The Art of Book Cover Design for Historical Fiction

*This is an older post, but it remains so popular that I keep it pinned here on the main page.*

I had the pleasure of speaking on The Art of Book Cover Design panel at the Historical Novel Society conference last June with Emily Victorson from Allium Press, Sarah Johnson from Reading the Past, Anna Michels from Sourcebooks, and Kris Waldherr from Art and Words. We each presented on different aspects of designing historical fiction covers, and my task was to discuss my approach and trends in the genre. In case you missed it, or if you attended and would like to have a copy of your own, here is my portion of the presentation!

L to R: Anna, Kris, myself, and Sarah

The first thing I do when working on a cover is determine the genre or subgenre and the target audience, and then I spend some time browsing through the bestsellers to see which covers are selling books and what they look like. It’s important that you pay attention to cover trends when creating yours. You may think your cover is going to stand out because it’s so different from others in the genre, but that approach can often backfire. Cover trends exist in the first place because they sell books. Readers of a genre are used to seeing a certain style of cover, and if your cover doesn’t even come close, they may very well skip over it, thinking it’s not the type of book they like to read. So the trick is crafting a cover that falls within the trends in the genre while standing out and catching the eye of your target reader. 

So with that being said, I want to briefly touch on some popular trends in today’s historical fiction covers. A significant portion of the historical fiction market is targeted toward women, so that’s where we’ll begin.

So let’s start with the trend readers either seem to love or hate: The Headless Woman. This trend is popular because the heroine in a reader’s imagination rarely matches a real-life depiction on the cover. So it gives us a chance to envision what her face looks like and also adds an air of mystery. (Check out Sarah's portion of the presentation for the original headless woman cover that started the trend!)

A Song for Lonely Wolves

Please join me in congratulating Lee Evie on the publication of A Song for Lonely Wolves, first in her new Joseon Detective Series! I had the pleasure of helping Lee design the cover. Here's the book description:

Joseon Korea, Winter 1590

At the foot of a jagged mountain range, an isolated village lies in muddy snow. From her bed, a young noblewoman vanishes in the dead of night, and rumours of a fearsome ghost with no face echo in her wake.

Hardworking and dogged Dan Ji arrives in the long winding valley with her own ghosts. As a damo, a tea servant of the police force, she is overlooked and undervalued. Yet this case has gripped her heart, and she craves to prove her worth beyond simply cooking and cleaning for her superiors – she is determined to solve the mystery.

With only the officer in charge on her side – a hard young man with a bloody past and secrets of his own – Dan Ji must convince the local Magistrate and his provincial policemen to trust her judgment. Yet with mistrust brewing, the investigation slowly grinds to a halt. Until a frozen body is unearthed from the deep snows of the mountain range.

It is not within Dan Ji’s nature to leave a mystery unsolved, yet soon she discovers the fine threads of this investigation run much deeper than anyone has anticipated.

A dark historical mystery set in old Korea.

A Song for Lonely Wolves is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Lee's website for her blog posts and podcasts about Korean history.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Pioneer Dream

Please join me in congratulating Ramona Flightner on the publication of Pioneer Dream, the first book in a brand new series: The O'Rourke Family Montana Saga! I had the pleasure of helping Ramona design the cover. Here's the book description:

Sensible Kevin O’Rourke does not believe in ghosts, in love at first sight, or in the happily-ever-after type of love. Instead, he is convinced only hard work, dedication to family, and self-sacrifice will bring contentment. When he meets Aileen O’Keefe on the steamboat trip from Saint Louis to Fort Benton, Montana Territory, his world is turned upside down as quickly as she nearly tumbles into the Missouri River. After spending only a few moments in her company, he knows his life will never be the same. Although warned to guard his heart, he is drawn to Aileen, enthralled by her joy and the future he envisions with her.

