The Art of Book Cover Design for Historical Fiction

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!)

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 & Beyond Haviland

Please join me in congratulating Deborah Rafferty Oswald on the re-release of The Girls of Haviland and Beyond Haviland with brand new covers 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.

Before & After:

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?

*****

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 and Beyond Haviland are 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

Farming Grace

Please join me in congratulating Paula Scott on the publication of her memoir, Farming Grace! I had the pleasure of helping Paula put the cover together. Here's the book description:

Sometimes your past must be plowed before your future can be planted…

Her great-great-grandma came to California in a covered wagon more than a hundred years ago, and her family has farmed in the Sacramento Valley ever since, but a life of farming was the last thing she wanted… until the day fate brings her back to the farm.

Nineteen-year-old Paula Scott leaves California when the almonds are in bloom for college in Reno, Nevada, where cocaine, casinos, and her first honest-to-goodness boyfriend will break her farm-girl heart. But her story doesn't end in the desert with a broken heart.

When life knocks us down, we get back up, we try again, we marry and maybe divorce, but in the midst of our down and dirty, raw and real, painfully ordinary lives, sometimes the extraordinary breaks through, and we see God.

Because God sees us…   

Farming Grace is available now in ebook and print format on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Paula's website for her inspirational posts about writing, family, and farm life.

And check out this gorgeous trailer with a wonderful life lesson!

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

Lady of the Seven Suns

Please join me in congratulating Tinney Sue Heath on the publication of her new historical novel, Lady of the Seven Suns! I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

Rome, 1210. Lady Giacoma dei Settesoli is a capable, confident woman, happy in a loving marriage and possessed of great wealth and all the power it conveys. But when tragedy strikes and her world shatters, only the barefoot holy man from Assisi can pull her back from the abyss.

Her wealth and privilege now a burden, Giacoma yearns to follow Francesco in his Christ-like life of sacred poverty. But her sons, her household, and the local beggars all rely on her--and soon, so does Francesco himself, as she finds ways to support his nascent brotherhood, vulnerable to a Church hierarchy quick to equate nonconformity with heresy.

Based on a true story, Lady of the Seven Suns tells of a woman who must thread her way between duty and faith. Her intelligence, compassion, and sense of humor support her as she strives to be worthy of the name Francesco affectionately bestows on her: "Brother Giacoma."

Lady of the Seven Suns is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Tinney'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

Cry of the Heart

Please join me in congratulating Martin Lake on the publication of his new historical novel, Cry of the Heart! I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

She gave away her child to save his life. Another woman took him in, at risk to herself.

Viviane Renaud is a young mother living on the French Riviera in the Second World War. Times are hard but she is not the sort to be dismayed by circumstances. One day her life changes forever. A young Jewish woman, fleeing from the authorities, begs her to take care of her four year old boy, David. Almost without thinking, Viviane agrees.

Viviane’s life is never the same again. She fabricates a story to explain how David came to be with her and must tip-toe around the suspicions of her neighbours, her friends and most of all her mother and sister. She and her husband, Alain, find allies in unlikely places, particularly an American woman, Dorothy Pine.

But then, the world crashes around them. Threatened by Allied military success, Hitler sends the German army to occupy the south of France. With them come the SS and the Gestapo. The peril for Jews and for those, like Viviane, who hide them, appears overwhelming. The challenge for them now is to survive.

Cry of the Heart is available in ebook format on Amazon and Amazon UK, and a print edition will be forthcoming. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Martin's website for information on all of his books and his interviews with fellow historical fiction writers.

Need a cover designer?

Email me anytime to chat about your project!

jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Taming Beckett

Please join me in congratulating G.K. Brady on the publication of her debut contemporary romance novel, 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:

When thirty-two-year-old Beckett Miller is caught supplying the drugs that nearly kill his latest one night-stand, the dominoes of his high-octane celebrity life tumble one after another in spectacular fashion. Now a pariah in the pro hockey world, Beckett is without his multimillion-dollar job, his assets, and his self-respect. What remains is a yearning to pull himself out of his self-made sinkhole, and he begins a grueling climb toward deliverance and grace. Along the way, he grasps at a single lifeline in Paige Anderson, the reluctant real estate broker Beckett coaxes to sell his Denver home—and the only woman who’s ever told him “no.” 

Thirty-one-year-old Paige has built a thriving business since first setting eyes on Beckett—and spurning his advances—ten years ago. But her marriage is floundering, and when their paths collide, Paige resists her attraction to Beckett and his leading-man looks. A working relationship blossoms into an unexpected friendship, and Paige is surprised to uncover the hidden side of hockey’s bad boy. But another, far less pleasant surprise blindsides her when she discovers her husband’s betrayal.

