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YA Book Carnival Win-It Wednesday + Cover Stories: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Phew! That's a mouthful of a title. But I wanted to say that this post is part of Shooting Stars Mag's YA Book Carnival. Yay! Go check out all the contest links over there (after you read this post, of course). :)
The winner of last week's Win-It Wednesday for Serena Robar's Giving Up the V is... Tammy! Send me your address, T.
Today I'm hosting the awesome Sarah Ockler for another combo Win-It Wednesday + Cover Story. Take it away, Sarah!
"I love sea glass. I've always been fascinated with the idea that something whole and purposeful could be shattered and then utterly transformed by the magic of the sea into beautiful little gems, and that these gems could then wash up on shore somewhere else, years or even decades later. Think about that. Really. Isn't it amazing?!
"My own sea glass collection has been growing for more than twenty years, treasure-hunted from beaches along both coasts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the shores of Lake Erie here in Buffalo, NY. Like Anna in Twenty Boy Summer, I keep the glass in mason jars -- a colorful reminder of the waves shushing against the sand.
"For me, sea glass is highly symbolic of life's transformations. It's featured throughout Twenty Boy Summer to represent the beauty and rarity of true love and the cycle of loss, healing, and change that we endure when someone close to us dies. Because of the symbolism in the story and my own love of sea glass, I'd always secretly hoped that it would appear on the Twenty Boy Summer cover.
"When Little, Brown began the jacket design, my editor sent me several rounds of concept photos used to generate ideas -- beach landscapes, girls walking along the shore, summer-themed objects, boardwalk scenes -- all sorts of summer vacation-y goodness. I was grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the ideas and watch them evolve. My editor is amazing, and she was diligent in her efforts with the designer and marketing team to find the best imagery to convey the story.
"Over the next several weeks, we saw almost 20 different concepts before reaching the final choice between two images with equal support from the Little, Brown team: a girl in the water and a still-life concept that would require a photo shoot with sea glass (OMG, sea glass!). My agent and I shared our thoughts and later that week, the jacket committee convened to consider the options and seal my cover fate.
"The final decision? Sea glass photo shoot! Sea glass photo shoot! Yay! There was cheering! There was clapping! There was... thankfully no video evidence of my celebratory dancing! ;-)
"A few weeks passed before we received the email with the cover. Since the initial idea was based only on a concept, I didn't know exactly how the final image would appear. I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited for the file to open and ultimately reveal... a lovely sea glass heart on the boardwalk. <3
"*Insert more celebratory dancing!*
"Well, it turns out the photo shoot was quite an adventure. Who knew that sea glass would be such a challenging model? :-) One of the assistant editors brought sea glass from home, which didn't work, and then had to run out and buy a new batch. Once they had the right glass, they went through dozens of different shots and setups and ideas and backdrops, looking for a perfect shot that just wasn't happening. Finally, at the very end of an all-day photo shoot, the cover designer suggested arranging the glass into a heart shape on a boardwalk prop, just to try something completely different and spontaneous.
"Sea glass.
Heart.
Boardwalk.
"The rest is cover history. ;-)
"I love love LOVE my cover. It so perfectly captures the symbolism of Anna and Frankie's journey in Twenty Boy Summer. And the coolest part? They sent me some of the glass from the photo shoot, so now I have an awesome memento from my first novel, and a few more special pieces of sea glass for my collection.
"Thank you, Melissa, for asking about the story behind the cover of Twenty Boy Summer!"
I think I need to start a sea glass collection (that's Sarah holding hers next to her bookshelf)! This is such a great story and I love that there was a sea glass photo shoot! What do you guys think? One lucky commenter (in the US or Canada only) will win a signed copy of the book, courtesy of Sarah herself.
Also, what books can you spot on Sarah's shelf? I see Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten, which I loved, and I can also spot the gorgeous spine ofIf I Stay by Gail Forman... I love seeing people's shelves! Oh, and I see What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell at the very left corner.
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Comments (47)
I collect sea glass too. It's getting harder to find here in SC....sigh.
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
Posted by MJ | June 24, 2009 8:20 AM
Gorgeous cover. I love sea glass as well, and I was just at a wonderful wedding reception where the table decorations had a gorgeous beach theme...there was sea glass scattered all over, and pretty little beach charms and shells collected around vases with orchids (the head table had a vase with goldfish!). It was gorgeous!
