Earlier this month, we took a short trip to see dear friends in La Mesa, California, just outside of San Diego. It was wonderful to catch up and also to see a bit of San Diego for book research. A few scenes in the new novel take place in San Diego, so it was good to get a first-hand feel for the airport, the sounds of the streets, and the ambience of the city.
I didn’t get a good photo of the boats along the waterfront, so you’ll have to trust me when I say they were impressive.
Fashion Valley was a treat with its high-end shops.
I fogged up the windows of Prada, Coach, Emporio Armani, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Louis Vuitton, but didn’t venture inside as my Canadian dollars were shaking in their boots.
I did, however, find a fabulous new-to-me shop, The Container Store, AKA paradise for an organizational freak like me. Sadly, the shops aren’t in Canada, which is probably a good thing.
Old Town, San Diego, though touristy, was an entertaining diversion and we ate dinner at Guadalajara’s on the recommendation of our cabbie. The food was tasty, as was the margarita that was the size of my head.
Back home on the writing front
I’m contemplating something I’d like your input on–titles and book covers. Over the life of the Gift Legacy books, I’ve received feedback that the titles and covers suggest the books are in the “religion and spiritual” genre. They are not and I don’t want to mislead readers. They are contemporary fantasy thrillers. I’ve always felt that the book covers, like the books themselves, wouldn’t appeal to everyone, and left it at that. However, the issue keeps coming up and it’s getting harder to ignore.
Book covers, like their titles, have an important job to do; they have to convey the genre and tone of the book, as well as pique a reader’s curiosity. I feel like I’m too close to be objective, and though I’ve stated often how much I love the covers, I’m open to re-branding them.
And that’s why I’m asking for your input. What do you think? Are the covers and titles doing their job? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.
AUTHOR UPDATE: In June, 2017, the books were rebranded with new titles and covers.
I’ll blame the warming weather that entices me outside, away from the keyboard, niggling emails, and a mess of chores. But how could I turn down a lunch with girlfriends? (That’s me on the left with Jennifer Manuel in the middle and Elinor Florence on the right.)
Or a walk in the sunshine? Those are the pigs that grunt their hellos when I pass by Orkney Farm. And the weekend farmers’ market—part social, part shopping—draws me in like a bee to nectar.
It’s been an uncommon winter here on Denman Island. The ground froze for 6+ weeks, which is an unusual state of cold we normally count in days, not weeks. (No need to roll your eyeballs—we know we’re spoiled—we barely reach the “damn it’s cold” threshold for Canadians.)
I didn’t get outside much in November. The November 15 release of Betrayal (now Lover Betrayed) kept me busy. As always happens with a new release, I was plagued with promotion should’ve/could’ve/would’ves. Not to mention the inconvenient fact that I also have a life.
That “life” took me back to Ontario to spend a rare and snowy Christmas with my family. Despite my earlier whinging, I love a white Christmas. There’s something magical about crisp, white snow at Christmastime. And it may just be my ego, but I think Ontario went out of its way to emphasize the white this year. It brings me back to my childhood. I can count on one finger how many white Christmases I’ve experienced since moving to the coast (not that finger – gheesh!). The coast has many wonderful attributes, which I tout to no end in the Gift Legacy books, but a white Christmas isn’t one of them.
I’m now back on Denman Island
It demands my attention, and I’m beyond happy to oblige. In addition to developing my next series (the Dark Dreams novels), I’m writing the next chapter in Emelynn’s story. This is what it looks like when I’m organizing my ideas. Do you have thoughts about characters or storylines you’d like to see on one of those stickies? Now is the perfect time to tell me. Leave a comment, or contact me on any of my social media sites.
Like a lot of you, I’ve been in a whirlwind of cleaning, wrapping, cooking, baking, entertaining, and being entertained :). I’ve also been packing for a winter road trip back east to spend a rare Christmas with my family in Ontario. And also like a lot of you, rare is the morning when you wake up with a leisurely stretch and wonder how you’re going to fill your day. Especially this year. Leisure doesn’t even have a seat at the kiddie table.
Screeching Halt
But on the bright side, we’ll still have a white Christmas with my family, and we’ll still be able to visit with friends along the way. For us, it’s the people who make Christmas special, and the rest of it though nice, is simply glitter on the tree. Not critical, nor necessary, and easily done without.