Aileen O’Keefe knows she is not the sort of woman to captivate handsome Kevin O’Rourke. Charmed by his attentiveness, she is unable to hide her mutual attraction to him, although she knows it is disastrous. For Aileen has a secret. One that will forever separate them. Due to a bargain made by her aunt, their time on the steamboat must be all they can ever share.

Upon arriving in Fort Benton, Kevin discovers that ghosts can return from the dead, love can endure years of hardship, and that his hope for a future with the woman he loves is worth every sacrifice. Aileen must adjust to the rough frontier town as she reconciles herself to the betrayal of one she trusted. She must learn to believe in herself so that she can have the confidence to have faith in Kevin’s love.

Can Kevin convince Aileen to trust in the strength of their love, or will Aileen turn to another for the fulfillment of her dreams?

Pioneer Dream is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Ramona's website for the scoop on all of her books!

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

All the News and Politics & Bedfellows

Please join me in congratulating Hollis Bush on the publication of All the News and Politics & Bedfellows! I had the pleasure of helping Hollis design the covers. Here are the book descriptions:

John Schram, reporter for the Lancaster Standard Newspaper, husband, and father to two boys, is feeling his age. His paper has hired consultants who seem too young to understand a newsroom and worse yet, have required the installation of low-flow toilets. He’s juggling multiple stories and because of layoffs is now tasked with writing a love advice column called Listening with Lily. He feels a little left behind and less astute than he should be with new technology, and his fiftieth birthday is coming at him fast and furious. John wonders if he’s lost a step to the young reporters in his office.

His seventeen-year-old son is worrying him on the home front, as Justin has lost interest in playing baseball or his grades or college. He’s in some fights at school, and after several meetings with teachers and guidance counselors, John still has little idea what is troubling the teenager. He does know that the tension and arguments are keeping him, and his wife, awake at night and worried throughout the day. John is at a loss for what to do until a tragic incident brings everything to a head, and his family will never be the same.

***

Divorcee Glenda Nelson poured herself a cup of coffee, sat down at her kitchen table, and opened up the morning paper. That’s when she found out her hand-picked Congressional candidate was caught climbing out of the window of the Sleepytown Motel. With her job as a political strategist on the line, she must put together a damage control plan, and do it fast.

After a multi-year hiatus, Glenda’s love life is finally on the rebound when she meets handsome Christopher Goodwich, a successful artist with oodles of old money. But what will Chris think after witnessing one of her meltdowns? Will his fame and fortune only serve to magnify Glenda’s ineptitude? And sometimes she just can’t stop wondering why she stayed so long with her philandering ex-husband, or how her sister’s marriage has been so apparently picture-perfect. While uncovering the secrets behind a political scandal, Glenda finds love and makes the long trek back to happy.

This book was originally released as Red, White, and Screwed.

All the News and Politics & Bedfellows are available in ebook and paperback editions on Amazon! Add them to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Hollis's website for the scoop on all of her novels!

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Along the Road

Please join me in congratulating Pat Wahler on the publication of her newest novel, Along the Road, book two in the Becker Family series! I had the pleasure of working with Pat in designing the cover. Here's the book description:

Whoever said opposites attract?

Kat Becker is a starry-eyed optimist with a dream. She’s convinced a move to Nashville will turn her into a singing sensation, and nobody’s going to stand in her way. Not even the cute but grumpy ER doctor she meets after a fender-bender.

Dr. Dan McDonald is a hardheaded realist with a past. He knows firsthand how Music City can shatter a heart. It’s his duty to warn an appealing but quirky patient of the aftermath for anyone foolish enough to pursue such a fantasy.

Two people couldn’t be less likely to join forces, let alone fall in love . . . until one tiny lie changes everything.

Along the Road is available now in ebook and print formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo! Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Pat's website for the scoop on all of her books.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

The Bridled Tongue

Please join me in congratulating Catherine Meyrick on the publication of The Bridled Tongue! I had the pleasure of working with Catherine on a developmental edit and a copyedit, and I designed the cover! Here's the book description:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

England, 1586

Alyce Bradley has few choices when her father decides it is time she marry, as many refuse to see her as other than the girl she once was--unruly, outspoken and close to her grandmother, a woman suspected of witchcraft.