Sorry, got carried away. Sea glass = awesome. I love the bit of red among the blues on the cover. This is definitely a book I'd pick up because of the cover.
Posted by Tiff | June 24, 2009 9:28 AM
I LOVE the color of the sea glass - the blues greens. Now I want to go out and decorate my backyard in nothing but sea glass. Might be tacky, but way pretty!
Posted by Lauren | June 24, 2009 9:44 AM
I have some sea glass in a bowl in my room. Reminds me of beach vacations, as does this book!
Posted by JenP | June 24, 2009 9:57 AM
The sea glass looks even better in a normal picture. I can't believe I didn't know such a great thing existed.
I spotted I Know It's Over, Far From You and If I Stay on Sarah's shelf! :)
Posted by Thao | June 24, 2009 11:30 AM
Sea glass is so pretty... if only I lived somewhere where I could find it. Maybe there's such a thing as lake glass?
Posted by NotNessie | June 24, 2009 12:19 PM
I think a book cover can really draw you to a title, even if you aren't sure about the story concept itself. And that photo is perfect for the book! It's amazing that it was so difficult to come up with, but I'm glad everyone went away happy (and that it turned out to be so beautiful!).
celialarsen(at)gmail(dot)com
Posted by celi.a | June 24, 2009 12:37 PM
I love the cover of this book is soo cool! sea glasses are so pretty I like them.
Posted by Lia | June 24, 2009 12:45 PM
I love finding sea glass. When I go on vacation, I always stop at a certain beach to grab handfuls of sea glass.
Posted by Alexa | June 24, 2009 12:49 PM
I didn't realize that was seaglass. i'd never looked very closely at the cover, and thought it was tissue paper scraps before. That's pretty cool!
amandagignac[at]gmail[dot]com
Posted by Amanda | June 24, 2009 12:53 PM
The cover is so pretty. And I've been wanting to read this book for a while now!
Posted by Priya | June 24, 2009 1:20 PM
awesome story. i didn't realize it was sea glass. i love the cover even more now. kinda makes me want to start a sea glass collection too, because it is beautiful.
Posted by Jennifer aka yabooknerd | June 24, 2009 1:51 PM
I'd heard of seaglass before, but never really new what it is. It makes me want to start searching for some now! The cover is really great, even if you had never heard of a book before a beautiful cover makes you want to read it.
Posted by Katryna | June 24, 2009 1:53 PM
I love the sea glass i havent had the luck to ever see one but it look beauftful I love the cover storie
Posted by Denise | June 24, 2009 2:34 PM
wow, I've never found seaglass!
And I spot Diablo Cody's book! that woman is a genius/crazy person.
Posted by bee | June 24, 2009 3:20 PM
I love to find sea glass, it's just beautiful! Just posted your giveaway on Win A Book.
Posted by Bridget | June 24, 2009 3:37 PM
I've always thought sea glass was so beautiful, and I absolutely adore the cover for this book.
Posted by Tasha | June 24, 2009 3:39 PM
I love sea glass! So pretty!
Posted by Raelena | June 24, 2009 4:19 PM
I spotted 7 tears into the sea on her bookshelf. I like the idea of this seaglass! I wish I had some for my bathroom. thanks!
Posted by jacque | June 24, 2009 4:34 PM
I love sea glass! I've never found any, but I have a small collection of sea glass I've gotten elsewhere. And I spot a copy of Taken by Storm on the shelf, and I think I see an ARC of Far From You.
Posted by Paradox | June 24, 2009 5:16 PM
I absolutely adore this cover. I've seen it so much online, and I really think it is beautiful...I didn't realize it was sea glass! Its so pretty! I wish I lived near a beach so I could find some
Posted by Leann | June 24, 2009 6:07 PM
I love the cover of this book. Sea glass is beautiful but I've never found any myself either. This book sounds like a good read; I've read a few reviews of it. Count me in!
Posted by Pam | June 24, 2009 7:29 PM
I never really noticed all the symbolism that can be related to sea glass. This sounds like a really good story.
Posted by Jasindo | June 24, 2009 8:06 PM
I've never seen sea glass, either. Glad I'm not the only one. I was guessing that heart was made of shredded tissue paper. Don't bother asking me why, unless you're really bored. The cover is a grabber.
