Covers are such an important marketing tool for a book. They make a first impression on a reader before any of our words can. I’ve been blessed with some lovely covers, and when I decided to publish a book independently, I worried about finding a designer that would be able to match the work done by my traditional publisher’s art department.
This book cover had the extra pressure of continuing the look of my Texas Ever After series. I’m continuing with my fairy tale retellings for my indie book, and wanted the cover to capture the same look as the books that had come before.
Here are the Bethany House covers (which I adore!) . . .
And here is the new cover for my Beauty & the Beast retelling . . .
As a book lover, I adore all the books. And the blue quill is super fun and a nice splash of color. The style is very similar to the books that came before, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out.
What do you think?
The e-book of To Love a Beast is available for preorder now. The print and audio versions will be added closer to the June 10, 2025 release day.
Valentine Giveaway
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’ve joined five other fabulous authors to offer a romantic reads giveaway. Nothing better than enjoying a swoon-worthy read . . . or six!
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I’ve loved the covers of your books since the first one I ran across a number of years ago, Karen! This one is exceptional and definitely an eye-catcher. I notice a trend among authors I follow moving into self-publishing or independent publishing; if this will keep the creative fires burning and provide a better return on the investment of all those hours researching and writing, I’m delighted to support the trend. May God bless all of your endeavors.
Thank you so much, Colleen. That means a lot. I’ve been blessed with some really fabulous covers at Bethany House, and I look forward to continuing to partner with them as I add a few indie projects on the side. 🙂
I love this cover with its rich colors.
It is always in keeping with many of your covers from before with the lovely heroine in the front cover.
I’m certainly looking forward to reading this one.
Thanks, Melissa! I love the blues and rich wood in this cover too.
Karen, I think these covers are the most clever in the entire industry! And this new one is my favorite! My favorite teal color and BOOKS! What’s not to like? 🙂 Such fun to see each one!
Wow! That’s huge praise, Deb. Thank you! Living and working with a talented designer, as you do, I know you appreciate the ins and outs of the design process. And I agree about the colors and the books. They make my heart smile.
Beautiful cover. Love it!
Thanks, Betty. I’m really happy with how it turned out.
I agree with the others, your new cover is beautiful. That shade of blue is gorgeous!
The first book I read by you was, “Stealing the Preacher.” I saw the cover and and thought, I have to read this! It was truly the cover that first drew me in. It’s still one of my favorite covers and it still makes me laugh.
What a great story, Marilyn! Covers really play a vital role in engaging readers. Did you know that the cover for Stealing the Preacher went through a complete overhaul before it hit the shelves. They had gone with a complete different design that I didn’t like as well then one of the retailers compalined and they decided to redesign. The new cover with the pink dress was so pretty and fun. I was so thankful for that change!
Such a great cover for a great story!
Thanks, D’Ann!
Hi Karen, what a beautiful cover! It really captured my interest and made it easy to guess which fairy tale you’ll be using as an inspiration! Thanks for sharing the Valentine giveaway too!
Thanks, Carrie. 🙂 And thanks for including me in the Valentime giveaway. I’m only sad I can’t enter for myself. So many great novels!
Karen, I cannot wait to read your retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Love the cover.
Thank you, Robin. As you can imagine, Beauty & the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, so this one was a joy to write.
This is so exciting, Karen!! I LOVE the new cover and I think readers will go crazy for a Beauty and Beast retelling, seeing as how bookish Belle is one of our favorite heroines. 🙂
Right? 🙂 Best princess of them all.
I’m happy to hear that you will continue to publish with Bethany House, as well as indie publish. This cover is perfect and reminds me of your earlier covers like Head in the Clouds, A Match Made in Texas, and Short-Straw Bride. I love the books on the cover and that we actually can see some of the lady’s face. The little bits of fairy dust let us know that it’s based on a fairy tale. Who is your designer? Will you do a future interview with him or her? This is one of these most professional looking indie covers I’ve seen in a while. Very well done.
What high praise, Sylvia. Thank you! Thanks to a recommendation from Misty Beller, I was able to get in touch with Evelyne Labelle with Carpe Librum Book Design. She was a joy to work with, and I look forward to collaborating with her on future projects. It can be tricky finding designers that work well with historical covers.
Yes I love the cover and the Bethany House covers in general.
These designers are so talented, aren’t they? Love it!