How a Simple Tweak Snowballed Into a Series Cover Revamp

Recently, and rather on the spur of the moment, I waved my magic wand and had the covers for my Wytchfae Series redesigned. You can see the sparkling new ones above, from blue to purple. The project started as a simple desire to get Demoness Dreams, book #6, into paperback. It’s the only book of the series not available in that format, either singly or in anthology.

In giving a critical eye to the old cover, I knew the picture to be one of my favorites. The young woman is the spitting image of how I see the heroine, Neva. However, I had become disenchanted with the font. Although very clear and readable, it had lately appeared to me too much like the one used on westerns. I needed an updated font depicting an adventurous fantasy romance.

I began researching fonts to see which ones sang out to me. I also communicated with the original cover designer to determine the cost of her creating a pdf front-and-back cover design, with a new font, that I could pop into KDP to produce a paperback. We were almost set to proceed when my brain began buzzing. If the paperback needed new font, so did the eBook version. Plus, if Demoness Dreams needed new font, didn’t the rest of the series? If the rest of the series needed new font, why not create a totally refreshed “series look”? I had frequently salivated over series whose books all had similar layouts but different colors. I instinctively knew what color I wanted for each title in my series. Why not go for it?

Nine years ago when I wrote the first book of the series and it was accepted for publication, I had no idea the publisher would ask for more. Hilariously, I remember the day when she called and asked how many books I thought would be in the series. I tossed her my favorite number, seven, and hurriedly came up with seven titles/story concepts to fit the Wytchfae universe.

As I wrote the stories one by one, each cover was designed by the publishing company’s talented cover artist, Dawne’ Dominique. I gave no thought at the time to a matched set or a “series look.” A few years later when the company sadly went out of business, the company owner transferred the book titles to me and I bought the covers from the artist. She removed the company logo from the books, and I was good to go with indie publishing them.

There are good reasons for revamping your book covers. Wisdom keepers say it should be done every five to ten years. It is a well-used marketing strategy and one easily seen by looking up titles. Maybe your taste has changed or you want to try your hand at DIY. Maybe you want your genre better represented. Maybe you’d like a “series look.” Or maybe, like me, you just want to tweak the font.

What do you think of my new Wytchfae covers by the brilliant Dawne’ Dominique of DuskTilDawnDesigns? 

Once a Cowgirl Always a Cowgirl

 

Hello Readers,

          Loretta Rogers here sending special greetings to all of you. 

When I was a little girl my grandmother nicknamed me Cowboy Girl. Whether it was a carousel horse, a wild horse, or a plow horse, if it had four legs and a tail, you could bet your boots, I was going to ride it. I’ve worked cows, ridden in parades; barrel raced, and won a couple of ribbons participating in twenty-five mile endurance trials.  Although I hung up my spurs years ago, I’ve never outgrown my love for horses or the Old West.

September is not only my birthday month but, but how fitting is it that September is also National Cowgirl month. Just exactly what defines a cowgirl? “Cowgirl" is an attitude really; a pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head-on, lives by her own rules, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands; they speak up. They defend things they hold dear.

National Cowgirl month isn’t as widely known as some holidays, however, it’s very simple, and powerful. Women for years have made many historical contributions to the west and the cowboy culture. Some famous cowgirls include: Sandra Day O’Connor, before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, she was a little girl who rode horses, shot guns and grew up on her family’s generational Lazy B Ranch in Arizona. Phoebe Ann Moses Butler became known as legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley. More famously known as “Wild Horse Annie,” Velma Johnston spent decades of her life fighting to protect wild horses.

Written under my pseudonym L.W. Rogers, in my historical western mystery novel, Cowgirl Courage, Jenny Irene Morriston, lived up to the cowgirl code. At the age of eleven, Jenny executed the death-defying feat of breaking her father out of jail after he was wrongly accused of murder. Now, at the age of twenty-one, she has her mind set on an even more dangerous plan.

Just helping her father slip the hangman’s noose wasn’t enough: Jenny still has to clear his good name. So with newly short hair covered by a sweat-stained Stetson and a silver-inlaid gun belt wrapped around her waist, Jenny rides back to Rio Hondo, Texas…disguised as young gunslinger Jim Morris. Every breath, every movement, every word threatens to unmask her—and put a noose around her neck. Jenny’s only chance of discovering the true murderer and staying alive long enough to see justice done is to maintain her disguise. Her sole ally is her childhood friend Lucas. No matter how much it pains her, she must guard her identity even from him.

The closer Jenny gets to the truth, the riskier her charade becomes…until the only thing she can rely on is her courage.

While Cowgirl Courage is fiction, I hope you enjoy Jenny's perilous journey, and the emotions and fears she experienced because the tough-as-nails demeanor that each true western cowgirl possessed has laid the way for generations of cowgirls and women in general to emulate.

         Available in print and Ebook: https://amzn.to/2JId244

        www.lorettacrogersnovels.com

HAPPY READING!

Who Was Alse Young?

 

Have you heard of Alse Young? I discovered her when researching my novel Witch Trial Legacy. (Release date Oct. 11, 2021)

Initially, I planned for the heroine to be a descendant of one of the victims of the Salem Witch Trials because I grew up hearing stories about my ancestor, Susannah Martin, who was hanged as a witch there.

