This book cover is a Finalist!

Wow! I learned a couple of weeks ago that The Counterfeit Lady is a finalist in the I Heart Indie Contest sponsored by Las Vegas Romance Writers, a chapter of Romance Writers of America.

The I Heart Indie Contest judges the branding of the contestants. Here’s what the LVRW website says about the contest:

In the world of electronic publishing, a book’s cover and the back cover copy are often what make—or break—a sale. 

That is a true fact!

All of the covers in my Sons of  the Spy Lord series were designed by Cami Brite of Brite Designs, and are consistently good. In fact, I love her covers, and all credit for finaling in this contest goes to her.

I, on the other hand, don’t always write the best blurbs. I’ve been working diligently to improve my back cover copy and book descriptions. Writing “copy” is a completely different art than writing a book. I’m trying to get better at both!

Here’s the full flat for The Counterfeit Lady:

If you can’t read the print on the blurb, here it is:

Freedom!

Vowing she’ll never submit to an arranged marriage, an earl’s daughter bolts for the remote seaside cottage that should be hers upon marriage.

But instead of a quiet respite from her controlling family, she finds her refuge occupied by the last man she ever wants to see again—an American artist, who’s also a thief.

And quite possibly one of her father’s spies.

Thank you, Cami!

Last spring when the I Heart Indie contest opened for entries, I was so busy with my husband’s illness and writing deadlines I put all contests on hold. When Cami called to ask if I minded her submitting the entry, I was thrilled. 

Having the book final is even more thrilling! While I think that finalist status is often as good as a win, I would love to see Cami and The Counterfeit Lady awarded “Best of the Best”!

Anatomy of a Book Cover

I started The Counterfeit Lady early in 2015, and finishing the first draft was my NaNoWriMo project for that year. For inspiration, I downloaded an image from Depositphotos.com and made a mock cover.

It’s DREADFUL, right? Meant to be shared with only my muse.

Except that, last winter when finalizing the book, I decided I might as well send this dreadful cover to Cami in case she needed inspiration–and she actually used the photo as the background for my Period Images hero and heroine. She artfully repositioned images, coordinated colors, and improved the fonts!

I love this cover, and I’m glad the preliminary judges did also.

 

Image credits: Depositphotos.com and Period Images. Cover by Brite Designs, of course!