The Monkey House

This is an off-topic and off-day post. If anyone remembers, I struggled with a cover for my short story Marking Time. I've never been completely happy with the one I settled on when I started uploading the story to JukePop Serials.

I've been playing with the cover off and on since, and finally settled on a cover that I really like along with a title change.

I watch Project Runway. I've been a fan since the third season, so I've been watching for years. I love the creativity of the designers when they have to work under tight restrictions. My favorite challenge is the unconventional materials challenge where they are taken to a grocery store and have to make dresses out of food. It makes me laugh, and they come up with some striking designs.

Anyway, I have a point here, I swear.

Tim Gunn is the mentor for the show. Love him, but that's a topic for another day. The finalists are sent home to create collections. Tim visits them to critique before they leave for the big runway show. One year, I can't remember the season, he visits a guy named Chris who is making these over the top dresses.

Tim says, "Have you ever been to the monkey house at the zoo? When you walk in, you're overwhelmed by the smell of it, but as you stick around, you don't smell it anymore. You become accustomed to the monkey house. This is the monkey house. You need to step back and see if it smells."

I'm paraphrasing a little since I can't remember his exact words, but that was the gist of it.

I need to know if my cover is the monkey house. Does it stink?

I'm about ready to publish, but I need to know if my cover is cute like I *think* it is. Don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything. Better you guys tell me than reviewers or nobody picks up the story because the cover is all wrong.