Thomas Granville, an ambitious privateer, inspires fierce loyalty in those close to him and hatred in those he has crossed. Beyond a large dowry, he is seeking a virtuous and dutiful wife. Neither he nor Alyce expect more from marriage than mutual courtesy and respect.

As the King of Spain launches his great armada and England braces for invasion, Alyce must confront closer dangers from both her own and Thomas's past, threats that could not only destroy her hopes of love and happiness, but her life. And Thomas is powerless to help.

The Bridled Tongue is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Catherine's website for more info on her books, her historical research, and her works-in-progress!

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Synnove: The King's Cupbearer

Please join me in congratulating Caroline Goldsworthy on the publication of Synnove: The King's Cupbearer! I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

Her king is dead.
The queen wants revenge.
If she is captured, she will die.

England, 625 AD. Accused of regicide Synnöve, King Raedwald’s cupbearer and lover, must escape the royal court to avoid execution at the hands of his jealous and vengeful queen.

She would starve to death if it were not for her late mother’s faithful friend, Maud. But one day Maud does not visit. Nor the next. Then Maud's body is found, drowned.

Terrified but desperate to prove her innocence, Synnöve must flee and hide in the dark forest – a treacherous realm full of wolves, wild boar, bandits and vengeful tree spirits. She meets Baedo, the blond giant, and Eowyn, a powerful sorceress who teaches her the healing ways of the Wyrd and other magic. Together they battle to unearth the truth.

But will they expose the real murderer before the queen’s men find and execute Synnöve?

Synnove: The King's Cupbearer is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Carolyn's website for more information about this book and her DCI Ronnie Carlson mystery series.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

The Thief's Heart

Please join me in congratulating Kathleen Shoop on her newest release, The Thief's Heart, Book Four in the Letter Series! I had the pleasure of working with Kathie on a developmental edit and a copyedit of this emotional tale of a young man's efforts to keep his family together in late 19th century Des Moines, and I designed the cover! Here's the book description:

For anyone who’s ever needed a second chance, to find love, to find the right path in life…

Des Moines, 1892.

After losing their promised inheritance, the Arthur family’s luck finally changes. An extraordinary woman, Violet Pendergrass, provides refuge for them to rebuild their broken lives. Or has she? Handsome fifteen-year-old Tommy Arthur has one foot in manhood and the other dragging up the rear of his boyhood years. He strives to protect and provide for his family, but turning to booze when scared or worried creates as many problems as solutions. Unsure of who he can trust, fiery redhead Pearl Riverside challenges and excites him at every turn, softening his heart toward the idea that goodness exists in the world.

Tension builds between Tommy and his mother as her affection for a generous man increases. At the same time, distance grows between Tommy and his twin sister, Katherine, as each chooses their secrets over family. Violet Pendergrass demands more from Tommy, and he begins to question her motives.

When disaster strikes for Tommy’s little sister, Yale, the actions of a sinister judge, a crooked minister, and the infamous charlatan Dreama are revealed. Facing more jail time as vigilante mobs form, the clock runs down on Tommy’s chance to take responsibility for his own choices. Is it too late for him to save his family, to open his heart and fully love those who need him as much as he needs them?

The Thief's Heart is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Kathleen's website for more information on all of her books, including more in the Letter Series and her Donora Story Collection.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Blood Rights

Please join me in congratulating Kelly Clayton on the publication of the fourth novel in the Jack Le Claire Mystery Series, Blood Rights! I had the pleasure of working with Kelly on a developmental edit and a copyedit of this suspenseful mystery set on the Channel Island of Jersey, which Kelly has called home for most of her life, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

Greed, rage, envy . . . and murder.

DCI Jack Le Claire is investigating the death of a high-profile resident on the Island of Jersey. But the killing has only just begun.

