The days of "don't judge a book by its cover" are way behind us now in this age of glitz, glamour and celebrity looks. If you're like me when I'm browsing, it's Lorraine here (the Bateman of batemanandcole) a cover will both attract or repel me, so it's a big consideration as part of the creative process. We were lucky that our publisher, Oliver Rathbone at Karnac books encouraged us to contribute our ideas and this set me on a journey.

As you'll know if you've read my bio on the website www.lorrainebateman.com I spend part of the time living on the Isle of Wight, in quaint quirky Ventnor. When I was furnishing my apartment there I came across a picture of Beach Huts (thank you Sandy for this house warming gift) by the textile artist, Liliane (www.lilianetaylor.com) and felt certain that she could produce just the right cover for the book. Well that's when the fun started!!!! The gallery wouldn't give me any of her contact details and without her surname the google search was too difficult ……. but after repeated visits to the gallery, and by tripping up a temporary member of staff, I gleaned her surname and tracked her down in the north of England. And why the difficulty? Because the gallery were copying and selling her work without her permission. Yes folks it can happen as brazenly as that – all of which they denied through subsequent legal enquiries …. but that's Liliane's story to tell. Suffice it to say the search paid off and Liliane produced an evocative picture with the hint of a flemish outline to the houses and the trauma of flames in the background. She sets the scene for our words within.