I am super excited to introduce my book out this month, Opening Her Heart (Rocky Mountain Family #2). The six-book series all contain Winslow siblings who own a Christmas tree farm and a service dog program. I absolutely love the cover and want to share more about how it was made. I also had a wonderful conversation in our Facebook Group (Christian Romance Readers Gathering) regarding men’s facial hair that I wanted to share with you here because curious minds want to know!
I personally have a very strong preference for anything from five o’clock shadows to two-day scruff to well-trimmed beards, and both my husband and my books certainly reflect this.
Early on when my husband and I were dating, he showed up at the door having shaved his beard off. I may have pitched a fit…enough that thirty some-odd years later he’s always worn one since.
For many years the covers of Harlequin Love Inspired books leaned toward baby-faced clean-cut heroes. I was so excited when the heroes on my covers started looking older and were sporting five o’clock shadows. And though he doesn’t appear on the cover, in Opening Her Heart, my hero Jake Cutter has a well-trimmed beard.
Harlequin Love Inspired requires authors to fill out an Art Fact Sheet containing settings, themes, and characters for the art department to use when they create the cover. We also suggest three specific scenes and pictures of actors who embody our characters, which is especially fun.
For Opening Her Heart, I cast bearded AJ Buckley as hero Jake Cutter and a mature (not Buffy!) Sarah Michelle Gellar. I used a photo of a sweet three-year-old girl with curly blonde hair and striking blue eyes, and of course the real star of the show, a golden retriever named Sissy.
So, what do you think? Did the art department do a wonderful job or what? (See cover below)
And please cast your vote—Do you prefer your heroes (and actors and the men in your lives) with a well-trimmed beard, five o’clock shadow or clean cut?
A story to be savored from that cover oozing with warm-fuzzy goodness to the tender, heartfelt dedication and on through the compelling story. This novel begs to be read and remembered — for its characters and it’s message — and all the dogs!!!
~Amazon Reviewer
*Photos purchased from Deposit Photos for Editorial Use only.
~~Love Courageously~~ Publisher's Weekly Bestselling, award-winning author of 30 novels, Deb Kastner enjoys writing contemporary inspirational western stories set in small communities. She feels especially blessed to be able to include faith as a natural and genuine part of her characters' lives. Deb lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and a pack of miscreant mutts. She is blessed with three adult daughters and two grandchildren. Her favorite hobby is spoiling her grandchildren, but she also enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music (The Texas Tenors are her fav), singing in the church choir, and exploring the Rocky Mountains on horseback.
I do not like beards at all. I feel they are a bit seedy.
It really depends on the man. Some wear a beard really well while others not so good. It can also be good sun protection for those who have to work outdoors. I do prefer it well maintained not scruffy.
I’ve always like beards on some men if it’s clean and trimmed .
Hi Deb! When I met hubby in the 1970s moist aches and sideburns were fashionable. Which he had for many years. When he cut it in the 1980s, our son Jon took on look at him and wouldn’t go near him while screaming “Not my Daddy any more.” In Sw Michigan my sons often have neat beards in the winter to keep their face warm. I prefer clean face or a neat beard, but find five o’clock shadows scratchy. When kissed. I have sensitive skin. Looking forward to reading responses. Enjoy your day and weekend.
In my recent Christmas novella, Christmas on Ocracoke, the hero didn’t have a beard but the cover artist gave him one! Now, in the follow-up, I’m going to explain where the beard came from (he’s so busy repairing homes damaged from the hurricane that he doesn’t have time to change). LOL>I’m just following where led.
Personally, though, I find beards scratchy.
*shave, not change. It’s early.
Nothing like clean faced for me.
I love a beard! That probably shows in the stories I write, but not ALL my heroes are bearded. Just a good percentage of them.
I have to say, I like the 5:00 shadow, but I also love a clean-shaven face. I’m not crazy about full beards, even if they’re nicely trimmed. I think of someone like Josh Holloway on Lost, and I LOVE that look!
Ha, Mary! I had a good laugh at that. You must be cringing through the pandemic as even men who usually don’t wear beards are growing them!
I like scruffy when it’s really short but not so much when men grow looong beards.
Clean and trimmed appears to be a theme here. For good reason!!