Kurt Englebrook has it all. He’s a hedge fund tycoon with a gorgeous younger wife, two grown sons and a loyal team around him. But Kurt has a secret; somebody knows what it is and is determined to make him suffer. Meanwhile, an argument rages over an ancient right-of-way and a historic tower.

Kurt’s sister-in-law, Chloe Marsden, is grateful to inhabit his world of privilege and plenty. But what Chloe cares most about can’t be bought.

They've killed once and crossed a line. Now there's no going back.

A brutal death reveals the widening cracks that threaten to break apart the Englebrooks and those connected to them.

A killer is on the rampage, but what do they want?

As the deaths mount up, Le Claire must trap a vicious killer, although he has numerous suspects and very few leads.

He is distracted as a looming shadow from his past threatens his future and that of his family.

A suspenseful mix of lies, desires and murder set in the seemingly idyllic Channel Island of Jersey.

Blood Rights is available now in Kindle format on Amazon and Amazon UK. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, visit Kelly's website for the scoop on her upcoming releases and writing and publishing tips, and check out her feature on ITV!

Need some help with your WIP?
Email Jenny anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Promise Season

Please join me in congratulating Lee Evie on the publication of her debut historical novel, Promise Season! I had the pleasure of helping Lee design the cover. Here's the book description:

A SLAVE. A SPY. A PROMISE.

Joseon Dynasty, Korea: A humid summer storm rages across the Pavilion, the greatest entertainment house in the sprawling city of Hanyang. Within its stifling walls a gisaeng slave girl hides a fugitive in her bed, unexpectedly saving the life of a young man who is not all he seems.

Immediately Seorin is thrust into a razor-edged world of conspiracy and spies, doomed rebellion, and murky intrigue. For the first time in years, she glimpses an opportunity for change.

Yet it is not her freedom Seorin so desperately desires, but something far more precious. She will risk anything, even death, to gain it.

A dark and romantic historical adventure set in old Korea.

Promise Season is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Lee's website for her blog posts and podcasts about Korean history.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

A Thing Done

Please join me in congratulating Tinney Sue Heath on the re-release of A Thing Done! I had the pleasure of designing the cover! Here's the book description:

Juggling is easy – until you’re juggling two sides of a lethal vendetta.

Florence, 1216: Corrado the Fool’s prank-for-hire began it, but where is it going to end? Florence’s noble families are up in arms, and Corrado is pressed into service by both sides against his will. A peacemaking marriage could still quiet the outraged factions, but that fragile alliance may crumble under pressure from an interfering woman, a scorned bride, and a demand for revenge. And only Corrado, the reluctant messenger, is in a position to see it all taking shape.

He doesn’t care who comes out on top, but he does care a lot about surviving and about protecting those he loves, and he'll do whatever he must to prevent the enraged nobles from destroying his city. Will his famous wit and ingenuity be enough? Will anything?

Inspired by real events, A Thing Done tells of a hapless David caught between warring Goliaths. Corrado's story makes it clear that the rich and powerful aren't the only ones who can make history.

A Thing Done is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and vist Tinney's website for more information on her books and her blog posts on historical research.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Third Man In

Please join me in congratulating G.K. Brady on the publication of Third Man In, second book in the Playmakers Series, and follow-up to the critically acclaimed Taming Beckett! I had the pleasure of working with G.K. on a developmental edit and a copyedit, and I designed the cover of this refreshingly realistic and meaningful sports romance! Here's the book description:

Pro hockey player T.J. Shanstrom is no stranger to controversy. Labeled a goon by his many critics, he’s the guy every team hates to play against but every team wants on their side—the goal scorer with an edge as deadly as a newly sharpened skate blade.

T.J. plays the only way he can, laying everything on the line, game in, game out. But when it’s time to step away from the rink, T.J. leaves his fire on the ice. Relationships? He tried that once. Friends with benefits is as close as he’s planning to get to a woman again.

Until he meets Natalie Foster.

