Cover Art Re-Reveal!
Designed by Lou Harper, the beautiful cover art for Frozen
is far more than it appears. It is actually the culmination of years of
struggle, of adversity, and of serious backlash over misleading, inadequate,
and unprofessional series covers.
Let me back up, because this story doesn’t begin with Frozen
at all. It begins with the first book in the Cassie Scot series, which has
recently had an incredible makeover.
Many of my reviews for the early books in the series say,
“Don’t judge this book by its cover!” They go on to say that the cover is
awful, but the book is great. Well, obviously, I’m glad they liked the book,
but I’ve been discouraged for years by the flack I’ve received for the covers.
One of the worst consequences of my original covers was the
mistaken belief (by some) that my books were mid-grade novels, or at least
young adult. They are not! These were written with adult audiences in mind.
As a picture is worth a thousand words, let me show you the
before and after images:
The original cover artwork for the Cassie Scot Series were
hand painted originals done just for me. And saying that is bittersweet,
because when my publisher first suggested going this route, I felt incredible
pride at the idea of having artwork created just for me. It made me feel
special. At this point, I have something of a love/hate relationship with the
original covers because I can’t deny they were mistakes. Yet, some part of me
still sees something special in them, something unique that the modern practice
of photo manipulation can’t capture.
Take Secrets and Lies, for instance, the second book
in the series and the one with the greatest backlash. “It looks too romantic,”
many or my readers said to me. And maybe it does. None of these books are
romances, exactly, but there is a strong romantic subplot (like it or not), and
that pose on the original Secrets and Lies perfectly captures the
tension in that book – Evan wants Cassie; Cassie is unsure.
Photo manipulation is incapable of creating such a scene. To
do the same thing with photography, I would have to hire my own models, and a
photographer, and do a prohibitively expensive photo shoot to make it happen.
But I get it. I really do. The original cover artwork has
manican-like faces, and they lack the sharpness, the zing, the edge of
professionalism that people are used to seeing on urban fantasy novels.
I asked my publisher to hire a new cover designer for Madison’s
Song and Kaitlin’s Tale, two spin-offs following secondary
characters, and she did a nice job. Not so nice that I wanted her to redo my
whole series, but definitely an improvement. And at that point, I thought I was
done writing the series.
When Cassie told me, “Life doesn’t end when you get married,”
and made me write Frozen, the first book in her new plot arc, I knew I
needed something different for the cover. My publisher gave me some choices,
knowing I was unhappy with the earlier artwork, but ultimately I refused them
all and asked her if she would hire Lou Harper, who was recommended by some
fellow authors.
We found a stock photo model for Cassie, and when I did, I
tried to find someone with enough poses that she could be used on additional
books and maybe … if I liked Frozen well enough, on a series overhaul. I
told Lou about some magical creatures that appear in the book, including a
hellhound, which she depicted beautifully standing atop a frozen lake. The mist
obscuring the background is another important plot element, and really holds
the scene together.
When I revealed the cover art for Frozen to my loyal
readers, I got immediate, positive feedback. Some claimed that Cassie looked
just like they’d pictured. Many said it was beautiful, and professional, and
when I floated the idea of the series makeover, I was met with enthusiastic
encouragement. So I went for it.
The result is … breathtaking, I think. I particularly love
the covers to Mind Games and Stolen Dreams (books three and
four), though I am enthusiastic about all of these. They are obviously more
professional, cleaner, and state clearly, “These are adult urban fantasy
novels.”
I hope you like the new covers half as much as I do, and
that regardless, you’ll give the books a chance. You shouldn’t judge a book by
its cover, but we often do. I sometimes do, even though I know how the process
goes, and how hard it is to find the right representation for a book!
I present these before-and-after covers proudly, but know
the books are far more than their covers. Cassie Scot is a labor of love that
only comes alive when you peak inside.
Alaskan Book Cafe :
I am incredibly happy to see the new covers. I fell in love with this series when I read my first Cassie Scott book. I have loved every book since. I liked the old covers but they do deceive the reader. The series looks geared to juveniles when it is not. Seeing the new covers gave me goose bumps! I hope they do you too. If you have not read the Cassie Scott series, I hope the new covers entice you to give them a try. I was devastated when I heard the series had ended. I have no words for the joy I felt when I heard that Cassie had convinced the author her story needs to go on. I am so excited over Frozen!
Frozen (Cassie Scot Book Seven)
Apparently, life doesn’t end when you get
married.
When a couple freezes to death on a fifty
degree day, Cassie is called in to investigate. The couple ran a daycare out of
their home, making preschoolers the key witnesses and even the prime suspects.
Two of those preschoolers are Cassie’s
youngest siblings, suggesting conditions at home are worse than she feared. As
Cassie struggles to care for her family, she must face the truth about her
mother’s slide into depression, which seems to be taking the entire town with
it.
Then Cassie, too, is attacked by the
supernatural cold. She has to think fast to survive, and her actions cause a
rift between her and her husband.
No, life doesn’t end after marriage. All hell
can break loose at any time.
Buy Links
Print Release: July 15, 2018
Audiobook Release: TBA
The Cassie Scot Series
Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective
(Cassie Scot Book One)
Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot Book Two)
Mind Games (Cassie Scot Book 3)
Stolen Dreams (Cassie Scot Book 4)
Madison's Song (Cassie Scot Book 5)
Kaitlin’s
Tale (Cassie Scot Book 6)
About the Author
Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction
for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that
others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is
fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people
defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes
primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she
strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.
At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s
Disease, which scars the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now
legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her
dreams.
Christine
currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been
her biggest fan and the key to her success. In addition to being a writer,
she's a mom and freelance editor.
Social Media Links:
Edward Scot and Victor Blackwood have despised one another for nearly a quarter of a century, but now their simmering hatred is about to erupt.
Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.