For the first time in his life, Beckett falls. Hard. He wants Paige more than he’s ever wanted anything. Shaken by her failed marriage, unable to trust herself, Paige battles giving in to Beckett’s charm. Slowly, she lowers her guard, and their relationship gathers steam. Rebuilding his life on shaky ground while dreaming of a future with Paige, Beckett finds his old habits still have him in a stranglehold, and he must confront his past before it shatters everything he’s fighting for—including Paige’s heart.

Taming Beckett 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

Vivaldi's Lost Concerto

Please join me in congratulating Jennifer Mackenzie Dunbar on the publication of her debut historical novel, Vivaldi's Lost Concerto! I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

Vivaldi's Lost Concerto is inspired by the 2010 discovery of a Vivaldi flute concerto in the archives of a medieval Scottish Abbey...

Fiona Sinclair knows she must do all that she can to earn her release from prison. A childhood of neglect, years of drug abuse and homelessness have all but eroded the good in her. When she is given a battered flute as part of her music therapy, she begins to hear a tune that has both haunted and enchanted her since childhood, and she draws from it the strength she needs to carry on. By chance she learns that her mysterious tune is the second movement of a recently discovered Vivaldi concerto that has lain hidden in Scottish archives for three hundred years. But Fiona doesn’t ever listen to classical music, and this piece has not been played for centuries.

As Fiona tries to solve the mystery of Vivaldi’s Lost Concerto, the novel takes the reader back to 18th century Venice and into the lives of the composer Antonio Vivaldi, his lover Paolina Giro and Lord Robert Kerr, the young nobleman who buys the concerto while on a Grand Tour away from battle weary Jacobean Scotland.

Vivaldi's Lost Concerto is available now in paperback on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Jennifer's website to learn more about this book and her upcoming works.

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

Silent Water

Please join me in congratulating P.K. Adams on the publication of her new historical novel, Silent Water, the first book in the Jagiellon Mystery series! I had the pleasure of designing the cover. Here's the book description:

It is Christmas 1519 and the royal court in Kraków is in the midst of celebrating the joyous season. Less than two years earlier, Italian noblewoman Bona Sforza arrived in Poland’s capital from Bari as King Zygmunt’s new bride. She came from Italy accompanied by a splendid entourage, including Contessa Caterina Sanseverino who oversees the ladies of the Queen’s Chamber.

Caterina is still adjusting to the life in this northern kingdom of cold winters, unfamiliar customs, and an incomprehensible language when a shocking murder rocks the court on Christmas night. It is followed by another a few days later. The victims have seemingly nothing in common. Gossip, speculation, and suspicion are rife, but the perpetrator remains elusive as the court heads into the New Year.

As the official investigation stalls, Caterina—aided by Sebastian Konarski, a junior secretary in the king’s household—sets out to find the killer. With clues beginning to point to the queen’s innermost circle, the pair are soon racing against time to stop another murder.

Silent Water is a story of power and its abuse, and the extremes to which a person may go to find redress for justice denied. Although set at the dawn of the Renaissance era, its themes carry uncanny parallels to some of the most topical social issues of the 21st century.

Silent Water is available now in print and ebook format on Amazon. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit P.K.'s website for more information on all of her books, historical articles, and book reviews!

Need a cover designer?
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jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

Montana Vagabond

Please join me in congratulating Ramona Flightner on the publication of her newest historical romance, Montana Vagabond, book eight in the Bear Grass Springs series! I had the pleasure of helping Ramona design the cover. Here's the book description:

A destructive secret. An honorable man. A plea for forgiveness.

Jane Keith has known little kindness in her life. When she finds herself abandoned and starving after venturing to Bear Grass Springs, the warm welcome by the MacKinnons surprises her. Although she is now an integral part of the bakery staff, with no concern for room and board, she frets about her younger brother, Duncan. He's reckless and wild, and she fears what will occur if he continues to frequent the saloons and gambling tables. And she is terrified of what will happen should Duncan reveal her long-held secret.

Ben Metcalf is accustomed to living alone. He works hard as Ewan MacKinnon's foreman, but he tires of being the only single adult at their family gatherings. After Jane Keith's arrival in Bear Grass Springs, he is drawn to her devotion to family, her inherent kindness, and the intelligence she attempts to hide. Frustrated by Jane hiding behind work and her concern for her brother, Ben worries Jane will never return his feelings.

