Ta-daaaaah! Finally, here it is, the cover of what will be - in March 2013 - my book about coming to live on the tiny, wild Greek island of Tilos, a funny (well, I do a lot of silly things) and romantic journey from heartbreak to happiness. The back cover blurb begins:
I came here looking for some kind of happiness. I think it might be the cleverest thing I've ever done.
What do you think of the cover design? It took me a while to get used to the swirliness, and maybe the subtitle is a swirl too far... But it's unusual, it invites you into a story, and shows the magic - that's what I love. I'd be delighted to get your feedback, as there is still time to make small changes. It's hard to please everybody but I hope this is a cover that will draw a lot of people in.
One rather special thing about the cover is the endorsement by Emma Woolf at the top. Emma is the author of An Apple a Day, a beautiful memoir of trying to recover from anorexia after falling in love and deciding she wanted a baby; you may have seen her in The Times or on TV; she and I met through books and have become friends. Imagine how it felt to receive these words from her:
'For anyone who's ever been unlucky - or lucky - in love, this book will make you laugh and cry and then laugh again. Against the backdrop of her idyllic Greek island, Falling in Honey is the story of one woman's odyssey to find happiness with or without the man of her dreams. I didn't want it to end...'
Gulp. How could anyone wish for better than that?
To cap all this good news, not only is the book being launched by Summersdale Publishers in March 2013, which is exciting enough already, but it's also going to be published in the U.S. by the fantastic Sourcebooks a year later thanks to my brilliant agent Caroline.
I'm hoping at some point to be able to give away a few review copies. In the meantime, Falling in Honey is available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk, although the cover isn't up there yet and the title isn't quite right - I'm jumping the gun a little by announcing all this, but I couldn't wait any longer...
So, I'd like to thank all of you lot. Some read early drafts of the manuscript and gave me advice. Some are even part of the story. Some of you are the lovely people who came up to me over the summer and said, 'We read your blog - keep it up!' Without you to read the stuff, there wouldn't be any point in my writing it. Thanks, and keep up the good work, folks...
Bye for now from a sunny, windy, bright September day in Tilos at the Honey Factory.
Congrats Jennifer! Well done! What an achievement finally. You must be chuffed to bits.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover design and colour - it's relevant (but where's the honey?? Maybe a bee or two to depict this?) and the picture conjures up images of a Greek island to me For the armchair travellers and people who've never been to Greece or a Greek island, this will be perfect - will aid their imagination.
Who designed this excellent cover?
I would love to have an advance copy for a review, if you're willing?
All the best and well done, once again.
Bex
www.leavingcairo.blogspot.com
Thank you Bex! I know you weren't so keen on the title before but it felt right in the end. I decided having bees on the cover might suggest that the book is literally about honey-making, which it isn't... Hopefully all will become clear when you read the book. Will definitely ask for you to get a review copy closer to the time. Thanks again!
DeleteIt's a delightful cover that completely says "Greece and islands and the sea". Since the "honey" is a figure of speech, no visual reference to it is necessary or probably even desirable.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the island at the bottom looks like a profile of the head of a sea bird, which is also completely appropriate.
It looks like the cover of the sort of book I would read in preparation for a visit to Greece.
May it be a great success and you grow rich beyond the Dreams of Avarice.
Thanks, DEK! I couldn't wish for a better response than that. Great to hear.
DeleteJennifer, congratulations! I LOVE the title and the cover is also really eye-catching and fun. I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteLaurie Gough
That's great - thanks so much, Laurie! It means a lot.
DeleteThe cover design is by Lucy Davey:
ReplyDeletehttp://lucydavey.co.uk/
http://lucydaveyillustration.blogspot.gr/
I love your blog and can't wait for the book! I like the cover - the images suggest all the right things. Will it be available on Kindle too?
ReplyDeleteWishing you great success with the book - and many congrats on getting this far with it! x
Thank you, Wendy! Yes, it will certainly be available on Kindle - around the same time, I hope. Thanks so much for the kind thoughts and good wishes!
DeleteLovely title Jennifer. How about a honey bee on the cover.It will remind me of the times i've been attacked on Tilos
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michael! Glad you like it. We decided against a bee on the cover because combined with the title it might suggest that the book is mostly about honey, which it isn't, although it's a theme throughout. I have lots of bees in my garden - and thankfully they have all been very friendly so far (though I have been attacked once by a hornet on a hillside, which wasn't very pleasant!). We might put a honey bee on the back cover though - we shall see...!
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