Posted by Bookfool, aka Nancy | June 24, 2009 8:15 PM
I have a piece of sea glass I found six years ago, that I always thought was shaped as half a heart so I called it the heart of the ocean, because I am a dork like that :)
Posted by Shalan | June 24, 2009 8:51 PM
Sea glass is absolutely beautiful. I've never been able to find a peice myself, though.
Posted by Melanie | June 24, 2009 8:53 PM
I have never seen a real piece of sea glass, but they look so beautiful in pictures!
Posted by Andrea | June 24, 2009 9:46 PM
Looks like a good read, please enter me into this drawing.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com
Posted by Jake Lsewhere | June 25, 2009 2:46 AM
When I go to the beach, my younger sister always snags whatever sea glass we come across. Hopefully I'll finally find some for myself this summer.
Posted by Lindsay | June 25, 2009 3:15 AM
When I go to the beach, my younger sister always snags whatever sea glass we come across. Hopefully I'll finally find some for myself this summer. I really like the look of the cover. The blues are nice.
Posted by Lindsay | June 25, 2009 3:16 AM
Wow, I love that story - what a great cover, and now I am even more eager to check out this book! And oooh, I love getting a look at other people's bookshelves too!
-Chrissie
Posted by Chrissie | June 25, 2009 12:24 PM
I think that sea glass is beautiful. I love anything that has to do with the ocean. The cover is gorgeous.
Sierra
skierra204(at)gmail.com
Posted by Sierra | June 25, 2009 3:13 PM
That's so awesome! Sea glass is so pretty, and the cover is gorgeous! It makes me wish I lived by a coast, so I could start my own sea glass collection... *sigh*
And now I really, REALLY need to read this book. :)
Posted by Teresa | June 25, 2009 3:22 PM
I love this Cover Story--this has been one of my favorite covers recently and it's great hearing the story behind it (blame it on all those photo classes I took) :D
(and I really want the book!)
-Lucile
Posted by BookSpot | June 26, 2009 12:04 AM
I love hearing cover stories with author input and active involvement! Twenty Boy Summer is in my to-read pile.
Posted by Little Willow | June 26, 2009 10:55 AM
I love sea glass. Sometimes I will use a piece or two in my crafting.
Posted by Deedles | June 26, 2009 11:15 AM
I can never find anything cool like sea glass. Maybe I just don't have the patience!
Posted by Melissa N Walker | June 26, 2009 5:46 PM
i LOVE sea glass i have always wanted to start a collection of my own. I rember when I was a little younger and my family and I went to florida I spent all day looking for sea glass and was so sad when I couldnt find any, thats when my dad told me sea glass was really hard to find . I love the colors there soo beatiful. I love your cover story its really cool. This book is actually top on my list of books i want to read this summer...!
Posted by christi | June 26, 2009 8:16 PM
Wow, no way, Sarah! They ended up giving you the sea glass that they used in the actual photo shoot?? That's fantastic! I've never collected sea glass before but now I'm all the more intrigued by them.
Posted by Steph Su | June 27, 2009 12:51 AM
The cover is amazing.
Posted by Ink | June 27, 2009 4:09 AM
Hey.
My friend said that this book was A~M~A~Z~I~N~G!!!
the cover looks like summer and i cant wait to read it :D
Love forever and always Katie
Posted by Katie | June 27, 2009 1:53 PM
I wish I lived someplace where there was sea glass -- we're landlocked here unfortunately!
Posted by Marie | June 27, 2009 1:56 PM
The cover is great. My aunt has some sea glass in practically every room in her house. I think they are great.
I see Hope was Here by Joan Bauer.
dsym_06(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Posted by Daisy | June 27, 2009 5:08 PM
I love the cover of TWENTY BOY SUMMER! When I first saw it though I thought that the peices of sea glass were Post-its.
I see FAR FROM YOU on her shelf.
Posted by Jessica | June 28, 2009 2:10 PM
The cover they ended up with is so perfect! I love it :) Please enter me.
Posted by pepsivanilla | June 28, 2009 10:35 PM
I see I Know It's Over, a pretty good read. It was kind of sad though.
I like how on the cover the glass looks really quite small and fragile but in her hand you can see it's quite thick and colourful. And it contrasts beautifully with the boardwalk. That's an awesome cover.
-Lindsey
Posted by Lindsey | June 28, 2009 10:49 PM
Love the cover and the story. I've also always been fascinated by sea glass. One of nature's little wonders.
Posted by Avery | June 29, 2009 1:26 AM