The very talented Christine Lindsay is my guest blogger today. Not only is she a published author but she also creates book covers, including her own. Let’s hear what she has to say…..

One of the advantages of working with a small and new press is that they often work with the authors to create the front covers. With writing and art fixed on the same side of the brain, writers are often visual artists as well, as I am and so is my publisher. But the MOST FUN I ever had in my life has been in helping WhiteFire create the front covers of my first two books with them.

It all started out when WhiteFire emailed me with pictures of models they thought would fit my character in Book 1 of my series, Twilight of the British Raj. Book 1 Shadowed in Silk had a character by the name of Abby Fraser.As I looked at the model’s photos, they reminded me of my birth-daughter, Sarah, the child I had relinquished to adoption when she was three days old and whom I was reunited with 20 years later. I sent them photos of Sarah, and WhiteFire thought she was beautiful, so that’s what started my deep involvement in my own covers.

This also allowed me to use the sari silk that I had purchased in India on a writing missions trip for the cover. So I hired a photographer and we did the photo-shoot in my home. My birth-daughter Sarah was delighted to help. I put together two costumes for that cover—a western one and an eastern sari. I borrowed the straw-boater hat from a lady at church, and bought the skirt and blouse at a thrift shop. The jewelry was handed down to me from a great-aunt, and was actually from the Titanic era.

Here are some of the photos we took that day.

I sent those photos to my publisher as well as photos taken in India during my missions trip which they used as backdrop. And here is the final result of that book cover, back and front.

Then Book 2 came along. And I asked if my daughter—the girl my husband and I have—could be the next model on Captured by Moonlight.

After seeing Lana’s photo, WhiteFire was delighted to have me do the front cover for that novel. Now the main character in Captured by Moonlight is Laine Harkness—who in no way is anything to do with my daughter, Lana. I just liked the names.

WhiteFire with my suggestions had a dress designed for the cover by Jordan Newhouse to fit the year 1922. My editor at WhiteFire, Roseanna White, chose the background which she purchased from iStock. The back cover was a photo I had purchased for the book trailer for Shadowed in Silk, and we used it for this book too by adjusting the color.

Here is  the final results of that shoot.

I forgot to add the links to purchasing the books for any of your readers if you
would add that to the end of the post.

My website is www.christinelindsay.com

Book
Link for Shadowed in Silk   Ebook is only $4.02

Book Link for Captured by Moonlight  Ebook released Feb. 15, Printed paperback comes out May 15,
2013.

Thanks, Christine for sharing your creative process with the rest of us.