Sue Coletta has a collection of thrillers that have given me hours of reading pleasure. Her covers are always amazing and covers have such a huge influence on me, so I invited her and her cover designer, Elle J Rossi from Evernight Designs, to share their thoughts.

Behind-the-Scenes Peek at Cover Creation

Sue: When Sherry approached me about writing a guest post with my cover designer, I thought it was a great idea. Readers only see the finished product, but a lot goes into each cover. Today, I’ve teamed up with my designer, the amazing Elle J. Rossi from Evernight Designs, to peel back the curtain on how we created the final cover for Restless Mayhem.

Ready? Let’s do this…

Before I approach Elle, I have a vague idea of what I want. For Restless Mayhem, the two most important elements were the wolf and dreamcatcher. Once I find images that somewhat match my mental picture, I send Elle multiple links to photo elements to either build from or use a guide. Included in the email, I also include the overall emotion I want convey. For Restless Mayhem, I wrote “dark but hopeful.” How she interprets that first email is beyond me. But somehow, she does.

Elle: Once I receive Sue’s email, I look over all the images she’s sent for review and start to get a good idea for the concept she’d like to see for the cover. Some authors will also send comps of covers in their genre/subgenre that they like. Since Sue’s most recent cover is part of a series, it’s important to stay on brand while also allowing the book to stand out as a new addition. As a fellow author (https://www.ellejrossi.com/), I know how important this first impression of someone’s book is. Humans are visual creatures, and Sue and I want to take advantage of that.

Once I have an idea in my head, I start the mock-up process. Ideally, I like to send the author a couple of rough options and get their feedback before purchasing the images we’ll use on the final. Once I have those completed, I shoot them off to Sue to get her thoughts.

Here are the mock-ups I sent for Restless Mayhem…

Sue: Both are awesome, right? I had to sleep on it to decide where I wanted to go. Plus, a snowstorm knocked out our power and I’d been trying to work via cell phone all day. Needless to say, I was absolutely fried when the mock-ups landed in my inbox. In the morning, I emailed Elle. Here’s what I said…

New day, and the brain’s working again. 😉

Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. I love the black wolf, but I don’t want anyone to think werewolves. The characters are saving Eastern Gray wolves. I’d prefer the dreamcatcher to be more of a focal point and the wolf to be secondary. If we took the dreamcatcher, red sky, and wolf from the first cover and made it clean and crisp like the second, added in a couple trees where the wolf can emerge from, I think it’ll be awesome.

Or…

Using the first cover again, pull the dreamcatcher forward and push back the wolf so he’s more of a ghostly, shadowy outline, and make it clean and crisp (without the added texture), that may be even cooler. Thoughts?

Once again, somehow Elle unscrambled that nonsense.

Elle: Sue may think that her feedback was rambling or nonsense, but it made perfect sense to me. So, I sat back and analyzed the two covers while considering her thoughts and reworking the cover. I used the same dreamcatcher from the first sample but completely replaced the wolf, added a new background, and blended the two together. I did the same on a fourth mock-up but with another wolf. I also omitted the tagline area and then sent those 2 options to Sue for more feedback.

 

Sue: I loved them both. Here’s where Elle and I had to pick apart the finer details of each cover and choose the elements that most resonated. I’ve worked with Elle for so many years, I value her input. So, I emailed…

OMG, I absolutely love them. Can’t decide between the two. Is it the same background behind the howling wolf as the other wolf?  The skyline and dreamcatcher are absolutely perfect.

Elle wrote back…

I’m so glad you like them. Similar backgrounds but not the same. I think it comes down to the actual wolf. I’m torn, but lean slightly toward the non-howler. 😁

I agreed. The non-howler was a better fit. My only addition was Poe, sitting on the S in Restless. True to form, Elle surprised me again. I’ll let her explain what she did.

Elle: I loved the idea of adding in Poe as it brought in another element from some of the previous covers. This, again, was another way to stick to the brand. However, when I added him in, he kind of disappeared into the background and was completely lost, which defeated the purpose of adding him in. I pondered on how to make him stand out. Of course, we could have him glow, but this isn’t that kind of book. J I could lighten him, but crows are black and should stay black, so that wouldn’t work. I opted to try lightening a portion of the background. That worked for multiple reasons: Poe is clearly seen, and it added another color which really made the cover come to life. I sent that latest version off for Sue’s approval, but I had a feeling this was THE ONE.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes peek at cover creation. The most important aspect of any partnership is mutual respect and trust. She does her job, I do mine, and the cover(s) reaps the rewards.

