Book covers are tricky things. Go to any branch of Barnes & Noble and have a look at the latest novels on offer. What may strike you is how similar many of them are. And then have a second look and see which cover really catches your eye. Which dust jacket attracts you so much that you actually reach for the book to read the cover blurb?
Every author hopes that their cover will be the one that catches the attention of the prospective reader, but we are in the hands of the publishing houses and the designers. Some of us are lucky enough to be involved in the process of arriving at the final design and it’s a very rewarding process. There’s nothing quite like the moment that you see a finished design and realise that it’s brought your book to life. The book is no longer simply 100,000 words – suddenly there’s a picture which hints either at the content or the mood of the book. When it comes to novels, a picture really does paint a thousand words.
I have just received the design for the cover of the second book in the Devil’s Own series, An Uneasy Alliance, and wanted to share it. I wanted a really powerful image and the great design team at High Pines Creative have nailed it beautifully.
New cover for An Uneasy Alliance by JD March
An Uneasy Alliance comes out in August. And to whet your appetite, here’s the blurb!
Gunfighter Johnny Fierro is trying to settle into a new life as a rancher in the Cimarron Valley in New Mexico, but his past just won’t let go.
Whether it’s gunfighters looking to settle old scores, or bushwhackers who’d like to put a bullet in his back, there’s always someone out to get him.
The neighbors—and maybe his father too—want him gone or dead, until lawless drifters bring trouble to Cimarron. Then the neighbors want to hire Fierro.
When the drifters attack a woman in town, Johnny knows he’s the only one who can stop them—but at what cost?
