Books of the Infinite Cover Art Inspirations

Authors are often asked about cover designs.

Did you choose the model or landscape? 

Did you select the model's clothes? 

Did you design the background?

Did you pay for the cover? 

An author's answer often depends upon the publisher. Many publishers have a design team, and the final design--after much debate and some input from marketing--is presented to the author as a (hopefully) pleasant surprise. 

I was thrilled to sign on with Bethany House, which is noted for its beautiful cover designs, and I've been delighted with their visions for the Books of the Infinite series. For each cover, I was asked to hunt up images for the design team to use as references for their work.

While pondering visuals for King, I was suffering from my usual desperate longing for the ocean. Truly, that was my only wish: Water! Give me an ocean!
Bless the Bethany House design team, they responded in grand style and threw in a longsword as a bonus. Huzzah!!!!

Now, if only I could wade into that water for a moment and breathe some salt air.... *Sigh.*

Months earlier, as the design team debated over the look for Prophet, I was asked, "What about Ela's clothes?"

By the time we were done exchanging emails and discussing images for Ela's "other-world Biblical" attire, I felt as if I'd been on a lavish shopping spree without spending a dime, and I loved the results. See my baby? Isn't she pretty?   

The cover for Judge on the other hand, was less about Kien's attire and more about his weapons and the background. Kien's beloved sword, of course, was a must, as was his dark traveling cloak. The arm guards were a bonus, chosen by the design team--and I was instantly smitten with the look. (Yes, I still want those arm guards!)

As for the mountains in the background...well...those started in Colorado. 

I was hiking around with my husband, DearJerry, in Colorado's foothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains. While we were enjoying the scenery, this caught my attention->  

I wanted to build a log cabin and live here. With a trustworthy and plentiful water supply, of course.

Unfortunately--or fortunately--we already have a house with a mortgage, so the log cabin idea had to remain in dreamland.

However, I sent the foothills image to my editors. "Perhaps something like this would work for the Judge background."

This was their reply:

Dear Reader, I've a feeling we're not in Colorado anymore!

But that's okay. I'm willing to follow Kien into the Snake Mountains. 

Just give me an Azurnite sword. 

And those arm guards!