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The Results are in: If They Only Knew Book Cover Announced!

Last month, I shared four cover designs and a short survey on social media and this website. There were many votes for the design that showcased a couple in silhouette looking out over the sunrise (more about that later). 

However, the final cover showcased above was decided after a conversation between Lise and me. She felt strongly that because the book is about “A Cop’s Journey” and not about “A Couple’s Journey,” it should showcase a single male. 

There was also feedback that the silhouette didn’t look like mine. We solved that problem by having Lise take a picture of me looking over our lake. The graphic designer then turned that photo into a silhouette and inserted it into the photo.

More About the Cover Photo

I took the photo in May 2010 on our 25th Anniversary trip across the South Pacific. The trip, also commemorating my retirement from the Ottawa Police Service, included stops in New Zealand and Australia, a cruise from Sydney to Hawaii, and a month on four different Hawaiian Islands. 

Lise and I were on a “Sunrise Tour” at the Haleakalā National Park on Maui in Hawaii. It was a spiritual morning for us as hundreds gathered silently while witnessing one of the most amazing sunrises we have ever experienced.

The photograph also metaphorically represents our relationship, as outlined in the book. We’d made it through the various valleys of despair and significant marital and personal challenges. With hard work, professional help, strength and resilience, we were now celebrating climbing the tallest mountain and witnessing the joy of a loving, respectful and interdependent relationship. 

Thanks to everyone for their help selecting a cover. Please let me know what you think of the final design.

Still on Track for March 18th Pre-orders and April 8th Sales!

After almost one year of work, the manuscript is nearly completed. Once finished, the graphic designer will create the layout and a proof for review. That leads to the final book design and uploading to IngramSpark for the “Print on Demand” version and Amazon for the eBook version. Once that’s done and the book is “pushed” to other online distributors like Apple and Kobo, we can proceed with the soft launch. 

If everything goes to plan, we will issue a media release announcing the book’s three charity partners and the fact that pre-orders are available on March 18th. We are still planning on starting book sales on April 8th, so please mark those dates on your calendar!

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