Meet the Woman Behind the Cover Dress of "A Beauty So Rare" (Guest Blog by Tamera Alexander)

I love beautiful book covers—and those historical dresses definitely star on some of my favorites! Author Tamera Alexander is sharing an interview with Beth Schoenherr, the seamstress of the lovely dress on the cover of Tamera's new novel, A Beauty So Rare. Enjoy!

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Author, Tamera Alexander

Have you ever wanted to meet the woman who sewed the dress on a novel cover? Then please allow me to introduce you to Beth Schoenherr, the ever-so-talented seamstress who sewed Eleanor Braddock’s dress for the cover of A Beauty So Rare.

I’m thrilled that Beth was willing to share about her experience in making the dress, and I love the behind-the-scenes glimpses she shares. I hope you will, too!

Tamera: Where did inspiration for the dress for A Beauty So Rare come from (both the style and color)?

Beth: The style, of course, was determined by the post–Civil War timing of the story.

I believe the cover designer and editors talked about a garden setting and felt pink would look lovely against the backdrop of the green foliage and other flowers, which it does! I then had the fun of finding the right shade of pink to keep it a believable color for the time. Hot pink or neon pink, of course, would never do!

Tamera: Um, no. LOL! Not even Adelicia Acklen could have coerced Eleanor into neon pink! ; ) Have you made dresses for photo shoots before?

Love this gorgeous cover!


Beth: I started doing period costumes for men, women, and children in amateur theater in 1999 and then had opportunities in the following years to progress to working in the costume shop of a professional theater. This is my first costume for a photo shoot, however.

Tamera: How cool, Beth. I’m so grateful for your work on this dress. Well done! Do you have an appreciation for period clothing? And if yes, what’s your favorite style of women’s dresses from history?

Beth: I do enjoy period clothing. I don’t think I can pick one favorite style though. I just enjoy the various and changing silhouettes and fabrics throughout the history of fashion.

Tamera: Understandable. I have many "favorites," too! What’s the most challenging dress you’ve created for a cover (and what was most challenging about it)? Also, what has been your most challenging sewing project in general?

Beth: As I mentioned, this is the first dress I have made for a cover. It has been really fun and exciting to create this dress from scratch and then see it on the cover of this book. A new experience I had when making this dress was the cartridge pleats at the back of the skirt. The pattern called for the front and side pieces of the skirt to be pleated to fit into the waistband and left only a five-inch opening in the back of the waistband. Then I had to fit the 50-inch-wide piece of fabric for the back part of the skirt into that five-inch opening. I thought, “There is no way I’m going to get that much fabric into that little space.” But the cartridge pleats worked fabulously at neatly pleating 50” down to 5”.


Seamstress, Beth Schoenherr

The most challenging costume I worked on was a waistcoat designed and then cut out by someone else and given to me to sew. Not a single piece matched up in size to its coordinating piece. There was no extra fabric to work with so I had to just rework the pieces I had while making sure the finished garment would still fit the actor it was designed for. Definitely a “make it work” project!


Finally, probably the most thrilling dress I got to make was the first complete dress for a play at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Many of my costumes prior to that had to be remakes of existing dresses or costumes due to tight budgets. But I was graciously given the opportunity to sew, from start to finish, the schoolteacher dress in Little House on the Prairie: The Musical, which premiered at the Guthrie and then went on to tour nationally. It was so exciting to see the professionally-designed dress come together step-by-step and then to see it on stage.

Tamera: Wow, Beth, I bet that was a rewarding experience with Little House on the Prairie: The Musical. Congratulations! I’ve always admired people who know how to sew, and sew well!

Thank you for sharing your talent and time with us––and with the cover of my latest novel.

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For more "behind the scenes" glimpses from the photo shoot for A Beauty So Rare, visit Tamera's blog.

Cover Reveal | Love's Miracles

Today I'm excited to participate in a cover reveal! Author Sandra Leesmith is re-releasing Love's Miracles with a lovely new cover. So without further ado, I present Love's Miracles!

Don't you just love it?! I love that the man and woman are equally prominent on the cover. And the scruffy look is so different than all the clean-cut guys I'm used to seeing on romance covers. I like it! Throw in the cute little cabin and the beautiful fall trees ... there's a lot to catch the eye!

As much as I love this cover, we all know there's a lot more to admire about a book than just the cover. So here's a little about the book itself, the author, and the cover designer.

About the Book
Dr. Margo Devaull came to Dominic Zanelli's mountain retreat confident that she could help this Vietnam veteran overcome the torment that kept him apart from the world. But her training as a psychologist had not prepared her for the tragic, explosive contradictions brewing inside him. For here was a sensitive artist who could be gentle – and a man whose eyes flashed with violence and pain when he told her to leave and never come back. Yet Margo did come back, slowly gain his trust, and awaken the sleeping needs of his heart. Only by reliving her own wounded past and helping Zane confront a terrible memory from the war could she set them both free – and save their last chance for love.

About the Author

Sandra loves to hike, read, bicycle, and write. She lives in Arizona with her husband and Labrador retriever. During the hot summer, she and her husband travel throughout the United States in their motorhome, where she enjoys the outdoors and finds wonderful ideas for her next writing project. You can learn more about Sandra and her books at her website.





About the Cover Designer

Lena lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her blog to learn more about her. 

The blog tour for Love’s Miracles is scheduled for May 20th – 31st. Be watching the Seasons of Humility blog for more information in the coming weeks! The book will be released in Kindle format in late May.

* Please note that this is a "clean" general market romance.

Looking Back ... Cover Love 2012

As much as I'm ashamed to admit it, I totally judge a book by its cover. I try not to, but I can't help it! A good-looking book cover will cause me to grab it up and start reading. A great story can (and does!) overcome a cover I don't connect with but still. I'm a book cover snob. It only seems fitting then to share my Favorite Covers of 2012. In no particular order . . .

Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love

Ahhh ... the white, the snow, the steeple, that gorgeous dress!

Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden

This cover is so different than the typical CHF cover. Love the black and red, love that you can't see her face, and the ship in the back is totally intriguing.

The Stars Shine Bright by Sibella Giorello

The color alone puts this cover on the list. And the "shadowy" people. Beautiful!

Love Lifted Me by Sara Evans w/ Rachel Hauck

So simple, but the hands make me want to know this family's story.

Hope Springs by Kim Cash Tate

This cover is incredibly peaceful. And I love the blue. And the girl/woman. And the bird. And the water.

Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren

It's Paris! Need I say more?

The Pursuit of Lucy Banning by Olivia Newport 

The contrast of the beautiful, pink dress and the dirty city in the background. Love it! (Honestly, I'm a sucker for a pretty dress ...)

The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson

Such a cheery yellow cover! And the couple is in the background, sort of blurry, but you know they're important. Just different and a little mysterious.

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

That dress. Makes me want to get married all over again!

Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz

I didn't like this cover at first, but it grew on me and now it's made the top 10. Not sure what pushed it over the edge (maybe it's a reversal and the story made me love the cover more?) but I love it. Epic cover for an epic story.

There you have it ... my top 10. Are you a book cover snob (like me)? Do you judge a book by its cover? What were some of your favorites of 2012?