Author Guest Post
“Often the cover art influences my first buy from an author but once their style hooks me, I am generally not even looking at the cover, especially on Kindle where the cover matters even less!”
This is the feeling of some readers but many readers feel differently especially … about Kindle covers.
Whilst I couldn’t wait for my first cover, the idea of creating a cover that would appeal to thousands (hopefully) of readers was somewhat daunting.
After I had created the copy of my first book, I seriously looked at what seemed liked thousands of covers to see firstly what style appealed to me. Author friends suggested I look at the covers of authors who had made it big and “copy” their style. I didn’t always like their covers … sometimes I couldn’t read all the print, sometimes the images weren’t clear. Actually, I found it overwhelming… I knew it was important or how would any of my books inspire readers?
It took a little time to find my “style.” I allowed myself to be led by people who I thought knew more than me about creating covers. I would select the images but rarely did the covers look the way I envisaged they would. I was “allowed” to make some changes but then I was told they were professional and knew what they were doing! Whoops! I was new and wasn’t about to argue with someone much more familiar than I with cover creation.
Nowadays I have major input into all my covers. Self-publishing gives me that opportunity I thought. I don’t have to do what a publisher thinks or what an artist thinks, although I would always listen to their input. To me the cover represents the story and the characters.
The cover artist I work with now treats me as a partner in the creation, and I feel the covers now reflect both the characters and my style… which I would call “clean”. No doubt my style will change as I grow and I find that to be fun.
Naked male torsos seem to be the rage at the moment. The common school of thought is naked guys sell books. Once maybe this was the case, but now so many authors have naked guys on their covers, I don’t believe it sells books.
Do you think naked bodies on covers sells book? And how about the title … do you think the title tends to get lost on these cover styles?
About The Author
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Angelina's author career.
"I awoke in the ICU... I had been unconscious for several days," Angelina says.
In 2010, Angelina had a long stint in hospital following her involvement in a motor vehicle accident: the longest time off work (as a Registered Nurse), she'd ever had in her life!
It was then she took up pen and paper and started to write again, just as she had done when she was a child. She wrote four short fiction stories for young adults, entered them in several competitions, and managed to win three first prizes!
After happily dipping her toes into writing those short fiction stories for young adults, Angelina has now authored four books in a new Mill Creek Crossing Romance series... contemporary romance intended for adults.
The Starting Over Series is another contemporary romance series she wrote about a subject she knows well... nurses and their love life. At a recent reunion of her graduating class, she could not help but notice how the same girls would group together and laugh, chat, and even shed some tears over their lives since graduating. Many of the girls had divorced... so Angelina thought "what if a group of the nurses came up with a plan to meet in two years and have a new love story to share?" Then the first story in the series was born.
There is always a story running around in her head. A man with thick dark hair, gray-blue eyes, with an engaging smile and a quick wit... or a girl crying over a broken relationship. She finds herself talking to these characters during her day: when she's doing dishes, or bathing babies at the hospital. These characters crop up on days at the beach or on walks through the neighborhood. This is how the stories start to grow.
Angelina's mother was an author, so Angelina grew up with a love of words and stories. If she wasn't writing a short story about something that took her fancy, her head was buried in books... reading, reading, reading, as her brother constantly told her...
When she's not spending time with her goodlooking man, or quality time with her laptop, she's working at the hospital, hanging out with her family and friends, or walking her two dogs around the neighborhood. Angelina spends as much time as she can traveling, then coming home and including some of those adventures in her stories.
Angelina really loves to hear from her readers and she invites you to connect with her on Facebook as she interacts daily with her readers there!
AUTHOR WEBSITE
GOODREADS
The Eyes Of Love by Angelina Rose ~ Virtual Book Tour Page: Virtual Book Tour Cafe
Book Review
The Eyes Of Love by Angelina Rose
Book 4: A Mill Creek Crossing Romance Series
Publisher: Book Baby
Format: e-Book - 70 pages / Kindle - 272 KB / Nook - 532 KB
ISBN: 9781626756793
ASIN: B00CRM1Q4I
Genre: Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: The Eyes Of Love
BUY THE SERIES: A Mill Creek Crossing Romance
Book 1: Lakeside Love
Book 2: A Time To LOve
Book 3: Finding Love
Book 4: The Eyes Of Love
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Virtual Book Tour Cafe.
Book Description:
Although shocked and thrilled by Colin’s attention, Sally is wary to love deeply. Only, with every loving look Colin gives her plus every sweet kiss, as the attraction between them sparks, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the one she should be with. And although Colin didn’t realize his life was going to change so quickly, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether… the one for Sally’s heart.
Will Colin be able to convince her that's it safe to love him... and that forever isn't really out of reach?
Romantic, amusing, and deeply moving, Book 4 in the Mill Creek Crossing Romance Series, is a tale that will stay with you.
The Eyes of Love is a novella… you will be able to enjoy it in just one day!
Book Excerpt:
"Well, if it isn't the handsome Colin Dean," she said fanning herself and smiling. Gracie was older than he was, but he remembered her younger sister, Eva, quite well. They'd all hung out together at parties when they were younger, and Gracie had been a fixture at Stella's for years even though she recently came into some inheritance money.
"Hey, sweetie," he said kissing her on the cheek. Women loved Colin because he made them feel good, and he was always kind. Stephanie hadn't been able to take that away from him.
"I'll never wash this cheek again," she said touching her face and smiling. "How are you, honey?" she asked with a frown.
"Hanging in there."