When Ben steals Jane away in the middle of the night to save her from her brother's unscrupulous plan, Jane's relationship with her brother is irrevocably altered. Suddenly, she is a married woman. Soon, Jane must decide who deserves her loyalty: her husband or her brother. 

When her fiercely held secret is revealed, will Ben look past anger and his sense of betrayal to focus on his love for Jane or will he allow a secret to destroy what he most cherishes?

Montana Vagabond is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes. 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

On a City Street

Please join me in congratulating Pat Wahler on the publication of her newest novel, On a City Street! I had the pleasure of working with Pat in designing the cover. Here's the book description:

The cure for a painful breakup requires drastic measures. And quite often, a moving van...

When veterinarian Carolyn Becker catches her fiance cheating, her problem-solving skills come to the rescue. She swears off love and leaves suburbia for a fresh start in St. Louis to launch a low-cost animal clinic...and bury the past.

But new beginnings can be complicated. Secrets surface when a mysterious man, a troubled teenager, and an injured dog enter her life. Before she knows it, Carolyn's best-laid plans unravel, and solutions are farther from her reach than Mars. Sometimes even a problem-solver can use a little help.

Especially when it comes to mending a broken heart.

On a City Street is available now in ebook and print formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, 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

Lacewood

Please join me in congratulating Jessica James on the publication of her new historical novel, Lacewood! I had the pleasure of helping Jessica design the cover. Here's the book description:

Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…

MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.

Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.

The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.

Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging… and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.

Part love story, part ghost story, Lacewood is  a timeless novel about trusting in fate, letting go of the past, and believing in things that can’t be seen.

Lacewood is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and visit Jessica's website for more information on all of her books.

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

Byzantine History in the 11th Century

Congratulations to Eileen Stephenson on the publication of her first nonfiction book, Byzantine History in the 11th Century! I had the pleasure of working with Eileen on a copyedit, and I designed the cover too! Here's the book description:

The formidable Byzantine Empire lasted over a thousand years, but the fruit of its greatness and the seeds of its destruction can be found in the 11th century. This book is a brief introduction to the leading figures and events of those pivotal years – those who brought the empire to its pinnacle; the others who carelessly wasted its military might and treasure; and the hero who began its slow recovery. The drama of a hundred years of rebellions and murders, romance and political scheming will bring this fascinating civilization to life for the reader.

Byzantine History in the 11th Century is available now in ebook and print formats on Amazon! Add the book to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Eileen's website, where she blogs about all things Byzantine. 



Need some help with your WIP?
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jennyq@historicaleditorial.com

The Spymaster's Brother

Please join me in congratulating Anna Castle on the newest installment in her Francis Bacon mystery series, The Spymaster's Brother! I had the pleasure of helping Anna with a copyedit, and I designed the cover. If you're a fan of historical mysteries with a touch of humor and tongue-in-cheekiness along with fun and memorable characters, this series is for you! Here's the book description:

Anthony Bacon is home with a wealth of foreign secrets — and a few of his own.

Though seldom strong enough to leave his rooms in brother Francis’s house, Anthony’s gouty legs never hinder his agile mind. He’s built the most valuable intelligence service in Europe. Now the Bacon brothers are ready to offer it to the patron with the deepest pockets.

Before they can open the bidding, Francis finds a body lying in the weeds near Gray’s Inn. The abandoned coach beside it belongs to Anthony. The clues point to his personal secretary. Worse, the murdered man was heard spreading rumors that could destroy Anthony’s reputation -- and his market value.

Francis thinks his brother ordered the deed done. His assistant Thomas Clarady thinks the secretary did it, with or without such orders. As Tom investigates, he hears one story after another about what happened that night. Which version is the truth? The closer he gets to finding out, the more danger gathers around Anthony. Will Tom and Trumpet, his very pregnant confidante, sort through the lies before disaster strikes?

The Spymaster's Brother is available now in print and ebook formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Anna's website, where she blogs about her research and writing historical fiction set in England.

**Right now all of the books in this series are on sale for $2.99 or less, and you can download a copy of the first book in the series, Murder by Misrule, for free on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes!**

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

Severed Knot

Please join me in congratulating Cryssa Bazos on the publication of her second historical novel, Severed Knot, companion to the critically acclaimed, award-winning Traitor's Knot! I had the pleasure of working with Cryssa on a developmental edit and a copyedit, and I designed the cover. Here's the book description:

Barbados 1652. In the aftermath of the English Civil War, the vanquished are uprooted and scattered to the ends of the earth.

