The Circle C Adventures covers have gone through a complete overhaul. The covers were updated and numbered in honor of the Tenth Anniversary of the publication of Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home. Check out not only the original covers, but other possible original covers from all those years ago. Click on the pictures to enlarge each one. Enjoy! Questions? Leave a comment.
Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home
This book launches all of the Andrea “Andi” Carter adventures in 1880s California. This first cover was a “mistake.” I sent in an idea of what my character looked like so the Kregel illustrator could create a cover. I was expecting a painted/colored drawing cover, not a photograph, since it was a kids’ book. I got the surprise of my life (and of Jessica’s life) when I saw the book on Amazon with this picture of Jessica on the cover. With no warning. My only disappointment was that I had expected them to paint the cover so Andi could have blue eyes. Too late now! Also, if you look closely, you will see that the cowboy hat was too small. It was her little brother’s hat. But honestly, it was never my intention to take modeling pictures, only to show my publisher what my character sort of looked like.
Andrea Carter and the Dangerous Decision
This novel is actually the first Andi book I wrote and the first book I wrote on a keyboard rather than with paper and pencil. I loved writing on the Commodore 64 computer. The story came fast. It was a little different than the published one. I would love to post the “lost” original story, but I can’t find it. Fans ask which is my favorite book. For the Adventures series, Dangerous Decision is (and always will be) my favorite. Not only because it was the first Andi story I wrote but also because I like seeing all of the family in the story. Confession: Jessica did not like the dress at all. (Neither did I.) So the cover ended up being a skirt and vest “cowboy” style and I saved the dress picture for when Andi went to a girls’ school in San Francisco.
Once Kregel Publications slapped that picture of Jessica (Andi) on the cover of Long Ride Home, I knew I was in trouble. The Circle C Adventures was a series. That meant more than one book, which meant more than one cover. Yikes! So Jessica and I headed to a friend’s horse stable. She (Kim) had a palomino. Granted, Rusty was not a golden palomino, but I was desperate. And Rusty was a pretty horse, even though he was a light-colored palomino.
Andrea Carter and the Family Secret
Enjoy the different possibilities for this cover. I once had a school assembly vote. Which cover do you think they chose? Yep, the one with “conflict” on it. But the publisher chose the “friendlier” cover. Go figure. Which do you like?
We had loads of fun with this cover. I needed to find pictures of Andi’s nieces and nephew. I found two Levi’s: Evan, a mischievous boy from our church, who ended up on the cover, and Jarrett, Jessica’s younger brother. (But honestly, Jarrett looked too “nice” to be Levi.) I found Betsy (Michaela Joy), and two Hannahs. One was Esther, Jessica’s little sister. The other was Kaetlyn, my granddaughter. As it turned out, we only used Levi on the cover. Having four characters on the cover was too many, and I preferred to include Patches (Dixie).
Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers
During the photo shoot for Dangerous Decision, Jessica changed clothes into a dress close to the time period. The original intention was that Andi could wear that dress when Jed snatches her. But none of the pictures seem to “work” for Dangerous Decision, so we went with the more cowboy-looking outfit. The dress pictures worked for San Francisco Smugglers, but Jessica hated that outfit. Just like Andi. So the model and the character are on the same page. The original cover (the beige one) ended up with three concepts! Crazy. The one with Lin Mei dressed in red was a “no go.” It looked like Taffy’s head was coming out of the mansion. LOL I didn’t care for the one with Jessica only, so we went with the first one. Also, the little girl, Gracie, who modeled Lin Mei, could not wear red. Red is not the right color for a slave girl in the Chinese culture. It is for the wealthy.
Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure
The photo shoot for Trouble with Treasure went wrong in oh so many ways. Mostly, you should never take pictures in bright sunlight, especially if it’s mixed with spotty shadows. So most of the pictures taken with Taffy and Flash did not turn out. I ended up back at Jessica’s house for a few poses of just her and Cory. Cory is Ryan, my youngest son. He was 14 at the time (Cory’s age), and he wanted to grow his hair out for the summer. I thought this was a great idea. He could model for Cory. I asked. See some of the pictures thatnever had a chance at the cover spot.
Andrea Carter and the Price of Truth
I was so excited to find “Rosa” to include on the cover as Andi’s Mexican friend. She is the granddaughter of a member of our church. Unfortunately, shooting pictures in October in Western Washington is not the best idea (like not shooting in the summer sunshine). The horse had already grown his winter coat so did not look shiny like he did in the Trouble with Treasure photo shoot. Also, with the new “window” on the anniversary covers, there would be no room for the wide photo that includes Taffy. So, for the anniversary edition (see the new covers way at the top) I deleted the horse.
Andi Carter's Blog 
Oooooh! I have all the originals. I still like the old ones best.
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Love it. Wow! Her hair is long. What color eyes does Jessica have? They look blue.
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I’m glad you think so since Andis eyes are blue. But Jessica’s eyes are dark hazel.
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Yeah, you definitely can’t tell on the cover.
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price of truth
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please write โ๏ธ more circle c milestones with teoledo in theme ๐ฅน๐๐ฅน๐ฅน๐ฅน๐ฅน๐ฅน๐ฅน๐ฅน๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅฒ๐ฅฒ๐ฅฒ๐ฅฒplease please!!!!’!!!!!!!!!!