Smart and independent, no-nonsense Natalie is rebuilding her life her way after her high-powered career and her engagement go off the rails. Besides trying out new lines of work, she’s also dipping her toe in the dating pool with pro hockey player Kevin May. The relationship is new, it’s fun, but it’s barely off the ground when Kevin’s career comes to a screeching halt thanks to a T.J. Shanstrom cheapshot.

When Natalie and T.J.’s paths accidentally cross, sparks fly. Natalie has no idea who this handsome hunk is, but when T.J. discovers who she is, he’s determined to become her knight in shining armor while safeguarding his identity—and his heart.

What could possibly go wrong?

Third Man In is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit G.K.'s website for the scoop on her upcoming projects!

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

The River Jewel

Please join me in congratulating Kathleen Shoop on the publication of her newest book, The River Jewel: A Letter Series Novella! I had the privilege of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

For everyone who hopes to find the perfect match…

1875 Des Moines, Iowa

The novella The River Jewel takes readers of the bestselling Letter Series novels back in time, before there was a last letter, before the Arthurs lost everything, before they knew a girl named Pearl.

Meet Tilly Rabel, a proud mussel-woman, and Landon Lockwood, the troubled son of one of the wealthiest men in America. The two could not be less suited for love. But when an old legend draws Landon to a hidden river cove, Tilly and he find each other, are lured by growing attraction, and repelled by competing desires to control Tilly’s waters. The hidden pool is replete with valuable mussel beds and the source of everything that makes Tilly who she is. Landon sees the illustrious treasure as the path to proving to his parents he is worth their love and worthy of the Lockwood name. Can Tilly trust Landon with her heart, with her beloved mussel beds? Can Landon trust that he has truly changed and doesn’t need his parents approval to live the life he wants?

Heartbreak, triumph, and a very special baby weave a tale sure to please readers who’ve read the entire Letter Series and those who are just starting the journey.

The River Jewel is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Kathleen's website for more information on all of her books, including more in the Letter Series and her Donora Story Collection.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

The Power to Deny

Please join me in congratulating Wendy Long Stanley on the publication of her debut historical, The Power to Deny: A Woman of the Revolution Novel! I had the pleasure of offering Wendy some copyediting assistance on this true story of one woman's brave stance during the American Revolution, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

Young and brilliant poet Elizabeth Graeme comes of age in colonial Philadelphia bearing an exceptional talent for writing and an unwillingness to be like all the other young women around her.

After a successful trip to England and an audience with the king, the sudden death of her mother and two failed romances leave Elizabeth reeling. Back in Philadelphia, she uses her literary talent, intellect, widening social circle, and status as a prominent physician’s daughter to navigate her colonial life as a single woman.

That is, until the night Henry Fergusson arrives in her parlor. Elizabeth marries Henry four months later in a secret nighttime wedding, against her father’s wishes.

As a new wife, Elizabeth is stunned to see that Pennsylvania is marching toward revolutionary war. Suddenly, Elizabeth’s hometown becomes the seat and heart of the rebel government as the thirteen colonies turn their backs on the all-powerful British empire. Bloodshed ensues.

With battles of the American Revolution on her doorstep, Elizabeth realizes that she is a new American—and an ardent patriot. Her new husband, however, is staunchly loyal to the British crown.

Elizabeth stands to lose everything.

The Power to Deny is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Wendy's website for more information about the book.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Exultant Montana Christmas

Please join me in congratulating Ramona Flightner on the publication of Exultant Montana Christmas, book nine in the Bear Grass Springs series! I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

Her most cherished dream. His greatest fear. Will they conquer their doubts in time to save their marriage?

Ewan MacKinnon is troubled. He loves his wife, Jessamine, but he fears she no longer feels the same. With a growing distance between them, he doesn’t know what to do to bridge the growing chasm between them. When he discovers what she is hiding from him, will his love be strong enough to overcome his disillusionment?

