Cover Reveal: A Family of Strangers

This has been such a busy couple of months. They’ve gone something like this:

After I finished writing A Family of Strangers (Mira June 2019) I took a glorious three week trip to Europe and Africa.

I came home with bronchitis and took a three week break from doing everything except coughing and eating soup.

Christmas.

Then a family celebration for a very BIG wedding anniversary. Yes, Proman and I were married in kindergarten and celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary at Disney World with our children and grandchildren this past week.

When I finally came home to stay, it was time to go over my copy edits, which I’m doing now. And I must say, I like this book. I like it a lot. And the feedback I’m getting, which I will share with you later, has been terrific.

Copy edits are the second round of edits I see. I saw the first round right before I left for Barcelona and our cruise. These were edits done by my line editor and dealt with story, character and pacing. I responded, made changes where necessary, and sent the manuscript back. Then the copy editor, who is more concerned with punctuation, timelines, and facts that don’t add up, worked her magic, and the manuscript came back to me.

Do I, after seventy-something books need a line editor and a copy editor? EVERYBODY needs editors. As an example, I changed the surname of one of my characters in parts of the book. Not a secondary, no-one-will-notice character, but one of the most important in the story. Neither my line editor nor I caught it, and both of us are still wondering how we could have missed it. So the copy editor had our backs, and is doing a very precise and helpful edit. I love that. I’ll send it back when I’ve gone over copy edits, my changes will be entered, and I’ll see the final version once more. Then two proofreaders will have a long look at it.

But since today I’m only halfway through doing what I need to? I’ll end with a cover preview. Let me just say that in my personal opinion, the art department got this cover exactly right immediately. In fact, without knowing it, they have depicted a scene in the book! That’s how perfect it is. I loved it on first sight, and I hope you do, too.

Cover Reveal

The quote at the bottom will change, and I’ll tell you more about that in a week or two. This one’s a placeholder.

So tune in to find out  more about my cruise and let me tell you about the fabulous author I met on my ship. Just imagine the fun we had talking shop on the high seas.

In the meantime let’s hear your thoughts on the cover.

28 Comments

  1. Coelle Baskel on January 10, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    What an interesting cover…..really drew me ‘in’….can’t wait for the book to be ‘out’!!!!

  2. Nancy Lepri on January 10, 2019 at 4:20 pm

    LOVE the cover!!!!

  3. Terri Chlapek on January 10, 2019 at 5:00 pm

    The cover is great! Have you seen some of the covers they are doing now that are something like light violet with red script and no actual picture? I personally hate them.

  4. Susan R on January 10, 2019 at 5:33 pm

    Love the cover and I know that the book will be as beautiful as the cover. How do I know that? Because I’ve read all your books and loved them all.

    • Emilie Richards on January 11, 2019 at 11:11 am

      Thank you so much.

  5. Nancy Lepri on January 10, 2019 at 7:38 pm

    By the way, I forgot to add . . . HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

  6. Joni on January 10, 2019 at 8:06 pm

    Love it ?

  7. Dell M on January 10, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    I am in the middle of discovering my own family of strangers!!
    My youngest sister has died and I am going through her things which includes all the saved correspondence.
    Darling sister- I wish I knew you better!

    • Emilie Richards on January 11, 2019 at 11:11 am

      I am so sorry, Dell. The fact she saved all your correspondence is evidence of how much you meant to her. I hope that gives you comfort.

      • Dell M on January 11, 2019 at 11:23 am

        Yes it has been wonderful to remember all the events we shared.

  8. Donalene Poduska on January 11, 2019 at 12:30 am

    What a great cover! I immediately want to know what it is portraying and thus will need to read the book to find out what it means. Glad that you are feeling better. Best wishes on the anniversary — my husband and I met in college in September 1956 and married in 1958 — 60 years of marriage!

