I wrote recently about working on the hard parts of self-publishing. One of the things on my list was the cover for Tangled Roots, Book 2 in my Secrets in Casten’s Horn series. I finally found it:

I might play with colors or size of the text yet (or not), but you get the gist. I fell in love with this cover for a lot of reasons. First, the imagery feels like a collage of various elements in the story. Second, it clearly gives off the Halloween vibe that matches the book’s timeframe. And, finally, even if the style of cover is not a great match to Book 1, Driftless Spirits, both have a bluish color on top that blends to another hue on the bottom. I’ll take it!

BookCoverZone was gracious enough to apply the fonts from Book 1’s cover onto Book 2 (I purchased both from that site), allowing for some consistency in that sense as well.

If you missed the prior post about writing the “blurb” for Tangled Roots, here it is again:

Charlotte’s perfect birthday weekend with her best friend Ivy is interrupted by a grisly discovery buried at Moody’s B&B.

Police Chief Schafer notes the suspected murder is not her concern and, for once, Charlotte couldn’t agree more.  She works for Rosemary Moody now, helping the mayor fulfill her vision for Casten’s Horn.  She’s also the new caretaker of Casten House, a historic home with a storied past.  The rest of her time is spent enjoying her new boyfriend’s company and trying to forge a relationship with her roommate, who just happens to be a ghost.

A lot changed after Walpurgis Night and Charlotte’s new life is full.  Now, just a few days before Halloween, she doesn’t need to stick her nose where it’s not wanted.  But Ivy has other ideas and soon Charlotte is roped into investigating the murder with her boyfriend’s mother, a blunt but enthusiastic partner with a penchant for gossip.

One revelation leads to another and secrets from the past lead Charlotte to a present-day danger.  Something lurks in Casten’s Horn and it too changed after Walpurgis Night.

If you’re interested in starting Charlotte’s journey, there are some links below to help you find Driftless Spirits. Tangled Roots will arrive in September, just in time for Halloween readers.