I voted no on both counts, but without explanation, my vote probably won't be that helpful.
So for what it's worth...
- I tend to associate this genre with dark colors and morbid imagery, therefore the white cover and "soft" design don't do it for me. Have you tried a black cover, red text and bolder font... and just a suggestion, the "you" on the bullet could be written in dripping blood leading the eye to your name.
- My problem with the cover blurb is that it begins with what the story is about instead of who it is about (assuming that Jake is the central character and the one the reader is supposed to care about.) It's rough, and I hope you won't mind, but I tried my hand at writing a cover blurb that would make me want to buy the book.
"Jake Black is an ex Secret Service agent turned cold-blooded gun for hire. Driven to an emotionless existence by unbearable grief over the deaths of his wife and daughter, all that matters when the President of the United States turns to him to take down his nemesis, Noah Stone, is the million dollars the job will net him.
Noah Stone is the man behind a controversial movement to revolutionize the criminal justice system in the Pacific Northwest—criminals compelled to tell the truth in court, guns converted to nonlethal weapons. By taking down Stone, the president aims to capitalize on a wave of opposition and win votes.
Jake goes undercover to get close to Stone and finds a decent man who helps people find better lives, but then a treacherous attack threatens the hope Stone fosters. Jake is the one man who can keep the hope alive, but only if he betrays his mission—and if he can find his way to feeling again."
Hi Ray,
I voted no on both counts, but without explanation, my vote probably won't be that helpful.
So for what it's worth...
- I tend to associate this genre with dark colors and morbid imagery, therefore the white cover and "soft" design don't do it for me. Have you tried a black cover, red text and bolder font... and just a suggestion, the "you" on the bullet could be written in dripping blood leading the eye to your name.
- My problem with the cover blurb is that it begins with what the story is about instead of who it is about (assuming that Jake is the central character and the one the reader is supposed to care about.) It's rough, and I hope you won't mind, but I tried my hand at writing a cover blurb that would make me want to buy the book.
"Jake Black is an ex Secret Service agent turned cold-blooded gun for hire. Driven to an emotionless existence by unbearable grief over the deaths of his wife and daughter, all that matters when the President of the United States turns to him to take down his nemesis, Noah Stone, is the million dollars the job will net him.
Noah Stone is the man behind a controversial movement to revolutionize the criminal justice system in the Pacific Northwest—criminals compelled to tell the truth in court, guns converted to nonlethal weapons. By taking down Stone, the president aims to capitalize on a wave of opposition and win votes.
Jake goes undercover to get close to Stone and finds a decent man who helps people find better lives, but then a treacherous attack threatens the hope Stone fosters. Jake is the one man who can keep the hope alive, but only if he betrays his mission—and if he can find his way to feeling again."
Danielle