When I first began writing mysteries, I didn’t know a great deal about copyrights, publishers, or self-publishing. My first series, the Endurance Mysteries, was published by a traditional publisher. After putting out Three May Keep a Secret and Marry in Haste, that publisher closed their mystery line. Undaunted, I published the third book in the series, Death Takes No Bribes myself, making me now a “hybrid” author, with some books published by a traditional publisher and a couple, at this point, by me.

Eventually, Five Star reverted my rights for the first two books in 2014. This means they gave me back the right to publish them myself. I always had the copyright but had given Five Star the right to publish the first two under their name. I hired Karen Phillips, of Phillips Covers, to create three covers that would look similar, so I’d have a “brand” for the series. Now I owned the series and could do whatever I wanted with any form of book, e-book, or audiobook.

The series is still selling well, and I’ve been so humbled and honored by the reviews people have posted. I found out from another writer friend that Harlequin Worldwide Mystery also bought mass market rights to republish mysteries that had already been published in other formats like e- books or trade paperbacks. Mass Market paperbacks are small and can easily fit in a purse. They bought all three of my Endurance mysteries, publishing them several months apart in mass market paperbacks. The last, Death Takes No Bribes will come out October 1, a day before my birthday. It’s a big birthday, so this is a wonderful present. Here are the three covers; the third is brand new and I love it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cover artist for these books is a young man named Jason Raish. If you’re interested in his illustrations, you can see them at https://jasonraish.com

I would like to tell you a bit about him. While he grew up in Seoul, South Korea, he came to the United States at the age of three. Raised in upstate New York, he has studied at SUNY Albany, Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Adventurous, he moved to Beijing in 2008 and lived abroad for six years in Beijing, Seoul, London, Tokyo, Barcelona, and Paris. Now he once again lives in New York in Brooklyn. If you check out his website, you’ll see all the huge clients he’s worked for: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Times (of London), Washington Post, Nike, the MTA in NYC, and many, many more. That’s the short list. The long, impressive list is on his website.

Jason has also won many awards, and last year he hit the jackpot. He was chosen as one of three artists to illustrate art cards for the Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City. You can see those illustrations on his website.

I feel humbled and honored that this amazing artist was chosen to design my book covers for Harlequin Worldwide Mystery. We have emailed, giving me an opportunity to thank him “somewhat” in person. So thanks, Jason Raish. I love your work.