The Girls of Wonder Lane

I’m sure by now you all know that being an indie author is slightly different than being a traditionally published author, but let me share one of the challenges (and perks) of being completely on my own.

Working with local photographers is something that’s really important to me, because I don’t want to see my cover models on another book, wearing the same clothes, with the same faraway looks in their eyes. I can just imagine setting up my perfect Camdyn Taylor with a close-up shot, and then later seeing her as “Midge” being married to “Drake” or something equally as crazy… I know it’s my insane writer mind being slightly neurotic, but my characters are real people in my head, so I can’t give them stock photo faces.

Close to a month ago, I had a Girls of Wonder Lane photo shoot with the incredible Kassi Hillhouse Photography. (Seriously, check out her awesome photos here.) If you’re wondering exactly what a photo shoot would entail, let me fill you in: First, we had to find models who fit the looks of my characters. (That is a lot harder than it sounds, trust me.) Once we did that, I worked out some basic theme ideas in my head and bought some props, dresses, etc. Then we set out to a lovely spot chosen by Kassi, who fantastically brought my ideas to shape. (I even brought my editor along for the ride, so she could share in the fun.)

Meet the models:

Lexi  

 

Mallary 

Rachel 

 

After the beautiful pictures were ready, the difficult part began for me. First, I had to choose which photos to use (and trust me, there were many choices). For this series, my main goal was to have the books look similar to complete a theme, so I narrowed down the photos based on that requirement. (The theme is a play on Alice in Wonderland…thus Girls of Wonder Lane.)

Some pretty cool photos were left out, like these two:

In the end, I wound up with some pretty spectacularly unique book cover photos. The titles for the second and third books are tentative at this point, but take a look.

Simply Mad: Maddie Heard wants what many girls want—a little respect, a boost in her career, and to find a guy to share happily ever after. Is it possible to have everything, or should she be careful what she wishes for? (Releases June 30th)

Harley Laine: Louisville’s hottest reporter appears to have it all—a perfect job, great car, beautiful house, and designer clothes. She’s poised to set herself up as the woman at the top, until a gruff old biker, a teenage girl, and the absolute wrong guy threaten to derail her plans.

Alexis Jennings: Alexis has spent the past few years living someone else’s life, but she’s finally ready to make a fresh start. Outrunning her past might prove impossible, though, when Jake McAuliffe decides to follow her out of town.

Wondering what Maddie, Harley, and Alexis have in common? Well, they all live on a sleepy little street just outside Louisville called Wonder Lane, of course.

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with all these lovely models, so a heartfelt thank you goes out to them as well as to Kassi. Check out Simply Mad on June 30th, and the next two books in the summer and fall.

To scope out my other books in Amazon’s top-rated chick-lit and Christian women’s fiction series, The Camdyn Series, check them out here.

*All photos on this post are the exclusive property of Kassi Hillhouse Photography and are protected under the United States and International Copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or manipulated without the written permission of Kassi Hillhouse. All images are copyrighted © 2015 by Kassi Hillhouse.