Cover Stories: Swoon by Nina Malkin

After having my nose in this book all weekend, I am excited to keep talking about it (even though I already sung its praises to everyone at the Teen Author Carnival last week, which was a TOTAL BLAST, btw, and full of the most fun people you could hope to meet). Nina Malkin's here to share the cover story. (Have I mentioned how hot this book is and how you should go get it now? Do!). Oh, and enter Nina's contest to win a signed copy of the book--do it by June 30th! Here's Nina: "'Love at first sight must be glorious...'

"I'm quoting the first line of my novel SWOON, and in answer to narrator Candice 'Dice' Moskow's musing, am here to say, 'Yeah, it is.'

"Like ten years ago, I first laid eyes on the tall, bespectacled, floppy-haired boy in the corridor of a magazine where I worked. In that moment, I flashed: 'Mine!' