A Forsaken Breath

Covers

The author says:

Only God defines the future. Jessica Thaller struggled to complete anything in life. She quit college twice, jumped from one entry-level job to another, and let Hector crawl back into her heart one too many times. The last reconciliation resulted in her getting pregnant. Jessica decides to keep the baby over the objections of her boyfriend and parents. Jessica wakes up from a coma unable to recall the event that landed her in the Intensive Care Unit. Her very survival sparks a national firestorm over a forsaken breath. How does she deal with those who despise her existence? God has a purpose for the tragedy, but will she stay on the path he gave her long enough to see the reason for her life?

Genre: Christian Thriller

Nathan says:

I’m a little stymied here.  I really can’t tell what the novel is about — i.e., the “national firestorm” described in such vague terms in your description that I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.  The cover’s competent, but not really intriguing — but without a description that actually spills the goods, I’ve got no idea what direction it needs to be intriguing in.

All We Hold Dear

Covers

The author says:

After the murder of her grandmother, Dora Baskin inherits her home, a 172-year-old log house in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Was the murder a random act of violence, or something more sinister? With her new friend, Shawn, Dora gradually finds the answer in a handwritten account of one of her ancestors, Isadora Byrnes, a nineteenth century Englishwoman taken in by a Cherokee family. In the pages of this journal, they learn about the secret organization which spent decades pursuing Isadora Byrnes to America, beyond the Trail of Tears and into the Rocky Mountains, seeking to acquire the mysterious silver artifact she possessed. They also find that this organization is still around, and they still want that artifact. And they think Dora has it.

Nathan says:

Nice try, but I can see misfires at every turn.

First: This is a thriller/mystery with a centuries-old secret society, right? Something like that should have high contrast and plenty of shadows, not be all sunny and cheerful. This cover looks from the get-go like it might belong to an uplifting historical novel (possibly even a “mail-order bride” romance).

Next: Most of these cheap stock image models are cheap for a reason. I have no idea what the expression is on the mail girl’s face, but it makes me want to slap her. The central girl above her looks like she’s been eating hashish brownies.  And the digital airbrushing on everyone’s costumes is pretty noticeable, as are the hard edges where they were cut-and-pasted together.

Third: Nothing about Celtic knotwork says “Colorado” or “Cherokee.” Plus, its inclusion in the type (along with the internal shadow, external glow AND drop shadow) renders everything completely unreadable at anything less than full size. (And even at full size, as God is my witness, I thought the title read” All We Hold Bear.”

I think you need to scrap this and start again with a cover concept that conveys a primary impression of “suspense,” and a secondary impression of “historical.” A dark rustic cabin at night, with light coming from a single window, and clear but slightly antiquated type, would serve the sales needs of the novel 1000% better than what you have here.

Other comments?

Colfax and Dead

Covers

The author says:

Book Description: Life is tough. Living on Colfax, the longest wickedest street in America, it is often fatal. Since Daxx died, the world keeps trying to put him back in the ground. There is much for Daxx to do, however; seek forgiveness, make sure his daughter doesn’t end up on the streets, and figure out why the hell he doesn’t die. A beautiful lady hires Daxx to find her brother, someone’s kidnapping the homeless, and his daughter still hates him. Daxx needs to solve the case to get paid. Life may be cheap, but living even for the dead is not.

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Comparable books: Dresden Files, Felix Castor, Grave Report

Nathan says:

The image is okay — not great, but adequate as a starting point; however, the font choices doom it.

Let’s take a look at the three comparable series you cite. Here’s The Dresden Files:

 

Here’s Felix Castor:

And here’s The Grave Report:

What do I see in common?

  • Dark backgrounds. You’ve got this one.
  • Strong typography. (I actually think that the Felix Castor type is a little weak, especially with the byline that keeps blending into the background.) This is a major failing in your cover. Your type politely declines to intrude on the rest of the cover, and the bloody font for “Dead” falls flat.
  • A dominant color. If you look at covers for these and other paranormal fantasies, you find that the initial impression of “magical” is conveyed by the color, long before the viewer can actually pick out any specific details.
  • Some visual detail that further conveys “magical” and distinguishes it from an urban drama. For The Dresden Files, you can immediately see the silhouette of the uncommon hat, and secondarily the staff.  For Felix Castor, the magical element is actually in the title type on each cover.  For The Grave Report, it’s the mutilation of the head on each figure.  By contrast, your image is just a guy at night. (And the hoodie doesn’t help things — it’s become a visual cue for real-world social drama, not escapism.)

I think you could work backwards in conceptualizing your cover. Your book (and, presumably, series) is about a guy who doesn’t die; could he have several bullet holes and a machete sticking out of his back?  Then work on finding a color scheme that features a limited palette of bright colors against a dark background, and then top it off with strong, bold typography.

Other comments?

Shredded

Covers

The author says:

Jean has been called Blue Jean since childhood, but not because of her clothing. She wears nondescript colors and avoids people when she can. Her world is unhappy but predictable, until the new pastor and his handsome brother move into town. A chance encounter brings the town prostitute to church that Sunday, starting a chain reaction that will shake the church to its core. Will Jean embrace the truth that will set her free, or will fear keep her captive forever?

Christian romantic suspense on fighting human trafficking in small-town North Carolina.

Nathan says:

I’m not getting a good feel for this novel from the description you sent — there isn’t much in the description that points to Christian romance, and human trafficking is a big enough deal that one would expect to find it in the description instead of as an afterthought.

In any event, in my experience “Christian romance” (even the suspenseful kind) both portrays in the novel and tries to project on the cover a kind of wholesome quality that I don’t see in either your description or your book cover.

As far as simple design comments go, the elements in the top half of the cover seem ill-positioned.  The Publishers Weekly pullquote could stand to be smaller, giving room for the title and subtitle to expand upward and from side to side.

For that matter, the photograph could stand to be larger — the fold at her back could taper off-cover just like the fabric at her feet does, and I don’t think anyone would feel cheated if the byline appeared on that area of her dress under her forearm and waist.

Other comments?

I, Animal

Covers

The author says:

Q: When trusting your baser instincts threatens to stirp your hold on sanity, who do you turn to?

A: A turkey in the woods.

A primal force awakens in Tommy after learning of his mother’s impending death. She’s all right, not in the hospital on life support or anything, but her days are numbered. Returning to Buffalo made all kinds of sense, but Tommy’s efforts to “take care of” his mom faceplant when she refuses to let him help around the house. He teeters on the cusp of crashing into old patterns – but this canine has learned a few tricks since leaving for LA. Tommy engages his writer-brain in passing the time concocting elaborate plots, second-guessing his cousin’s livelihood – certain something more nefarious is brewing. And yet, who is he to point fingers when waking up covered in dirt with no memory becomes a regular “thing”. Amidst a neurotic, potentially psychotic, break Tommy is forced to face a past ready to plow right into his future. Reminiscent of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, I Animal immerses you in the head space of a Xennial neuroses.

Nathan says:

I wouldn’t blame anyone who picked this book up thinking it was a werewolf novel, and felt gypped when it wasn’t. Wolves and wolf-like dogs have become a signifier of a very specific segment of books these days; use them only with caution.

I don’t know that I can see The Catcher in the Rye in your description, but I’m guessing that, if not exactly humorous, the tale being told is wry and sometimes ironic. Yes?  Then that’s what you should play up on the cover, not darkness and conflict (and wolves).  I have no idea what the “turkey in the woods” has to do with anything, but a man and a turkey having a screaming contest (against a different background, and with a less self-consciously “epic” title font) would probably fit the bill better.

Other comments?