April showers bring May flowers, or in this case, pretty science fiction romance covers! I asked the readers in the SciFi Romance Group to share cover art that was so memorable to them, the image had stayed in their minds long after they closed the book. Some of the covers are for new books and some go back in time a few years. I thought it’d be a fun topic for today and also highlight some backlist books for others to check out if they found the covers intriguing.
A Baby for Chashan from Celia Kyle got quite a few mentions, especially for the expressions on Dad and Baby’s faces.
The tagline: A mother’s plea, a childless alien’s promise, and a Preor warrior torn between his mate and duty…
Enigma: What Lies Beneath by Ditter Kellen also got raves, with a few readers leaving the discussion to go off and buy the book – now that’s a powerful cover!
The blurb in part: Amidst a deadly virus, seemingly impossible to stop, and a corrupt Government placing a price on their heads, Hauke and Abbie run for their lives, uncovering conspiracies, deceptions, and a love that won’t be denied…
Destins Hold (The Alliance Book 5) by S.E. Smith came in for praise. The blurb in part: Will the Alliance be able to protect Destin when the enemy discovers his connection to a powerful Alliance family? The battle for Earth has just become personal.
The cover of Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair has lingered in the memories of quite a few readers. The beginning of the blurb: Independent trader Trilby Elliot is making some not-quite-legal modifications to her starfreighter, when an unexpected visitor falls out of space.
People also fondly remember the 2010 cover art for her book Rebels and Lovers, which featured a hero wearing glasses…
Bound to You by AR DeClerck came in for some ‘cover love’ comments. The beginning of the blurb: Jackson Baine was a man with a gift, and he had no trouble selling it to the highest bidder. His newest job was for one of the biggest terraforming companies in the universe, and the money he stood to make would be enough to buy retirement for him and his crew on any planet in any galaxy they chose.
Another AR DeClerck cover mentioned was The Alchemist’s Kiss, which is a steampunk tale. The beginning of that blurb: A dark wizard has arrived in London, at exactly the time unrest among the non-magical community is coming to a head.
Carol Van Natta recently redid the covers for her series and readers mentioned the updated art with approval, so here’s the new one she did for Overload Flux: Central Galactic Concordance Book 1. The tag: Two loners fighting to stay alive discover they must now save the galaxy.
It’s not uncommon these days for authors to redo a book’s cover, or even an entire series as Carol did. There can be various reasons, including rights reversion from a publisher (they don’t usually revert rights to the cover art.) or simply rebranding to be more strongly in the current standards for the genre, for example.
Alien Tango by Gini Koch is a more light-hearted example of SFR cover art, which certainly captures many elements of the story. Here’s the start of the blurb: For Alien Super-Being Exterminator Katherine “Kitty” Katt, anti-alien conspiracies, threats from outer space, and a couple of killer alligators are all in a day’s work.
The cover art for Mercenary Instinct (The Mandrake Company Series Book 1) by Ruby Lionsdrake combines the science fiction and the romance. Here’s the start of the blurb: Skulking around in the ruins on a planet swarming with treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters isn’t good for one’s health. But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up.
The art for Keir’s Fall: Book Two of Redemption by Pippa Jay evidently strongly impressed many readers. The tag: A seductive tyrant. A lost hero. And a galaxy about to fall…
Other covers mentioned were Terran (Breeder Book 2) by Cara Bristol; The Devil’s Nebula by Anna Hackett; Megg Jenkins’ Forsaken Stars saga; Close Encounters (Alien Affairs Novels) by Katherine Allred; Deadlocked by Libby Sinclair; Ghost of a Machine by Cynthia Sax; Sarazen’s Vengeance by Isabel Wroth; Grimspace by Ann Aguirre; Discovery by Emma Jaye and Raider by Justine Davis. Also the original Warrior’s Woman cover from Johanna Lindsey, which of course was a classic example of the genre art of its time.
I’ll modestly say my own Danger in the Stars cover was mentioned. (So was Star Cruise: Outbreak…) Fiona Jayde does my cover art and I always feel so fortunate! Unfortunately I don’t know who created the other covers featured here today but feel free to tell us in the comments if you have the names. The tag: A powerful empath held prisoner by the interstellar mob…her only hope is the deadly enforcer who loves her.
What cover lingers in my mind? I’ll leave you with this:
Thank you to the readers who mentioned Keir’s Fall! My cover artist is Danielle Fine https://daniellefine.com