Header Promotion
Contact me with your snail mail addys at kartempber @ aol.com and I'll get you signed copies of A MARRIAGE-MINDED MAN as soon as I get my copies! :)
No, not the story, story. 
But how the cover for A MARRIAGE-MINDED MAN (the next WED IN THE WEST book) came about.
When we give the Art Department information for our covers, they always ask for two or three scenes to choose from (although sometimes they decide to go with a more generic image that conveys a composite idea of the story, as they did -- for instance -- with FROM FRIENDS TO FOREVER). Since I'm a very visual type, and have an art background, I can pretty easily visualize at least two scenes that I feel would lend themselves to strong cover images.
Except this time, the cover image that came to me wasn't in the book.
Oops.
See, sometimes, if the schedule's tight, we have to send in the Art Facts sheets before we've finished the book. (And yes, that can be crazy-making, but whatchagonnado?). So although I'd already thought of a couple of scenes that would work for the cover, suddenly I saw the hero sitting with the heroine's kidlets on his old sofa (now in her house), watching TV -- a very cozy family picture. But as I said, the scene wasn't actually in the book.
So I added an epilogue. Which I needed, anyway. Although I didn't know that until I "saw" the cover in my head.
What can I tell you -- inspiration isn't always chronological.
BTW, I think the Art Dept did a fab job (even if the baby girl is supposed to be a two-year-old. With a full head of hair. 
) But otherwise they got the details almost exactly as I described them -- the heroine standing behind them, the popcorn, the kids in their jammies...bingo, bingo, binGO. So color me happy.
And eager to give away books. Because that makes me happy. Soooo...two lucky posters will each recieve a signed copy of A MARRIAGE-MINDED MAN fresh from the carton when I get my author copies. Contest ends Wednesday at 6 p.m., Pacific, (9 p.m Eastern.)
So. Do you like it? Isn't the hero adorable? Can you visualize the baby with hair? And doesn't that popcorn look tasty?
Karen T.
http://www.karentempleton.com
Reining in the Rancher, SSE, 1/09 (Book 2, Wed in the West)
From Friends to Forever, SSE Famous Families (the next Vaccaro book!) 8/09
A Marriage-Minded Man, SSE, 9/09 (Book 3, Wed in the West)
Cover
This is an adorable cover even if the baby is slightly younger with no hair. I like covers with a strong hero and kid/kids. Interesting that the picture came to you first and made you realize you needed another scene in the story.
Don't enter me in the contest as I subscribe to SSE and get all the books.
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
An Editor Once Told me...
...that the cover art doesn't have to be a scene from the book, just something that gives a real feel for the book--and the hooks in the story.
But how cool, Karen, that you found the image told you that you needed another scene.
Christine Rimmer
http://www.christinerimmer.com
Christmas at Bravo Ridge 12/09
Valentine Bride 2/10
A Bride for Jericho Bravo 3/10
All new Montana Mavericks story 7/10
Expecting the Boss's Baby 12/10
I don't always...
...give them 2 actual scenes to work with, either, Christine. Very often I come up with that generic cover thingy on my own -- hero, heroine, kid (if applicable), relevant setting. I think what may have happened this time is that I *thought* that's what I was doing here...only then I realized, no, actually that's part of the story.
Funny how that works sometimes.
Karen T.
http://www.karentempleton.com
Reining in the Rancher, SSE, 1/09 (Book 2, Wed in the West)
From Friends to Forever, SSE Famous Families (the next Vaccaro book!) 8/09
A Marriage-Minded Man, SSE, 9/09 (Book 3, Wed in the West)
Covers...
and I don't mean the ones on beds, I mean book covers.
To answer you questions...Yes I like the cover, the hero is adorable, the popcorn looks so tasty that I want to go pop some right now, and finally yes I can imagine the baby having a full head of hair.
One of my favorite authors also had an "ah-ha" moment as she called it when she saw the cover for one of her books. The cover artist (who is very talanted, although I can't remember his name) put a tatoo on the heroine that the author never wrote in the story. She (the author) said it fit the character so well that she went back and put it in the book. I personally think that is cool. Insperation from different places.