Jessamine McMahon MacKinnon is in over her head. She has relished living in Bear Grass Springs, Montana as the resident reporter, secure in her husband’s love and adulation. Although she detests deception, she fears telling her husband the truth. For how can she expect him to rejoice in her sharing her love with another?

As Christmas approaches, will Jessamine have faith in Ewan’s steadfastness and love allowing them to enjoy their most memorable holiday ever?

Immerse yourself in this unforgettable Christmas romance novella with the characters you love from Bear Grass Springs as Ewan and Jessamine discover happily ever afters can occur more than once!

Exultant Montana Christmas is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Apple Books. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Ramona's website for the scoop on all of her books!

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

A Thousand Mothers

Please join me in congratulating Brenda Marie Webb on the publication of her debut historical novel, A Thousand Mothers! I had the privilege of helping Brenda with a copyedit on this moving tale of love and perseverance in the darkest times, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

Against all odds, a group of women perseveres to keep a promise to protect an infant born amidst the horrors of Ravensbrũck concentration camp.

In December 1942, the Nazis deport Perl Kaczlowicz from the Plonsk ghetto in Poland and send her to Ravensbrück, the infamous female concentration camp. She says good-bye to her husband that fateful morning not knowing she is expecting their first child, or that she will never see him again.

While imprisoned at the camp, she meets Helene Dvorak and other extraordinary women who risk their lives to save her and her baby from the brutality and unimaginable cruelty surrounding them. The women bond together to form friendships and lasting ties that endure through the horrors of the Holocaust and long after liberation.

From the hell of Ravensbrück to Montreal and Savannah, A Thousand Mothers tells the story of the resilient spirit of women and the astounding power of loyalty, courage, and love during the darkest days of the twentieth century.

A Thousand Mothers is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Book Depository. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Brenda's website for more information.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Written in Their Stars

Please join me in congratulating Elizabeth St. John on the publication of her newest novel, Written in Their Stars, Book Three in the Lydiard Chronicles! I had the privilege of offering developmental and copyediting assistance on this sequel to Elizabeth's critically acclaimed Lydiard novels, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

London, 1649. Horrified eyewitnesses to King Charles’s bloody execution, Royalists Nan Wilmot and Frances Apsley plot to return the king’s exiled son to England’s throne, while their radical cousin Luce, the wife of king-killer John Hutchinson, rejoices in the new republic’s triumph. Nan exploits her high-ranking position as Countess of Rochester to manipulate England’s great divide, flouting Cromwell and establishing a Royalist spy network; while Frances and her husband Allen join the destitute prince in Paris’s Louvre Palace to support his restoration. As the women work from the shadows to topple Cromwell’s regime, their husbands fight openly for the throne on England’s bloody battlefields.

But will the return of the king be a victory, or destroy them all? Separated by loyalty and bound by love, Luce, Nan and Frances hold the fate of England—and their family—in their hands.

A true story based on surviving memoirs of Elizabeth St.John's family, Written in their Stars is the third novel in the Lydiard Chronicles series.

Written in Their Stars is available now in ebook and print format on Amazon and Amazon UK! Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Elizabeth's website and blog, where she shares tidbits and photos from her research and travels in her ancestors' footsteps.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your WIP!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Bittersweet Tapestry

Please join me in congratulating Kevin O'Connell on the publication of Bittersweet Tapestry, book three in the Derrynane Saga! I had the pleasure of helping Kevin design the cover. Here's the book description:

High Summer 1770, Ireland. Eileen O’Connell, her husband Arthur O’Leary and their son, along with Eileen’s treasured friend Anna, have made an uneventful transition from their lives at the gilded apex of the Hapsburg empire and are happily ensconced at Rathleigh House, the O'Leary estate in County Cork. Being prominent amongst those families which are the remnants of the old Gaelic order in the area, they will find that the dark cloud of the Protestant Ascendancy hovers heavily, at times threateningly, over them.

