Book Cover Junkie Interviews New Adult Romantic Suspense Author S.D. Lettie

Before she ever had “author” next to her name, S.D. Lettie was—and still is—an avid reader first; the kind who would finish a book in a day and beg her parents to take her back to the bookstore. Reading started as a hobby and, as she got older, became her source of entertainment, escape, and comfort. Over the years, she found herself wanting to write the kind of worlds readers could get excited about—a world that could grow into a fandom of its own. 

Today, Lettie writes slow-burn romances—stories about characters who are imperfectly perfect, the hard moments that shape them, and the plot twists that leave readers reeling. Outside her writing life, she’s a wife and mom of two, roles that influence both her time and perspective. She’s also a dedicated soccer fan, the kind who will plan her day around a match and openly admit she’ll yell at the TV when things get heated.

Through all of it, her goal as an author is simple: she wants her characters to stay with readers long after the book ends. 

Her latest book is the new adult romantic suspense, The Arrangement (Bancroft University Chronicles Book 1).

Visit her website at www.sdlettieauthor.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, BookBub and Goodreads.

Tell us about your book! What inspired you to write it?

My inspiration came from two things I love: mafia romance and espionage/political thriller movies and TV shows. I wanted to blend those two worlds and add one of my favorite tropes (outside of friends-to-lovers): arranged marriage.

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?

I knew what the story would be about before I even started writing, so the title came early. I usually know the title before I begin because it helps the book feel more real to me. I brainstormed ideas with my husband and knew I wanted something easy to remember and on theme with the rest of the series.

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?

Yes, I wanted the cover to be symbolic of the plot. When I first started self-publishing, I knew absolutely nothing - including where to find a cover designer. I joined a few Facebook groups, lurked on the self-publishing subreddit, and eventually found 99designs because it was affordable. The designer was great and really brought my vision to life.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?

My cover designer is Distinguished on 99designs.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover?

The response has been really positive. Readers seem to love it, especially the colors, which hint at the overall tone and themes of the book.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?

Do your research. I lucked out with my designer, but I know that isn’t always the case. Be as detailed as possible when explaining your vision, and if you can, work with someone who has experience designing covers in your genre.

Anything else you’d like to say about your book?

If you like this cover, just wait until you see book two.

 

"The Cover of The Guardian," by Anna del Mar

So I went to Africa. I wanted to see the wildlife, of course, to photograph some of the world’s most iconic animals in their natural habit. I also wanted to explore the African connection to my Caribbean-forged heritage. I expected I’d be wowed in every way and I was. In particular, I was taken by the diverse people of Tanzania who extended me such warm hospitality. It was an amazing trip.

What I didn’t expect was the story that came out of my trip to Africa. I was a visitor in this wonderful continent and mine was supposed to be a no-writing vacation. But days, weeks, and months after I left, Africa stayed with me. It’d seeped into my blood, captured my imagination, and it wouldn’t let go until I sat down and put down the story that would eventually become The Guardian.

Following in the vein of The Asset and The Stranger, The Guardian is the third standalone story of my Wounded Warrior series. The story goes something like this: Ex-SEAL turned game warden, Matthias Hawking is engaged in a fierce battle to end poaching in Africa, but when a beautiful journalist defies the poachers, he will do everything in his power to protect the woman who has captured his heart.

The range and scope of Africa defies the eye and the imagination. To settle on one single image that summarizes the beauty and depth of such a wondrous place is impossible. But I think that Mayhem Cover Creations succeeded when they designed the cover for The Guardian. They asked me: What’s the single, most important element that we want to convey?

The light, I said, because the light in the Serengeti is striking, rich with a variety of yellows, and oranges and reds I’ve never seen anywhere else, dazzling to the eye but also to the mood of the place. It’s also essential to the survival of the species that make their home in the African plains, including the humans that live, work, and play there.

I shared my pictures with Mayhem, the ones I’d taken at dawn and dusk, when the Serengeti comes alive with creatures large and small. I also borrowed sample images of much better photographers than I could ever be. And then I described the scrumptious Matthias Hawking in detail, not only physically, but the concept of him, his strength, his dedication, his commitment to conservation in Africa and to justice in the world. And thus The Guardian’s cover was born, aspirational in every way to the stunning continent that birthed the story. 

PS: Would you like to see the images that inspired many of the pivotal scenes in The Guardian? Click here to see my pictures of Africa.

Amazon Bestselling author Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass heroes who defy their limits to protect the women they love. A Georgetown University graduate, Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she splits her time between Colorado and Florida, where she lives with her indulgent husband and a very opinionated cat.

Anna loves to hear from her readers. Connect with Anna at:

Annadelmar.com

Anna on Facebook

Anna on Twitter

Anna@annadelmar.com

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Buy Links for The Guardian: 

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Wounded-Warrior-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B0731RKCP5/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498164070&sr=8-4&keywords=anna+del+mar

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-guardian-107

Nook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guardian-anna-del-mar/1126890589?ean=2940158559969

Book Review: ‘The Stranger’ by Anna del Mar

The Stranger is the second book in Anna del Mar’s Wounded Warrior series. However, each book is standalone with new, different characters.

