Cover Reveal: Any Second Chance (Book 2 of the Time Wrecker Trilogy)

What ever happened to Mara and Will Sterling?

At the end of Every Last Minute, I fully intended to have the second book of the trilogy published within the year. But, as it always does, life happened. There was a surgery that got complicated, a way-too-long recovery, and, just to top things off, a global pandemic.

Through it all, I kept re-drafting and rewriting parts of Mara and Will’s what-next. I knew what would happen, but as I experienced my own healing process, it made me more sensitive to what theirs would be like. At long last (and over thirteen drafts), I had a draft that felt right.

Now for the scary-fun part: turning it into a book.

One of the really fun steps to getting a book ready for publication is the cover design. I’m very fortunate to work with Monica Haynes of The Thatchery, who brings her passion for reading to her art. She really takes the time to dig deep into the story and offers suggestions and asks for input as she designs. The result always means a lot to me as an author, because it’s the first time I see how someone else visualizes this story that I imagined. (Did you know she was also the cover designer for Every Last Minute, Reluctant Cassandra, and Ghosts of Eagle Valley? See a full gallery of cover designs by The Thatchery here!)

As you can tell, I'm a HUGE fan of Monica's work! And while I might be slightly biased, her newest cover design may be my favorite yet! This is the cover for Any Second Chance, Book 2 of the Time Wrecker Trilogy.

Drumroll please...

Synopsis

New college graduates Will Sterling and Mara Gaines are ready to take on the world--together. With only two weeks to go until their wedding, Will and Mara are busy decorating their new apartment, preparing for two promising careers, and planning their future. They both feel lucky to have met their once-in-a-lifetime love.

Then a breaking news story turns Will and Mara’s happy world upside down. The sealed records maintained by the Department of Timeline Rectification have been hacked and leaked to the press. The data is shocking: in a span of just fifteen years, four and a half million Americans have been granted timeline rectifications. What was thought to be an occasional rehabilitation program for repentant criminals is far more routine than anyone guessed. Collectively, those named in the data leak become known as the Time Wreckers, the subject of national fascination and derision. No one knows which of those named in the leak were victims, which were criminals, or whether any of them can be trusted.

Will and Mara are shocked to see their names on the list, but more troubled to discover that they were married in their first life map, too. Even worse, their rectification took them back to a time before they met. Whatever the crime may have been, Will and Mara were willing to forget everything about that part of their lives, including each other. Does the fact that they found each other again prove that they were meant to be, or does it mean they’re about to make a huge mistake? Before they walk down the aisle, Will and Mara have to confront the truth about who they were…and decide how far they’ll go to find out.

Set in 2006, Any Second Chance is the second book in the Time Wrecker Trilogy.

I am so excited to share the cover design and synopsis for ANY SECOND CHANCE with you! Huge thanks to The Thatchery for once again creating such a beautiful book cover!

Stay tuned for the official release date—Book 2 is coming out later this fall!

Cover Reveal: EVERY LAST MINUTE

People like to say that writing is a solitary profession. It's one person, putting down word after word until paragraphs become chapters, and chapters become a final draft. But there is so much about creating a book that isn't solitary at all. For example, I have amazing critique partners and beta readers, who talk me through troublesome plot points, give me incredible feedback, and celebrate with me when a draft is done. When you're writing, it is invaluable to talk with people who believe in your story and want to help you tell it the best way you can. 

In order to get a book ready to publish, even more people join in. These are the professionals that work behind the scenes, helping authors take their final drafts and polish them to perfection. One of those professionals is Monica Haynes of The Thatchery. She is the cover designer that has created all of my book covers, including my newest book, EVERY LAST MINUTE. Talking with Monica about cover design and seeing the beautiful covers she creates is one of the most exciting times in the publishing process!

I first met The Thatchery when I was getting ready to publish RELUCTANT CASSANDRA. I was entirely new to the world of publishing. Making that initial call felt like I was crossing the threshold from "writer" to "author." I was so nervous! Like many first-time authors, I had a deep-seated fear that no one would 'get' my book. Monica quickly put my fears to rest. Her cover design was so perfect, it felt like she'd brought Arden McCrae and the town of Eagle Valley to life. Ever since, I've kept a printed-out version of the cover pinned to my bulletin board. It was confirmation that this story wasn't just a figment of my imagination anymore. Now RELUCTANT CASSANDRA was a real book, and other people could visit this world I created, too. 

This beautiful book cover opened so many doors when I started marketing RELUCTANT CASSANDRA. Selling does not come naturally to me. I even dreaded selling Girl Scout cookies when I was a kid, and those are possibly the most marketable things on this planet! So when I was speaking with booksellers or potential readers, I quickly noticed that I could let the cover do the hard work for me. If I started out just talking about the book, my own nerves would stop me from saying very much. But if I whipped out a bookmark or pulled up an image of the book cover on Amazon, I'd hear people say, "That looks amazing!" or "This looks exactly like something I would read! What's it about? Tell me more!"

Naturally, Monica is also behind the bookmarks and my Facebook banner. She designed the cover for my Channillo short story series, GHOSTS OF EAGLE VALLEY, too. Last year, she also created my website. It's safe to say I love everything Monica designs, and I'm a big fan of her work! (You can see more of her portfolio here.)

So when I finished self-editing EVERY LAST MINUTE, the first book in my Time Wrecker trilogy, I was eager to e-mail The Thatchery and see what Monica could dream up for the book cover. Despite the fact that this story has been running through my head for over six years, I had no ideas whatsoever about what the cover should look like. This story is science fiction, but it's also a romance. It explores the implications of time travel, but it also follows the marriage of two imperfect people that are perfect for each other. 

Monica's design took my breath away. I am beyond excited to share the cover for EVERY LAST MINUTE, designed by Monica Haynes of The Thatchery:

More about EVERY LAST MINUTE:

Will and Mara Sterling are already living their dream. After surviving a tragic shooting, they both went on to finish college, fall in love, and start a new life together as husband and wife. That’s not to say things have been easy: Will suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and Mara has debilitating chronic pain from her gunshot wound. Despite it all, they feel lucky to be alive and even luckier to be in love.

Then a new initiative from the Justice Department offers Will and Mara the chance of a lifetime. The shooter has been rehabilitated and his crime qualifies for a timeline rectification. With Will and Mara’s consent, they can all travel through time back to the original scene of the crime, giving the gunman a chance to put things right.

It sounds like a dream come true, but both Will and Mara have their doubts. Timeline rectification—called “time wrecking” by its critics—have been the center of a politically charged debate since its inception. Will and Mara aren’t entirely sure where they fall on this issue and the clock is ticking for them to decide. Is it moral to change time for the rest of the world, just to undo one crime? Is it moral to deny the gunman a chance to correct his past crimes? And what if this one ripple means that they never meet...or fall in love?

Set in 2011, EVERY LAST MINUTE is the first book in the TIME WRECKER TRILOGY.

There's more work to be done before this book will be ready to hit the shelves. I'll be collaborating with a professional editor, formatting the inside of the book, and making super-important publishing decisions (White pages or cream? Should I add book club discussion questions to the end, or just post them here on my website?) But seeing the gorgeous cover for EVERY LAST MINUTE reminds me that this story isn't just my work-in-progress anymore. Now it's a book--and there are lots of people helping me polish it up before I send it out to all of you.

I can't wait.

Thanks to The Thatchery for creating a beautiful book cover for EVERY LAST MINUTE! To see more of Monica's work, check out her website or find her on Instagram.