Today's guest blogger is debut author, Sandy Lender, of the Choices Trilogy. Please, extend a warm welcome to her for joining us!

I'm pretty doggone lucky. Not only did I get a publisher to give me a contract for my first novel CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS, that publisher asked for my opinion on the design of the cover.

So often in the publishing industry, authors have to sit back and wince over what a marketing department has selected for their book's cover. When I met Terry Goodkind several years ago, he told me how disappointed he'd been in the first/original cover for WIZARD'S FIRST RULE. It had a red dragon on the cover with his main characters looking all dramatic and windblown. When I first saw the cover in the bookstore, I was intrigued enough to pick it up, but it didn't "impress" me. What impressed me to buy Terry's book (and I told him this) was his thank-you to Richard and Kahlin (his main characters) in the acknowledgments. THAT turned this writer to mush. I bought the book. It turns out, the dragon in Terry's story is introduced late and plays a minor role.

Anyway, Terry shared that once his books became amazingly popular, he got to have some say in the cover design and the first novel was being reissued with a more artistic, dreamy look to match the rest of the series. (My description, not his.)

I've heard horror stories of images with lighthouses when the storyline takes place inland, images with a three-armed woman, back cover copy that mis-spells the hero's name, back cover copy that reflects events that don't take place in the story, etc. I was thrilled, as a new author, that my publisher said, "Send me some copy for the back cover" and "Here's a cover idea; what do you think?"

The first image he sent me for CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS had a picture of my heroine's head big and huge in the foreground with her hair very dark red and some kind of actual photograph of a modern dagger in the background. I feared making any comment. I turned off the computer and went to bed. The next morning, he had already sent a new concept. Thank God. He had a couple sword images for me to choose from. And he was reflecting part of Chariss's image out of the sword. EXCELLENT! It's quite cool because the amethyst that she's got on her cheek and her lavender eyes are included on the cover without giving the reader a false idea of what she looks like...It's perfect.

I didn't want him to put the hero, Nigel, and the heroine, Chariss, on the cover together. While their relationship draws a lot of attention (and e-mails) from readers, we didn't want to make it the focal point. There are several plotlines and their romance is just one in the fantasy novel. I think what my publisher came up with contains important elements to attract fantasy enthusiasts, and the back cover copy that we worked up draws all sorts of readers in.

Thanks for checking in today!

"Some days, I just want the dragon to win."

Buy: Choices Meant for Gods

Don't forget to comment on today's post for a chance to win an autographed, hard cover, first edition of Choices Meant for Gods! One lucky winner will be drawn at the end of each week during the tour. If you don't win this week follow along for next week! Details here:

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Cathy Maxwell spins a charming little tale with delightful leads that are fun to read. I was disappointed in the bedroom scenes, however, when the story finally got there. I would have given this novel a four, but the dissatisfaction gleaned out of the lovemaking knocked it down a notch.

In the Highlander’s Bed a clan of Highlanders are in dire need of land, wealth, security, and they’re willing to fight for it. Or they were, but even Gordon’s most persuasive arguments lack the enthralling power to galvanize the people into action. They are becoming lazy, unorganized, and defeated. The pride that once held up their heads is gone and bickering has broken out amongst them.

Gordon needs the Sword of MacKenna to rouse them from their lackadaisical doldrums. However the Sword belongs to an ex-clansman who now enjoys a title from the peerage of England. But there is one thing Gordon is sure of about Tavis, he will protect what is his… even if it’s his sister by marriage. With plans to kidnap Constance Cameron from her remote boarding school, this is where our story starts.

Constance is more than Gordon thought he would get. Feisty and captivating, she fights like the devil and gives pride and purpose back to his people. Constance is more than he imagined and makes him yearn for peace. But the bounty on his head reminds Gordon, that he alone cannot escape the hangman’s noose and what kind of life is that to offer a woman?

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Buy: In the Highlander's Bed

Originally posted 2008-12-07 06:44:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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