Cover Reveal ~ Worthy of Legend

Cover Reveal ~ Worthy of Legend

by | Feb 10, 2022 | Announcements, Cover Designs

It’s cover reveal day!! Always an exciting day in the life of an author…right up there with that day when, out of the blue, an email arrives in your inbox with the subject line of “Worthy of Legend Cover!” (or whichever book I happen to be waiting for my glimpse of, LOL.)

My heart rate always increases. I click into that email. And then I click on the attachment icon. Oh, the flutters in my stomach every single time as I wait for the image to download–it’s one of those moments where the seconds it takes stretch out soooooo long! But finally, it loads. I may quite literally hold my breath.

Am I going to love it?
Am I going to hate it?
Will it look anything like what I imagined?

For Worthy of Legend, the third and final book in the Secrets of the Isles series, I’d given them some ideas and of course knew it would follow the same general look as the other two books. We’d have the heroine front and center, an island background. My special requests this time: (1) Could we have a night sky, or first-breath-of-dawn sky perhaps? And (2) she could be wearing green, as it’s the only color mentioned for her clothes.

Of course, I gave them some ideas for items she could be holding and also described Lady Emily Scoffield and provided some inspirational photos.

But one never knows how that’s going to play out in the cover designer’s mind. One never knows if our visions will perfectly match. And to be quite honest, both covers for the other books in this series surprised me–but I adore them both!

So finally, that image downloaded, all those questions rampaging through my mind, and I clicked it open, trying not to peek at the thumbnail, honestly, so that I could get the full impact.

And there she was! Lady Emily, holding a small leather-bound journal that plays a critical role in the story, in a puffed-sleeve green dress that would have made Anne Shirley gasp is exaggerated pleasure. With an island backdrop with that lovely starry sky I’d requested (yay!!!!)

Are you ready to get YOUR first look?? Here it is!

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What do you think??

I admit that the model wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured Emily, but I always get over that really quickly, LOL (because this is pretty much ALWAYS the case, ha ha). She looks lovely and sweet with a touch of insecurity–SO EMILY!–so I quickly adjusted my own mental image to match! I love that she’s holding that small leather journal, and the background…spot on. Overall, I’m so excited to add this one to my “My Covers” folder and think it’s the perfect complement to the rest of the series!

Now, a bit about the story itself. Lady Emily has been cut off from her family after siding with the Tremaynes in the whole treasure hunt thing, and she’s got some heavy questions she’s dealing with: Why can’t they just love her? How is she to love them as God does? Will the opinions of these friends change when they realize exactly how little her own family esteems her?

And then we have our hero, the grumpy, candy-loving Bram, Earl of Telford. Bram has already been well established as an over-protective big brother, and he takes that role very seriously. When he sees what a terrible brother Emily has, he pretty much decides that someone has to protect her, and if her brother won’t do it, he will. We also finally discover what he’s hiding behind that gruff exterior–a heart that longs for true nobility and is more than a little inspired (okay, obsessed) with tales of chivalry, especially the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. So when a new treasure hunt seems to have a link to Arthur himself…well suddenly he’s more intrigued by archaeology than he ever expected to be.

I hope everyone is looking forward to this ending to the Scilly-set tales! I greatly enjoyed digging deep into these two characters and really examining what makes anyone worthy of legend. Spoiler alert (okay, not really, LOL): Both of these two characters live up to it!

And of course, now that I have a cover, that means I also can make the pre-order available in my shop! Order your copy now, and it *will charge your card right away and then I’ll ship the orders as soon as I get my author copies, which is usually 3-4 weeks before they’re available from other stores. =D In this case, release day is early September, so you’ll *probably get your book sometime in August.

Preorder Now
Cover Reveal ~ Shadowed Loyalty

Cover Reveal ~ Shadowed Loyalty

by | Nov 4, 2021 | Book News, Books, Cover Designs

Back in August I shared the announcement about Shadowed Loyalty, my 1920s Chicago story, that will be coming from Chrism Press in May of 2022. Well, not long after that, I had the joy of working on the cover for it!

