One of my best friends, Lee Hyat, who is also Tule’s Director of Design, manages, as well as creates, hundreds of Tule covers every year…from the beginning in 2013. Some authors have outside designers, and some have several different designers on their books, but I’ve only had Lee for my Tule books. I think that means she’s done 24 covers for me, and that’s before the two most recent series rebranding for Taming of the Sheenans, and Love on Chance Avenue got a refresh.
I’m very visual. I love art, I collect art, usually big landscapes that fill my walls. I also love local artists, thus the Oahu house is filled with paintings by Hawaiian artists, and the new Montana and Indiana cabins are getting works by local artists. I think art breathes life into spaces, much like windows in a home.
What does this have to do with my book covers? Not much, other than to say, I work with Lee on my covers long before the book is written. She starts the cover even as I start the book as the finished cover becomes my road map, helping convey the book’s emotional tone, not just the characters on the front.
But being me, I sometimes shift directions and sometimes change lanes very abruptly. I will push a book away when I’m struggling to work on something fresh, and this impacts a story if it shifts from say, Christmas, to February, or February to summer. Lovely Lee rolls with my changes, even if it means I have extra covers stacking up for a period of time until I get the new books written.
All of this brings me to A Soldier’s Promise, my one book with two covers. The story was supposed to come out, oh, last year, and then I was wrestling with the story, and unhappy with choices I was making, and did one of my abrupt lane changes, and Tule was kind enough to push back A Soldier’s Promise so I could write A Very English Christmas instead.
I loved writing A Very English Christmas, and it gave me fresh energy for returning to Finn and Savannah’s story. When I did return to Montana and my very pregnant Savannah and my visiting Texas soldier, I had a different vision in mind for the cover, one featuring a soldier, rather than a mother and baby. But many of my readers loved the mother and baby cover and wanted to own a print edition with Savannah and the baby. An equal number of readers said they preferred the new soldier cover, suggesting it would sell better in the digital market (which I did agree with). So wonderful Lee has made me two print covers, and while I can only sell one on Amazon and B&N, etc, I can sell both in my Jane Porter Shop.
(By the way, you do know I have an online shop, don’t you? The shop link is janeportershop.com and this is the link to the one book with two covers! https://janeportershop.com/collections/the-calhouns-campbells-of-cold-canyon-ranch)
So, for a chance to win a $20 Gift Card to spend in my JP Shop, tell me which cover you prefer (the soldier or mother and a baby) and if it was a good or bad decision to make two covers for one book. The winner will be drawn from the comments and announced Monday, March 23rd.
the soldier, prefer one cover
I like both.
The soldier. The two covers are a little confusing.
I prefer the cover with the cowboy, but I would buy either, of course!
I think two covers might confuse the reader, but you are the author!
I have to agree, the cowboy on the cover will sell more books. But my personal choice is still the one with the mom and baby. For some reason, I just keep being drawn back to that one. By the way, I am very visual and book covers are important to me. Even if I read an e-book, I love to have print copies of my favorite books for my shelf because I feel they are art for my shelves.
Prefer the Soldier, but the other is very nice as well.Pat
I love the Mother and baby cover. The cover speaks to me , saying she hopes and prays her soldier makes it safely home. All the while she keeps the home fires burning.
Love the soldier on the cover, he just makes my heart melt. But the baby cover is just a joy, though I think it gives a twist of the plot away. I will end up with two copies just to have both covers, lol.
I love both covers,but I’m partial to the soldier cover,especially with the world so chaotic right now….we need to honor them & the sacrifices they’re making to keep us safe
Congratulations! You won this giveaway. Please email Jane at [email protected] letting her know you won her “One Book, Two Covers” giveaway and let her know where to send your gift card.
I like mother and baby
Prefer mom cover
I prefer the mother and baby. Such soft colors.
I love the Soldier cover, my husband is an Army Soldier and I just love seeing him in uniform. I think the idea of
any man in uniform portrays a sexy aura. Although babies are beautiful and soft/cuddly… the soldier cover has more appeal. To what your audience is and your romance writing style.
I love the cowboy
I love both. But I think the mother and baby draw me in more. Normally I would go with the soldier or male on a cover but right now the other one calls to me but who knows.
I do love both covers, I think the cowboy will sell better, but I do love the mother and baby one. I love that you are giving your readers choices.
I think it’s fun to have two different covers. I think giving people options is really great. I do tend to like the mother and baby on the cover. It is sweet and I love the pink colors on the front.
I love both covers
The soldier. I do like the mother and baby but I honestly think the soldier wearing the cowboy hat says Montana and would catch my eye for that kind of story.
Both covers are wonderful. But I like the cowboy best
I love the mother and baby 🙂
I love both, and after reading the ARC, the mother and baby are so special. Can’t go wrong either way.
Alwsys a cowboy!! I was surprised you have a cabin in Indiana!! We are friendly here, even if our state government isn’t.
I like the cover with the Soldier. I would have gone with just one cover but you are entitled to do whatever you like.