There are many excuses for an author to procrastinate. Fear, hunger, bills-to-pay, fear, leaking rooves, accounts, committee reports . . .  Did I mention fear? But today has given me one of the weirdest.

German readers, blessings on them, like TO MARRY A PRINCE. They like it so much, indeed, that they have brought out an additional edition under the BestBook imprint.  My copy arrived this morning. And after the glee, the preening, stroking the cover and recklessly toasting its success in Earl Grey tea, I looked a bit harder at that cover.

And got out the first edition.

And … and …

OK, the second book is a bit fatter, a bit more solid in every dimenson.  But the cover is the same regal violet blue as the original German (and indeed UK) paperback. It still shows a huge wedding dress with the bride’s head out of frame.  But — but — 

Do you remember those cartoons where you were supposed to find 10 things which were different between version 1 and version 2? I think the Germans invented them.

So here they are.  Judge for yourself; well, the best you can within the limitations of my scanner.  (The skirt of the first one has applique white roses; the second one is decorated with swags of diamonds and pearls; but you have to look hard to see both.  All right, I looked hard. Authors procrastinate – right?)  

How many differences can you see? I’ve got 8 so far. 

And, apart from distracting me from my work in progess, why?

German Paperback 1

German Paperback 2