A Cover Says it All
The first thing that draws our eye is beauty. And beauty is everywhere; the color and
texture to a painting, the sun setting in the horizon, a favorite actor or
actress, and in simple things like the smile of a child or the sparkle of a
diamond ring. Is it no wonder, then,
that the cover of a book must be absolutely perfect to set apart from the
competition and draw the buyer’s eye?
I will admit I have bought a book solely on the cover. A cover artist is tasked with the job of
interpreting the story through art, incorporating all aspects of what the
bosses want verses what the author wants while producing something that will
draw the reader/buyer in. It’s not an
easy job.
Now-a-days, with the cost of books (even ebooks), a story has to take
full advantage of every strategy to grab the readers’ attention. The cover has to incorporate a lot detail, so
it’s very important that the cover artist bears in mind not only the story, but
what brings the story alive. Most
publishers won’t consider that far, only content with producing a sexy look to
market the book. But writers put their souls into each story, and have the
passion and romance pour from the covers is very important.
For my new story “Invincible” I didn’t know what I was going to get. My
hero, Lee, had been with me for a while, having made his first appearance in
the 3rd book of my Forgotten Rebels MC series, “Take Aim &
Reload”. He’s a gun for hire, but deep down he’s a good man. He kept hammering
at me to write his story, so when I finally did, I left the cover art up to the
fantastic artist. And I was absolutely blown away by it! I couldn’t have asked
for a better cover for Lee.
It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. Even in the digital evolution of e-books
emerging, a cover is one of the most important aspects of giving personality to
the story. It guides the reader into
seeing the hero and heroine, bringing them to life and adding depth to the
drama unfolding. All of which is needed
for that brief time where the reader escapes into fantasy.
Blurb for Invincible:
The hole in Lidah’s heart never fully closed
when Lee died, and when he suddenly resurrects from the grave, she’s
overwhelmed with emotion and memories.
Twenty-two years of emptiness lie between them, and she’s unprepared for
the love that comes surging back to life.
Lee will do anything to protect Lidah, yet
he can’t walk away for a second time. Danger brought them back together, but
can they keep each other safe when it stalks them again?
Excerpt:
He
headed into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge, popping the top
before making his way to the living room. The cool marble tile gave way to
plush, cream colored carpet and he sank down into his comfortable, cushiony
sofa before toeing off his shoes and propping his feet up on the coffee table.
The sparse decoration fit his lifestyle, since he was constantly on the move.
He took a long swig of beer and leaned his head back. Exhaustion descended over
him and he closed his eyes. The thought of how much longer he could continue in
his line of work was an abstract concept that solidified with every job completed.
The simple fact was he was getting far too old for the same old shit.
“Lidah?”
“Yes,
Lee?”
“Play
the tape.”
A
second later, a soft voice came through his speakers. A memory from long ago
that always managed to soothe him whenever weariness took root in his soul. For
an infinitesimal moment, the world fell away to transport him back in time. He
could still see her, the one woman he
could never forget, frozen forever as a teenager who looked up at him with love
in her eyes.
“Hi Lee, it’s Lidah. I was wondering if
you’d like to, um, go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me. ‘Cause, you know,
girls have to ask boys. All right. No worries if you don’t want to. Um. Okay.
Bye.”
Of
course, he’d accepted. He had a crush on her the moment he’d laid eyes on her
his first day of high school. If life had dealt him a better hand, he would
have married her one day, and the thought still broke his heart.
“Lee,”
Lidah the computer said, breaking into his melancholy memory. “You have a
message coming through from an unknown IEP.”
Lee
opened his eyes and sat up a little straighter. He placed his beer on the
coffee table. “Spam?”
“No.
It’s encrypted.”
“From
JD?”
“No.”
“Viruses?”
“None.
It is addressed to you, marked as urgent.”
Suddenly
wary, he dug out his phone from his front pocket. “Send it to my cell.”
His
phone beeped, and he swiped it to check the message. A black screen appeared,
and a sentence rolled across it. “They
say you’re invincible.”
Lee
frowned. “What the hell?”
The
screen went dark, only to be replaced with a picture. A photo of a woman, and
although time had brought maturity and wisdom to her face, Lee recognized her
immediately. Lidah! Layered red hair
looking like fire in the sunlight. Kindness shining from her brown eyes. The
living Lidah had developed into a beautiful woman, but just as that thought
flashed through his head another message came through.
“Is she?”
Bio & Social
Media Links:
I like writing about
the very ordinary girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances, so my heroines
will probably never be lawyers, doctors or corporate highrollers. I try to write characters who aren't cookie
cutters and push myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how
to resolve, forcing me to think outside the box. I love writing characters who are real,
complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through
love. I love to hear from readers so I’ve made it really easy to find me on the
web:
Amazon author
page: http://www.amazon.com/BethD.Carter/e/B00EOTD1T0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1385417145&sr=8-1
Buy Link:
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