It isn’t often that I get to design my own book covers, and while Chrism Press is a branch of WhiteFire Publishing (the company my husband and I own), the designs are all done by the amazing Rhonda Ortiz, so I was fully prepared to come, hat in hands and eyes wide, to beg her to let me do this one, LOL. But she beat me to the punch by saying, “You’re going to do yours, right? You do ‘Roseanna covers’ better than I could.” To which, of course, I said, “YES, PLEASE!!!”

Honestly, I’d already been searching for images. I thought I’d do a “pretty dress” cover with that iconic 1920s style…an authentic era gown, even. So I went to my usual sources for genuine era gowns with public domain photos…and I found nothing. Nada. So by the point that the task was officially handed to me, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Until Rhonda said, “We totally need something with the same vibe as Stephanie Landsem’s In a Far Off Land.”

To which again I said, “YES!!!!”

I absolutely adore this cover of Stephanie’s (and the book is amazing too!), and while it’s set a decade after mine, in Hollywood rather than Chicago, the vibe is allll kinds of right.

So off I went, searching for 1920s styled models. And hilariously, I found the exact one they used on In a Far Off Land. At first I thought I’d better avoid her for that very reason–I don’t want it to look too much like hers, after all. But then I thought, “Well, let’s see what I can do to make it unique.” So I chose a different position…I darkened her hair…I changed her lip color…I added a hat. And of course, I put a historical Chicago background behind her.

When I announced the book, I had quite a few comments that mentioned how much they liked the feel of the image we used in the blog–dark and mysterious, with a gangster flair (this is about the Mafia, after all). So I wanted to make sure I captured that air of mystery, of the underworld. And when I showed it to a few people, I got some great reactions.

Are you ready to see? I hope so! Here it is, and be sure to scroll down to the text afterward to get more info or pre-order a signed copy!

 

Ready…

Set…

Voila!

So as you can see, I went with some deep shades, toned in blue. I focused on the headshot, but we still get a glimpse of her fabulous beaded dress and her era-signature cloche hat. I use an Art Deco accent and font, but not a full frame, the better to leave room for her lovely face.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

When I showed it to the Chrism editors for approval, one of the first questions was, “Are you going to be selling those earrings in your shop? They’re fabulous!”

I do totally agree. I also love the matching bobby pins…and I found a necklace from the same jeweler that matches the description of one that plays a key role in the story too! So I’m excited to offer all three items in my store. (As of this posting, I have the items ordered from the jeweler, though they’re not in hand yet. I will fulfill any orders that come in as soon as I get them from the acclaimed Sweet Romance Jewelry shop!)

See the Earrings
See the Bobby Pins
See the Necklace

And of course, if you’d like to pre-order, you can do that EXCLUSIVELY from my store right now! It will begin appearing elsewhere in the new year, but why wait to reserve your signed copy? 😉 Pre-order pricing will only last until release!

As a reminder, though, placing the order now will charge your card now but the item will not ship until May, when I have them in hand.

Pre-Order Now

Pre-Order Now

About the Book

Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago’s leading mob boss until bullets tear apart her world and the man she thought she loved turned out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Now she sees how ugly the underworld can be. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—maybe Lorenzo, her straitlaced fiancé, had it right when he said it is better to stay far removed. And maybe, if she can understand him and his baffling faith, he will give her another chance.

But Lorenzo isn’t sure he’s ready for that. All his life he has loved Sabina, only to realize she had never felt the same about him. While he’s relieved to see her pursuing God, the Prohibition agent is pursuing her father just as intently, and it falls to Enzo—and his legal skills—to keep trouble at bay. He wants to believe that Sabina can change…assuming they can stay alive until their wedding day.

Shadowed Loyalty, set amid the glitz and scandal of the Roaring Twenties, examines what love really means and how we draw lines between family and our own convictions, especially when following the one could mean losing the other.

Cover Redesigns ~ The Culper Ring!

