I got an email from my editor with the cover for Book #3 in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series, THE NOVEL ART OF MURDER. This will be my fourth cover reveal if you count the cover for TRAVELLIN’ SHOES, the first book in my RJ Franklin Mystery series which is scheduled to release on July 1st. One might think that by now I’d know what I was doing. However, one would be wrong. I’ve Googled cover reveals and seen some pretty elaborate productions. Unfortunately, that’s not me. Instead, I get goo-goo eyed and excited like a kid at Christmas and can’t wait to show my family and friends. So, what did I do? I sent a pic to my sister and then promptly posted it on Facebook, probably not the best way to generate excitement, anticipation and all the other great emotions. Nope, marketing and promotion are not my thing. I’m a writer. I write mysteries. I’m not good at coming up with titles (just ask my editor, he has rejected the last four titles I’ve come up with). I also suck pretty badly at coming up with ideas for the covers. Each time I submit a book to my editor, he sends me an email asking for my cover ideas. Frankly, I appreciate the fact that he asks. Initially, I tried to come up with some ideas from things that happen in the book (dead body, books, and poodles). I noticed after the first two book covers, that none of my ideas were used, thankfully, because I’ve loved all of the covers so far (fingers crossed that continues). I have been very thankful for Kensington’s art department and for my illustrator, Mary Ann Lasher who has designed three amazing covers. So, here is the cover for book #3.
I’ll acknowledge up front that I am probably biased because those are my dogs on the cover. If you’ve read THE PLOT IS MURDER, you know that the protagonist, Samantha Washington, has two chocolate toy poodles, Snickers and Oreo. These were based on my dogs, Coco and Cash. So, when I see the covers with my fur babies, I get mushy and my voice goes up two octaves and well, you get the picture. However, the amazing thing about the covers for me is the way they capture each of the poodle’s unique personality. The dog reading the book would be Snickers (Coco). She was the brains in our pack. Oreo (Cash) wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he has such a zeal for life, that you can’t help but love him. At least I hope so.
I recently submitted book 4 and my editor asked for my ideas. This time, I was honest. I told him, I suck at cover ideas. So far, you’ve done a great job. Just do what you do. Maybe by the time book #4 is released I will have learned how to do a proper cover reveal.