I thought I'd show you the original cover for Love You and Leave You. I chose a picture of a park bench, because in the story Jess seems to be in parks fairly often! It wasn't working though. I don't know whether it was the tint, the monochrome text, or the image itself, but it had to go. It was a tough decision - we'd spent a lot of time on it - but since it reminded me of a poetry book, I knew it wasn't the right cover.
I chose the image of Big Ben because for starters, a fair amount of the story is set in London, but also because so many of us tune into the clock's chimes to welcome in the New Year. Love You and Leave You begins with Jess making a resolution on New Year's Eve, so I thought a photograph of Big Ben was highly appropriate. I'm particularly pleased with the font I chose for the title, and the colours. The heart-shaped cloud was a last minute idea. Maybe it's a bit cheesy, but both my husband and I thought the blue sky needed something. And I think it tells potential readers that this is a romantic story, although the romance isn't the sole focus. Love You and Leave You also tells the story of Jess's search for her birth mother.
