Showing posts with label book cover reveal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book cover reveal. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

The Beauty of Book Covers by Eileen O'Finlan

                    

                        Click here for purchase information     Click here to visit Eileen O'Finlan's webiste

As I write this blog post, it is less than a week since our celebration of Thanksgiving here in the U.S. That holiday always brings with it a time for reflection on the people and things for which we are thankful.

As I thought about my own debts of gratitude, I could not help but include the extraordinary art director who creates the amazing covers for BWL's books, Michelle Lee. Not only do I love the covers Michelle has created for me, I have yet to see a single BWL book that doesn't have an outstanding cover. Click here to check them out for yourself.

Whether it's rational or not, book covers are widely considered to be the most important factor, or at least the first one, in whether or not a reader decides to consider a book. That makes covers extremely important.

One of the most exciting moments for an author with a new book about to be released is his or her first look at the cover. So when I knew the cover for my next release, All the Furs and Feathers Book 1 in the Cat Tales series was on the way I could hardly contain myself as I waited to see what Michelle would create. Just as I expected, I was not disappointed. The cover is fantastic!

I am not quite ready to do a complete cover reveal yet. That will come when the pre-order is available and I have it to link the cover to. But meanwhile, here is a sneak peek at what everyone will see when All the Furs and Feathers is released on February 1, 2023.








Wednesday, July 27, 2022

The magic of book covers – by Vijaya Schartz

 

Find my books at amazon B&N - Smashwords - Kobo 

I write in various genres, and as I am a very visual person, book covers are important to me.

Except for one or two fails with now defunct publishers, I’ve always been blessed with great book covers. Other authors think I’m lucky, but I cultivate an open line of communication with the publisher and designer. I know they did not read the book, so I work very hard to give them the elements I envision for my book covers, to communicate the spirit of the story.

I was often told I have a good eye for color. And if you look at my sci-fi covers, you’ll notice a lot of blue.

For many of my current covers, I went online to the stock photo companies used by my publisher, to look for the perfect cover model to represent my hero and my heroine’s personality and state of mind, as well as the best background. Then I sent these pictures and suggestions to the publisher for the cover designer. I was always thrilled with the resulting cover.

This time, however, as I am polishing my next novel, a new publisher rule emerged that except for Historical Novels in period costumes, the covers would no longer portray people with faces, but instead we should use backgrounds, silhouettes, or other elements to create a mood.

At first, I cringed. I had already picked my heroine for the cover, and I so loved my characters, I had found the perfect cover models with the right faces and personalities among the stock images. But I was up for the challenge. My October release, ANGEL SHIP, Book 1 of a new science fiction series Blue Phantom, is about a ghost ship, an Angel captain, a noble heroine, and of course, a big cat with an attitude. It contains lots of action, evil sorcerers, space battles, and romantic elements.

Here are some of my older BWL covers with people on them. Find them on my author page at: amazon B&N - Smashwords - Kobo 

  



As I scrolled through thousands of background images, I selected a few representing the best approximation of the inside of my glowing angel ship. Then I found a big cat like my heroine’s bodyguard, and a pair of cool angel wings.

When asked to send my cover suggestions, I almost panicked. How would the artist make a kick-butt cover with the meager elements I had selected? It seemed impossible, so I prepared myself for the worst.

What I didn’t count on, was the immense talent of the artists who create these book covers, their knowledge of the genres (science fiction in this case), their years of experience and their awareness of industry trends. But most of all, I underestimated their ability to visualize what I couldn’t.

The artist made it all come together by using the background in ways I didn’t think of, finding the perfect font, in the perfect spooky glow, to give the impression of a phantom ship. And the result is extraordinary. I absolutely love this cover. And the next books in the series will have the same background and same fonts, but with a different cat. Yay!

My hat’s off to the BWL Publishing team. I love you guys. You are my heroes.

The book comes out in October, but in the meantime, you can catch up with the Azura Universe with these two sister-series, Byzantium, and Azura Chronicles. Hint: Captain Blake Volkov, the hero of ANGEL SHIP, was a secondary character in ANGEL BRAVE. 

amazon B&N - Smashwords - Kobo


Happy Reading! 


Vijaya Schartz, author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats



Monday, November 8, 2021

The Red Quilt by J. S. Marlo

 

 

 
The Red Quilt
 
Paperbacks are available now at Amazon
Ebooks will be released on November 15, 2021
To pre-order, click here




As I promised months ago--I know I skipped a few months somewhere--this is the book cover for my newest novel "The Red Quilt", a sweet romantic suspense novel taking place on Prince Edward Island during the Holiday Season.

A book makes a great Christmas gift. It's easy to wrap, and you can place it under the tree or hide it in a stocking...along with a pack of 'happy' tissues.

 How horribly wrong, or right, could a last-minute Christmas trip go? Well...

A last-minute Christmas trip goes horribly wrong for Eli and his five-year-old granddaughter, Ruby. On their way to a Bed and Breakfast on Prince Edward Island after a kitchen fire forced them out of their house, they get caught in a blizzard and end up in the ditch.

Retired Military Nurse, Lana, lives on a potato farm with the ghosts of her husband and son. She welcomes into her home the marooned Eli and the young child he raises alone. The storm outside rages on and problems arise as Eli faces the demons and mistakes of his past, Lana becomes entangled in her neighbors’ illegal activities, and Ruby wishes for something Santa cannot give her.

 

The resulting mix offers hope for a second chance even as it threatens their lives. Can Eli and Lana survive another storm to enjoy the love growing between them? And will Ruby’s wish be granted?

"The Red Quilt" is the first book in my latest series "Fifteen Shades". So, what is the Fifteen Shades Series and  how did I come up with?


The Fifteen Shades Series are holiday tales inspired by colors.
As the mysteries unfold and romance blossoms, intriguing new shades are unveiled.

Way back when I could meet my friends in person, before the pandemic turned me into a hermit, Jody and I were talking about book covers and titles. During our conversation, she made a comment about colors and the different meanings associated with them. It sparked a crazy idea, an idea that has been rattling around my brain ever since. What if I pick a color then introduce a shade of that color in every chapter of my story? The more I thought about the concept, the more interesting it became.


Finding fifteen shades of a color was easy, finding the meaning or origin of each shade involved more research, but finding a storyline in which I could seamlessly lace these different shades together proved challenging.

I was wrapping presents with my little granddaughter last November when inspiration struck. What about a sweet Christmas story with an adorable little girl and a dog? As the story came to life in my mind, a red glow settled over it. I had found the right storyline with the right color.

I wrote The Red Quilt in four months, which is a record speed for me. It is a standalone Christmas novel that will make you feel all good and toasty inside--after many twists and turns.

Next, I will tackle the color blue. A storyline is currently taking shape in my mind, thanks to my son's recent wedding. All the elements aren't in place yet, but I may borrow a minor character from The Red Quilt, and turn him or her into the main character of The Blue Ribbon.

The Red Quilt is available in print at Amazon now & at Barnes & Noble on Nov 15.

The Red Quilt  will be released in ebook on Nov 15, but it can be pre-ordered now at your favorite retailer. To pre-order/purchase, click here.

 Happy Reading & Stay Safe

JS

 


 
 

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