Cover Redesigns ~ The Culper Ring!

by | Aug 20, 2021 | Announcements, Book News, Cover Designs

Earlier in the summer, I tried to order some more copies of Ring of Secrets, only to learn that they’d gone out of print. As in, forever. No more paperbacks would be produced. Noooooo! So naturally, I immediately emailed my agent, and we struck up a conversation with Harvest House. Long story short, two days later I found myself in possession of the rights of the three Culper Ring novels, as well as the two novellas that were actually always mine to begin with. 😉 This wasn’t something I’d planned on, but it’s certainly nice to know I can now keep them available for everyone!

One of the stipulations of the reversion of rights was that I would have to provide new covers for them, as the original files were not available. Shucks, right? A cover designer hates being told she has to make new covers for some of her first books. 😉 So today, I’m super excited to reveal ALL the new covers at once! (Okay, so the novellas only got small tweaks, since I’d been the one to design those to begin with.)

Of course, I still have some of the old covers in stock, but once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. So below each new cover, there are a couple links. One to the book’s new page with the new cover, where you can purchase paperback to ship as soon as I have them in hand, and one to the OLD cover’s page too–those are now on sale so I can clear out my stock. 😉 (Well, except for Ring of Secrets, because I only have 2 of those left anyway.) Please note that the new paperbacks are still in process and not in hand. I’m working on these as quickly as I can and hope to have them here and shippable within 2 weeks. You can order now, and they’ll ship as soon as I get them!

If you’re looking for ebooks, they’ll be back up at retailers soon–or you can grab them now from WhiteFire! Links for those are at the bottom of the page!

So let’s jump right into the cover reveals with…

Ring of Secrets

This first book in the Culper Ring Series is set during the Revolutionary War, in 1780. Winter is a character living a deception in order to stay alive as a Patriot in Loyalist-held New York…and help other Patriots in any way she can. I wanted an image that would capture both the playful, “brainless” image she projects, but also hint at the secrets she was keeping. And of course, a beautiful era gown was called for! I admit that orange had never been my favorite on the original, though the overall design was lovely, and I did like the model they selected. For my design, I also chose a different script for the font, made it larger to cover the whole cover for easier reading in thumbnail, and added a fun wax seal on a corner of old paper for series branding. So all that takes us from this…

Purchase Classic Cover!

to this:

Purchase NEW Cover!

I don’t know about you, but I really love the gown here! The color is just lovely, and I love the little pops of brighter colors in the flowers–especially that it ties in just a bit with the original orange, but redder.

Then of course, we have the only-mildly-updated…

Fairchild’s Lady

which went from this:

Purchase Classic Novella Collection (Both Novellas)

to the very similar this:

Purchase NEW Novella Collection (Both Novellas)

As you can see, the biggest changes there were to put the new title banner and series corner on it. Otherwise, I just kept my original design.

Moving on. =) When I received the cover for Whipsers from the Shadows, my daughter declared it “Cinderella!” LOL. I always found it funny that the gown they chose (which I love!) was in use on several other Christian novels too–apparently there are a few major design firms in the same city that all rented costuming from the same theater! How funny is that? For my redesign, I played with quite a few different ideas. Maybe I wanted Gwyn to be painting? But painting requires light, and I wanted to get those SHADOWS in there, so I opted for an exterior scene with a lovely, moody gate instead. And of course, an era dress. (Oh, fun note–all the gowns on the new novel covers are ACTUAL historical pieces! The Met has many public domain images from their collection, and that’s where I found all these! I just found models to “wear” them digitally.)

So here we go!

Whispers from the Shadows

The lovely Cinderella original:

Purchase Classic Cover

and my new version:

Purchase NEW Cover

The second novella, A Hero’s Promise, actually got a facelift last year, when I put a model on the original cover, which had just been the Capitol building before. So for the new version, all I did was flip her around to better flow with the rest of the series and change the color of the banner for the same reason. Here are both the new-old version, ha ha, and the updated one.

A Hero’s Promise

And that brings us to the final cover!

