What makes you drool over a book? Is it the title?  If so, how could you resist a book called Dying for a Donut? A lip smacking mystery. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

Or is it the cover that first catches your eye?

COVER 1

We’ve all heard that phrase, “a picture is worth a 1,000 words,” supposedly coined by Fred R. Barnard in 1921 when he promoted images in advertisements first appearing on the sides of streetcars. Others believe it’s an old Chinese proverb. Or a Japanese proverb. Who knows? What I do know is that I truly want my book covers to hint at the magic that occurs on the pages of my books.

COVER 2   

So how does an author find a way to combine humor, homicide and romance all in one tasty cover? There are so many elements to convey in a mystery. Do we display the victim who was powder-sugared to death? Is the killer a man or a woman?  I didn’t even know whodunit until 175 pages into the story. I will say one thing–– this story is definitely a doozy!

COVER 3  

My wonderful cover artist, Karen Phillips, has designed three different covers. Let me know your thoughts. Pick one of the three covers or combine elements from several of them. I would love to see your creative ideas so feel free to share suggestions of your own. If you leave a comment by July 17th, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win the first signed copy of Dying for a Donut plus a $10 gift certificate to your favorite donut hangout.

The post DYING FOR A DONUT appeared first on Cindy Sample.