My mom has a lot of nicknames. One is Kick A$$ Pat because she's awesome. We also call her "Tricky Pat" because she used to work at a yarn store, and knitters from all over the Milwaukee area would come to her when they had problems with their project because she knew all the tricks. She knits all the time, and her attention to craft inspires me when I write.

When we saw the cover for THE SECOND HOME, she decided to knit a sweater inspired by the colors, and the feeling of the book. She looked all over for just the right pattern by Nagaoka Yuri. This lovely mohair sweater was knit on size 2 needles. It's such a warm, cozy sweater to wear during the long Wisconsin winters.

For SHOULDER SEASON, she decided that a shawl might be a good idea (to cover my shoulders), but I wanted a cardigan because I'm always cold and wear cardigans all the time. She found this incredible "Reagan" pattern by Isabek Kraemer that looks like a shawl when I wear it one way, and a cardigan when I flip it around. The lacy design reflects the bubble pattern in the background (there's a bunny hidden somewhere in the cover).

We needed beautiful covers for inspiration, and super talented designer Olga Grlic at St. Martin's Press has truly created the covers of my dreams. The artwork for THE SECOND HOME is from a painting by Elizabeth Lennie.