Luke Kitson, The Boy on the Cover of Gone From These Woods and Blake Morrow the Cover Artist
One day, while I was hard at work pricing and listing books online, in my home bookselling business, Junebug Books, an email from my editor at Random House arrived.
"I'm going to send you an image file of the cover I commissioned for your forthcoming book, Gone From These Woods," Michelle said.
The book cover image file arrived a few minutes later. I immediately fell in love with the cover art. The young man on the cover, Luke Kitson of Canada, was a perfect match for my character, Daniel Sartain, in Gone From These Woods. I approved the cover. Later on, when I was working on my author's website, I contacted Luke and asked him to tell readers what it was like to pose for a book cover and what reactions he had gotten since the book was published.
Luke Kitson on Modeling for the Gone From These Woods Book Cover
"I was really cool to see people's reactions when I showed them the book and they realized it was me on the cover. It's was so neat to be a part of this. I moved to Barrie, Ontario at the end of August, the year Gone From These Woods was published. This meant I had to start a new school. I was in grade 7 and attended Hewitt's Creek Elementary School. I took the book to school to show my new friends and teachers. They were all freaked out and thought it was really neat!
My old school was in Midland, Ontario and was called Bayview Public School. My friends and teachers there were also really excited about this book.
"Mom and I worked together and came up with this information about what it felt like for me to pose as Daniel.
"It was a privilege and an honor to pose as Daniel on the front cover. I love to read and really enjoy novels. When the photos were taken, I knew that the book was about a boy who went hunting in the woods and had an accident and as a result of the accident, was going through a rough time in his life.
"When I posed, I wanted the readers to capture Daniel's character and feel his emotion. I tried to put myself in his shoes, as best I could. By looking off to the side and into the distance, I felt that the scene created an image of Daniel in thought.
"I want to thank you for including me and allowing me to be a part of this incredible journey."-Luke Kitson
More About Luke Kitson
Luke Kitson, of Ontario, Canada, passed away suddenly at home on Mother's Day, May 14, 2017, at the age of 19. He lives on in the memories of his family and friends and as the boy on the cover of the book, Gone From These Woods.
Blake Morrow, the Canadian cover artist who created the cover art for Gone From These Woods
