware of just how much leverage she wields over her male opponents…”
Dempsey
As the principal antagonist of Dead Man’s Hand, Dempsey needed to be depicted in this piece of art. With Marcus being drawn in full and taking center stage, and Bella drawn from the waist up to Marcus’s right, it made perfect sense to slip the central antagonist into the spot on Marcus’s left. Once again, he was drawn from the waist up.
Excerpt describing Dempsey
“…With a nod, I put her issue with Dempsey out of my mind and resumed studying him. His reputation was larger than life, and at first glance, it felt wrong to apply that reputation to this man. The image I’d painted from those stories didn’t match the man looming in the entryway. He was nothing exceptional, at least physically. The only thing about him stressing his place in society was his clothing. Every piece of his ensemble appeared to be the epitome of fashion and elegance. The contrast between the extraordinary wrappings and the ordinary individual was stark.
Aside from being of average height and weight, there wasn’t a physical trait marking him as special. If pressed, I would say that he was lean. Built with muscles crafted from a life of constant running. He had close-cropped black hair contrasting perfectly with his pale skin. In fact, Dempsey was so pale I wondered if he ever ventured into sunlight. I had the idea Dempsey had little desire to do anything that didn’t directly benefit him, like ensuring a healthy dose of vitamin D.
Then I caught sight of his innermost thoughts through his pale-gray eyes. If I had been standing when our gazes met, I would’ve collapsed like a house of cards. Fortunately, the chair kept me from making a fool of myself. After taking a sip from my martini, I resumed studying those gray pools. While they were colder than ice, they also exuded a strength that would rival any hardened steel. Despite their dispassionate demeanor, they also captured my attention, promising nothing but trouble if I ever crossed him. That unspoken promise was the most prominent of all the rumors I’d heard. Well, that is aside from his patience and wisdom. And given his stature, those whispers had been accurate.
Despite his eyes elevating his status, his clothing skyrocketed him to new heights. While I can’t remember who told me that a man’s wardrobe will betray his secrets, I’ve proved the saying right too often to ignore it. Granted, if I were to steal them, I wouldn’t find Dempsey’s account numbers or passwords anywhere in or on the fabric. Yet they revealed so much more about him. With the correct point of view, you could learn so much about who you were dealing with. And none of what I saw put me at ease.
After a few seconds, a pair of henchmen removed his scarf, overcoat, cane, and hat before his emotionless gaze swept through the lounge, registering and cataloguing his portable accounts. As he took everything in, I could see why a handful of rumors claimed he was omniscient. While the look on his face boasted knowledge of everything unfolding before him, nobody could read another’s mind. However, this appearance, when coupled with a vast team of dedicated researchers, something he had the money for, would complete the hint of those tales.
While I attempted to follow Dempsey’s example of being well informed, holding onto all those facts was difficult. It takes a special mind to store, let alone recall, specific details at the drop of a dime. But there he was, his mind busy crunching the numbers, so to speak. Instantly, I knew he’d spent his lifetime training himself to handle whatever his spies collected. Even worse, he could find relevant details to help guide his actions in real time.
That assurance played with another aspect of his reputation. Dempsey rarely made mistakes. Though when he did, the ramifications didn’t reach far or last long. As the weight of Dempsey’s persona overwhelmed me, I regretted not following Matt’s advice. A compulsion to cut and run swelled in my chest. Reflexively, my mind toyed with the idea of leaving, despite knowing it would be without the entrance fee. While I’d already written it off as a loss, it might be the best use of the money. Unfortunately, leaving would probably mark me as something to be pruned as quickly as possible.
No, I couldn’t leave. I had to see this through to the end. If Matt were here, he would have poked my stomach as he said something like this is your mess to deal with. All I could do at that moment was accept my fate and follow Matt’s other bit of advice about transforming my cards. Despite my friend’s opinion of my ability, there were times I couldn’t help but tweak whatever the dealer had sent my way. My problem came with losing. At that moment, I promised to fight my baser instincts and accept whatever came my way.
Once Dempsey adjusted his blood-red tie, he stepped clear of the doorway and spoke with a booming voice that certainly carried to everyone present. He must have arranged for the room’s acoustics to amplify the voice of whoever spoke from that spot…”
Alexis
Despite being highlighted in the Prologue, Alexis’s arrival does not happen until the novel’s second act. However, his presence in the opening scene highlights his importance in the central conflict of the story. With that understanding in place, I needed my artist to include him in this image. Thankfully, there is a spot open for this mysterious figure, right above Marcus. So when I secured this commission, I asked for only a bust depiction of Alexis, drawn in such a way to be looking down upon the story’s protagonist.
Excerpts describing Alexis
“…Despite repeated alterations, there was enough clarity for me to see the twin sparks of joy and happiness in his eyes. The part of me who wanted to flee jumped on that acknowledgement, reclaiming the advantage. Yet the rest of me offered a simple retort. If you walk away, Dempsey will simply recruit two more people. One to finish the job and the second would reunite me with my personal bullet.
