The Girl from Simon's Bay has taken her place on a cover that strikingly evokes the setting for my upcoming book. Last year I took a series of photographs from a vantage point above Simon's Bay, on the Cape Peninsula in South Africa, to provide inspiration and detail for my publishers' design team. I wanted to show the spectacle of the glittering bay surrounded by mountains, while also conveying a haunting sense of a young woman adrift...
To my delight, the designers also included typical Cape features like the swathe of fynbos with pincushion proteas in the foreground. And for those of you who know the Cape, you'll recognise the ribbon of sea foam as being a well-known sight along the coast, particularly down at Cape Point where the sea can be so rough that foam seems to decorate every rock and inlet.
Now that the cover is complete, the book will be going to print. Pre-orders are already being taken so if you fancy getting in early then do place an order at your favourite online bookseller and await its delivery in the New Year. The official launch date is the 19th of January. I can't wait to feel the pages beneath my fingers! You can, of course, also order the book to read on Kindle, iPad and a variety of e-readers.
In my next blog, I'll be introducing you to Louise, the heroine of the novel, and the enigmatic girl on the cover. But for now, let me leave you with a brief taster...
Infant waves curled towards me over the crystal sand.
I reached out both hands to seize the oncoming water with its lace of bubbles and fell forward. Cold, green liquid gurgled into my mouth, lapped at my forehead and started to trickle into my ears...
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