Good point! Comfortable when kissing is HUGE, and it’s something as an author that I have to face (no pun intended) new with every book. I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable writing kissing scenes because I feel like I’m interfering, but I have to dig past that to get to the details.
And the story about your son is hilarious!!
I had to hope over and check out the cover. Sigh!!! I absolutely LOVE the color of the hero’s hair…and the beard, LOL. On my most current cover for my July book The Marine’s Mission, the hero is kneeling with his dog (similar to my January book!). . .only in the book he has a bad leg and can’t kneel. Oops!!
I’m finding it interesting that most of us ladies have quite strong preferences one way or the other. I’m not even sure where mine came from. My father, brother and brother-in-law are clean shaven.
Ha ha. And mine have dark hair and blue eyes, also a very strong preference. Writing blonds is a problem for me as I don’t really find them attractive. Still, they can’t ALL be the same.
I pretty much think we can ALL agree on Josh Holloway!! I love the scruff.
I really can’t stand any facial hair on men. My husband tried to grow a mustache once, and I could barely stand to kiss him. He got rid of it pretty quickly. A very small beard like the one on the cover is tolerable, but not the scruffy beard of the actor who was the inspiration. :D
Not a fan of mustaches at ALL. Would take clean shaven over a mustache every time. The actor AJ Buckley’s picture comes from SEAL Team. All those guys rock awesome beards…if you like that sort of thing, which I do. But I totally get liking clean-shaven.
I Love a beard as My late husband always had a beard and he always keep it trimmed Love the cover of your book Deb!
No beards, too scratchy!
Your book cover is Beautiful! I love trimmed beards and mustaches, my husband has always had a beard and a mustache. Have a Great weekend and stay safe.
I think thats what i mean i don’t like the ones on a tangled mess
LOL – this post made me smile because I used to hate beards…of any kind; lately though, I find a five o’clock shadow very appealing … on my husband ;)
Thank you! The Harlequin Art Department is spectacular. And I’m really loving that my July cover (The Marine’s Mission) which I can’t yet share is so similar, only it will be the hero on the cover.
Ha ha! I like the scratchy part. Interesting how different women have different views on this.
I love how front and center Sissy, the golden retriever, is. Do you think your husband wears a beard because you prefer it, or do you prefer it because he wears a beard? (Chicken or the egg??) LOL
Amazing what the pandemic has done for us. :)
My husband has gone from clean shaven to well-trimmed beard/mustache and anywhere in-between. Though I have to admit, I’ve gotten so used to his facial hair that I don’t like him without anymore! He’s one that is meticulous about keeping it clean & well trimmed (it’s always soft to the touch).
I can’t stand to see men with scruffy faces….either a 5 o’clock shadow or letting it grow however it wants without taming it. To me, it’s a sign of unkemptness. On the other hand, I don’t mind a clean shaven face. :-)
I definitely prefer clean-shaven. The cover of your book looks great!
It depends on the man. My husband has always had a mustache. He his beard does not come in well. I love the cover. The dog is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
While I prefer the clean-cut look, I’m not anti-beard. I do prefer them kempt.
With only a brief exception to portray a drama character, I have had a mustache and beard since I left college nearly forty years ago. My wife enjoys it but says its my choice. For most of that time, I kept it trimmed quite short. Over the last few years, I’ve let it grow out. I’ve twice been mistaken for Santa. :) I can understand both sides for a lady’s preference. An equally interesting question would be, “What about long hair versus a bob on the ladies?” I’m definitely in the camp that it’s my wife’s preference. She’s the one who has to deal with it. (She has had both).
Definitely clean-shaven! Although I don’t mind looking at a man with a rugged beard, a plaid lumberjack type shirt, rugged jeans and work boots. I am getting my image from an author’s book trilogy (Charlene Carr) – Behind Our Lives, What We See and The Stories We Tell. I fell in love with one of her main characters – Lincoln, but don’t tell my hubby of 52 years. LOL
I’m coming late to the party as usual, new to Deb’s books as of today. I couldn’t help but notice most of the conversation happened on my hubby’s birthday, whom I have never seen without a beard. In early days he kept it short and trimmed, but now it is several inches long. I find it to be quite soft and enjoy running my fingers through it. A little different viewpoint, to add variety here.