Design an intriguing ebook cover for a contemporary Young Adult novel

Lisa Manterfield

I am an author of contemporary Young Adult fiction. My primary target audience is young women 17-25. I write stories about young women discovering who they really are and what they’re made of. Coming of age and self-discovery are common themes, as are identity and freedom/independence. “Who am I and how do I function in the world I find myself in?”

I'm looking for an ebook cover for a new novel: "A Strange Companion." Here's the jacket copy:

Kat Richardson isn’t running away from grief; she’s just hiding out in a gloomy Welsh university town until she’s sure it’s gone. Now, two years, nine months, and 27 days after the climbing death of her first love, Gabe, she thinks she’s ready to venture out into the relationship world again. And Owen—a cake-baking, Super Ball-making chemistry student—appears to be a kind, funny, and very attractive option.

But the arrival of Kat’s newly adopted niece, Mai, forces her home to northern England, where she runs headfirst into all the memories of Gabe she’s tried to leave behind—and discovers that Mai stirs up an unnerving feeling of déjà vu. Before long, Kat’s logical, scientific beliefs about life after death are in battle with what she feels to be true—that reincarnation is real and Gabe has come back to her through Mai. The question now, is why?

"A Strange Companion" is a Young Adult novel, set in the industrial north of England and the valleys of South Wales. Taking on the topics of love, loss, and how we deal with grief, this story offers a twisted love triangle among the living, the dead, and the reincarnated.

**Additional Notes:
The gist of the story is that, even after 3 years, Kat is struggling to get over Gabe’s death. When she meets her newly adopted niece, she immediately senses something familiar about her and becomes convinced that she is the reincarnation of Gabe. She sets off to prove it’s him and to find out why he’s come back to her. In the process, she manages to alienate her family, Gabe’s family, and Owen (who is her first foray into dating again after Gabe.)

The story is really about Kat and Mai, and her dealing with her grief about Gabe. Owen is a secondary character who represents the future for Kat, if only she can let go of Gabe and move on.

For a bit about the characters:
Kat is 19-20. Her hair is short, recently cropped. She is an environmental science student and a climber, so she’s smart and outdoorsy, probably most comfortable in a t-shirt and khakis.
Owen is 20, has light colored hair that’s always sort of tousled. He’s a chemist and generally a good-natured person.
Gabe was dark—dark hair and eyes, of Spanish descent and of course, staggeringly handsome. ;-)
Mai is 3. She is Chinese and has a neat, shiny bob.

The main thing is that this is a contemporary story for a Young Adult audience, and although it’s about lost love, it isn’t a romance. It’s about a modern young woman dealing with the loss of her first love and trying to figure out how life works.

Please visit my website to learn more about my work.
http://lisamanterfield.com