"You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman's Guide to Purpose, Passion, and Power" by Judi Moreo

Judi Moreo shares some information about the cover of her book.

Did you design your book cover?

No. My publisher, Stephens Press, hired Sue Campbell (Colorado ) to design several different choices of covers, then the publisher and I chose the one that we used. We had a bit of a debate about putting my picture on the cover as I had heard at a writers conference that a picture of the author should only be on the front cover if the author is a celebrity. My publisher wanted it there and said to me, “By the time I get through, you will be a celebrity.” Now I’m glad it is on the cover because I carry a book with me everywhere I go and people say, “That’s you. Wow.
Did you write that book?” And it gives me an opportunity to tell them about the book. I get a lot of attention with it in lines waiting to get on airplanes and from the other people on the plane. As I travel a lot, this has turned out to be one of my best promotions. One man actually stood up on his seat in the back of the plane and held out the book and yelled out to his wife who was seated at the front of the plane, “Hey, honey. This woman wrote this book for women. It’s about purpose, passion, and power.” This of course, stimulated interest from every woman on the plane and one lady up front ended up reading out loud from the book to other passengers.

I love the cover. In the book, I tell a story about my Dad and his gold stars. The cover has a gold star behind my photo, and you can see just a bit of the gold star on the necklace I wear… and then it has other gold stars faintly in the design. The end pages are a splash of gold stars and the self ribbon bookmark has a tiny gold star charm attached. The book is so beautifully designed. I love it. There isn’t a thing I would change about the design.

http://www.judimoreo.com/
To buy the book: http://www.judimoreo.com/products/index.htm

Dancing on the Edge by S L Connors

Did you design the cover?

Yes along with a wonderfully patient friend and fellow author.

Did your publisher design the cover?

No.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

Absolutely.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

That depends on what you call interesting. Actually, Dancing on the Edge is my debut novel, so I was pretty clueless with the entire publishing thing. I searched high and low for a cover artist. I googled several professional artists and was knocked off my feet at the cost of hiring someone to do cover art. Then a peer and friend suggested an artist and volunteered her services. She did a beautiful design, but it just wasn’t what I’d had in mind nor did it mirror the story. She stated she didn’t have time to start over, so mutually, we opted to end the effort. I found myself on the hunt again with little time left before the release date. Learning a harsh lesson, this time I was clear I wanted samples of ideas before I decided on a cover artist.

Three artists submitted their ideas after I gave them a brief synopsis of the story, a description of my main character, and an idea of the setting.

Who is the cover artist?

Teel James Glenn-artist, author, and actor.
For more information on TJ and his work please visit: http://www.theurbanswashbuckler.com/

Are you happy with the cover?

For the most part, yes.

If not, what would you change and why?

I wanted the female depicted to be softer, prettier. Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

The setting. The story is based in South Florida and I think the artist captured it beautifully. Also, some of the details the layperson would not necessarily pickup on, but my favorite is the black tape worn on the badge which signifies the mourning of a downed fellow police officer.

S.L. Connors, Author

For more information, visit - http://www.sharonlconnors.com/ & http://www.romawolftales.com/

The Silk Palace by Colin Harvey

Did you design the cover?

No, I provided a 150 word briefing document which went out to the artist.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

Yes, Berin provided a draft copy, which I asked him to make changes to; he duly changed it, ran it past me one more time, and then made

Who is the cover artist?

Berin Uriegas

Are you happy with the cover?

Yes, very.

The Silk Palace -- An epic fantasy, out September 07

For more information, visit - www.geocities.com/colin_harvey

Search for the Million $$$ Ghost - Dorothy Thompson

Did you design the cover?

I designed and made the cover for THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST because I love that control. As I had experience in cover design in the past, it only seemed fitting that I design the cover for this book, too. I’m a stickler about book covers. I didn’t want to take the chance on it being something that didn’t match what the book is about.

Did your publisher design the cover?

