Novel Publication Update

The first full-length Rossi/Lopez mystery novel will be published this month!

Hi everyone! I finished the manuscript updates and finalized the paperback cover design, layout, and cover art concept for my upcoming novel, The Good Killers. Next I’ll be working on the e-book layout and cover.

I’ve ordered a proof copy of the paperback version and that should be in my hands by the end of the week. Fingers crossed that everything looks correct!

Here is a preview of the most current cover art concept:

And a bit of behind-the-scenes info…

Who is on the cover?

Great question! That’s actually a major character in the novel. It’s not Rossi (obviously) or Lopez (who has dark hair) so you’ll have to read it and see who it is.

Why that design?

As with Coyotes, I researched other authors in the mystery/thriller genre to see what their publishers have done.

I like how the Longmire covers have that iconic western feel and set the focus on the main character, Walt Longmire, and set the tone for his personality.

The Jack Reacher covers have evolved over time. When they were promoting movies, they used Tom Cruise’s face. Outside of that, many covers have a woodblock-like representation of a scene in the novel.

Covers for Walter Mosley’s books vary considerably between those two extremes. Through imagery, color, and other techniques, the covers evoke a key element for the book: the tone, the topic, or a subject (such as a character).

With that in mind (and given my limited time and artistic abilities) I decided to focus on a character. I used a photo-realistic image with dramatic lighting to set the noir mood. Men and women both typically respond well to female faces, so I chose a female character, and one that plays an important role. Finally, I tried to hint about her personality: she has an intense, determined look, but she also has a few scrapes and smudges of dirt on her face, and she’s in a vehicle, so there’s something going on beyond just an attractive woman in sunglasses. Why does she look like that? Where is she going? Who or what is she looking at?

Why that title?

Simply, marketing. My first two novelettes (Coyotes in Winter and Where This Mystery Takes Us) have titles that I like, but they’re not really good from a marketing perspective. If I had a publishing house behind me, they might make those titles work, but for now, people are finding Coyotes in Winter accidentally when they search for books about coyotes. Lee Child can get away with a title like “Personal” or “Make Me” today, but his first book is titled “Killing Floor.” Craig Johnson’s second Longmire novel is “Death Without Company.” See where I’m going? After Coyotes, I decided that my novel will use words like “Murder” or “Kill” in the title.

I could have called it “The Murdering Killers” but I didn’t, OK? Give me a break. My marketing assistant is a dog.

Anyway, it helps SEO, and in the context of the book, “The Good Killers” makes sense and is both an in-universe joke and a theme.

TL;DR

In case you missed my last update, Rossi and Lopez (from Coyotes in Winter serialized here on MFS and as an ebook on Amazon) are back in their first, full-length mystery novel!

Inspired by the Coyotes in Winter novelette, this novel pushes Rossi to the limits of his abilities as he is trapped inside a criminal organization. It also pushes the limits of Rossi and Lopez’s relationship as they are now on opposite sides of the law. You’ll meet new characters, see some familiar faces, get to know more about Rossi, and encounter completely new villains! Also guns and fights and a twisty plot!

The novel will be available on Amazon in Kindle format and paperback, just in time for the holidays.

Give this a like and let me know what you think in the comments! Does the title intrigue you? What about the cover art concept?