"Spirit of the Knight" Gets a Cover!

My August post "Of Haunted Castles and BookCovers," found me anxiously (hand-wringing, sweating, pacing...well, you get the idea) awaiting my book cover for my soon-to-be released novel, "Spirit of the Knight." As you might recall, I fervently hoped a castle would grace the cover in some small fashion. Debbie Taylor, of Dca Graphics, did not disappoint...

Cover by Debbie Taylor

Not only did she not disappoint; she used one of the very castles that inspired my fictional castle... the mysterious, Eilean Donan.  According to a host of witnesses, this castle, which is situated in Loch Druich, is truly haunted.  This beautiful edifice was all but destroyed in the year 1719. History records that three frigates from the Royal Navy bombarded the castle for three full days while fighting Spanish mercenaries who supported the Scots during the Jacobite rebellion.  It is believed that the ghostly soldier often seen carrying his head inside the gift shop, lost his life--and his head--during this battle.

He's not the only man to lose his head in an altercation in this location either. In the year 1331, after defeating his enemies, Robert the Bruce became king of Scotland. He subsequently made his nephew, Randolph, the Earl of Moray, the warden of Scotland. For their lack of respect for the law, Randolph promptly executed fifty men and hung their heads on pikes from the battlements of the castle. He did this as a warning to all those who would follow their lead. (Ick...)

Eilean Donan by dave conner

Of course, we can't have a castle without "the lady" ghost flitting about the place. In Eilean Donan, we have Lady Mary, and though no one is certain where or even the time frame from whence she came, she is most often seen in one of the bedrooms.

So, back to the cover, which I certainly can't share without also sharing the blurb. (The two do go together, after all...)

The blurb:

She fell deeply in love with him in the early days of her childhood. And in return, she captured his heart the moment he first cast gaze his gaze upon her...

Renowned artist Mariah Jennings, hired to paint a thirteenth century Scottish castle, gets the shock of her life when she encounters the handsome knight who has dominated a lifetime of portraits and sketchbooks. But Sir Cailen Braithnoch is no ordinary ghost, nor did he suffer an ordinary death. Magic of the blackest kind cast a pall over the knights centuries ago. As the ghost and his lady seek to unravel the paradox surrounding his death, black arts, otherworldly forces, and a jealous rival conspire against them.

Will fate keep them apart, or is their love destined to last through the ages?

Please let me know what you think about my newest cover! I'm excited to hear your thoughts and more than likely, so is Debbie Taylor!