Going green is always a good idea, right? What about on book covers?
We’re taking a chance on green in the most unexpected place—the book cover of my next contemporary romance. Yes No Maybe comes out April 30th (Preorder now), and we’ve fallen in love with our vibrant new look.
What do you think? Will other books be envious? Will readers feel lucky to pick it up?
When our cover artist first pitched this concept, I was reluctant. I loved its vibrancy, but it’s not a color typically associated with love and romance and doesn’t match my other books. But I’m old enough to know that I DON’T KNOW. I’m not green about the gills—I take my time, give things a chance, and put a little trust in the professionals.
🧐 Quick aside: My high school English teacher, Mrs. Pierce, gave me the best advice when I was a green teacher—don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. That advice helped me in the classroom and beyond. I don’t know everything, should never pretend to, and that’s perfectly okay.
P.S. Teachers have been on my brain lately, thanks to my main character, Rowan, and sweet teaching memories. Great teachers are the real superheroes. If the opportunity arises, thank a teacher today.
Now, back to green book covers. 😏
The more we considered the green concept, the more we loved it. Who doesn’t love green? It’s the color of baseball fields, Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch, Shamrock shakes, Yoda, emeralds, and Publix (if you’ve read One Thing Better, you’ll understand why that’s important to me). Green stands out in a good way, and—fun fact—the human eye sees more shades of green than any other color.
Not only is it cool by association, but it fits the story so well. Yes No Maybe is about a teacher, afflicted with serious burns as a teen and jaded by romance, who moves next door to a grumpy romance writer and party-centric playboy struggling for inspiration. Think…
👩🏻🏫 👨🏻💻 Two jaded, broken characters (Rowan and Jack)
☀️ Summer and the fresh start of buying a new house
🏖️ Beach days, backyard parties, and, yes, jealousy
🐈⬛ Oh, and a black cat named Edgar Allan Poe.
Read all this and more in Yes No Maybe. Eeesh, I can’t believe it’s almost here (April 30th)!
Other Scary Good News to Share (Here are last week’s ICYMI):
🐢 Speaking of green power, read how giant Galápagos tortoises create trails through thick brush for albatrosses to use as runways and the other ways they trailblaze for the environment there. All hail the mighty herbivores!
🦾 Ever wonder what writers do on weekends? Hang out with villains, of course! I met Darth Vader at Wilmington’s Coastal Comic Con! I also received a citation from the Empire for consorting with “rebel scum” (my son was wearing a Yoda t-shirt). Don’t you love amazing villains?
📖 This week, I’ll start writing Every Good Thing, the standalone sequel to One Thing Better. Ah, spring is the perfect time to start writing a new book. I’d love to hear from you if you’ve read One Thing Better (which subscribers can get for FREE right now!). What would you like to see more of (Dot) or less of (pandemic) in the next book? Shoot me an email.
💚 Finally, some wise words from James Clear: “You can go to hell without moving an inch, just focus on what you lack. You can taste heaven without leaving earth, just rejoice in what you have.”
Rejoicing in what you have sounds like a damn good idea.
Here’s another. Tell me your favorite green things, villains, and your thoughts on the book cover with a quick email or comment. I’d love to hear from you.
I wish you a green spring and many great reads!
Until next time,
Jessica