I always loved the original cover of Circle of Spies, especially because (a) the model was the designer’s niece, and (b) the seamstress who designed and created the costume had emailed me when I did my original cover reveal to introduce herself and say what fun she had working on Marietta’s gown! So it was sad to let this one go, but obviously necessary.

Because Mari is in half-mourning for most of the book, the dress had to stay gray. But I decided to put her in her sitting room instead of having the theater background, and I do quite like the model I found and the expression on her face. She gets to be in profile, to keep the theme of the models turning different directions throughout the series. So here we have our two versions of

Circle of Spies

Purchase Classic Cover
Purchase NEW Cover

More small notes from Roseanna-the-designer; I love that the title banners and series seals not only change color but actually do a reverse-rainbow. Fun, huh? And I also made a point of integrating a bit of color from the other books into each one. Maybe no one else in the world will ever notice that, LOL, but I love the way it binds them all together when you view them side by side! And so, I’ll leave you with that image. And you can let me know what you think of the new face of

The Culper Ring Series

Purchase Complete Series (Just the Novels)
Purchase Complete Series (+ the Novella Collection)

(Just a quick note about availability–these WILL be on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc., but I haven’t had a chance to list them there yet. So for now, you can grab them here. They should be available everywhere in the next week or two!)

Ring of Secrets Ebook + 2 Chapter Sample
Whispers from the Shadows Ebook + 2 Chapter Sample
Circle of Spies Ebook + 2 Chapter Sample

Cover Reveal ~ New Jewel of Persia

Cover Reveal ~ New Jewel of Persia

by | Oct 22, 2020 | Book News, Books, Cover Designs

This

has been…quite a month. I have this vague recollection of coming home from my writing retreat bursting with ideas for Thoughtful posts and other website work. Super excited about classes and workshops and tea parties and T-shirts and all the many things I have going on over here.

Then…well, then the Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis for my 12-year-old son threw us all for a loop. We’re adjusting, and God is so good! But midnight blood sugar checks and insurance worries and so much thought going into meals and food, plus playing catch-up from all the work I fell behind on have taken their toll on me, LOL. So my big goals of having a fabulous post this Thursday have yet again resulted in it being Wednesday, and here I sit with no ideas. 😉

So…a cover reveal!! Those are always fun, right? I already shared this cover with subscribers to the WhiteFire Publishing newsletter (that’s the small press my husband and I run), but I wanted to share it with you guys too!

Jewel of Persia was my second published book, which released in January of 2011, so we’re coming up fast on its ten year anniversary. I deem that a fine time to refresh the cover. =) I’d had it on my list for quite a while, and I’d played around with different designs, but they all looked so much like the original that there was no point in changing, LOL. Then, on my birthday back in August, I decided that would be a great way to spend my day. 😉 So I decided on a new color scheme (cool colors instead of the warm tones of the orginal), used the same model photo, and got to work.

If you haven’t read Jewel of Persia, it’s my Esther story that’s not about Esther, LOL. You know me–I write historical fiction through the eyes of a fictional character, not the historical ones. 😉 In this case, I focus on Kasia, Esther’s childhood best friend who ends up a wife in Xerxes’ harem before Esther ever arrives there.

My research for this book combined the biblical account with Herodotus’s Histories, the ancient text about the Greco-Persian war. One thing I absolutely LOVED was how the war history fits perfectly into the biblical narrative–have you ever noticed that there are YEARS between the queen being deposed and new brides being brought in so a new queen will be named? I hadn’t! But that was when Xerxes was attacking Greece! And the very personality of this great king is consistent between the two accounts, proving they’re speaking about the same person. (That “I’ll grant you up to half my kingdom” promise was one Xerxes was rather famous for–he was constantly offering people cities if they pleased him, LOL.)

Jewel of Persia is actually one of my two bestselling books of all time, coming in right behind The Lost Heiress. I love that this book has reached so many readers, and I also love that I can now give it a fresh, updated look. =) But I also love that I still had the photos from the original shoot, so I could use the same model. That’s actually a funny story too.

