The Seven Trilogy: blog tour

Hi, reader friends! Join me in welcoming new-to-me author friend Sara Davison for a JustRead blog tour celebrating her romantic suspense novels, The Seven trilogy! While she’s here, Sara has graciously offered to share a bit about the cover design process for her series!

author guest post

The Seven Trilogy Covers: Learning by Trial and Error

I’ve always believed that we do judge books by their covers, but that truth was driven home to me after the release of The Seven Trilogy books in 2016 and 2017. I’m not a cover designer, but my publishing company did graciously allow me to fully participate in the creative process. They asked for my ideas and input, implemented a great number of them, and sought my approval before releasing each one. So I have no one but myself to blame for the fact that the covers were not quite right for the series, a fact that, I believe, cost us dearly in terms of sales and exposure.

The problem was that, because the series is set slightly in the future, we went with covers that conveyed that concept. As book two originally had the word “dragon” in the title (The Dragon Roars was later changed to The Darkness Deepens), when the designer sent me a cover with a very cool picture of a dragon on it, I immediately agreed to it. In addition, I had stipulated that I didn’t want people on the covers, as I wanted my readers to come up with their own ideas of what the characters looked like and not begin reading with preconceived notions about them.

All of the above might work for some books, but they did not work for The Seven Trilogy. The futuristic font and feeling of the original covers gave the mistaken impression that the books were science fiction. The dragon on one cover added to the idea that the books were sci-fi/fantasy novels. In fact, that was a complete misrepresentation of the stories, which are straight-up romantic suspense. The lack of people on the covers contributed to the cold, scientific feel of the books, which did not reflect the genre or storylines. The misrepresentation of genres led to science fiction fans being disappointed by the story, and romantic suspense fans missing the books entirely.

When my publishing house was taken over by another one, WhiteFire Publishing, a year ago, I worked with Roseanna White to design new covers for the trilogy. Bearing in mind everything that did not work with the original covers, she came up with three new ones that I am completely thrilled with. We did include people on two of the three covers, as well as incorporating elements that made the books look much more like what they are, romantic suspense novels. In addition to the human element, the locations depicted on the covers are all real places found in the books, which gave the designs much-needed authenticity. The bold colors and attractive font were the final pieces of the puzzle, bringing the designs as a whole together.

Time will tell if the changes are enough to make a real difference, but I am grateful for the learning journey I have been on. I know now without a doubt that the covers are the single most important element in terms of attracting readers (and hopefully buyers) to the books. Word of mouth is also paramount, but if no one buys the books, no one will tell anyone else about them either.

Although I am about to publish my fifth (and sixth and seventh) books, I still consider myself a newbie to the publishing world with a great deal to learn. Every mistake is an opportunity to grow and develop and to draw closer to the goal of excellence, and in the end, that can only be a good thing.

about the books

Title: The End Begins (Seven Trilogy #1)
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Ashberry Lane/WhiteFire Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense

One of them is a prisoner and one of them is free. The same one.

Bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly and Army Captain Jesse Christensen are on opposite sides of a battle. When martial law is declared, Jesse and his platoon are sent to Meryn’s city to keep an eye on the Christians and make sure they are not stepping outside of the confines of the law.

Fiery and quick-tempered, Meryn chafes under the curfew and other restrictions to her freedom. Jesse is equally amused, intrigued, and terrified by her spirit, knowing she could find herself in prison if she shows defiance to the wrong soldier.

His worst fears are realized when she commits a crime he cannot protect her from. Now they both face an uncertain future, and the very real threat of losing everything, including their lives. With time running out, Jesse works feverishly to convince the authorities to show leniency to Meryn. And to convince her that love can overcome any barrier that lies between them.

goodreads | amazon

 

Title: The Darkness Deepens (Seven Trilogy #2)
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Ashberry Lane/WhiteFire Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense

(formerly The Dragon Roars)

Their Secrets Protect Them … But Secrets are Hard to Keep

No one in the army can find out that Captain Jesse Christensen has become a believer. He and bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly are forced to meet in secret, facing imprisonment or worse if they are found together. Their relationship deepens, but so does Lieutenant Gallagher’s hatred for the Christians in their city. As Gallagher’s power grows, it becomes clear that his connections go much further up the chain of command than anyone realized, putting all believers, especially Jesse, in extreme danger.

Meryn wants to give her heart to Jesse fully, but her past holds her back. Although circumstances conspire to keep her silent, she needs to tell him her secret. When he finds out what she has been keeping from him, nothing will stand between them anymore.

Or nothing will ever be the same.

goodreads | amazon

 

Title: The Morning Star Rises (Seven Trilogy #3)
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Ashberry Lane/WhiteFire Publishing
Genre: Romantic Suspense

In the Midst of all the Fear and Confusion, Only One Thing is Clear … This Isn’t Over Yet

Jesse Christensen is out of the army, but the real battle has just begun. Major Gallagher has taken over the city and his oppression of believers has intensified. But is Gallagher acting in a professional capacity, or is he carrying out a personal vendetta?

Meryn O’Reilly faces a dark and uncertain future after shocking revelations devastate her life. She is determined to follow God’s call, but her plans could cost her everything. She and Jesse struggle to surrender fully to a God who is always in control, even when circumstances suggest otherwise.

With the world descending into chaos around them, Meryn and Jesse face the greatest barrier to their love yet—a barrier that may prove too strong to breach.

goodreads | amazon

 

about the author

Sara Davison is the author of the romantic suspense novels The Watcher and The Seven Trilogy.

She has been a finalist for eight national writing awards, including the Word Award for Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards, and is a Word and Cascade Award winner.

Sara has a degree in English Literature and currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to.

website | facebook | twitter

 

tour giveaway

One winner will receive a set of all 3 books in The Seven Trilogy (US/CAN only) and a $25 Amazon gift card!

(US Mailing Addresses Only)

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 7, 2019 and lasts through 11:59pm January 21, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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We all judge those covers, so don’t deny it! What do you expect a cover to tell you, reader friends?

tour schedule