A Cover Story by Victoria Chatham

My new cover!

AVAILABLE HERE

We all know the adage that you don’t judge a book by its cover. I have, especially in my early days of purchasing e-books, done exactly that and then been hugely disappointed when the quality of the content failed to match the quality of the cover. These days I look at the cover and then click on the ‘Look Inside’ button and read the excerpt before I decide whether to purchase or not.

I must admit that the last thing I thought about when I started writing my first Regency romance was the cover. It was a tough enough job to get the words flowing without having the angst of considering how those words would all be wrapped up in a neat package. I was totally ignorant of fonts, colors, and layout and had no idea how to create an attractive, appealing cover. Thank goodness for cover designers and, in particular, Books We Love’s own cover designer, Michelle Lee.

First e-book cover

I was so pleased with the first cover because it contained all the elements I thought I needed. My heroine, Emmaline Devereux, had long black hair, so the image of the girl was bang on. I needed a horse because she loved horses, and the old house in the background depicting her family home was so reminiscent of a house I had loved and lived in for more than ten years. But then my daughter made the comment that the image of Emmaline looked more like a schoolgirl than a clever spy capable of surviving the Peninsula War 1807 - 1814 when Napolean clashed with the Spanish Empire. Oh, oh. One burst bubble as I reconsidered what the image was actually portraying. 

Thanks to Books We Love, I had the opportunity for a new cover design when the book went into print. Again, Michelle Lee pulled in all the elements I requested on my Cover Art Form.

First print cover

The result, as you can see, is a more adult female image. I still had to have a horse to convey her love of horses, plus my hero. A similar female image graced the cover of His Ocean Vixen, Book 2 in the series but with the third book, His Unexpected Muse, coming in February 2019, I thought a new look all round might better pull the series together.

By now a little more savvy about cover design, I looked at the covers of the Regency romance best sellers on Amazon and noticed that invariably there was just a female image against an attractive background. Publisher Jude Pittman was again in agreement with the update and I spent most of one Sunday scrolling through images until I found a few that I thought worked. I am now totally happy with the image and feel that, finally, His Dark Enchantress has grown up.

After I revealed it on my Facebook author page, I had quite a few people contact me to tell me how much they liked it, most much more so than the previous two. I'm now looking forward to the update for His Ocean Vixen and next year for His Unexpected Muse. 

Visit Victoria Chatham here:

 AT BOOKS WE LOVE

 ON FACEBOOK

 MY WEBSITE

  

Overcoming Obstacles by Michelle Lee

Hello cover art aficionados. My name is Michelle, for those of you who haven't read any of my past posts.  I am a part of the BWL community, but not as an author - I am the one who gives the books their outer wrapping. 

In the past, I have done a series of posts about all things covers.  Please feel free to check them out.  They are linked at the end of this post. 

Now for the purpose of today's odd topic - Overcoming Obstacles.

I want you to take a moment, close your eyes and imagine a beach.  The waves of the crystal blue ocean flicking against the tiny white grain of sand along the water's edge, turning them a damp beige.  The feel of the wind rushing through your hair, the heat of the sun against your bare arms.  Picture dolphins jumping from the water, playful and free, just off in the distance.

Now come back to me.  Remember that scene ... I will get back to it in a moment.

What some of the BWL family knows is that in addition to being their resident pain in the rear cover art goddess, I am also a biology geek and a teacher.  What most do not know (but will now) is that I am dyslexic.  I can't read long streams of numbers without getting a headache.  Math is a nightmare for me - especially algebra.  And until I was in the fourth grade - reading was also  major nightmare.  I avoided it like most sane people avoid snakes and spiders.  But something happened the summer after third grade ... I discovered that I didn't need to understand all of the words.  That my mind would fill in and adapt, if I gave it a chance.

