Cover Stories: Not Like You by Deborah Davis

Deborah Davis' Not Like You is the story of Kayla, a teenage girl who must decide whether taking care of herself means no longer taking care of her alcoholic mother. Sounds like a tough one for which to design a cover, no?

I asked Deborah about the process:
"I didn't have an image in mind for my cover except for picturing some of the warm red, orange, and brown tones of the northern New Mexico landscape. Kayla's storyis an emotional one, so I wanted warm, lively colors.

"Unfortunately, I was not asked for input. Authors rarely are! Both covers -- hardback and paperback -- were designed from stock photos.

"The first time I saw the hardback cover (above, left), my heart sank right through the floor. The image -- a road in a dry landscape with a prominent road sign displaying a beer bottle --seemed cold to me, not at all like the raw, emotional tone of the book.On the other hand, when I saw the paperback cover (below), I thought, 'That's it! That captures Kayla's yearning and loneliness perfectly'..."

Read the rest of Deborah's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.