Behind the Cover for A Tender Hope

So many of you have told me how much you enjoy learning about the process involved in developing the wonderful covers that Revell has given me for each of my books, that -- as I promised last year -- I'm continuing to blog about them.

As is always the case, many people are involved in turning a concept into the final product, but the biggest responsibilities fall on the Art Director, Cheryl VanAndel, and the graphic designer, Dan Thornberg of Design Source Creative Services.

This time, the process included a step that I hadn't seen before, namely the creation of a cover sketch.

As you can see, it resembles the finished cover, but the model and her costume are very different. Why create a sketch at all? The reason, Cheryl explained, is to allow Revell to select the model's pose and placement prior to the photo shoot, thus streamlining the process.

One of the most important elements in my covers is the model. After all, she represents my heroine. Thea Mills is 27 years old, shorter than average, and has blonde hair, brown eyes, and a medium build. She's deeply compassionate but also fearful of having her secret revealed.

Knowing that, Revell chose Emily.

Even though you're seeing her in modern dress here, isn't it amazing how well she captures Thea's personality?

Next comes costume selection, which I freely admit is one of my favorite parts of the process, since I'm part of it.

Cheryl gave me a choice of more than half a dozen different blouses including the following:

None of those truly appealed to me, but when I saw the next one, I knew it would be perfect. In addition to its antique look, I loved the fact that it was a complete outfit and that we wouldn't have to find a coordinating skirt.

At this point, everything was ready for the photo shoot.

While the cover sketch identified one possible pose, Dan photographed Emily in several different ones.

Do you like this one?

Cheryl told me it was a top contender for the cover, but the committee preferred the next one.

I agree with them that the second pose is better for the book, in part because it emphasizes Thea's medical bag and gives a hint to her career as a midwife.

If you compare this to the final cover, you'll see that the pose is the same, but there's a big difference. Did you find it? Yes, Emily's expression is different.

Thanks to the marvels of Photoshop, Dan was able to use the head from the following picture with the body from the previous one.

The photo shoot was complete.

The model is one of the most important elements of the cover, but she's not the only one. The background is also key to setting the scene for the book and giving readers a hint about the story itself.

As is often the case, Dan used stock art for the background, starting with Thea's home in Cimarron Creek.

Don't you wish you lived in a house like this? It's beautiful, but there are a few problems, including the streetlights. Those had to be removed. And then there was the water. While it's lovely and you might believe it was Cimarron Creek itself, the creek doesn't flow through that part of the town.

What to do? Dan used flowers that might have been growing in the Hill Country to block the water.

And so we have the final cover, the one I showed you at the beginning of this post.

But the front cover is only part of the whole book. The back cover is almost as important, because that's where readers learn about the story. And the spine is critical for bookstores, since few of their books are shelved face-out.

As you might expect, given the attention that Cheryl and Dan put into the front cover, a lot of work was involved in the back cover too. Writing back cover copy is an art in itself. Fortunately, Revell has extremely talented writers who specialize in condensing a 95,000 word story into a few words. And the addition of a western picture as a cameo adds to the appeal ... at least it does for me.

I was thrilled with the cover and hope it piques your interest and makes you want to read the book.

If you'd like more information about A Tender Hope, you'll find it and buying links on my web page.

And, of course, I hope you enjoyed learning more about the cover art process. It never fails to intrigue me.

Cover Reveal - A Tender Hope

For me, one of the major milestones between the time I turn in a manuscript and the day the book is actually available for purchase is when I can share cover art with you. After all, even though we're told not to judge a book by the cover, we do ... or at least I do.

A great deal of planning and effort goes into the development of a cover. I'll blog about costume choice, how the background was developed, and the other details that you've told me you enjoy learning as we get closer to the release date, but today I wanted to share the finished product with you.

So, without further fanfare, here it is: the cover for A Tender Hope, the third of the Cimarron Creek books.

What do you think?

I hope you're as pleased with it as I am. I loved the historic costume (notice that it buttons what we would consider the wrong way) and the medical bag that's so essential for Thea's profession as a midwife. As for the house, wouldn't it be fun to live in one like that as long as you didn't have to clean it?

If the name "Thea" sounds familiar to you, it's because you met her in Paper Roses. So many of you asked for her story that I couldn't wait any longer to tell you what happened to her when she grew up.

A Tender Hope will be available on March 5 next year. I know it's a long wait, but while you're waiting, here's a glimpse into the story.