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You could always write subs fan fiction with him, you know….
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then write more dramatic andi books ๐ PLEASE!!’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!9
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Same answer as before… I could write more dramatic Andy books… But where would they go? I mean where would they go on the timeline between books 3 and 4? Between books one and two? Where?
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writeโฆ.. oh please write more andi books ๐๐๐๐โ๐ป๐๐๐
PLEASE ๐
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The only way I can do that is if I publish them myself, because my publisher has pretty much finished out that series all of the series actually, sadly.
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I LLLLLOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE the Andi books
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wwwhhhaaattt ! Thatโs horrible ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฉโน๏ธโน๏ธโน๏ธโน๏ธ๐ฅบ๐ฅบ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฎI wish I could tell them a thing or two !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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What is horrible? My books are being published over and over again it’s just that there aren’t any new ones because there’s no place to stick it in The timeline is so tight between all of Andy’s adventures books one two three four five six seven and eight. And then the milestones books start up right where the Circle C adventures end. So where in the world would I put a new Andy book?
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WHY did they stop publishing your books ??๐๐ก๐๐โน๏ธโน๏ธ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ก๐กWHY !???????
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Oh they’re still publishing my books all right It’s just that with the eight books in the Circle C adventure series I mean seriously how many do you think there should be because the last book 8 dovetails into the first book of the milestones so there aren’t a whole lot of gaps where I could put another brand new book.
Now I’m writing Jenny Grant books …. books one and two.
I guess my question is where would I put a new book of an Andy Carter book to try to squish it in between books one through eight There isn’t any room and to be able to stick with the correct timeline. I’m open where would it fit?
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put another book after stranger in the glad !!!!! Please
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How? Those are short stories, not a novel
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than make another book with short stories about Riley ,Andi ,Jared , and the twins !!!!!!!!!!!!! Please !Please! Please! Please !๐๐๐๐
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Good gracious you make me tired. Lol ๐ค๐ค๐คโ๏ธ
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but I love โค๏ธ the Andi books ! Do you mean you are out of ideas for Andi ?๐๐๐ฒ????? Where do you get all the dramatic , funny and interesting things for andi
like when Johnny Wilson kissed her ???!!!!
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Well I’ve never had a boy do that to me kiss me but a boy when I was in the 8th grade hit me with a rubber band in my neck on the bus and so I got up and went over to him called his name when he looked at me I punched him right in the head so that’s where I got that idea
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how old is Jenny when you start the Jenny ๐? Are they going to be dramatic?
when will they come out ?
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Jenny’s 12 same age as Andy when I start the books When I end the series it’ll probably close to when she meets Andy in San Francisco smugglers. I might have them do an adventure together if I think of one. Of course they’re dramatic All my books are dramatic I like to write dramatic books
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who is going to act like Jenny in your family ?
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I’m not sure what you’re asking
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sorry !how old is Jessica now?
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I think she’s in her mid to late 30s and has four boys.
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is that where you got the idea for the picture Riley Andi Jared in stranger in the glad ?
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Not sure what idea you’re talking about. I’d already knew about the stories and I already written the story because she has the baby at the end of the Yosemite at last book. And then when I saw Jessica’s Christmas pictures that year I said oh that’d be perfect You and the baby to put on the second cover. And then I just had to find a guy to be Riley which I found on a deposit photo site
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are you also going to make a book about when Corrie and Jenny get married ?
ARE YOU ????? How many books are you going to make in the Jenny seriesโs?which is more sassy Andi or Jenny ?
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My big goal is to finish and get these two books to my publisher. Book one and book two. That is all I am contracted for. They probably will ask for more and I’m not sure that I want to do more because it’s getting really really hard to write them cuz I’m running out of ideas after all these gazillion books I’ve written. It’s possible that I would do a Corey and Jenny thing as short stories but not a huge novel series like with Andi. I don’t have the energy for that those are long long books the milestones
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how old are you if you get so tired then?????
Ariel
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Oh it’s got nothing to do with age at all. It has to do with having written so many books all in the old west all about Andi, that a person just starts running out of ideas for new, fresh plots that don’t all sound alike. Kind of like getting tired of the boxcar children The first book was great but you know 35 books later…? That author really need to stop writing those.
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I mean that my name is Ariel ! Sorry!
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No worries.
Some authors can churn out a whole bunch of books and they get really boring. I refuse to write a boring book, so that means it takes lots and lots of effort to make things new and fresh.
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I understanding !!!!!! ๐
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sorry ! That was going to say I understand! Sorry !!!!!
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where did you get the name Toledo?
Ariel V.W.
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Huh. I don’t remember! Lol
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oh ! Okay ๐ where do you live? Not to be pesky ๐ซค
Ariel V.W.
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Depends on what time of the year it is in the summer and fall I’m in Washington State up in the mountains and for the winter and spring I’m in Central North Central Texas
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so you have a couple of houses in two different places?
Ariel .V.W
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Well more like an RV in Texas a nice big one and then a regular little A-frame cabin house in Washington
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how long does it take to make a new book ๐????
Ariel.V.W
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Oh about 3 or 4 months if I know what it’s about much longer if I don’t know what it’s about. Lol
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