Pendleton Petticoats Get a Makeover

by

The past six weeks or so I’ve been working on a big project.

Oddly enough, it doesn’t involve writing, at least not directly.

Like clothes that get worn out or a house that needs painted, sometimes book covers need a makeover.

Then multiply that times ten because instead of giving one book a makeover, I gave a whole 10-book series a brand new look.

I’m excited to share these new Pendleton Petticoats covers with you today. In fact, you are the first to get to see them!

Before I share them though, I thought I’d walk you through some of the changes one or two of the covers have gone through since I first published the books.

When I originally released  Aundy, the first book in the series, I had zero budget for hiring someone to design covers or buying high quality images.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? This desperate measure was for me to pull on a blue calico wrapper my mom had made eons ago, pin eyelet lace inside it so it looked like a petticoat hanging out, and lace up a pair of reproduction Edwardian era boots (talk about pinched toes!) I’d had since high school days. I enlisted Captain Cavedweller to take the photo, then I added in the sheep and the wheat field in the background. I try not to cringe when I see it now. At the time, it filled a need!

Fast forward to 2017 when I had a subscription to a stock image website. By then, I’d picked up a few design skills (not nearly enough, but a few!).

This was the original graphic I used for the new Aundy cover. It had some great elements.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t quite gotten the hang of “dressing” models in photos. It’s a lot harder than it might seem when the model is in a reclined position like this. Again, it filled a need when I wanted an upgrade.

 

What do you think of the new and improved Aundy?

I love this so much, mostly because this is exactly how I picture Aundy, from the braided hair to the peach-hued gown, to her sheep grazing in the distance. I really did have a lot of fun designing this cover.

Here’s another makeover example.

 

 

It was impossible when I was working on Millie’s story to find any appropriate artwork for the cover. You see, Millie is strongly against alcohol being sold in town and becomes one of the leaders of the local temperance union. How to convey that in a cover shot?

Well, yours truly may or may not have ordered a corset, cinched it so tight I could barely breathe, and assembled a costume from things I had buried in the back of the closet (minus the axe, that was CC’s contribution to the photo). I photoshopped in the house in the background and the whiskey barrel.

When I changed the cover in 2017, I decided to ditch the whole temperance idea for the cover and focus on Millie’s job as a telephone operator.

This cover was better, but still not quite right.

 

The new and improved Millie makes my heart so happy. I adore the colors and the fact she’s sitting on a bench reading. It makes me want to sit with her and peek over her shoulder to see what story has her so enthralled.

 

Here they are! All 10 books with shiny new covers!

Set in the western town of Pendleton, Oregon, at the turn of the 20th century, each book in this series bears the name of the heroine, all brave yet very different.

Aundy (Book 1) — Aundy Thorsen, a stubborn mail-order bride, finds the courage to carry on when she’s widowed before ever truly becoming a wife, but opening her heart to love again may be more than she can bear.

Caterina (Book 2) — Running from a man intent on marrying her, Caterina Campanelli starts a new life in Pendleton, completely unprepared for the passionate feelings stirred in her by the town’s incredibly handsome deputy sheriff.

Ilsa (Book 3) — Desperate to escape her wicked aunt and an unthinkable future, Ilsa Thorsen finds herself on her sister’s ranch in Pendleton. Not only are the dust and smells more than she can bear, but Tony Campanelli seems bent on making her his special project.

Marnie (Book 4) — Beyond all hope for a happy future, Marnie Jones struggles to deal with her roiling emotions when U.S. Marshal Lars Thorsen rides into town, tearing down the walls she’s erected around her heart.

Lacy (Book 5) —  Bound by tradition and responsibilities, Lacy has to choose between the ties that bind her to the past and the unexpected love that will carry her into the future.

Bertie (Book 6) — Haunted by the trauma of her past, Bertie Hawkins must open her heart to love if she has any hope for the future.

Millie (Book 7) — Determined to bring prohibition to town, the last thing Millie Matlock expects is to fall for the charming owner of the Second Chance Saloon.

Dally (Book 8) — Eager to return home and begin his career, Doctor Nik Nash is caught by surprise when the spirited Dally Douglas captures his heart.

Quinn (Book 9) — Full of opinions and plans to help women, Quinn Fairfield has no time for such nonsense as falling in love.

Evie (Book 10) — Will a man focused on his work notice the love of a lifetime in his client’s effervescent nanny?

 

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, but I think it might just be Aundy. Or maybe Evie. Or Quinn. Or…

Which one is your favorite? 

Post your answer for a chance to win the Pendleton Petticoats boxed set which includes three Pendleton stories!

