WhiteFire Publishing has had the privilege of putting together four different covers now–and I have to say, they have all been amazing. We’re getting ready to put our fifth out, Walks Alone by Sandi Rog, and I’m totally psyched. Why? Because whereas before the photoshoot for the cover models was done too far away for me to have a hand in it, this time my niece Jayna got to play the part, and I got to direct the shoot. =)
We started with an amazing costume created for us by Jordan of the Heavenly Princess blog. This an 1870 traveling dress, made from some of the most exquisite wool I’ve ever touched. Jordan did a truly awe-inspiring job–check out those pleats! And the piping!! And the detail!!
So after she sent us instructions on how in the world to put all this stuff on (complete with Victorian undergarments, of course), we set to work on my beautiful niece, Jayna.
I’d like to say what a great sport Jayna was. Though she seemed rather dubious about the very idea of a corset, she let us lace her into one and sat there placidly in it while we did her hair and makeup. My sister Jennifer played makeup artist, but getting her hair up was a two-person job. (Just for the record, we didn’t cinch her waist that small–she’s just tiny, LOL.)
After her beautiful face was perfect, we went about the process of getting the dress on her–quite the process! In the make-up shot she’s in chemise and corset. Yet to come was bustle pad, petticoat, jacket, and skirt. NOT a quick process! LOL. Then we chose some accessories, all there courtesy of my vintage-collecting mother-in-law. We were all fully in love with this hat, and boy am I glad I remembered to have my MIL bring over some gloves! The carpet bag, an important part of the story, was also the perfect touch, and matched the dress so beautifully!
We had a blast with the shoot, getting 700 shots, 500 of which were pure gold. You can view a selection of 10 of them in my Facebook gallery. (That’s a public link to it, so you can view it even if you’re not my friend on Facebook.)
The results were stunning, we had a blast doing it, and now comes the next fun part–the creation of the cover itself. Here’s our first mock-up. Fonts of title etc. might change, but we’re loving the basic design. And it was so fun getting to see it all come together!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. 
Great cover to go with the two that Sandi's brother-in-law, Reuben Rog did for The Master's Wall and Yahshua's Bridge (Nov. 2011). I'm a reader who is very influenced by the cover. If I don't like it, I probably won't open the book. Just the way it is. Good job, Rosana and to your niece. That must have been so much fun for her.
A J Hawke
AJHawke.blogspot.com
Wow, what a neat post. And the final picture for that book cover is SO gorgeous!!! Thanks for posting it!
Now I'm on my way to find out more about Sandi's new book!! 😉
Very interesting. Love the Cover and thrilled Sandi has another book out.
Nora :o)
I love it!!!!!!! It gave me goosebumps.
Right after I commented, I thought of the back photo. I love the pics of her sitting. I don't know if I would have thought of that!
Oh, I'm so excited!!
How fun! I love doing photo shoots with my friends! Though for obvious reasons, I've never done one for a book cover. Beautiful!
What fun to direct the shoot, Roseanna. And the cover looks fantastic. Excellent work.
That was the one drawback to this pic, Jordan–didn't showcase the dress well enough! 😉 But the back will feature one with her sitting down, those beautiful pleats splayed around her, so it'll be showcased to perfection there. =)
#6 on Facebook is my favorite. Everything about it – her face, the fashionable hat and dress, her posture – says, "I am a Victorian lady. Why am I here?"
Oh, lovely! Of course, I'd love to see my pleats on the cover, but the story isn't about my pleats! 🙂
Thank you for letting me be a part of this. You can be sure I will tell everyone I know about it.
Jordan, the seamstress from Heavenly Princess
You can click on my Username to see more pictures of the outfit
I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I'm thrilled, Roseanna. You're the BEST!!
Oooooh, getting shivers, it's so lovely. How poignant and exciting at the same time.
Too fun! Bet you had a blast! Thanks for sharing the process.
love it!!!!!!!!
Wow! I can't wait to read this one. The cover alone has me itching to get my hands on it!
Oh, that cover reminds of an awesome scene in the book. People are going to love this one!!!!