Two thoughts and please take this with a grain of salt, since I'm definitely not a designer. First thought: I'd be careful with yellow - at least here in Denmark it signals discount prices and people will typically associate certain shades of yellow with something cheap. There may be "expensive" yellow, but that would probably be of a more subtle hue either darker or lighter. Second thought: Few things draw attention as well as human faces (blood, weapons, and nudity being other candidates). While you do have an expressive face on there, it's kind of hidden and you don't necessarily see it at first. Maybe dimming the background would make it more immediately visible.
#2.
Have you consider making it black&white with really red blood and maybe redish sun?
Two new versions. Thanks!
#1
#2
Neither nor.
I like the black and white with red blood spilling around the body that someone suggested.
Just separate from the cover, a comment on the wording--I think it would be improved if you struck "when" from the tagline. Going through all these, I liked the dude in bed as an image, whereas this still feels like there should be something between "sunrise" and your name. What about a horizon? (Since this feels like high noon). A muted silhouette of a horizon? Something to use that empty space effectively, but not too much. Even a black and white horizon with a few shapes--either urban, or seaside, or something that fits the book--might be effective. My 2c.
Thanks Slaven. I've shifted gears from the blood because a lot of people thought the guy in bed was dead and the book was a murder mystery (it's a thriller). I thought of the reddish sun but with "bloody" in the title I don't think I need to emphasize blood at all and I like the contrast between the yellow and black. Appreciate it.
Just a quick comment - #1 above captures my attention better, because it puts the face right in the spot where I naturally look first. For that reason alone, I like #1 better than #2 (now I actually see the face before I read the title, which is a spooky and awesome effect). However, as Cindyt said, the body in the bed was also very effective.
I can't see yellow as murder/mistery color, but you should follow your vision not mine
Late to the game, and I'm certainly no expert, but I think Cover #2 (with blood and the bolder font for your name) is more grabby. My only issue is that the blood spatter itself doesn't seem to have any logical pattern, especially the three stripes of blood on the man's shoulder (which looked like claw marks).