The Really, Really Short Version
An abandoned baby and a young woman warm the heart of a Texas Ranger seeking justice for his brother.

The Longer Version
As far as Thea Michener is concerned, it's time for a change. Her husband murdered and her much-anticipated baby stillborn, there's nothing left for her in Ladreville. Having accepted a position as Cimarron Creek's midwife, she has no intention of remarrying and trying for another child. So when a handsome Texas Ranger appears on her doorstep with an abandoned baby, Thea isn't sure her heart can take it.

Ranger Jackson Guthrie isn't concerned only with the baby's welfare. He's been looking for Thea, convinced that her late husband was part of the gang that killed his brother. But it soon becomes clear that the situation is far more complicated than he'd anticipated and that he'll need Thea's help if he's ever to find the justice he seeks.

A Tender Hope is available for preorder at Amazon now and will be available at the other retailers soon.

Behind the Cover for A Borrowed Dream

Back by popular demand!

Yes, it's true.  So many of you have told me how much you enjoy my blogs about the cover design process that I plan to blog about each of my books' covers. I'm undoubtedly prejudiced, but I think the covers Revell has given me are gorgeous, and I continue to be fascinated by the amount of work, attention to detail, and sheer artistry that goes into each one.

While a number of people are involved in the creation of each cover, major kudos go to Art Director Cheryl Van Andel, who's responsible for the entire process, and graphic designer Dan Thornberg of Design Source Creative Services, who turned Cheryl's ideas into the cover you see.

The process always begins the same way, with a questionnaire that each author completes. In it, we describe our characters -- not only their physical traits, but also their personalities -- and the basic setting of the book. We're also asked if there are any landmarks that play a prominent role in the story. You'll see how that information is used in the design.

Catherine Whitfield, the heroine of A Borrowed Dream, is a beautiful brunette who's also the town's schoolteacher. Though she was once a carefree young girl, her mother's death has left her with a deep sorrow.

Cheryl and Dan took that description into account when they chose Jenna as the model and again when she posed for the photo shoot.

Though Jenna's smiling here, she's much more serious when she's portraying Catherine. Does that sound as if she's an actress? Perhaps ...

Once the model is chosen, the next step is finding the right clothing. As a teacher, Catherine normally wears skirts and blouses, so Revell gave me a choice for both.

While each of these blouse selections has its own appeal, none of them felt right for the time period. Fortunately, there were other choices, including this one:

To my delight, this design was virtually identical to one I'd seen in my favorite historic costume book. It was perfect for Catherine.

Next came skirts, and again, I had a choice.

I had no strong preference for one over the other, and neither did Cheryl, so she let Dan decide which would work best. As you'll see, he experimented with both during the photo shoot.

As is often the case, the photo shoot for A Borrowed Dream's cover took place in front of a plain white background.

Notice that Jenna is wearing the first of the skirts here.

And here she's in the second. Don't you love the bare feet?

Here she is again in the second skirt.

I liked each of these poses, but there's no doubt that the one that was ultimately chosen is my favorite. Why? It captures both Catherine's somber side and her optimism.

And so, with the photo shoot complete, it was time for Dan to work on the background.

As part of the author's questionnaire, I mentioned that while a schoolhouse might be good in the background, it needed to be made of stone, not a frame building like the schoolhouse on the cover of Tomorrow's Garden.

Dan found a wonderful stone building to use as the starting point for the background.

Notice that I said "starting point." If you compare this to the schoolhouse on the cover, you'll see a number of changes.

• The whole picture has been flipped, so it's facing the opposite direction.
• The Texas flag was added to the flag pole.
• The bell tower was removed from the roof.

But what's a school without a bell? To add more interest to the cover, Dan created a free-standing bell that would be easier for the pupils to ring. He started with a bell.

When Cheryl sent me the next picture, I wondered how it had been used, since there are no birdhouses on the cover.

Then I realized that Dan had used one of the fence posts to create a post for the bell. Clever!

Now that the basic elements were complete, he added grass, bluebonnets, and clouds. With the addition of the title and my name, the cover was complete. Or was it?

There's more to a book cover than the front and spine. Back cover copy is almost as important as the cover itself in helping readers decide whether or not to buy a book. Fortunately, Revell has a staff of experts to write the back cover copy and choose all the elements that make it as appealing as the cover itself. I'm always amazed at how well they capture the essence of a story in only a few paragraphs.

With everything approved, the cover was ready for printing. But, wait! Did you notice that something changed between the photo shoot and the final cover?

