Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Cover Reveal & Blog Hop For Maiden Behind the Mask *chance to win a copy!*

You know you’ve done something right in the cover art department when you see not one, but two just like it show up on your Facebook or Amazon feed. Only different titles and author names.

*sigh*

When Maiden Behind the Mask was first published, it had a home with a publisher. Now, the image I wanted and put on the art form was declared too expensive. If you’re an author, you’ve been there. With much grumbling and sighing, I searched for stock art images that looked like a Spanish woman in 1800s Los Angeles (then a part of Mexico) dressed as Zorro.

That saying “looking for a needle in a haystack...”

Yea.

I found a blonde, I found an Asian with way-too-modern bangs, I found lace masks, beaded masks, feathered, masks, women half naked wearing weird masks, pointy-nosed masks, but no women Zorros.

We got as close as we could.

Three weeks later the publisher crashed and people told me I should get new art anyway. The art wasn’t working for them. (If they only knew how very hard it was making that cover...)
I had cover two for a while. It’s a great cover, but it began to irritate me. It would be perfect if my heroine was running around in a lace mask and a dress with a pearl belt. Again, it was the closest we could find that was in the budget. The artist did a superb job.


Regardless, being the type of person who is just plain irritated by discrepancies in covers—they must match the story!—I made a third cover. It wasn’t a lady Zorro, but a Spanish senorita looking coyly over a fan. Because when Catalina Rodriguez isn’t saving damsels in distress, she’s a lovely senorita...with a lot of mischief up her sleeves...


Oh, I made such a good choice. Everyone loved it...and then I saw it twice more...the exact image with no changes made to it at all. Three identical book covers!

URGH!

But the good news is...that image the publisher said was too expensive? The image I originally wanted...is now my cover.

Who says dreams don’t come true? Perhaps this weird twist of fate was just a nudge toward getting what I originally wanted.

Behold...the new Maiden Behind the Mask artfully created by Christie A. C. Gucker!


When Catalina Rodriguez is attacked by a would-be rapist and rescued by the dashing Ricardo Garcia, she not only becomes more aware of the handsome man, but also vows that she'll never be a damsel in distress again. Using the timeless method of blackmail, she convinces her uncle to teach her to fight and becomes a masked crusader in the night, saving other damsels from robbers and rough handling.


However, scandalous rumors and dwindling funds force Ricardo and Catalina to marry. Not immune to each other's charms, their marriage starts fiery, but when one of Catalina's nightly escapades results in dire consequences, she is forced to spurn her husband's amorous advances…or reveal a secret that could turn him away from her forever.


Ricardo’s not a man to be cuckolded or left in the dark. Is his wife having an affair with El Capitan, the masked savior? If so…they will both pay.


Thank you, everyone, for taking this cover art journey with me! Now, one lucky commenter from each of the following blogs will be given a coupon code to download the book FREE on Smashwords! And yes, you can comment on more than one blog to increase your chances. I’ll be having my trusty canine sidekick choose names from her dog bowl Sunday night, the 31st. So check out the blogs below and start commenting for your chance to win!

3 comments:

  1. Thanks, Heather! I'm a little antsy though. I had this all planned just so but for some reason the new cover isn't showing up on Amazon. *sigh*

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  2. Love the new cover! Wonder why it isn't showing on Amazon. Oh well, at least I see it here. :)

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