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Writer's pictureKirsten Weiss

Book Cover Madness

When I first came up with the Wits' End series, it seemed obvious to title the first book At Wits' End. It was funny, and described the heroine's mental state fairly well. But since the series was set in a UFO-themed B&B, I decided to give the second book a name riffing off a classic sci-fi movie. Planet of the Apes became Planet of the Grapes. And that led to Close Encounters of the Curd Kind, and then War of the Squirrels.


For War of the Squirrels, I decided to step up the theme and play off an old sci-fi movie poster.


Vintage War of the Worlds movie poster - a man protecting a woman from attacking UFOs. Reads: At this very moment space ships from the beyond may be on their way to destroy our planet!

War of the Squirrels book cover - squirrels freaking out as UFOs hover above.

It's hard to pose squirrels, even in drawings.


But my Christmas-themed book stumped me. I couldn't come up with any good holiday themed sci-fi movie titles. So I abandoned the sci-fi theme and Home Alone became Gnome Alone. The similarities between the two covers are a bit more obvious.


Home Alone movie poster - small blond boy with hands clapped to his face, mouth open in shock..

Gnome Alone book cover displaying garden gnome with hands clapped to his face, mouth open in shock.

I returned to sci-fi with The Woman from Planet X, where Susan and Arsen go to a town filled with the world's largest things. The book cover plays off the poster for Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman.


Vintage Attack of the 50 ft. Woman movie poster. Displays giant woman in white bikini straddling freeway and holding a car while people run away.

The Woman from Planet X book cover. Depicts giant woman towering over pines and mountains while holding a large pink flamingo and giant ball of yarn.

But my all time favorite is the cover for my upcoming Wits' End cozy mystery, Night of the Cupid. My cover artist really outdid herself. (I also love, love, love the pop-art versions of Susan and Arsen). In Night of the Cupid, all of Susan's plans for a romantic Valentine's Day special for her guests go murderously and hilariously wrong. It lands October 31st of this year, so pre-order it now!


Vintage movie poster for Forbidden Planet. Displays man shielding woman and holding a ray gun. In background, robot carries an unconscious man.

Book cover for Night of the Cupid. Displays man protecting woman and firing a ray gun at a toy robot holding a winged cupid.

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