Thank you, friends, for your feedback on the cover art choices. It has been enormously helpful! My favorite was the
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glove on the compass rose (#4) because it grabbed me and perfectly fit the crime aspects of the story. For branding purposes, this one would be the easiest to repeat for the rest of the compass points (North, East, and West) which are in the titles of the rest of the series. It would be simple to carry over the compass rose with different objects or symbols from each story planted on it. I also treasure the simplicity of the cover. The downside of this arresting graphic is that it suggests a story with more gore, or grisly elements than my story portrays. The story is suspense with elements of romance with a strong female lead. Will readers who would love the story be put off by the gruesome image? One author friend quipped, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” Hmmm. Certainly don’t want to even hint that this story relates to the O.J. Simpson trial.
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I also liked cover #6 with the woman in the flight jacket facing the bridge. Her reddish hair glows, drawing the eye upward and the compass rose is subtle. Can you see it in the words of the title? My heroine is a veterinarian who has a private pilot’s license. Talk about your overachievers! As a private pilot, I noticed the jacket. I also liked the layering of the condensation on the left, as if the woman is being watched through a window. The lush colors attract the eye, but the image didn’t fit the story enough.
My second favorite was #1 with the woman walking over a bridge toward the light with a partial compass rose at the top of the image. The story is told primarily from the point of view of a strong woman caught in a situation in which she has to discover the truth of who her husband is. Is he a criminal at heart who committed a brutal crime in his youth or is he the great man her heart trusts? The red fog suggests blood in a far more subtle way than the bloody glove, while it attracts rather than repels female readers. For this reason, and because it is a beautiful, intriguing image, I agree with the majority votes. Number 1 it is.
The book will be available in May. If you would like to be reminded when the pre-buy link and the print and eBook versions are available, add your email to the “Subscribe to Book News” form on this website. I will only notify you when one of my books is available or to vote on cover art–I WILL NOT clog your inbox no matter how excited I am to get this book in your hands.
Thank you, thank you, to the brilliant and talented cover artists at Damonza.com. Because people do judge a book by its cover, your work is a key link between authors and readers. Thank you!
