With Finders Keepers, I created two cover options and allowed my newsletter subscribers to pick their favourite. Their choices were Hadrian's Wall or the High Level Bridge. It was very close, but in the end, High Level won.

The image I used is licenced through Pixabay, and although no attribution is required, the photo was taken by Pixabay user, DrNickStafford.

Shop for Finders Keepers here. 

The first step in editing the image was to resize it to the correct dimensions. My paperbacks are 5.25in x 8in, and I use the same measurements for the ebook covers. I used a clone stamp tool to extend the river and sky to fill the page. I also moved a cloud, but for the life of me, I can't remember why.

Next was the fun part. I adjusted the brightness and contrast, then used a colour balance and split-tone mask to create a moodier image with purple tones. A vignette gradient and depth of field helped to soften the edges of the image and put the focus on the bridges. 

Finally, I added the text using the same fonts as Hide & Seek and Northern Roulette. I opted for orange as it is the opposite of purple in the colour wheel, meaning it stands out from the background. 

For the paperback, I used the same image but darkened it so I could use white and orange for the blurb. I kept the same typography on the spine and added the logo for Hyem Books.
I hope you like it,