However, when I found out about Alse Young, I had to feature her in my story.

Alse was the first person executed for witchcraft in this country in the colony of Connecticut on May 26, 1647 around 45 years before the hysteria in Salem.

Little is known about her. She lived in Windsor and had a daughter also named Alse who was accused of the same crime about 30 years after her mother’s death but never indicted. It was common practice at that time to name daughters after their mothers. Sadly, family members of the people arrested were frequently persecuted as well.

Historians believe Alse’s (the mother) husband was John Young although the only substantiation of this was a notation on the back of an alchemical physician’s note stating Young had been married to a woman who was executed for witchcraft in Hartford.

There is no record of why Alse was denounced or any evidence presented against her. However, there was an outbreak of influenza at the time and many people died. Alse may have been scapegoated by the town’s prominent citizens.

In my novel, Witch Trial Legacy, Alse appears in spirit form to help the heroine break the curse which gives her visions of future tragedies but prevents anyone from believing her when she tries to warn them.

I took some writer’s license with Alse’s story. I made her an attractive, well-to-do widow pursued by a greedy neighbor and changed her daughter’s name to “Truth”. Having mother and daughter characters with the same name could be confusing for readers, and since Puritans often named babies after virtues, I thought “Truth” would be the perfect name for Alse’s daughter. She is the only one who acknowledges the real reasons behind Alse’s execution. She also manipulates the town’s perceptions of reality in order to obtain her revenge.

It’s a shame that Alse and other victims from Connecticut are not better known today. We hear a lot about Salem, but little about other areas. Too many lives were lost due to superstition. I’m hoping to help spread the word so that more people realize the tragic circumstances and commemorate them.

The Windsor town council formally exonerated Alse on February 6, 2017. A memorial service for her was held there on May 26, 2017 and a brick engraved with her name is among the memorial bricks beneath the flag pole near town hall.

Here are a couple of references to learn more about Alse.

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/alse-young-witch/

https://connecticuthistory.org/alse-young-executed-for-witchcraft-today-in-history-may-26/

https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/history/witches.htm

 

Witch Trial Legacy is available for preorder from Amazon and releases everywhere on October 11. Check back here next month for the cover reveal!

https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Trial-Legacy-Cassadaga-Collection-ebook/dp/B0977NF15J/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=witch+trial+legacy&qid=1632239099&s=digital-text&sr=1-3

If you would like more info about me or my books, please visit my website at: http://katherineeddingersmits.weebly.com/ Subscribe to my newsletter, and I’ll send you a free exclusive short story. Newsletters come out once or twice a month and always include contests, freebies, and fun. Unsubscribe any time by clicking at the bottom.

Thanks so much for reading this!

Katherine Eddinger Smits

 

All About Audiobooks

 

                 

Can I get a show of hands? How many like to hold their books in their hand and hear the crisp turning of the pages? How many prefer ebooks, where you can change the font size to adjust to your aging eyes(guilty!)? How many of you like an audiobook, where you can escape into another life while commuting, housecleaning, or performing other mundane tasks? 

Today, I'm celebrating the audiobook. As an author, I had no idea what went into the making of an audiobook, until two of my books were made into the spoken word. It's a heady experience as an author. Simply put, a narrator can pick from a vast amount of novels. If they see one they are interested in, they do an "audition." The author gets these auditions, in my case from the Wild Rose Press' marketing department. I get to listen to them and pick from those auditions the one I think would suit the book well. Then, as the narrator finishes the chapters, I get to listen to them and check for errors. I was very fortunate to have the talented Rebecca McKernan narrate Mercy of the Moon. If you'd like to have a listen, click the link below:   

https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Moon-Rhythm/dp/B079Z9D1X3/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=mercy+of+the+moon+audiobook+jennifer+taylor&qid=1631036213&sr=8-1

Rebecca did an amazing job telling the story of a midwife who carries the world on her shoulders, finds love, and fights superstition in an 18th Century harbor town. Her emotive, heartfelt reading and talent at creating voices for each character took the book to new heights. I never thought anything would be as exciting as holding my own book in my hands, but listening to my book spoken by a talented actor is equally as thrilling. 

I'm happy to report that on September 1, my second audiobook, Heartbeat of the Moon, was released. I never thought it possible that a man could narrate a midwife's story, but this is very much a man's story too. The talented Howard Green narrates this tale. It's about friendship between men, a twist on a very popular horror theme, and the torment my main character, Ian faces when confronted with his personal demons. And it's a story about love and loyalty. 

Mr. Green did a phenomenal job with my characters, creating different voices and accents, able to give the women a voice as well as the men. You may know that Ian is a musician and uses music to calm and entertain the people in King's Harbour. Howard Green sings Ian's songs. Sings them, I tell you! His voice lends well to the frightening aspects of this story as well as the humorous parts. All in all, he has elevated the story to a new dimension. I'm hoping he'll be narrating Echoes of the Moon. Take a listen, if you like:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=heartbeat+of+the+moon+audiobook+jennifer+taylro&ref=nb_sb_noss

Whether you like traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks, sometimes it's fun to shake things up. Experience a story in a different format. You have a lot to choose from. 

Most of all, enjoy every moment of your day.