My favourite time of the publishing process – apart from the book lauch itself – is sharing cover design options with you, my readers.  It’s always wonderful to receive your feedback!  While it’s true that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the fact is that we all do – especially if we don’t know an author.  First impressions matter.

With that in mind, I’d be very grateful if you could please vote for your preferred design from the cover options shown below.

The Secret Mantra is the follow-up novel to my spiritual thriller The Magician of Lhasa.  A number of readers have told me that, of all my books, Magician is their favourite.  It’s taken me some years to write the next book in the series, but I’ve finally done so. I really hope you feel it’s been worth the wait!  The Secret Mantra is to be published in English in the last quarter of this year.  Stay tuned for more details and news on how to pre-order.

Given that the wheels of the publishing process turn slowly, we’re already working on cover designs.  As you’ll see below, there are two main design paths, one of which has a couple of different of versions.  If you are wondering – ‘Why the image of Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan?’ – it’s because key elements of The Secret Mantra are set in this enchanting place.

At risk of pointing out the obvious, we’re at draft stage – high res imagery and polishing will be done to get to the final version.

Please don’t feel the need to analyse, agonise or hypothesise – what I’m looking for here is instant reaction.  Gut feel.

Please write the number of your favourite cover in the box at the very end of the page where it says ‘Message’ and press ‘Add Comment’.  If you feel like it, offer a reason or tell me how the cover options make you feel. I apologize in advance for not responding to every vote or comment made.  But I promise I will be carefully monitoring each and every one of them.

Some of my more marketing-savvy readers may wonder how this book cover sits alongside that of The Magician of Lhasa in terms of a series look and feel.  Fear not!  We’re onto that.  Tweaks will be made to the current Magician cover to help harmonise the two.  Which is another way of saying: rush out and grab yourself a copy of the current edition of Magician before it becomes a collector’s item!

Enough already.  Please scroll down, take a look, and cast your vote!

 

#1 – Red title, light blue rays

 

#2 – White title, multi-coloured rays

 

#3 – Image of Tiger’s Nest

 

 

Now, please scroll down to the Message box and vote!

(Photo credit: Thank you James Toose of unsplash for the image of the drum)

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Join me on Mindful Safari in Zimbabwe, where I was born and grew up.  On Mindful Safari we combine game drives and magical encounters with lion, elephant, giraffe, and other iconic wildlife, with inner journeys exploring the nature of our own mind. Find out more by clicking here.