Several versions of the cover were in the works with much hemming and hawing. The space needed for the very long title caused problems galore, TIAOLJ (even the initials are unwieldy) is kind of steampunk but not quite, kind of fantasy but not quite, sort of historical fiction but not really. What kind of cover would suit?
Secret ciphers, trains, bug shaped brooches, creaky old summer cottages, horses, fatal boat races and the most dangerous flower in America are all very much a big part of the plot but you don’t just throw all of it on the cover of a book unless you want to end up the subject of the Smart Bitches Cover Snark (it’s a laugh, and to be honest I wouldn’t be too upset if I made it there one day)
So when I saw the below picture I nearly fell off my office chair! It’s her! That’s Libby!
So! Without further nattering I give you the cover for The Incredible Adventures of Liberty Jones:
Liberty Jones comes from a family of historians. Raised by her aunt Deidre she had an unconventional childhood filled with historically accurate dress-up and lessons ranging from how to decipher hieroglyphics to how to load and fire a flintlock pistol.
Recently earning her master’s degree, Libby receives the gift of her aunt’s heirloom scarab brooch and a ticket for the Coast-to-Coast Cosplay Connection, a cross country train trip for clothing historians and cosplay enthusiast’s. Libby packs her bustles and corsets and eagerly hops aboard looking forward to spending five days in the 19th century.
On the train she meets the handsome and charming Edward. Flattered by his attention Libby strikes up a traveler’s friendship.
Once in New York Libby finds Edward has disembarked without so much as a goodbye, but more urgently her brooch is gone! She catches up to Edward on the crowded train platform red handed with her brooch! In the ensuing scuffle to get it back the brooch begins to glow, and the scarab seems to come to life! The world around them warps and shifts and she and Edward are transported backward in time to the year 1887.
Though she might be a fish out of water Libby is prepared, in fact she’s been preparing her whole life for this precise situation. She finally understands the secret of the Jones family line. She was not born into a family of historians but rather a family of time travelers!
Now Libby must navigate the rules and rituals of New York’s Gilded Age to find Edward if she ever hopes to get back home.
Liberty Jones is due to be released in 2023
Kathleen Rear 