You might remember my last book - Destined for The Desert King. I loved the UK and USA cover of that . it was very suitable for the book, gorgeous colours and had so many touches of luxury and portrayed the characters so well.
But then yesterday I got a package of new foreign translations, and there was a Dutch translation of Destined for the Desert King - same book, same characters - but - what a different mood, style and image for the cover. Same characters but at a different point in the story and . . . well, see for yourself. . . They're both fine for the story, and my hero and heroine. The hero has lost his beard in the Dutch one - but then he does shave that off in the middle of the story. It's such a different mood though - but it's the same book.
Personally I'm all for different types of images on the covers . I don't mind a sexy passionate bedroom scene, or a more subtle, perhaps more tender scene. I think that the Harlequin Presents line indicates a mixture of both. And, let's face it, 8 books with 8 covers of 8 heroes and 8 heroines in bed together - er - 4 couples separately, not all 8 in one bed!!) will inevitably look rather 'samey' and uninteresting. And while that image might be suitable for one scene in a book - or perhaps a lot of another! - it doesn't actually represent the whole development of the story. But then what cover can.
Which one do you like best? What sort of cover art would make you want to pick up a romance novel?
