book cover art :: mapping it out

That moment when the subject line of the email says, “Cover Art Attached.” Everything else stops, and you click open the file to see what your latest book is going to look like when it goes out into the world. Sometimes, the cover art looks just right.
Other times, the artwork goes through several iterations. I suppose with a title like Map of the Heart, I should have expected some twists and turns along the way.
Here are a few of the suggested concepts:

Cue the lengthy, searching discussions. We like the REALLY BIG AUTHOR NAME. I like it, anyway.

A sense of movement in the sky…hmm. Flower petals? Butterflies? Swallows? Yes, the birds are a good motif.
The scene, though. It needed to be dreamy, and it needed some kind of focus. I remembered a nice, flattering photo Jerry took of my while I was in France, researching the story:

And then I remembered my very talented nephew who creates amazing digital art:

Next up, a gazing woman:

Her outfit was…meh. She got a makeover. And the sky got brighter:

Then I thought she might need a prop. And I had just the thing–the vintage camera from the book.

So there you have it. More than you wanted to know, right?
I’ll wrap this up with the full wrap. What do you think? Good cover? Great? Meh? Comment below!