Meanwhile, in France, at École Militaire in Paris, Hugh O’Connell is progressing with his studies, whilst at Versailles Marie Antoinette– until just recently Eileen’s wee little archduchess–confronts her    unhappiness at court, especially the sad state of her still-unconsummated marriage, made all the more complex as she is aware of the blossoming relationship between Hugh and the strikingly beautiful young widowed Princess Marie Thérèse Louise of Savoy.

Bittersweet Tapestry is a tale of stark contrasts–between  Hugh’s life of increasing  prominence amidst the glitter and intrigue of the French court and Art and Eileen’s in English-occupied Ireland–     especially as the latter progresses into a dark, violent and bloody tale . . . ultimately involving an epic tragedy, the events leading up to and those occurring in its dramatic wake will permanently impact the O’Learys–and their far-flung circle of family and friends in Ireland and across Europe.

Bittersweet Tapestry is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Kevin's website for more info about Kevin and his books!

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Thunder on the Moor

Please join me in congratulating Andrea Matthews on the publication of her debut historical romance novel, Thunder on the Moor! I had the pleasure of helping Andrea with a copyedit of this dramatic and atmospheric story, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth-century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time.

To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?

Thunder on the Moor is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Andrea's website for tons of great historical information and a peek behind the scenes of her books.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

The Girls of Haviland

Please join me in congratulating Deborah Rafferty Oswald on the re-release of The Girls of Haviland with a brand new cover designed by me! Deborah had cute original covers for both books, but they weren't quite hitting the mark for an older teen audience, so I had the pleasure of helping her create new covers better suited to her target audience.

On the morning of September 2, 1918, the day before fourteen year old Jay McKenna is to leave home to attend the upscale Haviland Seminary for Girls on scholarship, she witnesses a girl falling to her death from a biplane flying over the family farm. Jay is shaken to learn that the girl, Violet Crane, was supposed to start at Haviland as well.

Jay is frightened to attend the school where the news will be nothing but the stunning events that happened on her property. Yet she knows she must leave home. With her three brothers fighting in the Great War raging overseas, Da holds the remaining family hostage with his violent temper.

As the “new girl,” and daughter of struggling immigrant farmers, Jay struggles to find her place at Haviland. She becomes the target of bullying and coercion. While Jay suspects the musically gifted and beautiful Nathalia is behind this, her complaints fall on deaf ears. Thankfully, she befriends Florence, the tough, determined newcomer ostracized because of her skin color. Can Jay learn from Florence how to stand on her own and fight for justice? Can the girls solve the mystery of Violet Crane’s death? Can Jay save her family?

The Girls of Haviland is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Add them to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Deborah's website for the inspiration behind the series and her posts on historical research.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Beyond Haviland

Please join me in congratulating Deborah Rafferty Oswald on the re-release of Beyond Haviland with a brand new cover designed by me! Here's the book description:

On September 21, 1919, fifteen-year-old Jay McKenna returns to Haviland Seminary for Girls to begin her junior year, only to discover that her bed has been taken by her obnoxious former roommate, Evangeline, due to a post-war surge in enrollment. With the dormitory filled to maximum capacity, the only lodging available to Jay is at the Fowler House, home to the eccentric sisters Miss Hazel and Miss Tillie. Jay’s new dwelling turns out to be nothing more than a drafty attic, crammed with students under a leaking roof. Jay’s best friend, Florence, insists on joining her in these abysmal living quarters.

Well after midnight on Jay’s first night at Fowler House, the girl in the bed next to her, who slept through the day, sneaks out and returns shortly before daybreak. Jay learns in school that her name is Olive Moody. Olive is secretive and snarly, due in part to her nocturnal nature. Jay becomes increasingly suspicious of Olive’s unpredictable mood swings and her increasingly haggard appearance.

Jay is shocked to receive an invitation to pledge one of the more prestigious, sorority-like guilds at Haviland. She gets swept up in the grueling pledge process. After a particularly brutal pledge challenge, Jay ends up in the school’s infirmary, where Ruth Lefkowitz, political advisor to Governor Al Smith, presents her with an exciting opportunity.

