Cover Reveal for “Captain Wentworth in His Own Words”!

I just love the cover design process! It’s where my twin interests in writing and art intersect. Each book presents a new creative challenge as my graphic designer tries to translate the vision in my head into a workable reality. I’ll show you the exciting results in just a moment. But first, a bit of  “strip tease” fun to show how we got there!

First, since Captain Wentworth in His Own Words is part of a series (or maybe more accurately, a “collection”), I wanted to use the same basic format as the three others that have come before: Fitzwilliam Darcy… Colonel Brandon… and Mr. Knightley in His Own Words. So, this cover will also feature a portrait of the title character – an artist’s interpretation of one of his movie adaptation incarnations.

The portrait will obviously be the most prominent part of the cover design, and it’s based on Ciaran Hinds’ portrayal of Captain Wentworth. I know that won’t please everybody, but it is in line with the overwhelming majority of readers that I polled (see this post ). Then the title band goes above it, with the hero’s name in large, standard font and the rest in script. The author name band goes at the bottom.

But there’s also a second, smaller image above the title band. For the other three books in this collection, that second image is a house associated with the story. But that wouldn’t do for Captain Wentworth, because he’s not a house-bound sort of guy. So I decided, and I hope you’ll agree, that it had to be a ship (a frigate, like the Laconia) taking that top spot.

Also, I thought it was important to show Wentworth in uniform, since, unlike in Persuasion itself, his naval adventures feature prominently in this book. He’s a gentleman, but first and foremost, he’s a naval officer.We’re almost there! All that’s left is one last strip to remove and the full cover will be revealed! But  first, here’s the official book blurb:

Captain Wentworth has a lot of explaining to do! Why did he fly off in such an unreasonable rage when Anne tried to put their engagement on hold? And why didn’t he come back to try her again as soon as he was more financially secure? So much time wasted! What about his bad behavior when they met again years later – flirting with the Musgrove girls right in front of Anne? Was that really necessary?

Find the answers in Captain Wentworth in His Own Words. Catch a glimpse of his difficult childhood, and learn how he ended up in the Navy so young. Witness his first meeting with Anne, their falling in love, and tragic parting. Sail along on his daring adventures at sea. Before he meets Anne again, Captain Wentworth has travelled the globe. He’s risen to riches and respect. Yet, he’s still missing the one thing needed to crown all his other success: the woman he’s never stopped loving.

 This is not a variation from but a supplement to the original story of Persuasion, chronicled in Wentworth’s point of view. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the things Jane Austen didn’t tell us about one of her most iconic heroes.

Tada! Here’s the finished cover! I hope you like it as much as I do and that you’re excited to read Captain Wentworth’s story in his own words. It’s coming in just two weeks, launching on September 18th in paperback and Kindle! (Audio will follow asap.) Preorder your Kindle copy now!

Captain Wentworth has a lot of explaining to do, and I think it’s high time he got started, don’t you?