The winner of the W-i-W for The Darlings in Love is… Krista R! Send me your address, K.
This week, I have a copy of Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer. Andrea’s been here to share her Cover Stories, and this series is really smart and exciting. Now, Book 3 can be yours!
Just leave a comment telling me where your favorite reading spot is, and you’re entered. I’ll choose a random winner next week.
My reading spot is in bed, with like 4 pillows surrounding me. I like to feel completely propped up and encircled by poofs. (Though I will say that I dream of a sun porch, because those are my all-time favorite reading spots, whenever they’re available to me!).
Happy Wednesday!
Janet Lee Carey has been here before to talk about her cover for Stealing Death. Now she’s back with a stunning new novel, Dragonswood. Here’s her Cover Story:
“My cover ideas changed as I was writing Dragonswood. I often have a movie going in my head as I’m writing, so every once in a while I’d stop the movie to a still shot and think, ‘Hey that would make a great cover.’ Some images had to do with Tess’s fire-sight. I envisioned Tess staring into the fire entranced by the vision of a man swinging his sword, or of a fairy woman riding dragonback in the golden flames.
“I tossed a few ideas around with my editor, Kathy Dawson, at Dial Books for Young Readers. Along with the fire-sight images, we discussed a cover related to the early action scenes showing Tess and her friends’ escape from the witch hunter disguised as lepers. I pictured a bedraggled and muddy Tess dressed in a dark-hooded leper’s robe. Much later Kathy Dawson and I discussed the kind of medieval gown Tess would wear — the colors, the fabric — by then I realized we weren’t going with the fire-sight or the leper’s robe idea. I didn’t mind Tess wearing a gown since she does later in the book; still I remember asking, ‘Will Tess have a knife in her hand?’ Kathy paused a moment, then said, ‘I think you will be surprised by the direction this cover is going in, Janet.’
“When I saw the cover, I was stunned by its beauty. I remember my hands began to tingle. It was so completely different from anything I’d had in mind, and at the same time, so surreal and gorgeous. I loved the contrast of light and dark, the iridescent title, the bright water and gown against the dark forest, looming clouds, and the surrounding dragon scales. The designers took a complete U turn from where I was going with the cover. They formed a fresh idea evoking the heart of the story that takes Tess from bondage to liberty. The leap on the cover expresses her triumph.
“We talked a bit about changing the gown color, but ended up going with the original white. Really I was so happy with what I saw; I didn’t want to mess with it.
“Have you ever had a flying dream? The Dragonswood cover reminds me of my favorite kind of flying dream where I’m dancing in the sky; doing pirouettes, leaps, and flips, moving fluidly using the pressure of the thermals around me. It’s a truly magical dream and I always wake up from it feeling joyful.
“The cover also helped me discover a concise description of the novel – something I often find frustratingly hard to do. After staring at the book in my hands a long while I thought. One Girl. Bound By Fate. Breaks Free. Those words show up in a number of places now and became integral to designing our Dragonswood Book Trailer. (By the way that’s my voice in the background and my husband strumming the Turkish saz.)”
Thanks, Janet! There has been a lot of talk about there being many Girls in Gowns on covers this year, but I think Dragonswood stands out with movement and a sense of purpose. Plus, the sweetness of the gown makes it seem lie more than pure show. Also, the scales on the edge of the book add a nice texture and evocation. Thoughts?
Mari Mancusi has written a ton of YA novels, the latest of which are the Blood Coven series [read those Cover Stories]. Her very first Young Adult book, though, was Sk8er Boy. Now it’s out of print and she’s got the e-rights, so she was able to create her own updated cover. Cool, right? Here’s Mari with the story:
“You never forget your first. And for me, that was Sk8er Boy. My first true love and the title of my first young adult romance, published in 2005. Perhaps the most autobiographical book I’ve ever written, it’s a sort of Romeo and Juliet with text messaging.
“I originally sold the book to Dorchester, a romance publisher who had just introduced a new line of young adult books called Smooch. I had done one other romance for them, but this was my first teen book. So you can imagine how excited I was to see the cover.
“It looks pretty silly now (right), but you have to remember, at the time, those iPod commercials (see below) were really big and so I guess the artist felt it would appeal to a teen crowd. Still, though I knew it was trendy, I never felt as if it captured the feel of my actual book. It’s not romantic, for one thing. It’s not sweet. You don’t get a good feel for the plot or characters. Oh and I hate the girl’s purse! At the time, everyone had hobo bags and large purses–hers looks like something out of the late eighties. As does her outfit…
“In short, the cover did not capture the story inside the book. And you know how people judge books by their covers…
“Fast forward six years. The book is now out of print. And I have the rights reverted back to me. Which means I’m able to offer readers the book once again, by self-publishing it as an eBook.