Yes,  Catherine's skirt became blue. Not only does the blue complement the blouse better than the original gray, but it highlights the bluebonnets and the title. This is yet another example of Dan and Cheryl's attention to detail and their determination to make this an eye-catching cover.

Did it catch your eye? I hope so. And I hope you enjoyed reading about the whole cover art design process. It's one of my favorite parts of the journey from raw manuscript to finished book.

I've included more information about A Borrowed Dream along with an excerpt on my web page.  And if you'd like to order a copy, here are some buying links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book Distributors

Behind the Cover for A Stolen Heart

Do you ever wonder how book covers are designed? Ever since my first book was published, I've been fascinated by the process, which is why I've written about it several times. I'll include links to those earlier blogs at the end of this post, but for right now, let's focus on A Stolen Heart. It's one of my favorite covers and one that gets almost universal rave reviews when people see it. So, what was involved in creating it?

Authors are taught to show rather than simply tell, and in this case, that means pictures. Many thanks go to Art Director Patti Brinks and graphic designer Dan Thornberg of Design Source Creative Services, who were kind enough to share a number of behind-the-scenes pictures with me so that I could show you the story.

Although some publishers use stock art for their covers, Revell prefers to custom design their historical fiction books.  While it's a more expensive approach, it also means that the covers reflect the book. Don't you hate it when the cover shows a blonde, but the book describes her as a brunette? That doesn't happen at Revell.

The Model
One of the first steps is to choose a model. As part of the cover art process, the author is given a questionnaire which asks her to describe her heroine, not just in terms of her physical appearance, but also her mood. Using that, the design team reviews portfolios to find a model who has those characteristics.

I'm delighted with the choice of Laura W. to portray Lydia.

Costume Selection
Next comes the costume, which is oh, so critical for historical novels. As part of the questionnaire, I noted that Lydia wore fancy pinafores to work at the candy store. That led Patti Brinks to a search for just the right apron.

In the original version of the manuscript, Lydia wore gray dresses under the aprons. While that may have been historically accurate, Patti pointed out that more color would be better for the cover. I agreed and, in fact, liked the blouse she chose so well that you'll find a description of it in the book. It was a special blouse, and Lydia wore it on a special day.

The Photo Shoot
Once the model is chosen and her clothing selected, it's time for the photo shoot. As you can see from the outtakes, the photographer experimented with various positions and expressions.

Are you surprised by the white background? We'll talk about that next.

Each one of these has its own appeal, but I prefer the pose Dan and Patti chose.

The Background
As you saw above, the photo shoot was done in front of a plain white background, and you've probably guessed that the background was added later. That's true, but there's more to the story than that.

The first step was to purchase an image with the basic design.

If you compare this to the final cover, you'll see many similarities, but also many differences. In addition to the color of the building, the background is different. That's because Dan Thornberg used the photo below to substitute hills for the second row of buildings.

He also made a number of other changes to create this final background. How many can you find?

One of the first things I noticed was that the flowers on the right side are different from the hollyhocks in the original art. The ground in front of the store is also different. And then ... I'll let you search for the other differences.

The First Cover
Before the cover is finalized and presented to the sales staff for their approval, the design is sent to the author for her comments.

My first reaction was that I loved it. As I said before, I think it's one of the best covers I've had, but there was one problem. Can you find the difference between this and the final version?

You're right. The problem was that the store name says "tionery." It's true that Lydia's store is a confectionery, but its name is "Cimarron Sweets." I knew readers would be as bothered by that discrepancy as I was, so I asked for it to be changed. Fortunately, that was an easy modification.

The Back Cover
With the front cover completed, it was time to write the back cover copy and design the back cover. Like every aspect of the manuscript-to-finished-book process, it was a team effort. One person was responsible for obtaining the endorsements; another wrote the back cover copy; still others were involved in the actual design of the back cover. But at last, everything was finished and ready to be sent to the printer.

I'm thrilled with the final product and hope you find it as beautiful as I do.

You can find more information about A Stolen Heart, including an excerpt, on my web page.  And if you'd like to order a copy, here are some buying links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Christian Book Distributors

Other Cover Art Blogs
As I promised at the beginning of this rather long blog, here are links to previous posts I've done about cover art.

Summer of Promise
Waiting for Spring 

I hope you enjoyed learning more about the process of creating a book cover. I can't wait to see what Revell has in store for the next one in the series.

