The publishing industry fascinates me! Since signing my first contract in 2011, I’ve watched with wide-eyed awe what happens when I turn a manuscript in to my editor and my talented team creates a novel that ends up on retail bookshelves and eventually in the hands of my readers.

I’m particularly intrigued with the cover creation process. I’ve never released a book in the Texas Gold collection that is not followed by numerous emails telling me how much readers are attracted to those covers. I get it . . . because I open the emails with my new covers and often get a bit teary-eyed. There’s nothing like seeing ideas (characters, setting etc.) that spawned in my head show up in a form that suddenly makes my story real for the first time.

Oh . . . and then when the Fed Ex guy shows up at the door with my author copies. I wish I could bottle those emotions and offer them up so everyone could share that experience!  Can’t do that — but I can share a few photos that show the cover design process (thanks to Cheryl Van Andel at Baker/Revell for capturing and providing these images.)

This is the image the team started with….found on an internet site. They ordered the dress and hired a model and went about trying to replicate the look.

Shot #1

Shot #2

Alternative look…plain green?

Here’s the shot I provided to my team of Lake Conroe in Texas (the setting of the opening scene in book)

THE FINAL COVER!!

Isn’t the final cover gorgeous?  I love the bass boat drifting across the lake. (Secret: my own man fishes for bass at Lake Fork where we keep our motorhome. We spend a lot of time there on weekends!)

Next post I’ll share about my research and provide photos of the big Texas Bass Classic tournament, which is featured in the book. What? You thought I just sat behind a computer?  *winks*

A Reason To Stay releases next week . . . order your copy NOW!  Click HERE!