“And this time I didn’t have to settle for a cover that didn’t fit the book. I had complete creative control. And so I worked with Theresa M. Evangelista, who does covers for Penguin books, to create the perfect feel for my re-release. Theresa worked on another one of my books, Gamer Girl [read that Cover Story], in the past, so I knew she’d come up with something amazing.
“And she did! As you can see, we chose a very sweet, romantic photo and Theresa applied an instagram style filter to give it an even softer look. We also changed the title from Sk8er Boy to Skater Boy–since everyone was always messing up the spelling anyway and I wanted it to be easier to Google. I even had Theresa apply a little sticker for the “First Kiss Club”, a new brand I’ve been working on of upcoming sweet, contemporary romances for tweens and teens.
“I’m so happy with how it all came out. Finally, I have a cover that fits my book. And best of all, now a whole new generation of readers can enjoy my very first teen book!”
Thanks, Mari! I love this tale of retaking an old cover and making it new. Very, very cool. And: That moment on the new cover is hot. What do you guys think?
Some authors (me too!) got together to talk about the power of words in honor of Holly Cupala’s new release, Don’t Breathe a Word. Check it out:
Yes, it’s Thursday. This site was blacked out yesterday to protest SOPA (more info here). And now: I’m back!
Last week’s title, Tempest by Julie Cross, goes to… Keanu lover Natalie! Send me your address, N.
This week, I’ve got a copy of Melissa Kantor’s The Darlings in Love, and she’s here to share the Cover Story! Just leave a comment on the cover and you’re entered to win a copy. Here’s Melissa:
“I had a fantasy of the cover, which might be different from an idea. When I was a kid, there was this book Forever, by Judy Blume. On the cover was a locket with a picture of a girl’s face, and when you opened the cover, you saw more of that picture–the girl’s whole body, the boy she was standing with, etc. It was this amazing reveal. [That's the cover, right]. 
Well, since pearl pendants play a big role in the story of the Darlings, I wanted the cover to picture a chain with a pearl on it, and when you opened the cover, you saw that the pearl was actually on a girl’s neck and that girl was standing with her two best friends. There’s a name for that (a cutaway? something like that). But my editor said that covers like that tend to snag and rip and that’s a real problem. As happens with so many things in life, reality intruded on fantasy.
“Once the pearl necklace idea was nixed, I think we discussed there being three of something, to symbolize the thee Darlings. The only thing I didn’t want was three cupcakes. There are a lot of cupcake covers out there.
“When I first saw my cover, I hated it. I am not exaggerating. I remember calling my editor and making it clear that I was furious. I was like, This is the worst cover! What were you thinking? I hate this cover, etc. She’s a very calm, rational person, and she tried to get me to be specific, so I more or less listed everything about the cover (from the font to the color to the cookies) and said why I hated it. I don’t know that that was what she had in mind when she said, ‘Be specific.’
“The one thing on the front cover that I was able to change was the cookies. They looked more like amoebas (is that how you spell it?) than hearts. I also had a lot of complaints about the back cover, and they took some of those to heart.
“Okay, this is somewhat embarrassing, but now I LOVE the cover. When I got my copy in the mail, I thought it looked so pretty and shiny. I love the color (which I originally hated) and I love how you can see the skyline in the cookies! I’m completely ashamed of my initial response, though I will say in my own defense that things look very different in real life than in the computer image I saw. If you have a chance to compare this image with the real book, you’ll see what I mean. I think the cookies are great, because Victoria (one of the Darlings) loves to cook and the heart-shapes are perfect because all of the Darlings fall in love in this book.”
Thanks, Melissa! I am a huge cookie fan. Sara Zarr’s Sweethearts remains one of my favorite covers ever, and this one is crazy cute. Also: I’m hungry. And, by the by, I adore those step-back covers too (I just call them Cover Holes, usually. Very VC Andrews.)
What do you guys think?
PS-Read the Cover Story for the first book in the Darlings series, The Darlings Are Forever.
You guys, I’m reading Miranda Kenneally‘s Catching Jordan right now, and it’s filling my Friday Night Lights void! Yay! Here’s Miranda with her Cover Story:
“I imagined my main character, Jordan, lying head-to-toe in a patch of grass with her best friend, Sam Henry. She’d be holding a football and he would be playing with some white clover.
