Saturday 2 January 2010

BOOKS AND BOOK COVERS

Happy New Year to everyone. It's the start of a new decade and invitations are, well, trickling in for 2010. I'm trying to stay fairly free until the end of March, in case we have more bad weather, but about half a dozen talks and another half dozen signings are already in the diary. I'll be putting the schedule here and on my publisher's website in a couple of weeks when I have more definite dates confirmed.

CUT SHORT continues to sell and sell. Did I tell you my publisher is reprinting for the second time in 6 months? Thank you again to everyone who's bought it. Available from bookshops and
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Short-DI-Geraldine-Steel/dp/1842432710
and if you want a preview here I am reading an extract (without giggling!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW3Ixmq3OyA

I've been busy writing the third book in the Geraldine Steel series. I'd forgotten what hard work it is, writing a book - and what fun! I'm trying to include a little surprise...

ROAD CLOSED is listed on amazon, publication beginning of June. As promised, here's the cover that is on my publisher's website, but not yet on amazon. It wasn't my first choice of the designs, but was the favourite of the bookshops and sales team. What do you think?


27 comments:

Rick said...

Hi Leigh! It reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." Remember that shower scene? Do you think it's too graphic, or maybe that's what's necessary to make the book stand out? I imagine you've thought about this a lot.

No matter what the cover, you're such an excellent writer that it will be the content that counts.

Charles Gramlich said...

It looks pretty good. I like the splash of red.

Mike said...

Hi Leigh,

That cover will pull in loads of new readers. Clever visual references with the plughole looking like a flashy bit of wheel trim. Look forward to seeing it in the shops - can you remind us of the publication date?

HelenMWalters said...

Oh yes, I love that. Brilliant. Look forward to reading the book.

Leigh Russell said...

Hi Rick - yes, it is reminiscent of 'Psycho' isn't it? Who could forget that iconic shower scene, ground breaking at the time.
I don't think the cover's too graphic, at least I hope it isn't. Do you think it suggests the book is very violent? The image is a bit... bright... ! I suppose the sales team and bookshops thought it would stand out, and that's the reason they chose it. Here's hoping does the trick.
Thank you for your confidence in my writing. I really appreciate it.

Leigh Russell said...

Yay, Charles. I'm pleased you like it. It's such a huge decision - not that I am part of the decision making process. I'm just the author. Hopefully the splash of red will stand out...

Leigh Russell said...

Hi Mike, I hope you're right. Lots of new readers, together with all the existing ones, of course! Then the TV series, the film deal... should I order my red carpet yet, do you think?
You're not the first person to comment that the plughole looks like a wheel, which is actually very appropriate, as there is... no! no! I won't give anything away!
Thanks for your comments.

Leigh Russell said...

Mike - I was so carried away with visions of Hollywood (or should it be a BBC series, do you think?) that I forgot to answer your question. Publication date is currently June. I can't wait that long!

Leigh Russell said...

Thank you for your positive response, Helen. It's lovely to have your support. Although I had nothing to do with the design, I'm beginning to feel very possessive and protective over it. Silly, isn't it? (By 'it' I mean me.)

Val Ewing said...

The cover alone would make me stop and look at the book.

I think that is what the designers wanted.

Well done!

Leigh Russell said...

That's what I like to hear, Val. Thank you.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I think it's very effective especially with the bright red.

Leigh Russell said...

Thanks, Debs. That's the idea, I think. It's will be interesting to hear what you think after you've read the book. All the designers are interested in attracting attention, which is fair enough, I suppose.

Middle Ditch said...

Love it Leigh. Love the BLOOD!!!!! This would stop anyone in it's track wandering around a book shop. So, yes, it's a good cover.

Leigh Russell said...

Now I'm definitely starting to like the cover, Monique. Thank you so much!

Unknown said...

Good cover and good luck with book 3!
lx

Leigh Russell said...

Thank you, liz fenwick, most people seem to like the cover. I'm still getting used to it.

fizzycat said...

Yes, an eyecatching book cover, to reel in more fans.
Lol about the comment on my blog!

Guillaume said...

Wow! That cover is...bloody. As people commented above, I thought straight away of Psycho. And was the title influenced by the recent weather?

Leigh Russell said...

Reeling in the fans, fizzy? Sounds a bit fishy. But I suppose a cat would like that. Sorry - pathetic attempt at puns there. Good to hear from you, fizzycat.

Leigh Russell said...

Could have been, Guillaume, if the title hadn't been decided on months ago - in fact the titles for the first three books were chosen before Cut Short came out.
I wish I'd written a scene in a shower now. But you can rely on me to have at least one character who's a bit of a psycho... !

Barry J. Northern said...

Excellent cover -- very striking. A cover is only a marketing device designed to attract attention of people likely to be interested. It doesn't need to have anything to do with the story, but if the story involves a horribly bloody knife then great! :)

Leigh Russell said...

I'm not giving anything away, Barry. Not yet, anyway. But I may have another go at reading an extract on youtube at some point, if we can remember how to do it! Failing that, I might post an extract - maybe here - before the book comes out.

Pelotard said...

That's a good cover. Contrast. A signal colour that we've got it programmed in our genes to be on the lookout for (because there might be a hungry lion next to it). It might make you think of violence, but not necessarily that there's guts being spilled all over the pages. I'd be very surprised if noone was dead inside that cover, though. :)

Leigh Russell said...

Aha - that would be telling, Pelotard! Thank you very much for your comment.

vikk simmons said...

Congratulations on your success. Sounds like your moving along. Having spent time in a bookstore I can image the visual impact of several rows of your book cover. Definitely eye-catching. Sounds like you're in for a fun ride.

Leigh Russell said...

"several rows of my book cover" - sounds great, Vikk. I think you should be Book Buyer in Chief for every bookstore in existence world wide. Global Book Buyer Supremo - how does that sound for a job title?