CAN tell a book by its cover!

You CAN tell a book by its cover and also sell it. I rarely considered the importance of cover art until the Decatur Book Festival in Georgia three weeks ago. I brought four 'tween book to sell at my publisher's booth. Of the four, all eyes immediately went to the one in the middle, The Mystery Under Third Base. The cover stood out.

My publisher, Randy Young of Sleepytown Press is a terrific artist and used a photo he took of a student at his school sitting on third base in the town's baseball field to design the cover. The attraction was astonishing. I grew fascinated watching people of all ages look immediately at that book. More than half the sales that day were this book and I almost sold out.

I love all the covers of my books that Randy designed, but we both know that this one was unique because of its realism and stark design.