the romance of unveiling my book cover!
The Cover of Promise: A Small Town Second Chance Romance
The emotions have been running high in my little corner of the world lately—but even with all the feels swirling, I’m still riding the wave of book promo mode. Grateful to be here. Excited to be here.
And because I can never resist a little drama and a good moment, I decided to give myself the best birthday gift a writer could ask for: a cover reveal.
So, without further ado, I’m thrilled (and maybe a little teary) to share the cover of my upcoming Small Town Second Chance Romance, Promise.
So, first things first—you might notice the name on the cover isn’t Jhéanell. It says Nelleigh.
Cue dramatic pause.
After months (and I do mean months…maybe years) of going back and forth—until I was practically blue in the face—I finally decided to go with a pen name. I landed on my nickname, Nelly… but of course, I had to give it a little flair. I mean, I have a uniquely spelled name already. Why stop now?
Since I’m writing small town romances (think cozy, a little country, a lot of heart) I wanted something that felt right at home in my fictional town of Westonberry. And Nelleigh just felt like it belonged there. Warm, sweet, of course a little spicy.
So when you spot Nelleigh Westonberry on the shelves, just know… it’s me. Same heart, same voice—just with a little extra twang.
I’ve had an absolute blast working with my illustrator and cover designer (yup, two different, equally magical people) to take this cover from a flicker in my imagination to something real and gorgeous.
Seeing it come together piece by piece? A total dream. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. And honestly? I cannot wait to hold the print version in my hands. I’m 98% sure I’ll faint. Dramatically. Probably with happy tears.
This morning, I journaled about how deeply grateful I am…
Grateful for the space and privilege in my life to play, to explore, to create.
Grateful that even when doubt creeps in and my ego gets loud—especially in this season, when I can’t quantify my wins the way I once did in business—I’ve kept going.
And now?
I’m just a stone’s throw away from becoming the very thing I dreamed of being as a little girl:
A romance author.
The one thing I’ve always wanted to be.
That realization? It humbled me.
Because the dream isn’t far off anymore. It’s not a someday thing.
It’s right here, unfolding in real time—because I finally took the initiative to make it happen for myself.
No more delaying. No more excuses.
These days, I’m beating back my inner critic with a metaphorical baseball bat every time she tries to get loud. I’ve stopped waiting for the “perfect moment” to take myself seriously—especially while God is up there playing SIMS with all of us, dragging and dropping life lessons like furniture.
So what do I have to lose?
I’m doing the one thing I’ve always wanted to do. And with my personal new year just kicked off, it feels like the exact right time.
PROMISE is on the way—and I truly can’t wait to share it with you.
Thank you for riding this wave with me. For the love, the condolences, the check-ins. I’m still going. Still writing. Still dreaming.
And I’m so glad you’re here with me for it.
So excited for you as you embark on this journey ♥️
Love the cover!