"I hate to see you so sad, Colin," she said sliding into the booth across from him.
"I'll be fine, Gracie."
"I know you will, but if you ever need to talk..."
"Thank you, but I don't. Not yet anyway. The divorce was finalized last week."
"I'm so sorry about Stephanie, but she was never good enough for you."
"Gracie..." he said shaking his finger at her.
"It's true. Ask anybody. That woman is trouble with a capital T. Always has been," Gracie said, refusing to mince her words. She'd despised Stephanie since she first met her.
"Glad you're always on my side, sweetie," he said rubbing her hand and laughing. "I sure wouldn't want you on my bad side!"
"Good thinking. Oh, crud, I've got a customer," she said as she slid out of the booth and headed back up to the counter.
"Dean!" he heard a voice call from behind him. It was one of his baseball buddies, Cal Erwin. "How are ya, man?"
"Good. Where've you been lately?" Colin asked as Cal dropped down into the seat.
"Well, I went out to California to visit my brother for a few months. Played in a band out there and gathered up lots of ladies along the way," he said grinning.
"Glad you had a good time."
"Where's Steph?" Cal asked.
"I have no idea. We're not married anymore," Colin said as he looked at his menu.
Cal's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"We divorced, Cal. She screwed Jazz and I walked in on them." Cal's mouth dropped open yet again.
"Dude..."
"You know, we're not sixteen anymore. You should stop saying dude," Colin said with a chuckle.
"I'm sorry, man. I had no idea."
"No biggie," he lied.
"I can't believe Jazz..."
"Look, can we not talk about it? It's kind of old news, and I'm really done discussing it," Colin said pointedly.
"Sorry. So, are you skipping the reunion then?"
"Of course not. Why would I?
"Hey, sweetie," he said kissing her on the cheek. Women loved Colin because he made them feel good, and he was always kind. Stephanie hadn't been able to take that away from him.
"I'll never wash this cheek again," she said touching her face and smiling. "How are you, honey?" she asked with a frown.
"Hanging in there."
"I hate to see you so sad, Colin," she said sliding into the booth across from him.
"I'll be fine, Gracie."
"I know you will, but if you ever need to talk..."
"Thank you, but I don't. Not yet anyway. The divorce was finalized last week."
"I'm so sorry about Stephanie, but she was never good enough for you."
"Gracie..." he said shaking his finger at her.
"It's true. Ask anybody. That woman is trouble with a capital T. Always has been," Gracie said, refusing to mince her words. She'd despised Stephanie since she first met her.
"Glad you're always on my side, sweetie," he said rubbing her hand and laughing. "I sure wouldn't want you on my bad side!"
"Good thinking. Oh, crud, I've got a customer," she said as she slid out of the booth and headed back up to the counter.
"Dean!" he heard a voice call from behind him. It was one of his baseball buddies, Cal Erwin. "How are ya, man?"
"Good. Where've you been lately?" Colin asked as Cal dropped down into the seat.
"Well, I went out to California to visit my brother for a few months. Played in a band out there and gathered up lots of ladies along the way," he said grinning.
"Glad you had a good time."
"Where's Steph?" Cal asked.
"I have no idea. We're not married anymore," Colin said as he looked at his menu.
Cal's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"We divorced, Cal. She screwed Jazz and I walked in on them." Cal's mouth dropped open yet again.
"Dude..."
"You know, we're not sixteen anymore. You should stop saying dude," Colin said with a chuckle.
"I'm sorry, man. I had no idea."
"No biggie," he lied.
"I can't believe Jazz..."
"Look, can we not talk about it? It's kind of old news, and I'm really done discussing it," Colin said pointedly.
"Sorry. So, are you skipping the reunion then?"
"Of course not. Why would I?
My Book Review:
The Eyes Of Love is a heartwarming romantic novella about one woman's redemption and second chance at finding love.
Sally Overby did not have an easy time in high school, viewed as a plain jane and a nerd, she was viciously bullied by Stephanie Dixon, the homecoming queen. But once she left high school behind for college, Sally transformed herself into an attractive woman who became a successful Atlanta attorney, got married and had a son. But her happy life was turned upside down when her husband passed away five years ago in an accident, leaving her a widow and single mother. When the invitation to her fifteenth high school reunion came in the mail, she wasn't going to attend until she saw that Colin Dean, the most popular guy in school and her secret crush was going, she decides to return to her hometown and maybe get a second chance at love.
Author Angelina Rose weaves a wonderful tale that pulls at the heartstrings. You can't help but feel for Sally when she was bullied in high school, and smile at her redemption when she goes back to her hometown and puts her tormentors in their place as an attractive and successful woman who wins the heart of the most popular guy in school. This lighthearted story has a engaging cast of characters, witty dialogue and interactions with laugh-out-loud moments, a sweet romance that is not overly done, and a thoughtful moral message about bullying that will resonate with you for a long time.
The Eyes Of Love is an enjoyable little romantic novella that can be read in one sitting. It is a wonderful story that will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling and put a smile on your face.
RATING: 4 STARS ****
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Excellent post and review. Thank you for reading and hosting today :)
ReplyDeleteHi BK! Thank you for the kind comment and for the opportunity to host the virtual book tour event. I really enjoyed reading this romantic novella. :)
DeleteI loved the guest post and review! Hoping to read the book soon.
ReplyDeletePit Crew Team
Hi Alenette! Thank you for visiting my blog and posting your kind comments. Hope you enjoy reading The Eyes Of Love. :)
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