Cover time

I’m getting near to publishing my next novel, Lucky Portbraddon. I’m aiming for September 17th, but I may revise that but be sure that I’ll publicise it well when it’s due! I am in the last throws of checking chapters, playing about with names of different parts, re-checking on words I feel I’ve used to often… it’s an anxious but tedious time. I am especially on the look-out for clichés, as a book I am reading at the moment, and quite enjoying, is just full of them, which is actually spoiling my enjoyment – and distracting me from the narrative.

Now it has come down to the cover; Lucky Portbraddon is a distant ancestor of the Portbraddon family – he was lucky at cards, and canny enough to keep hold of his winnings! So I have an idea that maybe there should be playing cards on the cover…

There is also a painting of him hanging above the fireplace in the old family home… so maybe I could play around with some paintings… I want it to look old and dark, and not very recognisable…

Or since the family name came originally (maybe) from the little village or Portbradden, perhaps a picture like this…

I had another idea of making several pictures look like old photos with white edges, and arrange them as if they had come from an old family album…

I have plenty of ideas… but which will it be?