They didn’t, no.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

I had total input.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST centered around the Hawthorne mansion in which six lovely ladies tried their hand at ghostbusting. I chose the design because the Hawthorne mansion lied beyond a huge gate and when I found this picture, I knew it would be perfect even though in this picture, it’s really a gated window looking out. Where it’s moody, mysterious and foreboding, I thought it blended perfectly with the story.

Who is the cover artist?

Myself.

Are you happy with the cover?

I’m happy with the cover and have gotten rave reviews for it.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

I love it that the picture gives off an eeriness that makes you curious of what’s inside the walls of the mysterious Hawthorne mansion where the majority of the action takes place. It kind of gives off an aura of mystery even before you open the book and that’s exactly my intentions when I created it. I don’t think another cover would have done it more justice.

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Switcheroo by Herbert Holeman

Did you design the cover?

The cover is a photo that I took.

Did your publisher design the cover?

No.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

No.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

Well, the cover is a night photo of the San Francisco Ferry Building taken from a hotel window across the street.

Who is the cover artist?

I’m the photographer

Are you happy with the cover?

Yes in that it is a setting in the story.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

It conveys the mood of a critical part of the story.

Herb
http://herbertholeman.com

Sarah's Landing I by Elena Dorothy Bowman

Did you design the cover?

I write Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance Novels with a touch of the Paranormal for Write Words, Inc. under their imprints Cambridge Books and ebooksonthe.net. Since the Sarah's Landing Series is science fiction, my son designed this rendition of the cover, taking a Lighthouse on Cape Ann as a basis setting it against the background of deep space.

Did you give any input about the cover design?

Yes, I did. My son listened to what I asked of him, gave him a synopsis of the book so that he would know what it was about and could generate a cover that fit the story. This latest version is the third cover he has designed for Sarah's Landing-I-Contact. The first two being covers of earlier editions. But this latest one, I think, is the best. The other three covers in the series are designed in the same vein so that one could easily see they are part of a series. He is also the one who designed my banner on my website as well as the website itself. http://elenadb.home.comcast.net, or http://www.sarahslanding.com./

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

The interesting story about the cover of Sarah's Landing-I is that while thinking about a lighthouse as a basis for a cover, not one of the pictures I had suited me. So, I cajoled my husband into taking me to Gloucester, Massachusetts where we could take new pictures of lighthouses using a digital camera. It so happened that it was the middle of November and it was freezing out. Nevertheless, he capitulated and we went to the ocean in search of lighthouses that would fit the bill. While on the rock wall taking the pictures of the Eastern Light, the wind whipped up from the ocean and we had to hang on to each other to keep from being blown off the wall and into the cold uninviting ocean. But we got the pictures.

Who is the cover artist?

Cover design is by David P. Bowman, my youngest. On this particular cover, my husband and I are the photographers. On all the other covers in the series, David is the sole cover artist. As he is with the covers of all of my books, with two exceptions. The photo on the cover of the first book in the Legacy Series, The House Of The Bluff was one taken by me, and the photo on the cover of my novel Time-Rift was taken by my daughter,Karen, who takes marvelous photographs under the name of Car'jan.

Are you happy with the cover?

I love all my covers. I have received a lot of positive feedback from readers and from booksellers who not only love the covers, but the books themselves.

If not, what would you change and why?

Now, I wouldn't change anything. I really think the series covers are fascinating. (As are all my covers). And since I haven't had any negative feedback from my publisher, I would say she is pleased with them as well. She has said my son does good work.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

The way the lighthouse is portrayed against the background of deep space. It gives the impression that the last place on Earth is that lighthouse and above that is another dimension ready to engulf any unwary Earthling.

PS from Nikki - I have to add a quick note. The lighthouse on the cover of Elena's book is the same lighthouse that I feature in my Misty Cove Series. We have all time periods covered, mine are historic and contemporary and Elena's are futuristic :)

Windwalker by Donna Sundblad

We want the details about the cover for Windwalker.

