On the subject of book covers...

It's the middle of September and the mood has changed.  It's not just because most of my scholarly obligations have been met and the Bills are, as yet, undefeated.  Many of the dogs that were off enjoying their cottages in Canada during the summer months have returned, so it feels much like the start of school in Dogdom.  All of this excitement is swirling around like leaves on a windy fall day, not yet ready to settle.  I guess the question is where will it land?

If I could direct all of this positive energy, I would point it toward the St. Jude project.  So far we have sold 30 copies of Orphans and Inmates to benefit the hospital.  That may seem like a lot, but royalties are paltry in the self publishing universe and it only amounts to about $100.  I need some help getting the word out. Suggestions are welcome!!!

I am at the point where I need to start thinking about a cover design for Grave Reconciliations, the second book in the Orphans and Inmates series.  As you might guess from the working title, the fate of those buried in the poorhouse cemetery is an important part of the tale.  The trick is to have an eye catching cover that speaks for the story and will also attract people who have not read the first book.  My husband did the concept sketch for the O & I cover, which I was very pleased with and everyone seemed to like.  From there, the graphic designer (Dane, from Ebook Launch) did a great job of translating our vision into the perfect cover.

So, I am hoping that the same magical formula will work again.  Below is one of my husband's concept sketches for Grave Reconciliations.  It is meant to represent the cemetery at the Erie County Poorhouse, which I know from my research was located far away from the building.  The graves were marked by numbered wooden stakes.  Each number was linked to an individual, whose identity (name, age, sex, occupation, place of birth and cause of death) was recorded in a ledger.  At the end of each year, the wooden stakes were pulled up and reused, leaving the individual lying beneath all but forgotten.

Without revealing too much of the plot, Grave Reconciliations introduces a paranormal element and moves between the past and the present as the spirit of an almshouse inmate reveals clues that expose widespread corruption, not the least of which was body snatching and the illegal sale of the unclaimed dead from the poorhouse to an area medical school for dissection.  Would this cover (or, rather, a color version of it) and the description mentioned above attract your interest?  If not, why?  Is the image of the cemetery too creepy? Not creepy enough? Should I include a ghost? Please let me know what you think!