After Jay recovers, Ruth introduces her to the world of Manhattan’s settlement houses, where women work to improve life for immigrants and the city’s poor population. There, Jay meets a surprise visitor from her past. Together they plan for Jay to work undercover to expose an unscrupulous manager in a cigar factory in Brewster. During this daring adventure, Jay discovers Olive’s secret.

The Girls of Haviland is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Add them to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Deborah's website for the inspiration behind the series and her posts on historical research.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Reminiscing: La Vie en Rose

Please join me in congratulating Molly Hanna Glidden on the publication of her memoir, Reminiscing: La Vie en Rose. I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

Reminiscing: La Vie en Rose captures true life events and speaks from the heart. Having experienced many tragedies throughout her life, Molly’s worst nightmare came true when she lost her only child…a tragedy she wasn’t sure she’d come back from.

One of her many strengths has been her ability to overcome adversities. She’s lived through the loss of three siblings before the ultimate tragedy. Molly has a tremendous capacity for empathizing with those braving the pain of loss. Since childhood, she has found ways to overcome the many trials and tribulations facing her. She was able to navigate the perils of childhood with determination and gaiety.

Molly’s shared adventures, dating back to the 1950s, expose raw emotion filled with courage, compassion, and humor.  Reminiscing nostalgically brought back the happiest of memories, where once again her loved ones are seen through rose-colored glasses. Her collection of stories takes readers to places where they too can get lost in time. 

A valuable source of inspiration!

Reminiscing la Vie en Rose is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, and you can add it to your shelves on Goodreads.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Antonius: Second in Command

Please join me in congratulating Brook Allen on the publication of  Antonius: Second in Command, the second book in her definitive and meticulously researched trilogy about the fascinating life of Marc Antony. I had the pleasure of helping Brook with a developmental edit and a copyedit, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

"A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO THE PANTHEON OF LITERATURE FEATURING THE ALWAYS FASCINATING MARC ANTONY. AN EXCITING READ!" ~Michelle Moran, international bestselling author of Cleopatra's Daughter

After proving himself as a formidable cavalry commander, Marcus Antonius finally earns a position at his kinsman Julius Caesar’s side. However, Caesar is an exacting general, demanding complete allegiance from his staff, even when his decisions put him at odds with the Senate. Marcus’s loyalty to Caesar comes at a cost, and he soon finds himself embroiled in mob violence and military mutinies. As civil war brings Rome’s Republic crashing down, many a relationship is torn asunder, including Marcus’s marriage. Determined to rise triumphant in Rome’s new era, Marcus faces his fears, his failures, and his enemies—not the least of whom is himself.

Amid the crisis of the Ides of March, Marcus must don the mantle of ruthlessness to carve his own legacy in Rome’s history. Enemies have been made, wills have been read, and heirs proclaimed.

But in Rome’s civil unrest, blood answers only to blood.

Antonius: Second in Command is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Brook's website for her posts about traveling for research and all things 1st century BC Rome.

Need an editor or cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

On a Lark

Please join me in congratulating Sandra Fox Murphy on the publication of her newest novel, On a Lark, book two in the Fidelia McCord Series! I had the pleasure of helping Sandra design the cover. Here's the book description:

Fidelia McCord is the only surviving child of John and Mariah McCord of Pond Springs. After having borne great loss and hardship in nineteenth-century Texas – where moments of jubilation and jeopardy carry a girl to womanhood – Fidelia knows the weight of her choices.

At the same time, far away in North Carolina, the Maloney brothers, cooking mash into whiskey in the Appalachian mountains, are making their own life-changing decisions, with Miles Maloney trying to keep his brother Jackson in check and away from the gallows.

But, as Fidelia and Miles each forge their own path to a future, destiny has plans of its own.

On a Lark is available now in ebook and print formats on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Sandra's website for more info on all of her books.

Need a cover designer?
Email me anytime to chat about your project!
jennyq@historicaleditorial.com