Today’s peek behind the publishing curtain concerns the details that go into covers.
When it comes to traditional publishing, the process is a partnership between the author, the editor, the art department, and the powers that be at the publishing imprint. I’ve been incredibly lucky so far, having been blessed with great partners on this writing journey. I’m over the moon with the covers in the Record Shop Mysteries, and seeing them together like this is such a thrill!!!
 VINYL RESTING PLACE |
 A FATAL GROOVE |
 RHYTHM AND CLUES |
The more I look at the details in each of these covers, the more I love them. First off, Daffy the cat is perfection. I love seeing him as the star that he is! They’re adorable covers, but they also convey a sense of wrongness that goes with the cozy mystery.
- On the VINYL RESTING PLACE cover, there’s the broken record and the door is cracked open even though there’s no one around. Even Daffy looks startled like he just saw something unexpected.
- For A FATAL GROOVE, there’s the spilled coffee cup and the drips over the table are sinister. The bluebonnet is front and center just like it is throughout the book. There’s a warm morning light coming through the window but it illuminates “Death is topping the charts.”
- On the RHYTHM AND CLUES cover, there’s a thunderstorm raging in the window and candles lighting the empty Sip & Spin Records Shop. Plus, of course, Daffy batting at the karaoke microphone which — I’m not gonna spoil the karaoke scene for anyone but whooo golly gee, it’s a doozy. Not to mention the tagline: The rhythm is gonna get you. (Good luck getting that earworm out of your head!)
The Record Shop Mysteries are set in a vinyl record store-slash-coffee café called Sip & Spin Records, which is run by the three Jessup sisters: Juni, Tansy, and Maggie, and their adopted cat Daffy. Each cover clearly conveys this from the scenes of the record shop itself, each prominently featuring coffee, to the big, bold vinyl record title. When you see these books on a shelf, you know what they’re about.
I hope that you love these covers (and the books!!!) as much as I do.
