Things I've learned about book covers

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but to a writer, the cover can be one of the most important aspects of publishing.  I'm fortunate enough to have very talented friends who are not only artists, but professional photographers.  They took this sketch

and transformed it into the cover for Chance Assassin.

Then they once again worked miracles and turned this unsightly atrocity

Aren't I so talented?

 into the cover for Les Recidivists.

Here are a few things I've personally learned about the cover art process

1)  It's a lot easier to paint a heart of fake blood on a wall than it is to paint it on two trees.  Trees do not like being painted with fake blood.

2)  Poison oak is bad news.

3)  Fake blood is edible* and biodegradable.

4)  Bryan and Vita Hewitt of Hewitt Photography can do anything.  Seriously.  If you're in the Marin/Sonoma region of Northern California, hire them.  For weddings, portraits, or bloody book covers.  You can contact them and view their website here.

* Edible is a matter of opinion