Cover Reveal for Morning Glory!

I'm so excited to share my third cover with you, once again designed by the amazing Lena Goldfinch (Stone Lily Publishing & Design Services)! Not only does this mean we can now see all three covers for "The Heart's Spring" series together (not including the companion short stories to come), but it also means that I can unveil a series blog, which I'm very excited to do! Read on to learn more about the story behind the cover, the new blogs, and a themed giveaway...

A Cover Story

Several months ago, Lena was working on the cover for Forget Me Not, the first book in the series and Bleeding Heart's prequel. I had already started another secret Pinterest board for Morning Glory's cover, including some Oregon sunrise/sunset pictures, some morning glories, and another top-secret element to be shared later on when the paperback cover is completed. ;) I also found one red-haired model I liked. I think perhaps I had pinned some of those pics while we were brainstorming the cover for Forget Me Not or something... Either way, Lena jumped straight into this project before we had even finalized the cover for Forget Me Not! She pinned a few model pics, once again (like with the model for Forget Me Not) zeroing in on a model that I wasn't sure felt quite right for the part. Here's the pic:

Her headband, necklace, and bouquet look very modern, but Lena assured me that she could take those things out or rework them. I think I continued sharing a couple other pics, because I wasn't completely convinced, LOL. I should have known by then that Lena's eye for cover design is spectacular!

As Lena wrote down some points to convince me that this girl could work, she was caught up in the vision, declaring that she might just have to put together a comp to show me right then and there. And show me, she did! The first comp showed all of the model's head, and I fell in love with the design and the colors, especially. My reaction:

Oooooooh! You're making me want to write this book right now, LOL! 

I went on to tell Lena that I was on cloud 9, and we pretty much gushed about the colors, Crater Lake, research books, and the fact that we were friends. It was awesome. ;)

Lena made one final tweak, cropping the top of the heroine's head, zooming in so that her skirts were fuller and the headband was no longer an issue.

So basically, Lena picked all of the images for this particular cover, creating something I hadn't envisioned, but ultimately adored. She told me that the design came together "lightning quick," that she saw it like "a gift." It's truly a beautiful thing to see the Lord's gifts at work, and I'm blessed beyond measure to be the recipient of this one!

Then in December I received the final version. Lena tried the full head shot again, but we decided to go with the cropped version, which we agree fits well with the other covers and gives it more of a historical flavor (taking away any overly modern pieces). I'm seriously astounded that Lena took the certainly beautiful but modern model above and made her look like this:

What I Love: The model's expression, perhaps serious, but in a confident, waiting-expectantly-for-something-to-happen way. Her hair, which is absolutely gorgeous - lively, rich, and curled like morning glory vines. Her posture, which is humble with her head bowed a bit, but also tall and elegant. The morning glories she's holding, which are also tall and reaching up to the sky (not to mention a glorious, royal shade). The deep, dark purple-y blues of the background (Crater Lake), and the vivid reds and pinks of the morning sky just touching the cliffs on the other side of the lake - all hinting at dark things that are overshadowed by a bright, coming dawn. The hillsides themselves once again highlighting the emotional peaks and depths my characters face. The title font that's flowy like water and curved like the tendrils of the heroine's hair and the vine. And the whole concept, including the way the depths and heights, the dark and light, are all contrasted in a delightful display of color.

The Heart's Spring Series Home

Before I share about the new blogs, here are all three covers together:

I'd be curious to know if you have a favorite, or what stands out to you about the series' covers sitting side by side! I love each of them, of course, but I think Bleeding Heart has my favorite model/expression, Forget Me Not has my favorite dress, and Morning Glory has my favorite background/color scheme. I thought the progression of the covers was really neat, too, if you take them in the order they're published: Sally is sitting (Bleeding Heart), Elizabeth is kneeling (Forget Me Not), and Felicity is standing (Morning Glory). I think each cover portrays each story's theme and tone so well, and I'm so very grateful to Lena for that!

And now for the blog reveal...

Like I did for Bleeding Heart and Forget Me Not, I created a site for Morning Glory. It's a little bare right now because I haven't really started on this project yet, but be sure to check back in the spring for a book blurb, "soundtrack," and more! In the meantime, if you want to be kept completely up-to-date on all of the series news, be sure to follow the brand-new series blog:

The Heart's Spring

I'm so thrilled to have a place now where all the separate book sites link back to, and where you can find news about the series, learn more about the companion short stories, sign up for my author newsletter, and discover insider information about the books, my writing/publishing process, etc. The separate book blogs are more static - even though I update the information from time to time, there aren't any new "posts" and such. But this blog will allow you to follow the series and get new information delivered to your dashboard/feed/inbox. I hope this will be as much fun for you as it is for me!

A Morning Glory Giveaway

To celebrate all the "reveals" today, I'm offering a themed giveaway! One winner, two lovely prizes from two awesome Etsy sites!

Morning Glory Note Cards (4-pack) by Cindy Lindgren

Lavender & Copper Earrings by Jaye L. Knight

Just use the form below to enter! Please note that this giveaway is for U.S. residents only. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions about how to use the form. The winner will be announced next Friday, January 10th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal Participants

I have such an awesome influencer team, and I'm grateful for each blogger who has shown an interest in this series and helped me to promote the books by participating in the cover reveals, Bleeding Heart's blog tour, etc. Love you guys! Here's a list of the bloggers participating in this cover reveal:

• Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot
• Bluerose's Heart
• Christian Bookshelf Reviews
• Covers and Ink
• Cross & Cutlass
• Dreaming Under the Same Moon
• Edgy Inspirational Romance
• Fictionally
• i blog 4 books
• Inspiring Daring
• Labor Not In Vain
• Literary and Lace
• Molly Evangeline
• My Favorite Pastime
• Sherida Stewart
• Tales of Goldstone Wood
• The Curried Nut
• The Librarian's Bookshelf
• The Lore-Mistress
• The Wonderings of One Person
• To Be A Person
• West of Newbury Street

You just might find some info about me and Lena, some bloggers' thoughts on the cover, and such, so I do hope you'll visit these wonderful blogs when you get the chance!

I would love to hear your thoughts on the cover, the new blog, or anything that strikes your fancy in this post! Hope 2014 is going grandly for you so far!