The Story Behind the Cover: Guest post by TESSA EMILY HALL

Today I'm SO EXCITED to be joining in the blog tour for Tessa Emily Hall's upcoming release "Fallen Leaves." (Isn't that cover AMAZING, y'all?!?!?!)

I had the immense pleasure of reading this precious story several weeks ago!

I had fun learning about the behind the scenes aspects in her guest post, and have been dying to share it with you! So, without further ado....

---

I had high expectations for the cover of FALLEN LEAVES.

Nailing the perfect book cover is important because the cover is often the first impression that book will make with readers. I tend to go into the cover design process excited, but a little apprehensive as well. Because as a traditionally published author, the final product isn’t going to be in my hands. The publisher will have the final say. And the publisher’s job is to sell the story, not necessary to adhere to the author’s vision.

So I was a bit apprehensive, as always … because I knew the cover had to be perfect. FALLEN LEAVES is the second book in the series, and I absolutely loved the cover of its preceding book (PURPLE MOON). Plus, the story has an artsy feel to it. It wouldn’t be right if the book didn’t capture this!

At LPC Books (my publisher), authors are asked to fill out a cover design form once they’ve contracted their book. This cover design form will then be sent to the cover designer when it comes time to design the cover. On this cover form, I was asked to answer various questions, such as, What is the tone of the novel? What is the theme? Where does the story take place? What is one mood/emotion you’d like to invoke in the reader?

For that last question, I included the words longing, poignant, and intrigue.

Longing because Selena (my main character) is searching for her dad and brother. She dreams of reuniting with the rest of her family.

Poignant because, although Selena is grateful for this new season of her life, she is still heartbroken over the years that her family have lost.

And intrigue because there’s somewhat of a mystery involved in the storyline.

The cover designer didn’t read any of the scenes in my book, including the scene when Selena is in a park. Near a tree that is basked in autumn’s glory. She didn’t know that this scene is one of the most pivotal scenes in the entire book. (In fact, a snippet of it is even included in the prologue!) She wasn’t aware that the mood of this scene is serene (which is reflected in the cover model’s expression).

All of this is why I was in complete awe when the designer sent me this cover. My mouth dropped, and I was probably speechless for a moment as I took in every detail of this beautiful cover.

Because the designer captured it all--the artsy feel. The longing. It’s even coherent with the previous book in the series as well.  

My fears were put to rest because the cover completely surpassed my expectations.

Now, when the time comes to design my next fiction cover, I’ll probably be apprehensive once again--yet it won’t be due to fear, but because the standards have been raised so high thanks to this cover!  

What do you think about the cover? Let me know in the comments!

---

CONNECT WITH TESSA!

Author Bio:
Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic books for teens show them they’re not alone—and because she remembers the teen life like it was yesterday (or a few years ago). In addition to being a frequent contributor to both online and print publications, her debut novel was published while still in her teens. She's the founder and editor-in-chief of PursueMagazine.net, a Christian teen magazine, and enjoys mentoring other young writers. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. Tessa’s favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: www.tessaemilyhall.com.

Contact Links:
​Author website www.tessaemilyhall.com
Twitter www.twitter.com/tessaemilyhall
nstagram www.instagram.com/tessaemilyhall
Facebook www.facebook.com/tessaemilyhall
Mailing list http://blogspot.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=977607b9c01d013131aa90636&id=9e2fabd0ed

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

---