Oh happy day! PJ here, and I’m thrilled to share with you the cover for my upcoming release, WANING MOON, Book ONE in The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy. In the past, my husband and I have designed my covers. But this time, I enlisted the help of the wonderful and fabulous Melody Simmons, who has been very accommodating, I must say. Because WM is part of a trilogy, I wanted a cohesive look to the books and I was ready to take my covers to the next level.
We’re still tweaking fonts for the back cover, but she came up with this front cover after I gave her my ideas for a concept and picked out the stock photo of the model. I think she did great! Let us know how you like it, and if there’s anything about it you don’t like. We’re thick skinned and there’s still time to make changes. Have I told you lately that I love Indie publishing?
Meet Lily Carmichael!
In the year 2057, in a post-apocalyptic world where a global shift threatens the remainder of the population with extinction, sixteen-year-old genetically enhanced Lily Carmichael has more immediate problems. Her uncle is dying of cancer and her healing abilities are ineffective against the blood ties that bind them. In order to find a cure, Lily must leave the protection of her quiet town and journey into the trading city of Albany, all while avoiding the Industry, an agency that would like nothing better than to study and exploit her abilities.
Seventeen-year-old Will Callahan has been searching for his father since severe storms blasted through the Midwest, killing his mother and sister. When he learns that his father may be in the city, he catches a ride with Lily, a girl who has come to his rescue more than once. As the two embark on a dangerous journey, the tension between them grows. But the secrets Will’s keeping could put Lily in far more danger than traveling to the city with him, and if he was any kind of man, he would have told her to run the minute she found him.
We both groaned as we lifted the heavy iron cover. I dropped down into the icy churning water, sucking in a breath while Will climbed down the ladder. He paused, grunting as he pulled the heavy cover in place behind him.
But the thunderous roar of the cascading waterfall swallowed the sound of my scream. It launched us into the darkening horizon like a torpedo, and then dumped us thirty feet into the icy roiling waters of the Hudson River.
Well, that’s it for today, folks. Stay tuned for more exciting excerpts from WANING MOON, which is set to release September 28th. Let me know what you think of the cover, and if you want to get in touch with Melody Simmons or see some of her pre-made covers, check out her website @ http://ebookindiecovers.com/contact/.
Love the cover, PJ! Congratulations for the new release!
Thanks! Now the fun begins…edits, promo, and the big launch!
Great cover, PJ! Love the blurb and excerpt. Another one I can’t wait to read.
Cool Rhonda, Thanks!
Your best cover yet, Paula. It’s awesome, and the excerpt swept me right into the story.
Thank you, Huntley. I won’t tell my husband you said that, LOL. Hopefully my writing continues to improve with the covers over time:-)
Paula, a gorgeous cover. One suggestion: don’t have the word “of” all by itself, perhaps.
Thanks for the feedback, Zsuzsa. I’ll definitely take that into consideration and talk with Melody about getting the “of” onto the same line. I’m still wondering if there are too many fonts, giving it the “ransom note” feel as Kristan Higgins put it. Love that analogy! Maybe with a different font, it can all fit on the same line. I’ll check into it.
For the record, Love it, but I kind of agree about using so many fonts. I love the font for Lily’s name. It’s HER book.
Hi PJ. What struck me the most about the cover was the girl’s green eye. I’m sure figuring out the fonts is a minor thing. Best wishes for much continued success. I can’t wait to read it.
Thanks, Gerri. I love the eye color, too. That is a distinguishing feature for Lily, so I wanted to get it right. I think Melody did a great job with it. Thanks for stopping by. I’m looking forward to your release party next week. Can we serve virtual wine on FB?
Perhaps not a different, but a slightly smaller, font, Paula.
The problem with going smaller is that the cover for e-book is seen in thumbnail size, and you won’t be able to read the title. That’s one of the reasons the LILY CARMICHAEL is in larger letters. We’ll play with it. Thanks again, Zsuzsa!
I like it! Re: the fonts — Dean Wesley Smith just had something about the number of fonts to use (I think it was three at the absolute max) and how to make the cover part of your brand. Let me see if I can find it.
Here it is — there’s a part II to this as well. http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=7531
Wow, Suze! What a great article. I’ll definitely pass this along to Melody and do a little finessing before we call it done:-) Thanks for the tip!
I like it very much. Best of luck on the new series.
Thanks Jennifer!
Very pretty!!
Thanks, Jamie!
I like it! Did you give it the black and white test yet? That is where you’ll see how it plays on an e-reader.
I did, Casey. Looks great in black and white. Thanks for the tip.
Love the cover PJ. Have great luck with the new series.
Thanks, Gail. I was hoping you’d chime in. I would love your input as an artist. E-mail me off loop if you have any suggestions or critique. Thanks for stopping by.