“[My publisher] didn’t ask for input, but I couldn’t have been happier with the first options I saw.
“There were three options (see below), and I didn’t have any comments other than, ‘I love them!’
“Believe it or not, the first time I saw the final cover I was standing on an airport runway during a meeting. I got really excited and showed everyone with me. The colors really popped and the moment was surreal, because I had been working on the book for so long. Also, I thought the guy’s bicep was really hot. I believe they used a variety of stock photos.
“The title of the book ended up changing [from Score], so that was a big deal. Otherwise, it was mostly little tweaks – adding the purple helmet and changing where the fonts were centered on the page.
“At first, I didn’t even think about the meaning of the 50-yard line running between them. Then I started to realize that it symbolized Jordan’s inability to let go and follow her feelings, rather than what she thinks she’s ‘supposed to do.’”
Thanks, Miranda! First, I love the title change. And while I do like the girl-in-grass pics, the final image is epic. It’s a great scene, a movie poster, a perfect image. The fact that SHE is holding the helmet is fantastic too, and of course, it fits.
What do you guys think?
I went to The Vero Beach Book Center’s Children’s Store when I was in Florida last week and signed a few copies of Small Town Sinners (if you want a signed copy, I bet you could call them and snag one). This bookstore is ACES–such a great teen section. I snapped a few shelf pics with my phone because I spotted some friends on display. Here you go:
Sorry for the blurries. Spot anyone you love?
Happy Friday!
The winner of Bunheads, as chosen randomly, is… Kimberly C! Send me your address, K.
This week, I’m giving away a hardcover copy of Tempest, a debut novel from Julie Cross which has been touted as “The Time Traveler’s Wife meets The Bourne Identity.” So yeah! Also, it grabbed The Compulsive Reader right away (read her review). GRIPPING plot, I hear.
To win the book, comment below and tell me what your favorite action movie is. I am talking about the ones that stay with you, like Die Hard, Point Break, Taken (that last one is my favorite–Liam effing Neeson!). So those are probably my three faves. I’m just in the mood for more. So suggest away!
PS-You can see the trailer for Tempest on ew.com (BIG TIME!).
PPS-There’s an audiobook too, and here’s a sneak listen.
Holly Cupala was here to talk about the cover of her debut novel, Tell Me a Secret. Now, her second novel, Don’t Breathe a Word, is out this month, and it has a cover that manages to convey both darkness and sparkle. Here’s Holly with the Cover Story:
“After the gorgeous cover HarperTeen put together for Tell Me a Secret, I knew to expect something fantastic for my second, Don’t Breathe a Word… though it came about in a completely different (and for me, much more nail-biting) way…
“The original working title was Street Creed, which is what the design team initially had to work with. The first cover concept was… steamy (below). It featured two gorgeous creatures, probably Italian models, who met as if by chance after a swirling, beaded-dress-bedecked night for an almost-kiss. Sigh.
“But it didn’t feel like my book.
“Don’t Breathe a Word is the story of Joy, who runs away from home to escape an abusive relationship to the streets of Seattle. She finds allies who have secrets of their own, including Creed—a homeless boy who dreams of making it in the music industry.
“There is a steamy relationship (and Creed is swoonworthy!), but there are no beaded dresses. In fact, the only scene where that dress could have appeared was at a fundraiser party where Joy meets her boyfriend Asher—the dark reason she has to leave. Also, I was worried with the final title, it would look like ‘Don’t Breathe a Word about that naughty thing we did after the prom.’ No. Oh no.
“The thought of responding to my publisher without effusiveness completely terrified me. Not because my editor isn’t fantastic (she is!) but because conflict is way low on my totem pole of desirable activities. But like I said, my editor is fantastic! She completely understood where I was coming from, and they set to work on a new cover.
“I sent a link to some photos I loved (several of them including bokeh light flares), and here’s what they came up with:
“Love! It captured the movement, the darkness, the grit, and even the glamour of living on the streets.
“But…unfortunately the photo (the original of which is here at iAnton’s flickr) was already contracted for not one but two other book covers. Luckily he had another that we loved even more, and voila, here is brilliant designer Ray Shappell’s final cover:
Thanks, Holly! I think the final image is magical, and I love the hint of huge color without actual inclusion of many colors. Does that make sense? Anyway, what do you guys think?
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