Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Bootylicious Cover Story of Secret Keepers

My publisher has been terrific about soliciting my ideas for the book jacket of Secret Keepers.

Originally, I shared some images I had in mind: vintage seed catalogs, seed packets, outsider garden art.

The first cover idea looked like this:
Charming, lovely, and "iconic," as a friend of mine said. But after an informal poll among some friends and artists familiar with my novel, the thinking was that this cover might be a tad old-fashioned for the story. True, there is much about the past and its intrusion into one family's present-day conflicts, but there is also a range of characters in SECRET KEEPERS-- feisty widows, a love-sick landscaper, a wayward teen, a women trapped in shopping addiction and a loveless marriage, a homeless, gifted plantsman--characters who aren't...dainty. Characters eventually brought together by the mysterious plants from a forsaken, forgotten garden.




I was asked to send in more ideas, and I shared a range of website links [rusty lawn chairs, vine-covered iron gates, etc.] and a few photos from my own garden that I thought might illustrate a sort of ruined finery, weed-swallowed-but-rescued theme. What a cool surprise to see a photo I took used on the cover. As I write this, those succulent-filled boots are on my front porch.

2 comments:

  1. As I've said before, I love the cover... but are they mens' or womens' boots? They look like mens boots but there stance is that of a woman. Or if it is a man, then he is doing something very delicate with his hands.

    The edge of the old typewriter is also a very nice touch. My late grandfather was a country preacher in Southeast Mo and he gave me his old typewriter that he typed up his programs every Saturday and ran off in that circular machine...

    Anyway... its late.. too much wine... sorry for the ramble...

    g

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  2. Now that you asked...one boot is from the flea market. One boot is, I think, from my husband's discarded supply or an old boyfriend's. Got that 80's look, you know?

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