Take a look at the following image:

What you are seeing is what reading is like for me - and yes, this passage above makes perfect sense to me.  When reading aloud in earlier classes, when we came upon an unfamiliar word, we had to sound it out.  But my sounds never quite matched what the words were, so I great discouraged.  I was called stupid by other kids, and as a shy person naturally, it made me withdraw more.  But that summer, my sister spent a lot of time with me, reading to me, and as I heard her voice, I would link the words to the sounds in my head, and pull it together.  Something I wasn't able to do in class with other kids snickering and teasing me.

That summer, I discovered reading.  And the more I read, the more I loved it, and the better I got at it.  Now, as an adult, I read bout 3-10 books a week, sometimes hitting 45-50 in a month (various lengths of course - some are novellas, some novels).  I still struggle when reading aloud - so I avoid it when possible.  But when I read silently to myself, but brain is able to infer, fill in, and adapt to what I am seeing.  Sure, I might miss an occasional word, struggle with the difference between form and from, but it doesn't decrease the please of reading.

I am very up front with my students about my troubles reading (and writing) so that when I do write something wrong on the board - they know they can correct me, that I WANT them to correct me.  And yes - it does happen often.  Some are amazed that I am "allowed" to teach, others that I made it through school (including college) with this cloud hanging over my head.  But some, the ones that need it the most, understand that the things that might get us made fun of, the things we struggle with, are not insurmountable obstacles.

For me, dyslexia was simply an obstacle that I needed to know how to overcome ... and then I did so.  In addition to being a teacher, I am also a published author ... something else that my obstacle could have held me back from, had I let it.

So what does this have to do with the scene I asked you to imagine earlier?  In addition to dsylexia, I also have what it called by many 'mind-blindness', the technical terms that has been proposed is Aphantasia. 

Phantasia is the ancient greek word for, among other things, imagination and images.  A is a prefix meaning lacking, without, or not.  So aphantasia means without images, or mind blind.

Think about that for a minute and remember the ocean scene.  When you closed your eyes, did you 'see' the ocean?

     

I don't.  I can hear a narrator telling me what it looks like, and I have found that if I keep up a running narration in my head during some moments, that I can recall them as an auditory memory later.  

I can look at images and recognize things ... like an actor, or a certain type of owl.  But closing my eyes and telling my principal what a certain student looked like, if I didn't already know the student?  Describing a bird I just saw flying by, and trying to identify it from memory?  Practically impossible. I can't visualize the person or owl to give the details.

Now remember that I said in the beginning of this post - I am BWL's Art Director and primary cover artist.  Which means I take stock photo images and somehow morph them, blend them together, to create covers.  Covers like these:

      

      

      

      

Each of these covers is at least 2 images, some contain up to 5.  Somehow I had to 'visualize' how the images would come together - right?

Nope.  It's not that simple. I can't just close my eyes and use my imagination.  When I am working on covers, I have numerous windows open on my computer and I have to place images side by side, so that I can see how they would fit together.  I can't just close my eyes and let them merge, trying out different combinations.  

For example, I could tell you by looking at these two images side by side, that the dolphins could be placed into the beach image, and with the right text, make a great cover.  Maybe with a woman in the foreground standing, looking out over the water.

For many of you, you could probably close your eyes and actually see it come together.  I don't.

 

So much of my process, I don't even understand.  I know some images I will see and have a flash of insight - that it would make a great cover with the right other elements, but I don't actually visualize the finished product.  

I never see it until I actually create it.  

So what are my dreams like, you might ask?  Well ... that is a topic for another post. :)  (Have to keep you coming back somehow - right?)

As for why I posted this ... I admit, the obstacles I face are NOTHING in comparison to what many others face (and I do not in any way want to trivialize those obstacles) ... but at the same time, while mine are seemingly small in the grand scheme of things, they can seem insurmountable to dreams of becoming a writer or artist.  Just like I want my students to know, I want those reading this blog to know that they can be overcome.  More than that though ...

When it is physical, we can point to it and say 'ah ha! there is the issue!'.  But when it is something in the brain?  I always knew I was a little different, and thought something was truly defective in my brain for the longest time.  I couldn't read word correctly, I couldn't visualize images when I closed my eyes. I had to be broken somehow right?  But guess what ... aphantasia and dyslexia are a lot more common that I ever imaged when I was growing up, thinking myself damaged somehow.  