  9. Martha O'Quinn on January 11, 2019 at 10:38 am

    A voice from your past Emilie. No worry, I’ve kept up with you through your posts. Love the new cover and can’t wait for the actual book. Congratulations on your golden anniversary. My husband and I had 61 yrs. in June of 2018 and decided it was time to move from NC to GA to be near family. Things moved so quickly with selling but has been frustration to the nth degree in trying to buy a single level, 3/2 ranch. Buyer’s market in this area is non-existent. Furniture in storage going on 4 months and we are living with our lovely, patient, caring daughter. I’m trying to get back to some sense of “normalcy” and realized how long it had been since I “commented” to Emilie. May end up renting if something doesn’t break, and soon. In spite of the whining, I feel blessed!

    • Emilie Richards on January 11, 2019 at 11:10 am

      I’m so sorry that moving turned into such a difficult transition. I am glad you have a patient daughter who probably enjoys having you with her for the time it will take. So glad you’re back and commenting. Please keep me up to date on the real estate search and take care.

  10. Kathryn Trask on January 11, 2019 at 1:39 pm

    Wonderful cover and I expect I’ll appreciate it more when I read the book and see how the two are just so well combined. Congratulations on 50 years of marriage and love. A wonderful celebration for sure. Looking forward to the next posts!

  11. Lisa Reigel on January 11, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    Beautiful cover and I am looking forward to its June release! Happy Anniversary.

    • Emilie Richards on January 11, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks Lisa and everyone else for the anniversary congratulations. We feel lucky.

  12. Terry Guerra on January 13, 2019 at 8:21 am

    I love it! Hard for me to explain, but it looks like an Emilie Richards book! As usual, can’t wait!

  13. Jane Dougherty on January 14, 2019 at 1:26 pm

    Happy Anniversary and what better place to celebrate than the happiest place on earth. Congratulations on the milestone. We celebrated our 50th five years ago. Time certainly does fly when you are having fun. Love the cover and will be anxious to read the book.

  14. Bev on January 18, 2019 at 7:57 am

    I love the cover, too! I am looking forward to the release of your new book in June. Happy Anniversary. Thank you for the wonderful meaningful stories you’ve shared with your readers.

  15. Brenda Hensley on January 18, 2019 at 8:47 am

    Love the cover! I am anxious to read this one.

  16. Teresa Selove on January 18, 2019 at 2:55 pm

    I am very much looking forward to this next book as I have read every book you’ve ever written I am certain!

  17. Donna on January 21, 2019 at 3:40 pm

    Very interesting cover. Look forward to reading book

  18. Gloria on January 24, 2019 at 10:31 am

    Love the cover. I already have my own idea what the story could be about as I have someone close to me who recently met her very own “Family of Strangers” as a result of doing 23and Me.
    Best wishes for many more blessed married years.
    Can’t wait til June.

    • Emilie Richards on January 29, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      23 and me probably does link lots of strangers into family. And thanks for your kind words on the cover. I love it, too.

  19. wendy on February 18, 2019 at 5:19 pm

    Love the cover as well! Really, and how cool is that, they were able to take a scene right from the book?

    Thanks for letting us in on what goes on “behind the scenes” in the world of publishing. I can only imagine how you felt when that surname issue was brought to light. Hmmm, what happened?

    Congrats on your anniversary! Hope you keep well and healthy for quite a while.

    • Emilie Richards on February 19, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      It was even odder, Wendy. They hadn’t seen the book at that point. But they knew there were two sisters and it took place in FL, and they knew the mood. So this was just a sample, but it was perfect right out of the starting gate. So we used it. I’m glad you like it, and thanks for the congrats.

  20. Candace on March 13, 2019 at 10:35 pm

    I’ve read your Shenadoah series and then I just finished The Color of Light and I.Am.HOOKED on you! You are a master storyteller and have really been helping me get through a move to a place I certainly don’t love. So thank you and I’m so excited for any new books you’re putting out although I see a hefty list of books you’ve written in the last that I need to read. Thank you for sharing your gift.

    • Emilie Richards on March 14, 2019 at 9:37 am

      Thanks so much, Candace. These are words a novelist loves to hear.

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