No Fewer than Two Guns

I'm taking a break from the last edits of Death Benefits to blog about book cover and interior design. I predict (no crystal ball needed) that this is really going to take off in the near future. Apple is already on the move with a drag and drop ebook creation software that allows authors to add images and video easily. Amazon will have to step it up to compete. I'm sure they will.

But that's the (near) future, and now is now. And what's now? Color ereaders and tablets. They're the hot thing, so make the most of it by adding images to your text. That's what I'm doing. There are some limitations right now. For instance, I can't hyperlink images on my Kindle books. (If anyone knows how to get past this, I'd LOVE to know.) But images are still a way to set yourself apart from other books.

And on the subject of art, I thought I'd break down my thoughts on the Southern Fraud covers. A couple of reviewers have commented that they thought my covers didn't match the seriousness of the books. I've thought long and hard about this.

And here's my reasoning behind the cover design. My books deal with serious crimes, but in casual language and with a more lighthearted tone than other thrillers. So the covers are bright and colorful to convey the feel of the book, but the content of the art is key. The covers contain no fewer than two guns. Why? Because of what I said above: these books deal with serious crimes.

So that's my thinking.

What attracts you to a particular book? If you're an author, why did you choose the art you did?

Ps. I'm hoping to hit the go button tomorrow!