Ah, My Beautiful Covers!






So happy you’re sharing in my late-in-life republishing of five of my own books.

All have what I think are glorious new covers.  Do you like them?




They are all the work of my friend Neil—We both live among many gringo ex-patriates along lovely Lake Chapala in Mexico. Last summer, on one wine-drenched occasion under a sun umbrella on my back courtyard, I hinted that I needed new covers for my five family sagas which I intended to publish digitally for the first time ever.  

I asked, “Have you designed any book covers?” Neil has lived and taught in Mexico and elsewhere for many years.  In his early eighties, he’s back in Mexico doing the art he was born to do. (See his remarkable life’s artistry on his website: Neal Smith-Willow Fine Art.)

“Hmmm,” he said, new speculation in his eyes as suddenly he looked at me as a client. “Maybe.” And then, “Haven’t had an actual commission in years.”  

We both laughed. But a few days later, he had roughs of four of the five covers for my books.

The fifth, for Cypress, was more elusive.  It took several tries and more months, before he produced the cover.  Like his other work, I find not only beauty in the image, but a kind of lyric mysticism that holds my gaze and draws me in, as I hope my stories do.

But are these good covers? Will they help sell my books? I love them, and that was enough for me.

Readers are probably not aware that, unless an author is a mega bestseller star, with traditional publishers it’s doubtful if the author has much—or anything—to do with the covers. With debut and unknown writers, the attitude that I encountered at least forty or fifty years ago was that the author should just be glad to be published.  (And like other not-so-famous authors, I was indeed properly happy and relieved to have that lightning strike happen for me.) The covers on my hardcover and paperback editions were mostly just fine—yet they didn’t move me like Neal’s.

You know, it was more wonderful for  Neal and I, two rather elderly artists but I think with something still to write and to paint, to clink our glasses and together create beauty.

I am delighted to share with you this cameo of the creative process.  And to show you not only the end result of these lovely covers but also the love that was part of every phase of this project.


See more of my friend's work here Neal Smith-Willow Fine Art 


Kronos ~ Now Available on Amazon Kindle!

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