I couldn’t be more pleased with the cover for Stagecoach to Liberty (Montana Gold, Book 3). Cover artist Lynnette Bonner of Indie Cover Design did an outstanding job and made working with her a joy. Ready? Here she is!
The contrast between dark and light reflects the struggle between an innocent young woman and those who want to destroy her. The heroine’s pensive expression, her downturned head, and the way she is turned partly away illustrates her emotional state. A touch of sunlight breaks out behind her, adding bright rays of hope.
The hero is walking, a change from the covers for Hills of Nevermore and Cheyenne Sunrise, where the heroes are both riding. Since there were already horses attached to the stagecoach, adding another would have made the cover seem too busy. I wanted to show a stagecoach in motion. Besides the fact that much of the story takes place during stagecoach journeys, the fast pace remains constant throughout the book.
Here’s a fun side note. We all–my publisher, the cover designer, and I—liked the heroine posed facing away from the hero. This makes a nice circle for the eye to travel. First you see Elsa’s face, then the stagecoach. After that you move on to the title, then up to the hero, and end at the rays at the back of her neck. However, the other Montana Gold books have the heroine looking the other way. After consideration, we decided to keep Elsa facing away and orient the heroine of The Forever Sky, Montana Gold, book 4 (releasing next year), the same direction as Elsa.
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Stagecoach to Liberty (Montana Gold, book 3)
Can a desperate young woman trust the handsome Irish stranger who wants to free her from her captors?
Elsa Meier, a talented young Hessian girl who plays the hurdy-gurdy and dances, signs a contract to entertain miners in the Wild West. Elsa travels to America in the company of Miles and Alicia Peabody, the brother and sister who persuaded her mother to allow her to go. Elsa hopes for freedom and the chance to send money home to help her family. Instead she comes to the attention of a wealthy and unscrupulous man. On a stagecoach traveling into Montana Territory, Elsa conveys her peril to a handsome stranger with an Irish accent.
Con Walsh, on a quest to find out the truth about himself, stumbles into a dangerous situation involving a frightened young woman in need of rescue. Despite his own pressing troubles, he finds that her safety matters to him more than his own.
Set in Montana during its gold rush — a time troubled by outlaws, corruption and vigilante violence, Stagecoach to Liberty explores faith, love, and courage in the wild west. This story can stand alone or continue the saga that began with Hills of Nevermore and Cheyenne Sunrise.
