The Truth as I know it.

Five years ago today I got married. This is what I've learned:

 Loving someone is easy. It's natural. You can love someone with all your heart and not necessarily make it in a relationship. Relationships are hard. When you are with someone everyday and witness their faults and their mistakes on a daily basis, it's easy to take that love for granted and treat them as though they aren't the love of ...your life, or your #1 priority. Marriage takes more than love. It takes patience, understanding, support, and self reflection. You must put their feelings first and yours last and hope they do the same. You must fight for your marriage, while you fight with your spouse. You must wake up every morning and remind yourself why you married this special person, and how lucky you are they married you despite your faults. You must cherish every day, even the bad days, because the hardest things in life are the ones worth fighting for.

I love you baby,
You are worth fighting for,
We made it! ♥

 

 

Sapphire Universe is getting a new cover!!

I have debated this with myself soooo many times.  I personally made the current cover for Sapphire Universe.  I am NOT a graphic designer and just had to do the best I could because I didn't even know where to begin to get a professional cover made.  Let me be clear.  I do like the cover that SU currently has, but here is the problem;

I have had two people on Goodreads add my book and then stop reading it to give it 1 or 2 stars because they thought it was a Paranormal Romance or an Urban Fantasy, only to discover that it was Contemporary Romance.  I have even had people think it was a thriller or horror.  This is not good.  I do not want to mislead anyone.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover?"  Well that's a load of crap.  EVERYONE judges books by their covers.  It's what draws you in.  First you pick a book that catches your eye, then you read the blurb, and then you read the reviews, and then you buy it.  Almost everyone I know shops for books this way.  It's human nature to single out the best looking item.  And if you're out trolling for Contemporary Romance novels, you scan for books with a specific look to them.  This can range from half naked men, to a sexy couple in a compromising position, to a simple picture of two people holding hands.  There are lots of options, but for the most part there is a theme. 

So, I have decided to have a professional make the cover for me.  Actually, I had a new friend and author approach me about this, and it just so happens her husband is a graphic designer.  Richard Luciano has graciously offered to design Sapphire Universe a brand spankin new cover!!! I am really VERY excited about this.  I know there are some readers who love the current cover, but I really need to keep the book's best interest in mind.  The good news is, I know you will all love the new one just as much if not way more, so we all win.  If you want to see a sample of his work, check out his wife Beth Michele's book here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beth-Michele-Author/198619836947212