So the girl was, at the time, a college student here from Lebanon, named Perla. My friend, critique partner, and fellow WhiteFire editor, Dina Sleiman has a lot of Lebanese connections due to her husband hailing from there, so when I said I needed a model of Middle Eastern descent for the cover, she said she’d ask around. Hilariously, that very weekend she was at a beach party and saw Perla, who she’d never met. So she thought it would be fun to introduce herself with, “Hey, would you like to be on a book cover?” Poor Perla ran away, terrified. LOL. But later she came back and asked what Dina meant, and a few weeks later, they arranged a photo shoot. I sewed the chiton she’s wearing, Dina added the beautiful striped scarf material, and we ended up with a slew of fabulous images.I love this one best, though, because of the movement in that scarf…

Here’s the original cover, which I still love:

 

And now, the new version! Same Perla shot, new background; I changed the color of her clothing, and I had to reshoot the bracelet–making my daughter model the actual bracelet that I have, courtesy of the amazing owner of the Greek Jewelry Shop, Aris. (A few months after he granted me permission to use this bracelet, his lions’-head torc designs actually found a home in the gift shop of the Louvre!!!! For the original cover, he let us use his photography, but then he actually sent me a sterling silver torc, made to my size!) New title font, bigger name to be more easily read in thumbnail…and voila! Ready??

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And just for kicks, here are the two side by side. What do you think?

 

The new version will be available in both ebook and print in time for Christmas!
“Classic” cover editions are now on sale for 50% off!

Roseanna for Writers, Coming Soon!

Roseanna for Writers, Coming Soon!

by | Sep 24, 2020 | Announcements, Cover Designs

I hear from a lot of you who are also writers … but I know that doesn’t apply to all or even most of my readers. My goal is always to serve all of you as best as I can, and in the past, my “serving other writers” goals have been met by teaching at conferences and doing guest articles on sites like the amazing Go Teen Writers.
 
And I’m still doing those. (Well. You know. COVID + Conferences = Eventually) But I also wanted a way to share about my love of the craft and industry of writing without relying on events. So I’m thrilled to announce a new part of my website that will be coming soon, just for writers!
 
I’ll also be starting a newsletter ONLY for writers, so I won’t bore you readers who aren’t writers with it, but writers who want access to my material but not my weekly newsletter can just receive that. Sign up here!
 
What will my “For Writers” section include? So glad you asked. 😉
 
Classes, Services, and Articles!
 
 
CLASSES:
There will be a series of video classes available for purchase, starting at around $15.  Here’s my current list of classes I’m recording, divided into three man categories:
 
YOU, the Writer (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
“Choose Your Own Writing Adventure”
As writers, we don’t just decide what kind of stories we write; we decide what kind of stories our writing-life will tell. How do we react to edits? Critiques? Reviews? What face do we show the world? These questions are just as important as “what genre do you write?” and should be given just as much attention.
 
“Write Deeply, Read Deeply, Live Deeply”
Want to write stories of depth? First we have to learn how to read stories in ways that pluck the truths from the pages…and most importantly, we need to learn how to examine our lives daily in way that pulls us deeper into our hearts and souls.
 
“The Intuitive Writer”
The class for people who never get much from classes! Some people work well with writing “systems”…and some of us DON’T. That’s because there are two types of minds: the logical and the intuitive. Every class on the planet seems to aim at the logical methods … but this one is for those who create “from the gut.”
 
“No Tears in the Writer”
Every writer has probably heard the saying, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Well this non-cryer is calling bull on that theory. We don’t all cry when penning a story…but that doesn’t we can still grab the readers by the heart with these methods.
 
“How to Do It All”
One of the questions I’m asked most often is “How do you do it all? Writing, editing, designing, homeschooling?” Your “all” no doubt looks different from mine, but we all need to learn how to juggle the demands of a writing life…and stay sane in the process.
 
Marketing and Publishing (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
“Spirit-Led Marketing”
Many of view marketing as a monster determined to steal the joy from the writing life. But this session will teach you to focus instead on turning marketing into service that feeds your soul.
 