If you are interested in learning about Aphantasia, check out some of the following articles:

A Life Without Mental Images (BBC)

Picture This? Some Can't (NYTimes)

* * *

And for those who wanted to find my older posts ... here they are.

* Cover clones, movie posters, and a cover artist's opinion

* A few of my favorite covers

* Here comes the bride - wait, what?

* Two sides to a cover

* Alas poor images ... I cannot find you

* Fonts, fonts, and more fonts

* He's Sexy and You Know It

* A whole series about various aspects of covers:

     - Behind the Cover Artist's Curtain 

     - The Cover Art Form

     - Image Selection

     - Cover Elements

     - Series

     - X-Factor in Covers

     - Cover Branding

     - Heat Levels

* Dear Artist - a Dear Abby kind of thing, but for cover art questions (feel free to leave questions in the comments for future posts)

     - Getting Started/Training 

     -  Favorite Cover Styles

* Website Suggestions

* AUTHOR RESOURCES -- well worth checking out!!!!

* What's In A Biography?

* Black and white and shifters all over -- probably one of my favorite posts :) Research is so very important!

I also have a couple odds and ends posts

* Is it possible to have too many books?

* A study of men's facial hair

Cover clones, movie posters, and a cover artist's opinion by Michelle Lee

WARNING:  The post ahead contains my opinions.  Read at your own risk. : )  

And hateful emails will not be read - so don't waste your time sending them.

As a cover artist, one of the things I have to try and balance is the overall look of the covers I create, the designs of the author, the needs of the publisher, and the limitations of stock art.

Let's face it - despite what a lot of people thinks - most publishers are switching from doing photo shoots for each cover to using stock art.  This includes a lot of the big boys in NY.  I have only seen a few authors, generally the big names, still getting individualized photo shoots.  The rest are using stock art.

Now this can be a good thing - since it makes costs a lot more manageable.  Instead of $200+ for an image for a cover, you are looking at $20ish for two to four images.

But it can also be a bad thing, since each image is available to anyone who wants to use it, which can results in some images being used on multiple covers.

Yes - this can be frustrating for authors, and for readers, but realistically, it is simply the way it is.  As a cover artist, I do my very best to make each cover unique in and of itself, including using more than one image per cover.  (There have been a few times, generally where I was requested to use just the one image, and add text, or where adding more images made the cover cluttered - but those are few and far between.)

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of articles out there now shaming cover artists for using images found on too many other covers, as well as warning authors of the dangers of stock art, etc.  It is the shaming of cover artists that I am going to address today.  I get having a pet peeve ... but many of the things cover artists are blamed for are often outside of our control.

I saw one post where it plainly said that if a cover artist uses an image that is already used on an existing cover - they should be ashamed of themselves.  To this I would say, how many books are published each and every month - in let's say - the romance genre alone?  How in the world am I supposed to go through each of the covers and make sure that an images hasn't already been used.  Yes, it is easy (sometimes) to find repeating images - but in most cases, it's not. So how am I supposed to find each and every image that has been used to make sure I don't use one of them?

I saw several posts that said basically that if a cover artist uses a repeated image they are robbing/lying to the author.  Most authors I know are aware that their covers are created using stock art.  In the BWL forms, in fact, we expressly state that we will be using stock art, and ask the author to select images that appeal to them.  For the commissioned covers I create via Stardust Creations (shameless self-promo plug there - visit me for your cover art needs LOL), I also warn authors I will be using stock images, and encourage them to find images they like and I will purchase rights to use them and craft a cover from them.

This website tagged one of my BWL covers in their image ... and it wasn't the poster that basically slammed cover artists, it was a few of those that commented.

Here's another image example - this time without one of my covers.

