If a negative review gives birth to something awesome...is it really negative?

Good evening!

I'm so super excited!

You all know how I love, love, LOVE new cover art, right?  Well, a few months back I got a semi negative review about "Dream in Color," my first novel, and my beloved baby.

"Dream" has sort of been through a number of peeks and valleys.  I sold it originally to Wild Rose Press, who gave me the awesome cover are there to the left.

However, after completing my contract with Wild Rose, I wanted to take back my rights, which was fine, but Wild Rose got to keep the cover art.  I was bummed, but excited about trying my hand at cover art.  So I created the cover you see there to your right.  I was quite proud of it and thought it captured the spirit of the book.

Nay, nay said the readers.  No, one reader complained, the people on the cover were far younger than the characters in the book.  True, but I thought they seemed a bit older than the original cover...still apparently the person writing that review was bent out of shape because she got a free download and then was forced to read a book about middle aged people, when she thought she was getting a YA.  Hey, sister, read the back of the book blurb next time.  Never buy a book just for the cover.

Anyway, I was able to brush that one off, sort of, but then I got a review where the writer was grieved that the male on the cover did not have long enough hair to suit main character Jesse Alexander, the rock star.

Really?  You gave me a 3 star review because the guy on the cover had short hair?

Well I pondered that for a while and, after a few months of working on other book covers, I honed my skills a bit and realized that I should take another stab at this cover.  And ladies and gents, I'm excited to give you the big reveal right now:

TAH DAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Click here to buy the book on Amazon!

 

I think this is the winner.  Not that book sales are based on covers, I'd like to think the reading public is smarter than that.  BUT, I think this cover catches the spirit of the book, and the length of Jesse's hair.  Which, as I've found out, is the key ingredient to this book.

 

So I guess I have to thank that reviewer.  They may have thought they were skewering me with some sort of whit, but in reality they just made me a better cover artist.  I mean, look at that guy...that guy is HOT!

 

Now, Amazon seems to be cranky about getting this cover out this evening, but within the next 24-36 hours, this cover art will be available on all formats on Amazon.  Of course, if you have a device that's not a Kindle, you can download the book with the new cover pretty much right away by clicking HERE!