Having read the first book, The Asset, all I can say is that The Stranger is another tour de force from del Mar. Once again, she delivers an addictive romantic suspense read with a compelling, emotionally charged plot and engaging, likable characters whom you will root for—not to mention an explosive, passionate love story filled with dangerous twists and turns.

Treacherous circumstances related to the fact that her sister has gone missing bring sassy, hot-tempered architect Summer Silva to the Alaskan wilderness, only to end up freezing and stranded in the middle of a fast-approaching snowstorm.

Enters former military pilot Alaskan native Seth Erickson, who happens to be passing by in his truck on his way to his cabin when he spots Summer and comes to the rescue. However, it isn’t that easy. From the minute our alpha hero speaks with her, he becomes suspicious of her presence there, and quickly assumes she’s been sent there to spy on his family business. But he’s found a match in Summer, for she’s as quick to deliver comebacks as he is…and as quick to surprise him, too. That same night, as a result of her rare “condition,” Seth ends up having more than he bargains for. Soon after, Summer discovers that someone is trying to murder her.

The Alaskan wilderness, a cold-blooded killer on the loose, and murder bring them together, but they will need to trust each other if they want to get of this alive, something that doesn’t come easy for either of them.

This was a fabulous fast-paced read, simply addictive. Sexy, with a touch of darkness, and humor to boot! But the best are the strong, sympathetic, multi-dimensional protagonists and the way their love evolves. If you haven’t discovered Anna del Mar’s books yet, you’re missing something.

Cover art published with permission from the author. 

Originally published in Blogcritics.

The Story Behind The Stranger’s Cover, by Anna del Mar

If you ask me, the cover of The Stranger is a combination of different types of gorgeous. There’s nature’s beauty, of course, nicely displayed in the background as the legendary Alaskan Range rises over the tundra and reflects on a glassy lake. Very appropriate, since Alaska is the third protagonist of this epic romance.

And then there’s the human gorgeousness, the hunk who graces the cover and still to this day makes me swoon every time I set my eyes on him. Yes, just in case you were wondering, we romance authors are particularly appreciative of the visual assets that cover designers bestow upon the heroes that rule our imaginations.

The Stranger is my newest romantic suspense and the second book of my Wounded Warrior Series, following on the heels of my Amazon bestseller, The Asset. The cover began as Art Fact Sheet, the input mechanism that my publisher, Carina Press, uses to ensure that an author’s perspective is represented in the cover’s creation stages.

I like to be prolific with my descriptions in my AFS, giving the cover designers as much information as I can about my main characters and my settings. I add lots of pictures that come straight out of my notes and storyboards and babble away with all kinds of crazy ideas. Inevitably, my amazing editor, Kerri Buckley and the incredible team at Carina make some sort of sense out of my jumbled AFS. And here’s the funny thing: They always come up with something better, MUCH better than I could imagine in the first place.

In the Case of The Stranger I was blown away when I got my cover concept from Heather Goldberg, Carina Press’s truly impressive Digital Marketing Coordinator. Heather manages to keep a complex process that involves many people, opinions and departments running like a fine oiled machine. The kicker is that she also manages to keep finicky authors like me deliriously happy.

The Stranger on the cover is Seth Erickson. Seth is a powerful Alaskan tycoon dealing with a quarreling family and a hostile takeover attempt. As the cover also implies, he’s a wounded warrior, a helicopter pilot struggling to recover from injuries he sustained while serving in Afghanistan, a man haunted by his past and fighting his own demons. Seth is your classic alpha, blunt, systematic and precise, always cool and in command, a man who despises emotion and sticks to his icy logic… until he meets my heroine, Summer Silva.

The adventure that ensues is beyond the cover, along with the details of Seth and Summer’s hot and sexy romance. For more on that, click here. But I’ll share this. The cover designers chose just the right physical type. The details, according to the story, are right on. The Seth on the cover matches the Seth in my mind. The cover is a perfect merger of storytelling and marketing savvy. Now ask any author out there. That’s hard to do and a total credit to the talented team at Carina Press.

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Here’s a first review of The Stranger. And it’s an awesome one!

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=22690

 ABOUT THE BOOK

When her sister runs away with a guy she met on the internet, a warmth-loving Miami architect chases her reckless sibling to Alaska and finds her life in danger from more than the elements. Only a stranger, a wounded warrior who is also Alaskan tycoon with a quarreling family as complicated as her own and no time for a lady in distress—let alone one who walks on her sleep—can save her from disaster. Together, two strangers from different worlds and opposite spectrums of the thermometer must unravel the intrigues that threaten their lives to chase after a new dream, together, in majestic Alaska. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy the limits of their broken bodies to protect the women they love. Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Wounded-Warrior-Novel-ebook/dp/B01EF3MHSU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469123810&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Stranger+by+Anna+del+Mar#navbar

Carina Press:

http://www.carinapress.com/shop/books/9781459294301_the-stranger.html

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stranger-anna-del-mar/1123670965?ean=9781459294301

Kobo Books:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-stranger-69

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anna_del_Mar_The_Stranger?id=j7T-CwAAQBAJ

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