Let’s jump right to it, the cover for my new mystery series starter, That Murder Feeling!
This is my sixth book and the first one that belongs more on a mystery shelf than a sci-fi one.
When I started writing it, I knew it would land somewhere between a classic whodunit and something a bit stranger—imagine if Inspector Gamache wandered into a Stuart Turton novel—and that it’d likely be tricky to nail the right tone for cover. And… it was. Ebook Launch handled the design and I think they did a fantastic job of capturing the genre-bending aspect. The color scheme, border, and the four medallions in the corners were locked in early, but we had a devil of a time getting the vine to look JUST right, so much so that I considered dropping it altogether at one point, but felt the cover would be too stark without it. I particularly like how the vine twists around the R with a bit of attitude.
This is the ebook cover, which is always done first. Why, you ask? For the print book, the designer needs to know two things: first, the chosen dimensions (5.5 x 8.5 inches, or 6 x 9 inches, or whatever) and second, the EXACT number of pages in order to be able to calculate the spine width. Even with the text finalized, there’s still the front and back matter to add, which affects the final page count. Same with the book’s interior formatting, from the choice of font to the paper type. (White and cream paper have slightly different thicknesses. The formula, if you’re curious, is Spine Width = Page Count ÷ PPI, where PPI is pages per inch for the type of paper selected.)
Next, here’s a brief introduction to the book:
Meet Rodrick Gray, PI…
Rod Gray has a gift that’s both a blessing and a curse: he can see other people’s emotions. And hear them, touch them — even smell them. He’s given a name to the inside-out realms he encounters, with their strange botanical growths, weather, and creatures: soul gardens. It’s a noisy way to walk through life, but in his small 1980s Minnesota town of Two Lakes, it helps him see what others can’t.
There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.
Until now. When the town’s richest man is found dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. Someone sabotaged the victim’s car, stranding him in the woods. There are plenty of suspects, but Rod’s hunting blind — the feeling left behind in the culprit’s soul could be a thorny vine, a lurking serpent that hisses I did it, or something entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, old feelings for Clem clash with growing doubts about her innocence. The police are closing in, his heart’s getting in the way, and time is running out. Rod must find murder’s mark before his oldest friend pays the price.
The first Soul Garden Mystery. A genre-bending 1980s whodunit of snow, small-town secrets, and a whole lot of tangled feelings.
Preorder links have started to pop up — the ebook will be available on Kindle, Nook, and other retailers. The current list is here and will expand as the book shows up in additional stores.
I’ll be sending out a call for ARC readers in early November, so keep an eye out for updates on my website, or check your mailbox if you’re signed up for my newsletter.
Finally, if you were a beta reader for the book, be on the lookout for a separate email — I’ll be sending them out to ask if you’d prefer an e-book or a signed print book.
Thanks for reading,
Neve
Neve Maslakovic 