German publication day - Zwischen Zwei Herzschlägen

What a perfect day to publish a gorgeous-looking novel! It’s publication day in Germany for my first novel as Eva Carter – a.k.a. - in English - as How to Save a Life.

The publishers have created a truly beautiful edition and the title – which translates as Between Two Heartbeats – is perfect for a love story that begins when one heart stops. I love how it looks – and early reviews suggest that the translator Katharina Naumann  and the editorial team have done a wonderful job. The audiobook also features some wonderful German actors.

In a strange synchronicity, this manuscript of this book went out to publishers on my mother’s birthday and Rowohlt Verlag said they wanted to publish it within 24 hours! So it’s wonderful that they’re the first in the world to publish this novel. And today would have been my parents’ 55th wedding anniversary and while neither would have said theirs was an entirely conventional romance, my parents were a huge influence on the story - another reason to celebrate the fact that the book is out today.

Mein herzlicher Dank geht an das Team von Rowohlt Verlag!

Two Eva cover reveals - I love them both, how about you?

The moment when your book’s cover arrives is always a heart-stopper (and even more so when your book itself is about what happens when a heart stops and restarts). So I am very happy to reveal the cover for my Eva Carter book, How to Save a Life. Or in fact, two covers – one for the UK and one for the USA.

I love both – though they are quite different.

With the UK cover, the designer did a lot of tweaking of the three figures – they’re quite impressionistic, but we added a stethoscope to hint at the medical themes in the book, and a bag to show the rootlessness of one character. We agonised about socks and hair-styles. And tried lots of different colours. I love this final colour as it’s close to the Brighton blue that the beach huts and railings are painted down here.

The American cover was designed completely separately but also has a heart motif, sets against a dramatic landscape and sky full of fireworks.

As the book begins on Millennium Eve, with a disaster unfurling as the celebrations begin, that feels so right too.

I’ve also had a sneak preview of my German cover which is very different again and also has a different title – I will share that soon.

I couldn’t ever choose between them - but I’d love to know:

Which is your favourite?

You’ve seen the covers, now watch the trailer… :)

If you like One Day in December by Josie Silver, One Day by David Nicholls and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, you'll fall in love with How to Save a Life... Jo...