Cover Love – with Amanda James… #books #amreading

I read once that the main purpose of a book cover is to attract the reader’s attention. Obviously, it should have something to do with the subject of the book too – you wouldn’t put an image of a vegetable garden on a book called How to Crochet, but the cover needn’t tell the story of the book, just be appropriate in some way. It set me thinking – what makes us pick up a book in a bookshop? Sometimes it’s the author name, but it could also be the image. Or the title, or strapline, or maybe a combination of all of these. I thought it might be fun to find out what different people think. Over the next few months I’ll be asking different people in the book world to choose two books, one simply with a cover they like, the other one of their own book covers.

This week’s victim is Amanda (Mandy) James, who writes feel-good fiction as well as psychological suspense. Over to Mandy:

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club – I loved the magical/mysterious feel the cover had, with the moon in the background and three women chatting together in the ocean. The title makes you wonder what happens in the club and the description is:
Three women. Three different stages of life. United by one thing: the chance to start again.
I like stories that have multigenerational characters and I was intrigued to find out why they wanted to start again. What had happened to them in their lives? Why had they formed a club? The story didn’t disappoint either. Faith Hogan is a fab writer.

I love this cover on my most recent release, Wish Upon a Cornish Moon. As an author you always get a bit nervous when you send your baby off to the publisher and then await their cover design. Luckily, I am almost always delighted with the result. I think the colours are striking and the bottle in the foreground contains a message, which is bound to intrigue the potential reader. Cornwall is a popular setting too. Hopefully the reader will want to know who is wishing on a Cornish moon and why. They will also wonder how it involves a message in a bottle.

Thank you, Mandy! I’ve read Wish Upon A Cornish Moon – it’s a lovely story that spans generations as well as continents.
You can find out more about Amanda James and her books on her Amazon Author Page, where you’ll find purchase links for most of her books. She also writes as A.K. James.

Next month, we’re having crime writer Jonathan Peace with two of his favourite book covers. I’ll see you in two weeks with (I hope) some fun pics of what I’m doing next Sunday…