Suffice to say, stock images are not exclusive images.  Exclusive rights to images are expensive, and most publishing houses, even the big boys in NY, do not go that route much any more.  So yes, as a reader, there will be a little bit of frustrating every now and then as you look at a cover, see a familiar image, and have to double check to make sure you don't already own the book.  I have had to do this myself from time to time.  BUT, the trade off for this is that small presses are able to open, and survive, and authors who the big boys in NY rejected are able to make a go of it, which means more options for me - as a reader.  I like getting to pick what I want to read, rather than just what the big boys say is sale-able.  The whole paranormal romance genre, at one time, wasn't something the big boys would touch - yet look at how popular it is?

How many of your favorite authors have mentioned on their websites they were rejected by the big boys, so they went small press or even (gasp) the indie route?  90-95% of the books I read, and I read about 35-50 a month, are small press or indie.  They are available because small presses can operate because of stock images sites, and other lower cost options for product production, then were previously available to them.

All that said, I am curious that cover artists have been slammed - a lot lately - but Hollywood hasn't.  We may reuse a stock image seen on another, but Hollywood creates poster clones all the time and no one says anything.  By this, I mean with all the individual options available to them, the ability to shoot whatever pose they want with the actors and actresses, all of the movie stills to use, they still often create posters that look like other posters.

Case in point ...

For this one, not only did they use the same colors and basic image layout they used the same FONT style and color.

Want more?  Check out this YouTube video devoted to them.  I like the comparison at 57 seconds - the cult classic Army of Darkness and whatever that other one is.  (No nasty emails please!)

So why are we held to an insanely high standard that no one can really meet?  I mean, come on.  I know the frustration of seeming the same images used, I get frustrated sometimes because I can't find images to use but ones that I know have been used, but this 'clone' phenomenon isn't new and it isn't limited to cover artists.

So come on, give us a break already.  Most of us don't try to mirror each other, it just happens.  And limited stock art options aren't really our faults.  We do the best we can, with what is available.

~ Michelle

BWL Red Carpet - Casting Your Characters: Actresses

This month's behind the Cover Artist's Curtain is a special edition.  Today we will be Casting Characters.

This morning, the gentlemen had their turn down the red carpet - now it is the ladies who we will be meeting with.

The first one heading towards us now is Sarah Collins.

Character Name: Sarah Collins

Book(s) Featuring the Character: Sarah's Heart and Sarah's Passion

Author: Ginger Simpson

About Sarah: Sarah is brave, passionate, but she detests people who judge others.  She's a beauty, but doesn't flaunt it, and she loves Wolf like she's loved no other even though he's a half-breed.

Ginger's Casting Pick: "I pick Nicole Kidman because she looks the part and I've seen her in many roles and she so adaptive.  I think she'd make a wonderful Sarah."

Book Blurb:  Sarah Collins set her sights for California and a new beginning, but never imagines a war party's attack on the wagon train she joins. A sole survivor, Sarah must find her way back to civilization, and a man of half-blood happens along at just the right time and becomes her hero...or is the whole scenario only a dream driven by all the romance novels she reads as an editor?

Sarah wakes, her cheeks damp with tears. Like a dust devil in a dying windstorm, all traces of her handsome rescuer vanish with a farewell kiss and the annoying blast of an alarm clock...until he appears at her door as a new neighbor. Will Sarah find a way to win the love she tried so hard to capture in her dream without being declared insane, or will the sexy woman living an apartment away beat Sarah at her own game? 

A Shining Moment for Sarah:  

Stopping at the table where Sarah stood, the woman fingered an array of ribbons.

Sarah smiled at her. “Good morning. I couldn’t help but overhear your mention of an

upcoming social….”

The matron peered down her angular nose. “Yes, it’s a yearly affair, but…” Her cold,

gaze raked over Sarah’s attire. “Surely you aren’t inquiring for yourself. It’s usually only

attended by those able to dress for the occasion.”