“Two Four Roads Diverged”
You’ve written a book, but now what do you do with it? Shoot for a big publisher? Small press? Vanity or coop press? Self-publishing? Let’s examine the pros and cons of each so you know which path is the one for you and your goals.
 
“What Are You Looking At?”
This fun-filled look at the cover design process not only chats about the theories on what makes a great cover, but looks at covers that work and don’t and why.
 
“Editor’s Pet”
From query to your umpteenth project, how to get an editor’s attention and keep it (in the right way) until you’ve made yourself a house favorite.
 
“Honoring the Inspiration”
Editing isn’t just fixing commas and deleting weasel words. It’s creativity too, and it helps turn our stories into the best books they can be. Here’s how to make sure your edits are doing all you want them to … without stealing your joy or compromising your inspiraiton.
 
The Writing Craft (Mostly Fiction)
“Fiction Rules and When to Break Them”
Great for beginners and intermediate writers, this class examines “The Rules” of modern fiction, why we should learn them, and when we get to chuck them out the window for the sake of our art.
 
“Fiction with a Purpose”
 Let’s examine the pitfalls and strengths of issue-driven fiction and how to make an “issue” book work for you.
 
“You’re History!”
How to do the research for historical fiction and integrate it seamlessly into your novel in a way that brings the past to life without overloading the modern reader.
 
“Soul Deep Characters”
How to write characters that leap off the page and straight into the heart of the reader by asking yourself questions in ways you haven’t before and evaluating your characters’ spirits. 
 
“More Than An Idea” (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
We all have ideas that might be great books—but the inspiration is only step 1. This class takes you through turning that idea into a workable project, through hard work and even some emotional and spiritual growth.
 
 
Each class purchase will include access to a monthly live Q&A video chat, where any participant can ask questions about the classes they took specifically or writing in general. I’m filming and editing these fifteen classes now, but I will add more as time goes by. So if you’re super excited and want to soak up ALL the workshops, you’ll also have the option of purchasing a lifetime subscription to my courses, which will include every class I ever post ~ these 15 and beyond!
 
SERVICES:
Design – As many of you know, I’m not just a writer, I’m also an editor and a book designer. The “services” portion of the new segment will deal mainly with what I’ve long been offering at Roseanna White Designs, just handily linked here too for a one-stop shop. 😉 And if you need advice on the actual step-by-step process of getting your book for sale, there were will be a few select coaching timeslots available too.
 
Marketing Intensives – My husband and I are working on a marketing intensive specifically geared toward writers. One we’ve been using with my own work and our publishing company, so in addition to philosophy, this comes with the benefit of our hands-on experience!
 
ARTICLES:
I’ve already written many writing-craft articles and have bookmarked many more by some amazing authors! I’ll be curating some of these just to give you a free resource and a handy place to find my favorites in one spot.
Cover Reveal!!!

Cover Reveal!!!

by | Jun 9, 2020 | Book News, Cover Designs

I am so very excited to share his cover with you today! Dreams of Savannah will release in January 2021 and is a stand-alone novel set in Savannah, Georgia during the Civil War.

A quick history–I’ve had this book sitting in my digital drawer for nine long years. I pulled it out about a year ago, wondering what to do with it…and was thrilled when Bethany House offered a contract. I did quite a bit of rewriting this past winter, making sure my Confederate-set story is both accurate to history and yet something that will appeal to readers in today’s climate. More, I pray it’s something that will speak to readers in today’s climate. Because one thing both my hero and heroine learn is that it isn’t enough not to do evil when it comes to the issue of slavery. They have to do good.

So without further ado, here’s an actual description of the book, and then the oh so GORGEOUS cover!!!

About the Book

Cordelia Owens can weave a dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him.

As the War Between the States rages ever nearer and Savannah’s slaves start sneaking away to the islands off the coast to join the Yankees, both Phin and Cordelia get caught up in questions they never thought they’d have to ask–questions that threaten the very dreams of a future they’d cherished.

The Cover

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