Bitter Secrets Cover Reveal
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Amazon US, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Vivlio, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA
Hooray! This has been such a long time coming, but every day we get one step closer to my babies being let loose on the world! Ahhh!
Background on Cover
I’m not a very visual person, so my graphic designers usually get to do whatever they want. My first graphic designer basically designed the whole Crime Lord Series and I was happy with it until the male model featured got into some hot water and I realized I would have to re-do my whole series. I have yet to do this mostly because I still don’t know what I would like to change it to. I’m going to tackle this when I finish Carmen’s books and get them all done at the same time so the series is cohesive.
Anywhoo, because of that issue with the male model, I realized it was better to veer away from people and do an object for various reasons. One, I didn’t want the model’s personal opinions to have any bearing on my books. Second, it’s a “safer” option commercially although having a person on the cover does seem to garner more interest.
When it came to Bitter Heat, I really wanted to go the “object” route. I was panicking because I had no idea what I wanted to do, but the idea came from this line at the end of the book:
“I want freedom,” she said fiercely. “I grew wings after I left you. I soared without you.”
“I’ll burn your fucking wings.”
Jasmine was cocooned all her life. She escaped and emerged bright, vibrant, but oh so vulnerable and delicate. I thought a butterfly would be appropriate, but more specifically a monarch butterfly because Roth calls her princess. And the fire scorching her wings represents Roth stealing her freedom.
For Bitter Secrets, I wanted the butterfly caged in something. Since the patrons read the raw draft, they were able to suggest a ton of things, but when someone suggested a snow globe, my heart literally skipped. In Bitter Heat, I mentioned that Jasmine liked to collect trinkets on her travels and even mentioned that she had a snow globe. I immediately knew where I could insert an appropriate scene in Bitter Secrets where Jasmine could come upon a snow globe and compare her current circumstances to a figure trapped in glass.
“Roth put her in a glass cage. People could talk to her through the invisible barrier, but she had no voice. She couldn’t confide in anyone or ask for help. From the outside looking in, everything looked glamorous and romantic, but no one knew that inside, she was...”
I told my cover designer I wanted a butterfly trapped in a snow globe. I love that she incorporated the “heat” element from the previous book with sparks. This is my favorite cover so far. I can’t wait to see it in paperback!
I cannot wait for you all to read this book. Books are such a long process—writing, editing, rewriting… and then comes the actual publishing and marketing. I’ve never been a good marketer. Someone mentioned I should be on TikTok which fills me with horror. I can barely do Facebook and Instagram. How the hell can I ever go on that platform?! Anyway, I think the best thing is to always interact with the readers and then do what I can when I feel so inclined… which is never. LMAO. I may try, though… (Don’t hold me to this.) Shout out to those who do edits and reels and videos on my books! You are superstars! And special thanks to my personal assistant, Emily, who handles my socials. Don’t know what I would do without her. 🫶
The new year is almost here and with it, Bitter Secrets. I have a feeling 2023 is going to be an awesome year!