Sarah gasped at the woman’s rudeness, but wasn’t about to let it pass. Cocking her head,

hands on her hips, Sarah drew up to her full height. “Oh, then there’s no worry. My mother

taught me to dress myself when I was quite young. She also taught me not to be rude to my

elders, so I’ll overlook the fact that you’re a snobbish old biddy.” Surprised by her own outburst,

Sarah stared at the woman with wide eyes, waiting for a response. None came.

With mouth agape, the older woman huffed out of the store. Sarah went back to perusing

the dresses and heard Clarence chuckling behind the counter. She giggled, too, pleased that she’d

stood up for herself. People who judged others by their appearance deserved the same disrespect.

Next is Emmeline Deveraux.

Character Name: Emmeline Deveraux

Book(s) Featuring the Character: His Dark Enchantress

Author Name: Victoria Chatham

About Emmeline: An intelligent, independent, adventurous young Regency lady who has survived intrigue in the Peninsular Wars. Dislikes the restrictions placed on women by the dictates of the period, especially when it comes to marriage.   

Victoria's Casting Pick: "Rachel Weisz as she most closely resembles my image of Emmaline. She also has starred in some action type roles as in The Mummy and The Bourne Legacy."

BLURB: A London season is the last thing bright, beautiful Emmaline Devereux wants. But her grandfather knows he is dying and insists that she find herself a husband and secure her future. But Emmaline has a past that, if revealed, will undoubtedly bring disgrace on her and those with whom she associates.   

Lucius, Earl of Avondale, has sworn to not marry until he is forty, but fate brings Emmaline to his door. Intrigued by her, Lucius swears to unravel her mystery even if it does mean a marriage of convenience with her to appease her grandfather. But then Emmaline’s past catches up with her and she is abducted. Will Lucius want to find her and will the truth tear them apart or strengthen their love?

A Moment Where Emmeline Shines:

Juliana started, her face as white as her sibling’s for she had now seen what Lucius must have seen. A curricle on the road ahead of them approached at a spanking trot. Her fingers plucked nervously at her brother’s sleeve.

“Lucius, you cannot! This is madness,” she cried.

“I said spring ‘em,” repeated Lucius.

Emmaline could not believe Lucius’ command. Had he gone mad? From her seat on the box she mentally measured the distance between her team and the curricle and swiftly assessed the likely gap between the two vehicles. 

Her decision made, she shouted back at him. 

“You may cripple your cattle if you wish, my Lord. While they are in my charge, I will not.”

And now, we have our next actress - Courtney Cox.

Character Name: Christine Scott
Book(s) Featuring: Pieces of the Past, Time To Kill
Author Name: Jamie Hill

About Christine: Christine is the mom of two whose husband embezzled money and was caught. She and her children are thrust into the Witness Security program and spirited away from Chicago to Topeka, Kansas. Her number one concern is her children, but the US Marshal who is sent to protect them captivates her interest, too.

Jamie's Casting Pick: "Courtney Cox Arquette has the look and personality of Christine. Pretty, sassy, smart."

BLURB: Pieces of the Past, Witness Security, Book 1

The past is closing in on Christine Scott. Uprooted from her pleasant life in Chicago, she and her two children are thrust into the Witness Security Program when the mistakes of her husband catch up with him. He lands in prison, while she and the kids are transplanted to a quiet Kansas town. Christine does her best to keep life normal for her active ten-year-old son and persistently moody seventeen-year old daughter. But when they start receiving gifts from an anonymous sender, reminders of their old life, it becomes obvious that someone has found them.

Doug Jackson’s been in service with the US Marshal’s office for fifteen years. He hasn’t lost a witness yet, and doesn’t intend to start with Christine or her family. If he can get them to cooperate, his job might be easier. Unfortunately, no one seems concerned about making Doug’s life easy. Not the man in the white sedan who eludes him, nor the pretty Christine, thoughts of whom he can’t seem to shake. Their lives depend on Doug keeping his head in the game, and he’s determined to do just that.