When marauding English soldiers descend on Mairead O’Coneill’s family farm, she is sold into slavery. After surviving a harrowing voyage, the young Irish woman is auctioned off to a Barbados sugar plantation where she is thrust into a hostile world of depravation and heartbreak. Though stripped of her freedom, Mairead refuses to surrender her dignity.

Scottish prisoner of war Iain Johnstone has descended into hell. Under a blazing sun thousands of miles from home, he endures forced indentured labour in the unforgiving cane fields. As Iain plots his escape to save his men, his loyalties are tested by his yearning for Mairead and his desire to protect her.

With their future stolen, Mairead and Iain discover passion and freedom in each other’s arms. Until one fateful night, a dramatic chain of events turns them into fugitives.

Together they fight to survive; together they are determined to escape.

Severed Knot is available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and more. Add it to your shelves on Goodreads, and check out Cryssa's website, where she blogs about 17th century history. Cryssa is also an editor of the English Historical Fiction Authors blog.

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

The Astral Shore and Dark Angels Prey

Congratulations to Elizabeth Genovese on the re-release of The Astral Shore and Dark Angels Prey! Elizabeth and I worked on covers when the novels were first released several years ago, but she felt they needed an update to better reflect their themes. I had the pleasure of helping her with their redesign! Here are the book descriptions:

He has the fame … she has the power 

Self-seeking model, Laurel Ariss hires a parapsychologist to prove that she and British rock star, Mark Grant, are sharing the same dreams. Laurel wants Mark in the real world and risks sanity and soul to get him there. But when the astral lovers finally meet at an exclusive Toronto party, psychic, Michael Johnstone warns her that dark waters lay ahead. 

The Astral Shore is a supernatural love story about the misuse of power, and lust mistaken for love. Set in Toronto, Malibu, and finally on the Brighton shore—Laurel gets what she always didn’t know she wanted. 

Happiness on this side of the curtain comes with a price, and if they want to stay together, Laurel and Mark must pay it. 

Miracles drive him. Demons stalk him …

After a crushing loss, empath, Joe Ross, accepts a strange, hypnotic priest's invitation to recover at a Quebec monastery, a place infested with supernatural blight and demonic cutthroats. 

"A child waits for you there," the priest says, "a child who's waited a long time to meet you."

At Marianlake Dominican Monastery, Joe bonds with Alain, the mystical child, battles with Carol Ann, love of his life, and connects with Maggie—the great catalyst, the artist whose paintings hold the key to a startling secret and a world-rocking document. 

And in a land more inscrutable than Marianlake, events explode in a surprising climax when Joe unlocks the secret and discovers a gift for humanity. 

But he must outwit the forces of Hell to get it.


DARK ANGELS PREY . . . a standalone tale of supernatural suspense.

The Astral Shore and Dark Angels Prey are available now in ebook and print editions on Amazon. Add them to your shelves on Goodreads, and be sure to check out Elizabeth's website!

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

Unbridled Montana Passion

Please join me in congratulating Ramona Flightner on the publication of her newest historical romance, Unbridled Montana Passion, book seven in the Bear Grass Springs series! I had the pleasure of helping Ramona design the cover. Here's the book description:

A scandalous past. A long-held secret. Will they trust in their love?

After escaping years of abuse, Fidelia Evans is finally content. She is proud of her job working in her sister’s bakery while tatting highly sought-after lace in her spare time. She finds comfort in knowing she has a safe place to live. Fidelia attempts to forget her past, although her frequent nightmares provide a constant reminder of her past ordeals. As she settles into her new life, her fascination and attraction to Bears grows. Afraid of repeating the mistakes of her past, Fidelia hesitates yet yearns for more than friendship with Bears.

John Runs-From-Bears Renfrew is a patient man. He enjoys his work in the livery with horses for company and accepts his status in town: outcast to some, acceptable to others. However, from the moment he meets Fidelia, Bears knows she is the woman for him. Bears bides his time as she heals after her rescue from the Boudoir. He watches with patient understanding as she shies away from any contact with a man not of her family. Bears admires her desire to rebuild her life as a respectable woman. And yet, the more time he spends with Fidelia, the more he longs for her to trust him. To see him as a man she would marry.

When an unexpected stranger arrives in Bear Grass Springs, Bears and Fidelia are forced to confront long held fears. They must discover what they truly value as they overcome ghosts from their past.

Will the love growing between them be stronger than their fears?

Unbridled Montana Passion is available in ebook and print editions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iTunes. 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