another cover change

After changing the cover on A Montana Christmas, I looked more seriously at my cover for the book that came before it, From Here to There. I had published the book in January of 2014 and had problems getting a cover that readers would like. As I mentioned, some hated what I had so much that they included it in the review. After many changes, I had settled on this one August of that year after probably four or five predecessors. Maybe sometime I'll do a blog on the ones that got discarded and why-- some of which was purely the reader disdain for them.

What I decided on the current one is that the elements worked, but the proportions could be improved to get more of the message I wanted. This book does have spice but not as much as that cover might indicate. So, it takes awhile for a cover to get changed, but the change is on its way.

There are a lot of very good cover designers and some are reasonable, probably no more than I pay for the images I end up using (although these two images were inexpensive by comparison to some). I do my own for two reasons-- it's a relaxing creative break from writing, and I like the freedom to easily change them. When they are all mine, I can look over them once in awhile and make a change-- minor or major. Sometimes what seemed perfect isn't so much after a few years-- or less.

A friend, who had recently read this book wrote to tell me how much she liked it and that was the inspiration for looking at it again. She wrote: 

"I loved this book, one of my favorites and one I will be reading again. Well written to pull you into the book from the start. A strong hero and heroine adds so much to a book and this one has them. With her vivid descriptions of the hard work of running and working a ranch, through blizzards, freezing, struggling to get feed to the cattle, etc. I felt as if I were there. Add the romance, the wonderful secondary characters, and the nasty bad character, this is a book worth curling up with and losing oneself in."

 I don't think readers understand how much it means to writers when they hear from them... and it can even change something in a positive way. Earlier readers led me to keep on until I found a better cover. This reader inspired me to adjust it to better suit what I felt was the energy of the book.