It blows my mind each time I look at my bookshelf or e-reader library, how diverse my taste in books is. From business books, to historical, and non-fiction, to contemporary, I have a wide range of interests and what books delight me time and time again. Honestly, it’s pretty funny and always evokes a comment when someone walks into my study. 

My Tom Clancy collection sits right next to a batch of motivational tomes, while my romance and beach read paperbacks are neatly bound next to civil war narratives. Of course, sturdy hardback suspense and thriller books anchor each shelf. From biographies of corporate raiders to military strategy books, one would think my reading list is off-the-rails. Maybe it is. 

While I love reading across genres, while gravitating toward a few faves, there is one thing that ties my selects together—a great book cover.

I am a visual girl. I love a great book cover and have often purchased a book solely on the cover alone. Then I read it and am pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed the read. 

Each week, I pull a couple off my shelf and scroll up a few from my electronic library and revisit the read, as if greeting an old friend. After spending a few moments admiring the cover, I dig in and renew the relationship. 

My point is this, the books that have inspired me to explore new genres and influenced my writing are vast in their genres. But I don’t think we always give credit where credit is due. Heck, I know how hard it is to write a novel. Nod to my fellow authors and a deep bow to those who are killing it on the best-seller’s list. 

Still, I want to take a moment to thank those special folks who’ve opened a whole new world for me—cover designers. Artists, photographers, and designers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping me in my tracks as I stroll down the aisles of my local bookstore. You’re bringing an author’s vision to life and sparking an interest in readers’ worldwide.

So, hats off to you! Thank you for your resolute efforts in bringing an author’s vision to life!