You can find out more about Elle’s design services here: https://www.evernightdesigns.com/

I want to thank you ladies for the fabulous post.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the amazing cover for Restless Mayhem by Sue Coletta, which was done in collaboration with Elle J. Rossi from Evernight Designs,. Mr Mayhem and Shawnee have come a long way since I first met them. I never would have predicted that Mayhem, Shawnee and her grandfather, Jacy Lee, would become eco-warriors to save the wolves and wolf dogs they found being trafficked. Buy one to hunt it down and kill it. How cruel.

I have so many highlights in my ereader, I confuse myself. LOL

The crows…sure the wolves are the stars of Restless Mayhem, but the crows are always there, always vigilant, always helpful, and their personalities shine through Sue Coletta’s writing. I find them fascinating and often refer to reality to confirm the authenticity of her writing. I worry for them, as much as I do their human friends. Shawnee and Poe’s ‘problems’ go back a long way and their interactions are laugh out loud funny, but when push comes to shove, he will be there. I wonder…will their feud ever end. 🙂

Shawnee…I love this woman. Maybe these quotes will give you an inside glimpse into who she was, is, and is becoming.

“Between the cougar attack and the bees, I couldn’t catch a friggin’ break. What’s next, a moose stomping me to death?”

Mayhem…

“True warriors are born with an inbred fight response rather than merely flight. And you, dearest Cat, have many of the same attributes.”

Sue Coletta richly details Shawnee’s training, and when they went flying through the trees, I slowed my reading, intrigued, trying to picture it in my mind. It was wild. Walking through the woods, making nary a sound, as they stalk the hunters. I have heard of that before and I love that Sue is able to make Restless Mayhem seem so real, except I don’t think Mayhem, Shawnee and Jacey Lee would get away with the things they do in the real world. Money, influence and prejudice hold too much sway. And…is there such a thing as a Wendingo?

Everything has a place in this world and when you remove an element, the environment reflects that loss. The Native American culture and environmentalists the world over have voiced their concerns and warnings. I love books that can incorporate all these elements into a cohesive novel that grabs me from start to finish.

I could go on and on and on and on, but I think you get the gist. I love, love, love the Mayhem series, since I cracked open the first book, but Sue Coletta supplies enough back story that I believe Restless Mayhem can stand alone. So, don’t be afraid to grab Restless Mayhem, then I am sure you will want to go to the beginning and see how we came to be where we are now.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Restless Mayhem by Sue Coletta.

GOODREADS BLURB

Amidst a rising tide of poachers, three unlikely eco-warriors take a stand to save endangered Eastern Gray Wolves—even if it means the slow slaughter of their captors.

Deep in the woods of Jackson, New Hampshire, an ancient evil lurks. Armed poachers patrol a secret enclosure, holding captive a pack of majestic Eastern Gray Wolves. But three unlikely eco-warriors are determined to free the wolves, embarking on a dangerous mission to end their torture.

With courage and conviction, Shawnee, Mayhem, and Jacy Lee march onward, even if it means risking their own lives to take down the poachers and restore freedom to the wolves. It’s a battle between justice and injustice, and the eco-warriors are determined to win—no matter the cost.

But what if something even more evil lurks in those woods? What if Shawnee’s not ready to answer the cry for help?

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 26, 2023 by Crow Talons Publishing

ABOUT SUE COLETTA

Sue Coletta is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as one of the “Top 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (Murder Blog sits at #5) for four years in a row. And recently, she appeared on an Emmy award-winning true crime show.

Sue also blogs at the Kill Zone, a multi-award-winning writing blog, and writes two serial killer thriller series (Tirgearr Publishing) and narrative nonfiction/true crime for Globe Pequot, trade division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.

For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where members will be the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside access to deleted scenes (if available). As an added bonus, members get to play in the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door.

BONUS: When you join Sue’s community you’ll receive two free killer reads!

Sue lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire with her husband, and begins each by feeding all the wildlife in her yard. Her favorite “pets” are a murder of crows who live free but come when called by name.

Learn more about Sue and her books at: https://suecoletta.com

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MY REVIEWS FOR SUE COLETTA

• Marred (Grafton County Series)
• Cleaved (Grafton County Series)
• Scathed (Grafton County Series)
• Racked (Grafton County Series)
• Haloed (Grafton County Series)
• Wings of Mayhem (The Mayhem Series)
• Blessed Mayhem (The Mayhem Series)
• Silent Mayhem (The Mayhem Series)
• I Am Mayhem (The Mayhem Series)
• Unnatural Mahem (The Mayhem Series)
• Hacked (Special Forces: Operation Alpha Kindle Worlds Novella)
• Fractured Lives (Brotherhood Protectors Kindle Worlds Novella)
• True Crime – Pretty Evil New England

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