For the Needlewoman: An Image of Jane

One of the more enjoyable aspects (or the most vexed, depending upon circumstances) of publishing a novel is the serendipitous nature of cover art.  Authors are rarely consulted about the images that grace their books; nor, quite often, does the Editorial side of a publishing house have a great deal of input.  Cover art is produced by the Art department, and in the heady days of publishing, when houses were flush with funds (the 1990s), images were often commissioned from artists.

Now they seem to be mostly produced by computers, and instead of images, often feature merely words.

My favorite cover in the Jane Austen Mystery Series is, hands-down, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House.  It depicts a windswept Austen standing upon the quay at Southampton with some Royal Navy ships in the background, beneath a stormy sky. Fabulous.

The scene was painted by Kinuko Craft (www.kycraft.com), and the cover produced from her art.

Others appear to like this image of Jane just as much.  I learned today that it's even available in a cross stitch pattern.

So for the masterful needlewomen among you--a challenging winter project!  The chart may be found at:   

http://heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=160_134&products_id=2483

Enjoy!

Stephanie