“Ms. Hill is one of my favorite authors and I’m reminded of that each time I read one of her books. She has a talent for taking the reader on a journey with unforgettable characters while developing a plot line that is highly entertaining.” ~ Val, You Gotta Read Reviews

“Jamie Hill tells a wonderful story that sucks you in from the very first page.” ~ Alisha, Two Lips Reviews

A Moment When Christine Shines:

Doug asked, "So what did little Christine White want to be when she grew up? Somebody’s wife and mother? Or did you have grander plans?”

“Well, being a mother is about as grand as it gets. But I started college to be an accountant. That’s where I met Larry. I got pregnant and dropped out, while he went on to get certified. So I guess I had grander plans, but they got sidetracked. And I decided I liked the whole ‘wife and mother’ business. Is that so wrong?”

“It’s not wrong at all. I’m sorry you got sidetracked, though.”

She looked at him. “I’m not. It brought me to where I am today.”

Doug chuckled. “In a safe house, on the run from a Columbian drug cartel?”

Swatting his chest, she shook her head. “I wasn’t thinking of the big picture. I was thinking more along the lines of sitting here on the sofa with you.”

“Hold that thought.” Doug rose and killed all but the dimmest of lights. He listened in the hallway, then crept back over to the sofa.

“All quiet?”

“Seems to be. Ben’s crushing candy on that stupid game. Whatever, as long as he’s occupied.” He returned to his spot and drew her into his arms. “Now, where were we?”

“We were discussing grand plans.”

“No, I think we were getting ready to do this.” He touched her chin and drew her face forward for a kiss.

Christine melted into him. Each time he kissed her she fell a little more in love. She wrapped her arms around his neck and instead of climbing on his lap, she pulled him down on top of her until they were prone.

He kissed her hungrily and their bodies shifted, his leg pressing between her thighs. She felt the firm ridge of his erection and bucked against it to feel more.

Groaning, he rested his forehead against hers. “Damn it, Christi. I want you in the worst way.”
“I’m right here.”

He chuckled. “You know who else is right here? Two US Marshals with guns, your parents and your kids.”

She grinned. “Which of those pairs worries you the most?”

And finally here is Rose.

Character Name:  Rose 

Book(s) Featuring:  ROAN ROSE
Author Name: Juliet Waldron

About Rose: Raised by a healer on the Yorkshire Dales, Rose is impulsively taken by the Countess of Warwick to serve her daughter Anne. Rose is glad to escape from her violent father, but misses the calm strength of her mother. Anne and her new servant bond; Rose will faithfully serve Anne until the latter’s death—and beyond. This places her at the center of a War of Roses story, where she is servant and confidante.  She is also childhood companion to the crippled lord, Richard of Gloucester. Rose is a strong woman who makes up her own mind about things. She hates cruelty and duplicity, but she’s surrounded by it. Though she loves her mistress deeply, she’s also fatefully drawn to Richard, a prince far above her station. Rose values loyalty above all else; whether her masters actually do, proves to be another matter.

Juliet's Casting Pick: Tatiana Maslany. If she can play 10 clones believably in Orphan Black, and in every role come across as a strong, smart woman, she'd be my perfect Rose.

BLURB: Loyalty Binds Her.  Poppet, playmate, servant, lover—Rose Whitby gave her heart and a lifetime of service to Lady Anne Neville and to the House of York.
 
A Moment Where Rose Shines

"I thought you would never keep pigs," Hugh teased, proudly leaning on his tall bow. "I thought you said they were dirty."
            
"They are and I did, but I have thought again."
           
"Changed your mind?  You?"
            
"Yes, Fletcher, I have."
            
"Humph. And it's a good idea now that you're that one that’s thought it?"
            
"No," I replied, annoyed by his eternal teasing, but determined for once not to show it. "Raising pigs was always a good idea, even when I didn't think so."
            
He played to his friends, rolling his eyes. Women!

Obligingly, the men around us chuckled. I shrugged. He must do what he must do after such a wonderful feat of arms, but I would have my sow, now that I understood the matter.

So what do you think?  Which of these lovely ladies deserve the best actress award?  Which character deserves her own award?