Deadly Gamble

The author wanted the cover to have a chalk outline and crime scene tape. She also requested "a spooky, blood-dripping sort of font".

As I was unable to find a stock image of a chalk outline that either one of us liked, I took my daughter out to the street in front of our home, early enough in the morning for the pavement to be cool enough for comfort, and the traffic level to be safe. She laid down and we traced the chalk image on the street.

(A couple of women came by, yard-saling, and stopped to make sure everything was all right. We told them it was a book cover photoshoot, and they drove off. A few minutes later, the police came cruising by, but by then everyone was vertical, the photos had been taken, and we were washing the chalk off the street. The yerd-saling women cruised past just behind the police, and seemed disappointed that no one was being arrested.)

The asphalt in front of our house was old and pale, so the image was darkened and contrast heightened.

An appropriately gory font was chosen, and added in red for the spine titling, and the author name on the front. A yellow stripe was added to the front cover, and the gory font was applied there in black lettering to simulate the crime-scene tape.