When a book moves through the process, the publisher usually begins to work up some cover art with the help of an artist. The cover is a big deal, a bigger deal than ever before, I think. There’s so much to read and choose from, a reader is forced to judge a book by its cover.

So the whole story has to be on the cover. Not the whole story, but the heart of the story, in picture form. It can’t tell the ending, but is sort of a concentrate of the feeling and plot.

So a little while ago the publisher commissioned artist Jeff Delierre to do the cover art of Kill Shot, due out in the Spring of 2015. We corresponded a little and I sent him a short blurb on the book and the three of us have begun to work together.

Last week, artist Jeff sent five brief sketches based on the plot outline. Here they are:

I’m not going to tell you what the story’s about, just yet. I’m looking at gut grabbing mystery, and the overall feeling each image creates. I’d love to know which of these grabs you.