 

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After spending her formative years on a farm in Eastern Oregon, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield turns her rural experiences into sweet historical and contemporary romances filled with sarcasm, humor, and hunky western heroes.
When this USA Today bestselling author isn’t writing or covertly hiding decadent chocolate from the other occupants of her home, Shanna hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

80 thoughts on “Pendleton Petticoats Get a Makeover”

  5. Looks like you had some fun going on. (smile) yes like you it is hard to pick just one favorite. I do like Bertie though. There is an easy going innocence here

    • I sure did, Lori! It took about six weeks of working on these when I had a moment or two to spare. I agree with you on Bertie’s cover. Makes you want to be there with her!

  11. My favorite is Dally because horses are dear to my heart. Lisa and Aundy are gorgeous too! Jeepers … how do I pick just one! Shanna … you are something else! So talented.

  12. These new covers are beautiful. Millie is my favorite. I’d like to sit in that scene with her.

  13. It’s so hard to pick! My initial inclination was Bertie. I always wanted to wear one of those dresses and sit on one of those swings.
    But I also like Millie–I like to imagine myself as her, sitting there peacefully reading.
    I also like the general unifying color scheme for all 10–soft pinks and purples and blues, and warm light!

    • Oh, wouldn’t it be fun to be on that swing and wearing a dress like that, Abby! I am right there with you on that wish!
      Thank you for your kind words. I love the colors and the warm light too! Thank you for stopping in today!

  15. WOW, Shanna! This are all gorgeous! It’s hard to pick a favorite but I think if I had to it would be Aundy. Your talent in cover design has really grown! Congratulations!

    • You are so kind, Linda! I like to think both my design skills and writing skills continue to grow! LOL! I really love Aundy, but she’s pretty special since she is the first in the series. Thank you, my friend!

  17. I like Dally the best. they all look good but I love a horse and I like seeing the front or side view of a character better than a back view.

  19. They all look like wonderful stories, Shanna! I don’t think I could choose…YET! LOL I need to start reading and then figure out which one is my favorite. They all look like they have a fantastic tale to tell and I’m anxious to dive in!

  21. All of the covers are beautiful! I especially love Aundy and Bertie. But the cover of Marnie really pulls me in! Her eyes tell a whole other story suggesting there’s so much more to her than what’s on the surface, which is so accurate with Marnie. I love her story.

  22. This series is one of my favorites and I love all of the new covers. If I had to choose just one I would go with Bertie but a close second is Millie. All the covers really capture the essence of the lady and her story. Great job, Shanna.

  23. Do I have to pick one? I lived this series and I might have read it a few times but I like Marnie’s story.

  24. I’d have to say Aundy because she was the first and she’s undergone the most changes. And she is sooo beautiful now! However, I think Millie and Dally are extra special, too. I LOVE them ALL!!!

  28. They all look nice, but I think my favorite is Millie. I love that water in the background, the pretty sunset, & the peaceful setting of the bench… perfect for taking a moment to read! Plus, I love a book where the girl (& God!) “reforms” the saloon owner! 🙂

  30. i like them all but Aundy and Evie Aundy because she was the first then each one becomes a favorite but there was something about Evie that made it a favorite after Aundy but then i like all your books

  32. I love them all but have to say my favorite would have to be Aundy. There’s just something special about getting introduced to the town and characters of a new series.

  33. They are all favorites but Aundy was the one that pulled my heartstrings and made me read all of them

  35. These covers are all beautiful, and the stories sound wonderful! If I must choose favorite covers, I am drawn to Isla, Dally, and Bertie for their colors and that the women seem contemplative. I want to know what is in their minds!

  36. All the covers are awesome. I would have to say Evie is my favorite. I love the flowers. Thanks for sharing. God bless you.

  37. I think I like Caterina’s best. It looks like she is looking into the sunset with such promise & a sense of adventure the way she is standing. They are all beautiful tho!

  38. They are all beautiiful. I love Aundy, Caterina, Ilsa and Lacey, as they are ladies looking into the future. I liove the one on the swing as it is so romantic. I also adore Millie reading on the bench. But if I had to pick just one, it would be Dally with that beautiful horse. She just looks so strong and beautiful.

  39. My favorite is Caterina, I just love her super sassy personality and I can almost smell the lovely food she is cooking. My second is Aundy and my most favorite character is Steve the mule, I love him!

  42. Missed out again. I need to get to the computer earlier in the day. Don’t sell yourself short on the covers you made. Your first, Aundy, is actually pretty good. I understand wanting to redo the covers for the complete series. The similarity in style does a nice job of pulling the books together. It is another series I need to read.

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