The Evolution of a Cover, or . . . will Donna ever be happy?

So, I did a thing.

That's right - I changed the cover for The Rood. Again!

The long, sordid story goes like this.

When I was choosing a cover for The Rood shortly before it's publication (back then, I was doing my own covers), I chose this picture and created this cover

. . .

Now, I love the browns in that photo. I love the dude and the way he is holding her. However, does the cover speak of pirates? Or adventure? Or colonial America? Or just . . . what?

I even hired my cover artist (who at the time redid the three covers for my Children of the Light Trilogy to add the zip to the cover that I could not.

It didn't seem to help. So, I decided (about three years ago) the cover was holding me back. I found a more colonial cover and changed to this . . .

Alas, sales improved somewhat. BUT the thumbnail is hard to see, and I as could not very well use the couple from a distance (because her hair was blonde and changing it to black would have been too problematic), I couldn't get a better cover image. Also, while the cover may well have screamed Colonial America, i am not sure it was really indicative of Thomas McQueen and Elizabeth Marie Johns and the frontier.

And then, while looking through photos to use for The Brooch, I came across an interesting and gorgeous photo. The young girl says a lot with her eyes and her posture. While her outfit was not exactly Acadian (finding that is NOT going to happen), it was gorgeous and spoke of historical fiction of some sort.

So, I did a thing . . . and I cannot be more pleased.

I think I finally have a winner. I can't anticipate changing covers unless I start making enough money to hire cover models to dress in Acadian and frontier clothing and a photographer to do my bidding.

Stay tuned for the cover reveal of The Brooch coming soon!