Did you design the cover?

I had the concept for my cover but talked about it with my cover artist Mel Landon. She came back with a first cover draft within a few days. I was amazed. She used a touch of iridescent paint for the dragon that doesn't come out on the cover, but I was amazed that she got so much detail right in the first draft.

Did your publisher design the cover?

No

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

It was my concept. I had a photo from a visit to New Mexico that featured a huge stone formation that made me think of the Fortress of Stone in my story. I gave that to the artist as a background, but as the cover came together that detail blurred into the background. Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. In the first draft of the cover the Augur Ojal (the woman) stood straight and beautiful. I had to explain to the artist that the woman was old and stooped and she made the change in a day.

Who is the cover artist?

My cover artist is Mel Landon. She's easy to work with and can paint just about anything you're looking for. Her specialty is seascapes and creates specialty furniture featuring birds, flowers, trees, beach scenes and she also does pet portraits.

Are you happy with the cover?

The cover turned out to be a little oranger than the original, but I am happy with it. It's easy to spot.

If not, what would you change and why? Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

I love the detail on the dragon, and I'm also thrilled with the way Mel created the "wind" to blend and create unity to include both characters.

Reluctant Runaway by Jill Elizabeth Nelson

Our first cover to be featured is Jill Elizabeth Nelson's Reluctant Runaway. This is what Jill has to say about her cover ---

Did your publisher design the cover?

I write romantic suspense for Multnomah Books. (Waterbrook/Multnomah is an imprint of Random House.) My publishing house has a department that designs covers. They used the same two models for the hero and heroine on each of the three covers for the To Catch a Thief series, but placed them in backgrounds unique to the individual story. The poses and parts of the cover from my debut novel, Reluctant Burglar, form the header of my web site: http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

Yes, I’ve always been presented with a set of designs to choose from. For my most recent release, Reluctant Runaway, I suggested a detail change to the layout, and my request was immediately implemented.
Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

At the last minute, a few significant details were changed by my publishing house on the Reluctant Runaway cover. I love the changes because they add drama to the layout; however, the cover that’s displayed on Amazon is the earlier version.

Who is the cover artist?
Cover design is by James Hall, and the cover art and photos are by Steve Gardner of PixelWorks Studios, Inc. I’ve never met these folks, but I’d like to.

Are you happy with the cover?

I love my covers and have received lots of positive feedback from readers, but booksellers have commented that they’re too dark.

If not, what would you change and why?

I understand that my publisher plans to lighten the covers a bit when we go into second printing. That’s fine by me as long as they keep the dramatic flavor. I’m particularly jazzed about the cover for the third book in the series, Reluctant Smuggler, which releases January 2008. They have lightened the overall effect, but the spooky Mayan ruins are awesome. Unfortunately, I’m not free to share that cover yet.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

The poses of the characters. For Reluctant Burglar, the designer captured Desi in her cat burglar mode with Tony glaring that tough, savvy FBI agent look. For Reluctant Runaway (the real cover, not the one on Amazon), they’ve got each other’s backs and maintain that intensity of expression. I’m pretty fond of the motorcycle in the desert on the Runaway cover, too.

Thank you to Jill for sharing her cover with us. Will your cover be next?

Nikki Leigh
http://www.nikkileigh.com/

HOW TO SUBMIT

We want you to share your book cover with us. An attractive cover is a big element in the appeal of your book.

We want the details about yours.

Did you design the cover?

Did your publisher design the cover?

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

Who is the cover artist?

Are you happy with the cover?

If not, what would you change and why?

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Please provide your website link.

What is the link to buy your book?

Please send me a copy of your cover along with your answers so the blog readers can see your cover and read your thoughts.

Feel free to email your answers to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and I'll add your information. They will be posted, but not all at once. That will give everyone an opportunity to get plenty of exposure.

Nikki Leigh
http://www.nikkileigh.com/