So...I have a book. When it was first released with a publisher, the cover I was given... Let me just say finding a woman Zorro is HARD. Finding a woman Zorro that isn't white and blonde (Really!!! Zorro was Spanish!) was harder. We made do...
My readers hated it. So when the book was republished, a friend redid the art. Readers voted for it on a poll here on Book Babe.
Well....
Had they read the book, they'd known a woman in a dress with a lace mask does not suit the story at all. But they didn't read it--there hadn't really been time as the pub crashed so quickly.
However, the lace mask began to irritate me a few months down the road. The artist did a fantastic job with what she had available--jack squat in lady Zorros, but it wasn't growing on me. So I just did a Spanish senorita thing, as when Catalina is not El Capitan, she's a lovely senorita.
I'm very happy with cover three, but now there are THREE of them. Now, stock images are used over and over. I just saw Avon romance use my dude on Love Request. But there are always little differences. They never look exactly the same. The problem with this is everyone (just like me) just added text to it.
So I ask you, readers and authors, how important is it to have UNIQUE cover art, because I certainly don't.
Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? To stand out in this industry, to pimp this book, should I get new art? Go back to lace mask and dress? What?
I'm pleased to announce that the lovely D.F. Krieger and I won best book award on LASR Erotic. I'd like to just take a moment to share this with you, readers.
The book is also up for Book of the Month Award. Follow this link to cast your much appreciated vote!
And if you'd like to read the review in question: Check it out!
Here's just a taste of it... "The plot development in this story was spot on. It was not predictable and each chapter was separated by character, so no issues of head hopping arose. The sex scenes were scorching and left me wanting this book to last for way more than fifty seven pages. The thing I enjoyed the most was the acerbic wit and the all-out real reactions from the characters. This was a one sit read that actually had me going right back to the beginning to start reading it again, I loved it so much. Authors Hightower and Kreiger have done an outstanding job of creating a character dynamic with a flair that really stood out as one of the best books I have read lately. "
And that is not my only good news... I won second place in a cover art contest!!!!!! Much thanks to Staci Perkins for designing my memoir art. So happy to be able to share this and much thanks to all who voted!