Luke is the man with the money, the fast car and the hot woman. There’s no way he would even think about getting serious, but a face he can’t remember soon threatens his calm.
Rebecca isn’t interested in a relationship, and definitely not with him. How could she, after all he put her through? She’s spent the last 4 years hiding away from society, a one-woman crusade for children’s road safety. Who would have thought one fateful day, it might almost be her … again.
As two worlds collide, will opposites attract? Not if she can help it.
I’m delighted today to be featuring the third in the series of Nutt Hill novels by Wendy Lou Jones, Chances Are, released on 27th June and available as an e-book and in paperback. This series has some of the most beautiful covers I’ve seen, and it’s a real pleasure to welcome Wendy to Being Anne with a really perfect guest post all about judging a book by its cover…
Okay, I admit it, I do this, and so, probably, do you. We all make judgements every day, whether almost subconscious – or consciously done. We see a person in the street and decide on their ‘type’ by what they wear and the way they hold themselves. We may see a plate of food and from its appearance, judge whether it would taste nice or not, and we do that with books too.
I walk into a book shop and the books I pick up are the ones whose covers entice me. They call out to me that they might be a book I would like to read. Only then do I pick them up and the blurb and first few paras have their chance. It is because of this that we must create a cover that portrays our book as well as we can.
I’m not big into chic-lit and I know their covers are mainly drawings, so I don’t get a buzz from them. Thrillers, generally, use a lot of black and I avoid anything with a child on it, because that’s not my thing. I am naturally drawn to romantic and colourful covers that whisper to me of emotion and love. I probably miss a lot of books by thinking this way, but you have to start somewhere; there’s an awful lot of books out there.
I watched a speaker on a video the other week, a man who designs book covers for a living, and he described how you have to capture the essence of a book as simply as you can; simple, for impact and the essence, to draw in the right readers. He spoke really well and showed examples of his most successful work. He showed how his designs captured the style of the book as much as the content.
And however successfully, that is what I’ve tried to do with mine: Romantic roses; simple, attractive and pretty to look at on the shelf. My stories are quintessentially English. I write about the English Rose, living in the country; the quiet, unassuming woman, who finds love. I have also followed the rule of font and theme for the series and tried to stick to palate too.
I won a book the other day and it has just arrived. Its cover is romantic and colourful and the blurb tells of not one, but two possible damaged heroes – praise the lord! – so I’m expecting great things.
Your covers most certainly tell me I’d enjoy what they contain, Wendy. I’m offering a chance to win the first 2 Nutt Hill novels as signed paperbacks (open internationally), but shall we try an extract from Chances Are first?
Close up, she was like a porcelain doll, fragile and poised. Her skin was nearly as pale as her hair. Only her lips, with their deep pomegranate flush and those denim blue eyes brought life to an otherwise frosty palette and that dazzled him.
She seemed so together now, quite a different woman from the one he had witnessed before. He tried to think of a reason to speak to her, but nothing would come to mind. She paid for her milk and butter and glanced sideways at him, so cool and detached in his presence, and then she left the shop.
Luke placed his tin on the counter and chased after her. The lady behind the till called out to him as he sprinted away, but he ignored her. He needed to speak to the woman.
He caught up with her in a matter of seconds, catching her by the elbow as she tried to walk away. The woman turned and looked daggers at him and Luke was disarmed. He held up his hands. “I’m sorry.” He took a step back. “I just wanted to apologise for the other day.”
The woman said nothing, just looked at him and Luke felt his confidence slipping.
“I … I shouldn’t have left you there on the side of the road.”
“You shouldn’t have tried to knock me down in the first place,” she shot back, before he could blink.
Luke had not been prepared for an attack. “Er. No. But you did step out in front of me.”
“Well you should have been paying more attention, shouldn’t you?”
“I should…?”
She tried to turn away.
“Look.” This was definitely not going to plan. “I just wanted to say I was sorry.”
“What for, in particular?”
What? The woman rolled her eyes and tried to turn away from him, but he reached for her again.
“Wait. What did you mean by that? For the other day, of course. I’m sure I apologised at the time, but … you were just a bit … vacant. You probably don’t remember.”
“Vacant?!”
“I’m sorry. What I’m trying to say is I should have made sure you were okay. I had hoped we could be civil about this.” Apparently not.
“Civil is a lawsuit, Luke. Go drive your fancy car with your fancy girlfriend and leave me alone,” and she stormed away from him up the road.
Luke’s jaw hung open. Such contempt from a woman he’d barely met. But the thing that had shaken him most of all, was that she seemed to know him.
And maybe a trailer?
Giveaway
So, with thanks to the author and tour organiser Brook Cottage Books, how about the chance to win the first two Nutt Hill novels as signed paperbacks (open internationally)?
Here’s the Rafflecopter for entry:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author profile
My name is Wendy Lou Jones. I was born and raised in West Sussex, England and moved to Birmingham to study Medicine at University, where I was lucky enough to meet my husband. We now live in a little village in Herefordshire with our two grubby boys. I discovered a love of writing not long after my youngest son started school. And if you were to ask me what it was that made me make the switch, I’d tell you quite simply, that it started with a dream.
Thank you so much for having me on today, Anne. I’m glad you love my covers too and I wish all you readers good luck for the draw. 🙂
My pleasure Wendy – thank you for joining me! ?