Bannister's Way and a new cover

Bannister's Way has been one of the toughest books to come up with a cover. It's set in the art world of a small liberal arts college in Oregon. Much of it takes place at the heroine's home on the Tualatin River, very much a Moon River kind of river. Other scenes are in a classroom or studio. Trying to come up with a cover, especially since the hero soon finds out, what life drawing means-- and if you are an artist, you know. 

The hero was a secondary character in Desert Inferno :). This scene is him remembering when he first arrived for this job. He and his partner have a fun bromance (something I always like writing). 

    Over a quick lunch at a small cafe, Vance, who'd done the advance work and set up the situation, had grinned as he had told David, “I found you a way in.” 
   “Let’s hear it.” David had sipped the strong coffee while checking his Blackberry for emails. 
   “It’s a natural.” David had looked up. Something about Rich’s face had told him this wasn’t going to be good. 
   “And?” 
   “As an artist’s model. Classroom work and private sessions for a sculptor.” 
   “Not a chance.” 
   “It’s not like you could come in as a professor. Give me a break and don’t be so selfish. This was the only way, and it took some work setting it up.” Rich’s look had been aggrieved. David hadn't bought it. 
   “There has to be another way.” 
   “It’s your ex’s drawing class. She’s the sculptor.” 
   David had clenched his jaw but hadn’t tried to explain to Rich how many ways this idea bothered him. He’d always found his supposed good looks to be more detriment than advantage. The idea of students watching him, drawing him, painting him… Geesus. And then there was his ex-wife. She’d be there seeing him in the weakest possible light. There had to be another way. 
   “You do it. I’ll stay outside this time.” 
   “I’m not the type for a model. Too many doughnuts. You work out all the time for tense nerves, but it’s paid off on the body too. Come on, you know it makes sense. It gets you inside, lets you be where you can look for what the cops missed. There will be something there, you’ll find it, and we’ll be out of here with another brilliant solution to a cold case.”

Desert Inferno -- contemporary Arizona

New cover for Desert Inferno and it came about because of a conversation with Jimmy Thomas who is one of the best cover models, who is a model and  director for how he puts together combinations of people and costumes to give writers many options. There was a complication with using this one as Jimmy has black hair and Jake Donovan has dark blond hair. Turns out it wasn't insurmountable, and I like this cover much more than what I had... even though I thought I loved what I had.

 When a rugged border patrolman meets a beautiful artist, sparks fly. It's an unlikely combination but then, isn't love often! To complicate it for Jake and Rachel, an enemy is ready to settle an old score.

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    "Let it go, Rachel. Look, I don't get it.” The expression in his eyes hardened. “What's a woman, who looks like you, doing with a guy with a face like mine, a guy whose own mother couldn't stand him, who has a brother doing time? I’m not your kind of guy, Rachel O’Brian."

    She leaned forward, reaching out, lightly tracing his face with her fingertips, her fingers wreaking havoc with his resolve to keep everything casual between them. “How do you know what my kind of guy is?” she asked huskily, trying to keep her tone light and knowing she was failing.

    "I am an ugly man, inside and out."

    Her fingers tipped his chin up and she looked into his eyes. "Obviously," she whispered, "we don't see your face the same way. Know what I see when I see you?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I see a strong face but with too much sadness. Your face is like the desert, craggy and rugged. The desert is not ugly but beautiful."

    Before he could respond, she pressed her fingers against his lips. "You’ve protected yourself all these years by not caring. You figured that worked.” She felt an almost unendurable surge of sadness to think of what Jake had said and not said about the little boy he’d been, the man he was. She wondered then why she knew so well who he was inside. She knew it better than he knew himself. She had no answer for why that might be true.

    "It does work."

    "Does it?  Or has it only left a lonely boy inside a lonely man?"

Tucson Moon

Book 2, in the Arizona historical romance series, is where many secrets are revealed. It follows characters from the first book with a new romance.  Priscilla has it all or so she thought.

“How about coming for dinner again tonight? We’ll leave out the attack.” She smiled. “It’ll just be Rose, James and us. Then after dinner, let’s play dominoes.”

“What’s that?”

She shook her head. “Cord, I think sometimes that you have been as suppressed as Grace.” She gave a little laugh.

He couldn’t argue with that. She wasn’t far off base. “All right,” he said. “I should go now. More bad guys to round up and push around.” He liked making her smile. “But I’ll be back. Rose’s cooking is worth coming for, even if I make a fool of myself with some game I never heard of.”

Priscilla rose. “Well if you were counting on that you are out of luck. I’m cooking tonight. Rose is busy teaching Grace to sew and do embroidery.”

“Ah so will my life be at risk again with your cooking?” he asked with a smile as he put on his hat.

“It might be. You just never know now, do you?” Her smile was pure vixen. He fought back the urge to reach out and pull her into his arms. Those lips were so kissable. No wonder half the single men in Tucson wanted her.

Being around Priscilla Wesley so often was going to require more self-control than he had imagined. He only hoped Grace would find he wasn’t a big bad bear and be willing to come to live with him, before he totally lost his heart to this beautiful woman. He had once thought she’d never have him on his knees, but now he wasn’t so sure. She’d only laugh and find it all a joke if she ever knew what he was feeling. It wasn’t stopping the urges. Maybe a good slap would knock some sense into his head, but before he could take that thought further, Grace and Rose came into the kitchen.