I do so love my Random Tuesday posts. I truly missed it last week, but my crazy life got away from me and I ended up running out of time. (No surprise there, considering school just kicked off and I just endured the normal 'omg, Mom, I need this and this for school)
Between emergancy runs to Walmart for those last minute things, working and trying to get covers ready to go, I've been busier than a one legged man in a butt-kicking contest. And opps, there goes my midwestern roots showing again.
But working on these different covers, got me to thinking - how do you make a cover sexy, but not a carbon copy of another? And how to keep a series branding, while making them stand out from the previous books? It can be such a challenge at times.
So yesterday, I featured one of the two stock pictures that I purchased last week. Both pictures were destined for book covers. Both are BDSM, (which makes sense, because I primarily write in that genre) however, one ended up as a cover for a series, and another for a Christmas themed book. Can you guess which ended up where?
For those who read yesterday's post this will be easy. The first one is for a standalone Christmas themed story, while the second is for the second book in the Cattail Club series.
Some may ask how did I decide? Like I've said before (when asked) it all depends upon the story it will, pardon my pun, cover. In the case of the first picture, it's a stand alone BDSM holiday story. The colorization of the picture drew my eye, particularly the warm glow from the background. It reminds me of warm fires on cold nights. And the way that the whip is wrapped around the branch, is reminscient of the way my dad used to secure our Christmas lights. With the underlying vibe there, I added a few elements that pertain to the story, and 'voila you have the cover' below...
As for the second photo? Well, that's a little more difficult. When I created Safeword Interrupted, I used a very different type stock than my norm. Not only didn't I use a bare chested man, I also took a very different route by using a business man model from the back holding what is obviously a sex toy (or in this case a whip). While it created a very striking cover, it also made a challenge for me, when it was time for me create the next cover in my series. (Darn that pesky branding.)
Let me tell you, finding pictures of humans from behind holding sex toys is not an easy feat. Especially when I knew the characters from the second story are not your normal 20 somethings female and 30'ish male for the hero. Nope, Safeword Delayed is a second chance at love story featuring a couple in their late fifies-early sixties. Did I set myself up for failure...maybe....you'll have to tell me.
After adding the stylistic elements (logo and selected font) that identify this book as part of the Cattail Club Series, I added one element that was important to the story. Just like in Safeword Interrupted (where I used a pair of baby shoes to represent the main conflict of the story) on this cover, it's my heroine's desire to become nurse that causes the intial conflict.
So what do you think? Is one cover pack more of a punch then the other? Or are they both striking in their own way?
Between emergancy runs to Walmart for those last minute things, working and trying to get covers ready to go, I've been busier than a one legged man in a butt-kicking contest. And opps, there goes my midwestern roots showing again.
But working on these different covers, got me to thinking - how do you make a cover sexy, but not a carbon copy of another? And how to keep a series branding, while making them stand out from the previous books? It can be such a challenge at times.
So yesterday, I featured one of the two stock pictures that I purchased last week. Both pictures were destined for book covers. Both are BDSM, (which makes sense, because I primarily write in that genre) however, one ended up as a cover for a series, and another for a Christmas themed book. Can you guess which ended up where?
Some may ask how did I decide? Like I've said before (when asked) it all depends upon the story it will, pardon my pun, cover. In the case of the first picture, it's a stand alone BDSM holiday story. The colorization of the picture drew my eye, particularly the warm glow from the background. It reminds me of warm fires on cold nights. And the way that the whip is wrapped around the branch, is reminscient of the way my dad used to secure our Christmas lights. With the underlying vibe there, I added a few elements that pertain to the story, and 'voila you have the cover' below...
As for the second photo? Well, that's a little more difficult. When I created Safeword Interrupted, I used a very different type stock than my norm. Not only didn't I use a bare chested man, I also took a very different route by using a business man model from the back holding what is obviously a sex toy (or in this case a whip). While it created a very striking cover, it also made a challenge for me, when it was time for me create the next cover in my series. (Darn that pesky branding.)
Let me tell you, finding pictures of humans from behind holding sex toys is not an easy feat. Especially when I knew the characters from the second story are not your normal 20 somethings female and 30'ish male for the hero. Nope, Safeword Delayed is a second chance at love story featuring a couple in their late fifies-early sixties. Did I set myself up for failure...maybe....you'll have to tell me.
So what do you think? Is one cover pack more of a punch then the other? Or are they both striking in their own way?
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