Thanks for sharing your
Thanks for sharing your cover story! It's interesting to see if an author's view of the cover came to life or not.
Sabrina
Sabrina
www.cheekyreads.com
www.twitter.com/cheekyreads
It's neat to see the story
It's neat to see the story behind the cover. I'm so glad you've got an artist who is so careful. I've had issues with the covers of some of the books I've read - mainly the ones with military heroes. Too many of the covers are not at all accurate, and it irritates me.
Susan F.Fredericksburg, VA
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501048123
"I cannot live without books" - Thomas Jefferson
Covers
Karen--I don't have a marketing mindset nor an arty one, so I envy you that enormously. How fun seeing how you created that scene!
Susan
www.susancrosby.com
The McCoys of Chance City
• Love and the Single Dad, SSE, 01/10
• At Long Last, a Bride, SSE 05/10
The Baby Chase continuity series
* The Doctor's Pregnant Bride?, SSE, 03/10
Like the cover. I love
Like the cover. I love babies on covers! Epilogues are a plus in my eyes.
I like the cover. Shows a
I like the cover. Shows a loving man with the kids all snuggled up to him. I think that is what makes him adorable.
It's always nice when the cover matches to story. Covers don't make me buy a book but it can be distracting when the cover is all wrong.
Star's Reading Lounge
www.myspace.com/kimanipress
www.myspace.com/kimani_tru
Great cover
Hi Karen! Great to see you blogging, and with an incredible cover to show off too. Good job, art department!
“inspiration isn't always chronological” <<< So true!!!
I’m glad you were able to mirror the story with the cover. And, yes, that popcorn is tempting!
Lori A. May
www.loriamay.com
THE PROFILER- Silhouette Bombshell Aug 05
MOVING TARGET- Silhouette Athena Force Jan 08
stains (poetry collection) - autumn 09
NEW suspense ms... coming soon!
Karen,
I love the cover! And, yes, your cover hero is adorable, both in his image as a family man, which is very appealing, and all on his own merit.
And I'm always up for popcorn, even though, after popping it every Friday for the 6 years my DD was in elementary school (K-5) and having people sniff the air around me and say, "I smell popcorn!", you'd think I'd never want to see another kernel of it! (We popped it in a very small PTA room.)
And babies grow very quickly, so I'll just mentally advance this one by a bit and give her a headful of hair. No problem!
Adopt a shelter pet. Save a life; gain a best friend for life.
View my DD's very public video acting debut at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E-v05kMucw.
July 2009 Member of the Month
I wish I could make it bigger
but it does look cute, even though I'm squinting. :)
Most of my buying these days is in e-format so I don't really notice covers (they don't look so hot on my iPhone or Kindle), but if I do impulse buying at the grocery store or Target/Wal-Mart, I sometimes buy based on the cover. Occasionally this backfires!
Cover
I think the cover is adorable, I love it! I think it's pretty neat that you created a scence from the art. I tend to look for what's on the cover in the book. I like trying to find it, but I don't get mad or anyting if it's not.
I love seeing males holding
I love seeing males holding children on covers of books! This is such a nice cover and an interesting story behind the cover.
Nancy
January 2009 Member of the Month
Participant in Date with Destiny 2009
Participant in Pass the Plot Spring 2009
I am impressed!
The art department did an awesome job, I can picture the baby older and with more hair. I can't wait to read it!
Chy
"Love, true love, is all about giving of yourself, without regard to what you may or may not get in return." --Kate McCabe (A Texas Wedding Vow)
Well pardon me if I don't shed a tear. They're selling make-believe and we don't buy that here. -- John Ri
I love the cover. And
I love the cover. And although you didn't ask, I love the title, too.
Kathleen
Congrats Ladies!!
Congrats Ladies!!
Thank you!!!
That's all I wanted to say...Thank You!!!
Congratulations VaBookLover and Dorthy,
Woot! Woot!
Adopt a shelter pet. Save a life; gain a best friend for life.
View my DD's very public video acting debut at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E-v05kMucw.
July 2009 Member of the Month