Bringing a Book to Life on the Screen

If you're the type who enjoys the previews when you go the movies, then chances are you've also checked out a book trailer or two.  For a while, they were all the rage, though I've noticed that publishers and/or authors aren't really doing them as much anymore.

Today I'd like to show you three of my favorite trailers: my first, my only fully-illustrated one, and my all-time favorite.

Whispers of the Bayou

Back when trailers were first catching on, I tried making my own. This was my first attempt, for Whispers of the Bayou. The whole concept of book trailers was so new then, I wasn't sure what I was doing. But I did know the feeling I wanted to convey, so I decided just to go for it. By today's standards, it's definitely amateurish (no live video, just a montage of still images), but I think it came out pretty good for the time. At least it still gives me a little shiver when I watch it.

FYI, the girl standing in front of the big Southern house as well as the one holding her hair up to show the back of her neck is my daughter Lauren. At the time, she was a lot younger than the character she represented, but the pictures move by so fast, I figured we could get away with it. :)

Beauty to Die For

As trailers grew more common, my publishers took over the task of creating them. This next one is my only fully-illustrated trailer, created by B&H Publishing Group for the book Beauty to Die For.  I thought it was simply awesome and was so excited when it came out.

The Amish Groom

This last one is so good that it's almost like watching a movie made from the story. It was created by the incredibly gifted Caleb Rexius, who always does amazing work. As filmmaker, actor, and narrator, he was on both sides of the camera with this one. It's not only my favorite trailer for my own books, it's my favorite trailer for anyone's books. :)

Give it a look and see what you think...

Now we just need someone to option this book for a movie for real!

See Them All

And that's it, my three favorite trailers. You can find links for all of my trailers at my website, on each book's individual page. (Note that not all of my books have a trailer. If you don't see a link, then no trailer exists for that particular book.)

Still the Rage?

All this talk of trailers does lead to me to wonder if they really were a passing fad or if readers still want them.

How about you? Do you ever watch book trailers? If so, have you ever read a book primarily because of its trailer? Let us know in the comments, below.