Writing a book has many exciting moments. First, you have that initial spark of an idea and as you begin to develop your story, characters show up and become good friends or perhaps, a not so good friend if it’s one of your less lovable characters. Many hard moments may follow as you dig words out of your brain to get your story down in black and white. Writing “the end” on that final page is always a big moment for me. But in many ways that end is actually a beginning as you send your story off to an editor who may say the story works or may say the story needs more work. Edits follow to make the story as good as possible.
While you and those editors are working to make the words all line up to tell the story, others are thinking about the presentation of the book. A good book needs a good title. Sometimes the writer, me, comes up with a good title. I’ve done other posts here talking about titling. Some of my books carry titles I came up with. Angel Sister. Scent of Lilacs. Other times, the team at the publishers who work with me on the book have a brainstorming session considering my title suggestions and come up with a title that will catch a reader’s eye, fit the story, and be acceptable to all of us. For my upcoming release, that title turned out to be The Refuge. Back copy is written that we hope will make readers decide this book is one they might like.
Here is what you will read on the back of The Refuge.
When Darcie and Walter Goodwin hear of a new cholera epidemic sweeping the area, they join the Shakers whose villages seem immune to the disease. It’s meant to be a temporary stay, but Walter is killed in a riverboat accident. With no family and no money, Darcie has little choice but to stay with the Shakers. To complicate matters, she is expecting a baby conceived before she and her husband came to the Shaker village. Marital relationships are considered sinful in this celibate community, putting Darcie in a unique–and lonely–position. Can the arrival of widower Flynn Keller and his headstrong daughter offer Darcie the hope of happiness . . . and family?
Does that catch your interest? We hope it will along with the picture on the cover.
Ah, yes, that very important cover. One of the most exciting moments in the book publishing journey is seeing the cover that opens the door to your story. What makes that moment even more fun is being able to share that new cover with readers and friends like you. So now that you’ve seen it, you can tell it’s a Shaker book set in my fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill. You see some beautiful fall colors as the beginning of the story is set in autumn. You’ve gotten a glimpse of my heroine, Darcie, and you might wonder where she’s going and what her story will be.
So what do you think? Do you like the cover? The title?
The book is scheduled for release in April 2019, but it’s already available for pre-sale at several on-line locations. So you can reserve your copy now and get it hot off the press in April.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Baker Publishing Group
Tell me what you think about the cover and as a reward, you’ll have a chance to win one of my other previous books, winner’s choice. If you already have all of them, I thank you a bunch, but go ahead and enter. Books make great Christmas presents. I’ll draw the winner next Sunday so this is a quick giveaway. I hope to send out a newsletter around Thanksgiving time with a new giveaway, so sign up for that newsletter if you haven’t already. It’s fun to giveaway books. You do have to be at least 18 years old to enter.
As always, thanks for reading.
Comments 63
I love that the cover gives the hint that Darcie has a path to travel and no doubt there will be ups and downs in her journey down this path…but there is a refuge ahead…indicating that there will…perhaps…be a happy ending ahead. Thanks for writing these delightful books!
Author
Love it, Connie. And I do always hope my characters find that happy ending. I hate a book that makes you fall in love with a character and then leaves you sorrowful because of a bad ending. Darcie does have to take some leaps of faith and the reader will have to wait to see if those leaps work out for her.
Love the cover. Darcie looks like she is looking for answers and having a talk with God. Can’t wait to read this.
Author
Darcie did have to look for some answers and she was asking the Lord for help often, Linda. Glad the cover gave you that impression. That means it was spot on.
Love the cover, love the title and look forward to loving the book.
Author
Wonderful, Judy. I do hope the story is one you can love.
Beautiful cover, perfect name, and a back copy that has me wanting to know more…..you definitely grabbed my attention!
I’ve been rereading your other Shaker books…..can’t wait for a ‘new episode’ in the village of Harmony Hill!
Author
What a compliment, Marji, that you’re rereading some of my stories. That is about the nicest thing an author can hear. So, of course, I hope you will like this new Shaker book when you get a chance to read it.
Hi Ann,
Love, Love the cover. So glad we can see her face and now I want to know what she is thinking. So many covers cut the heads off which I am glad you didn’t do as it is Darcie’s face that draws me to want to open the cover. Plus your teaser has me on the edge of my set anticipating what will happen. Well Done!
Author
They do design a lot of covers with the main character’s face not in view, Adriann. My girl in These Healing Hills has her back to the camera, but you can see that great dog, Sarge. 🙂 I do like that cover too because it is so representative of the Frontier Nurses. I’ve heard people who know about covers say they don’t put the faces many times because the reader likes to imagine the characters in their own way. But we do get a look at my female characters on the covers of my Shaker books. One my favorites is Gabrielle on The Outsider. I thought they got the perfect model for her. The model for Darcie is good too. Oh, and I’m very glad the teaser has you interested.
I love the cover and looking forward to reading this book and getting to know Darcie.
Author
Hi, Ola. Always fun to hear from you and I’m glad you want to know more of Darcie’s story. I think you’ll like Darcie. At least I hope so.
Lovely cover Ann,and and enough information to make me want to know more!
