You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but it still doesn’t hurt to have an eye-catching dust jacket, one that will provide that great first impression on which many discerning customers rely.  To that end, allow me to introduce my amazing cover designer for Eagle Rising, David Kimball Davis, an art photographer with an eye for detail and an inherent feel for setting a mood with a picture.

Originally from the Lake Tahoe area, David has been involved in art in one way or another for most of his life, from graphite portraiture, to pastel chalk sketchings for a line of greeting cards which also included his original poetry, to caricature drawing and unique marketing logos.  In recent years, he has focused his camera lens on the tiny details of product photography as well as on the quiet beauty of landscapes and architecture.  His sports photography has won awards, and he is renowned in the fast-paced world of hot rod photography, where his custom photographs are sought by vintage car collectors.

Clearly a versatile photographer, David has an uncanny way of bringing to light the subtle nuances of his subjects, revealing hidden shapes and shooting from unique angles that bring a greater appreciation of the ordinary and turn it into magnificent art.  I once admired his black-and-white photo of an old barn in winter and wanted to see the real thing.  When he showed it to me, I was astounded.  It was on a road I’d traveled many times.  The old barn had never caught my eye before.

If you haven’t guessed by now, the cover designer is also my husband, and I am fortunate that his art and my writing have been able to come together in one creative work.

Although the story in Eagle Rising takes place in the beautiful state of Montana, the photograph that graces the book’s cover was actually taken on a ranch in eastern Utah.  It captures the rolling, wide-open spaces, and most especially, the massive umbrella of sky that is so prevalent in the story.  The eagle soars partway into the text, denoting the rising eagle referred to in the story, and it is a fitting introduction to the frontier saga found within.

I look forward to working with him again on my next project.  In the meantime, I invite you to peruse his website, www.krawdaddymagazine.com, to enjoy his work far beyond what I am able to describe here, because after all, a picture is worth a thousand words!