The Story Behind the WBTS Cover

Did you ever wonder how a cover is created?  I've shared the process that a traditional publisher follows and will do so again, but today I'd like to take you behind the scenes for the creation of the cover for Pamela Trawick's debut novel, Walking Between the Stones.

Since a key scene in the book involves a labyrinth, Pamela wanted the cover to include one.  She provided talented cover designer and best-selling author L.A. Sartor with a photo of the labyrinth that had inspired the story.

It's an interesting labyrinth, but I couldn't imagine how L.A. would turn this into a cover.  Fortunately, L.A. is a master at Photoshop, not to mention a gifted artist.  Though she was on a writing retreat, supposed to be working on her next book, she spent hours and hours and hours on the cover.

Here's the first version:

There are a few problems with this, the first of which is the type font.  When I suggested using Comic Sans Serif, L.A. warned me that it wouldn't work.  She was right.  The second problem was that Pamela didn't like the gray sky.

Undaunted, L.A. changed the font and inserted sky from a picture she'd taken at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Many of us liked this cover, but Pamela didn't.  She had two very good reasons for being concerned about the sky.  The first was that the dark blue on the left made it difficult to read the letters.  The second was that the sky didn't mirror the tone of the book, which is lighter than readers might expect.

Instead of simply saying that she wasn't pleased with the cover, Pamela took a picture of the sky outside her San Jose condo and suggested L.A. use it.

Once again L.A. went back to Photoshop and spent hours getting the sky just right.

That was what the cover needed.  The lighter sky provided more contrast with the title, while the lighter clouds speak of hope.

And so, after many iterations and many, many hours of work, we had a finished cover.

Do you like it?  I do.  Even more importantly, Pamela does.

To learn more about Walking Between the Stones or to order a copy, click here:Amazon

The Story Behind the Cover -- With Autumn's Return

This is my seventh book for Revell, so you'd think I'd be used to having wonderful covers, but I still get excited by each one, and I'm still fascinated by the process. 

As you can see, once again, Cheryl VanAndel, Revell's Art Director, has given me a fabulous cover.  What you may not know is how that cover was developed.

The first step was to choose the model.  It took two tries and an extensive search for an appropriate wardrobe, but Cheryl finally found the perfect woman to portray Elizabeth.  Once the model was chosen, she gave me a choice of several different gowns, including this one.

Plaid was definitely correct historically, but I wasn't thrilled with it.  On to the next choice.

Pretty, but the cover of Waiting for Spring had a blue dress.  The color could have been changed with Photoshop, but the style was also similar to the one on Spring.  And that brought us to this one:

To be candid, although I liked the style, I wasn't sure about the print.  Fortunately, I'm not the Art Director.  Cheryl saw the possibilities in this one and told me she thought it was the best of the three.  She was right.  (She's always right!)

Once the gown was selected, it was time for the photo shoot.  Out of all the pictures, Cheryl selected two and asked for my opinion.

We both preferred this one.  One of the reasons I liked it was that it minimizes the bustle.  Let's be honest: bustles aren't the most flattering garments.  I also liked the shawl and the lace gloves, since a lady of that era wouldn't have gone outside without gloves. 

This, as you can see, became the photo for the cover.  You'll notice that it was flipped so that the model had a pose similar to those on the previous two Westward Winds covers. 

Next came the background.  As was true for the other two Westward Winds books, Cheryl used one of my husband's photographs.  I was delighted!  In case you were wondering, the building is the Union Pacific Railroad depot, which was completed at the time With Autumn's Return takes place.  It's still a major landmark in Cheyenne, although the city no longer has passenger rail traffic.  Thanks to talented artists and Photoshop, the modern elements like the tables and planters, were replaced with more historically correct grass.

You may recall that I said Cheryl liked two poses from the photo shoot.  Here's the second, the one with the prominent bustle.

It was so good that rather than simply discard it, Cheryl used it on the book's spine, once again flipping it.  This was the first time I've had a different pose on the spine.  It may not seem like a big deal to you, but I was excited about that.

After that came back cover design and writing the copy that helps readers decide they want to buy this particular book.  Erin Bartels, who is herself a published author, is the person behind the back cover copy.  It always amazes me how Erin can condense a very long story into just a few paragraphs and intrigue readers without giving away too much of the plot.  She's a master at it!

The whole process took months, but at last we had a finished cover.  I hope you agree with me that it's a winner.  

I thank Cheryl, Erin and everyone else at Revell who was involved in giving me another wonderful cover.