Author
Thank you, Evelyn. That’s what I hoped to hear. It will be fun getting to talk about my Harmony Hill books again when I have a book party.
Lots of details on the cover. I like covers that tell a story before you even start turning pages. I’m a big and must say yours always do! Can’t wait to go back to Harmony Hill!
Author
Wonderful, Linda. So glad you want to go back to Harmony Hill. A good book cover does tell a story and I do like one that fits after I read the story too.
I love the cover and the book sounds great. My birthday is in April.I know what I am going to ask for!!!
Author
Books make wonderful birthday presents, Lisa. And Christmas presents and anytime presents. I do hope you will enjoy the story when you get a chance to read it.
Love the cover and am so looking forward to reading another book on the Shakers. Congratulations 🎈
Author
Happy to hear you are ready for one more Shaker book, Lucy. I surprised myself by coming up with that one more Shaker story, but I do like my characters. I hope my readers will as well.
The cover matches the title perfectly! The scene looks so peaceful & inviting just like you would imagine the perfect refuge place being. Sure hope they’ll take Darcie in & love her & her baby.
Author
I’m glad you think it all goes together, Robin. But the story may surprise you. My character has some struggles in that peaceful Shaker village. Of course, characters always have to have struggles or there wouldn’t be a story, would there?
That sure is the truth! 😉
The cover is beautiful ! The preview caught my interest….can’t wait to read !
Author
That’s fun to hear, Nancy. I’m glad you like the cover and that the snippet preview caught your interest. I always appreciate you reading my books.
Love all of The Shaker Books, I will pre order today 🤗 can hardly wait
Author
Thank you so much for pre-ordering the book, Lois. I do so appreciate that. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the Shaker books. I hope you will like this one. I did.
The cover of “The Refuge” is exquisite! Gorgeous! I know it will draw readers in.
Author
Glad you liked it, Mandy. I’m guessing you’ve had some pretty autumn colors your way although the weather hasn’t been exactly right for a perfect Kentucky fall. I do hope the cover will draw readers in to the story.
Since I do not know anything about Shakers, I thought of a colonial building when I saw the cover. My eyes next saw the fall leaves that I enjoyed so much growing up. Now we mostly have palm trees.
The synopsis of the book sounds interesting. Fortunately I never had to take care of cholera during my nursing career, so reading about that would be interesting, too.
Thank you for writing interesting books!
Author
Well, maybe this would be a good book to find out something about those Shakers, Carol, although if you want to know more about the Shakers, one of my other books might be better. The Believer is my Shaker book that I suggest to readers for the most Shaker history although most of them have some of the basic Shaker ways described.
There’s not much about the actual sickness of cholera in this book. Simply the result of cholera epidemics. You might try River to Redemption for more about the cholera epidemic of 1833.
I’m glad you liked the cover and enjoyed that autumn scene. Palm trees in the winter aren’t all bad. 🙂
I would buy it, I just started Christmas at harmony Hill and it is really starting out good so I am sure The Refuge will be good also. Enjoy the Shaker books.
Author
I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story in Christmas at Harmony Hill, Donna. I liked the characters in that one and working in a Christmas theme even though a war was going on. Let me know what you think of the story when you’ve finished it and if you do reviews, a few kind words on Amazon or other bookselling sites never hurts.
I love the cover and back copy! I always enjoy your Harmony Hill novels.
Author
That’s good to hear, Tammy, that you enjoy visiting Harmony Hill. I do hope you and other readers will take my character, Darcie, to your hearts and want happiness for her.
I love the cover! It reminds me of Pleasant Hill in the fall. The cover alone makes me look forward to the book release. And after reading the back cover, I can’t wait to hear more about Darfcie.
Have a good week! Hopefully I’ll see you Saturday at the Book Fair.
🙂
Author
There’s probably a good reason for that, Lavon, since I sent my publishers some pictures I’ve taken of Pleasant Hill. It’s good that they wanted to make the Shaker buildings look like Shaker buildings. And you can see those two front doors for the sisters and the brethren.
Looking forward to the Kentucky Book Fair this Saturday. One of the best. And it would be great to see you, Lavon. Let’s hope for good weather, but not too good. Too good and everybody stays home and rakes leaves. LOL.
I love the cover, Ann! The simplicity, the beautiful colors…just beautiful!
Author
Thank you, Melanie. Simple works for a Shaker book and the village of Pleasant Hill that I use as a model for my fictional Harmony Hill is a beautiful place.
Hi Ann, I’m thrilled to learn about your new book. The cover of The Refuge is one of the prettiest that I’ve ever seen. The combination of the beautiful home, the autumn leaves on the trees and on the ground, the blue sky, and the wooden fence are perfect and I really do wonder what is happening with the young lady. This cover will definitely prompt readers to turn to the back to read the book blurb. Best wishes with the release!
Author
I’m glad you like the cover, Connie. I’ve had some really good ones designed by my publishers, Revell Books. In this one they asked to see some pictures I’d take at Pleasant Hill to give them an idea about the buildings. So that building is from one of my pictures. That’s really neat, isn’t it? The picture does make you wonder about Darcie.