As the righteous portion of my mind waned, I resumed my final examination of the surveillance photo. Alexis’s cheerful eyes were framed by shoulder-length blackish brown curly hair, loosely tied into a tail. While every bit of the man screamed happiness, the sole competition to his expressive eyes were the well-worn lips. There were so many hints of happiness etched around his mouth. And somehow, I could tell that those marks weren’t the result of a singular moment. Rather, a series of happy moments from a life well lived. Alexis Rene LeBlanc was a good man…”
“…I looked through the iron sights and saw Alexis rising. While facing his television, his arms appeared to be dusting off his chest as he shook his head. When he turned, his blue-green eyes found mine instantly. The fire burning behind those orbs raged, betraying the sight I’d seen from the photo. Instead of a joyous visage, all I could see was the gaze of an executioner resigned to the fact he had to carry out a duty he didn’t want…”
Lounge
Ultimately, I selected Brayan M (@zackdraw) for this project, because of the quality of his portfolio and his promise of a background In addition, the four characters. Ultimately, there are only a handful of locations in Dead Man’s Hand that would be perfect, and I provided a brief excerpt of my book that described them. The first is the lounge where the gamblers meet prior to the start of the tournament, and the other is highlighted in the Prologue, Alexis’s devastated home. I did this intentionally so he could use what he preferred, and in the end, he selected the beautiful lounge.
Excerpt describing the lounge
“…Even though the décor commanded most of my attention, I felt the eyes of the other players and staff linger on me. Their piercing gazes sized me up and then dismissed me, just like I would treat a mark. With a mental grimace, I forced a smile to my lips and sauntered away from the entrance, studying the people milling about the room. Given the attire of the employees gliding through the sparse crowd, Dempsey’s intention for these men and women became obvious. They were here to provide another layer of opulence for his piggy banks. The crime lord certainly knew how to staff his events. Everyone served a purpose, especially the contrasting pair of doormen who welcomed me.
As I strolled past the initial collection of tables and a couple of chatty players, I realized nobody, including Dempsey’s workers, thought much of my entrance. While I’d felt everyone register it, none of their body language screamed they were lingering upon it. Even the couple who were in deep conversation weren’t discussing my gaff. It was as if it was the expected reaction to someone’s first appearance at one of these events, and based on the doormen’s reaction, everyone understood I was new here. Mentally, I released a sigh of relief as I strode through the tables, looking for an adequate place to perch and study the already-present players.
With half of the room behind me, I headed for the wall and leaned against it. My eyes flittered about the room, itemizing the extravagant trappings. After finishing the initial catalog, the only thing tumbling through my mind was Dempsey didn’t understand or comprehend restraint. Each of the four walls reflected the light with a golden hue. As I drew a finger along the surface, I doubted he had achieved the color with gold paint. Rather, it felt like lacquer, and the texture appeared to be that of gold leaf. While I’d have to be too obvious to know for sure, the walls had the shiny factor you expected from precious metal. The only break in the golden chamber was the rose chair molding, which to my thumb felt like granite.
When I ripped my eyes away from the opulent walls, I started gauging distances. Based on my initial walk of the building’s perimeter, I was fairly certain this room represented only half of the interior space. Perhaps my recon hadn’t been as fruitless as I’d thought. What else did it give me? The only way in or out was the loading dock and entrance. Which meant that one of these golden walls, most likely the one opposite the doorframe, contained a hidden doorway, despite its nearly uninterrupted nature.
The only other embellishments to those smooth walls were a pair of bars built into each corner opposite the entrance. To highlight the elegance, the bars lined up perfectly with the exquisite molding. Aside from the opulence, the structure of this partial chamber screamed that everyone inside was trapped. This wall had more in common with a Venus flytrap than the hotel it pretended to be.
The bars, molding, and walls would have made the room comfortable for even the most pretentious member of the elite. But If Dempsey stopped there, it would have shown a semblance of restraint. Besides the luxurious surroundings, the man ensured people could wait, eat, and drink while catering to their every need. Scattered throughout were twenty-f our circular tables, complete with five chairs. The man loved his stone surfaces. At least that’s what the tabletops appeared to be hewn from, based on what I’d seen as I walked past a few of them. They also appeared to have been hand carved from either marble or granite and perched upon sturdy metal legs.
As I stood there watching the elaborate motion, I watched several members of the wait staff deliver food and drinks to the scattered players sitting around the ornate tables. And judging by the collection of aromas woven through the air, Dempsey had contracted a kitchen to provide decadent meals. Given the work needed to prepare everything here, how had Dempsey made a dime on these tournaments? While he collected half a million dollars from each player, there was too much on display to justify the opulence…”
If you enjoyed these excerpts and visuals, purchase a copy of Dead Man’s Hand and when you’re done, please leave me an honest review.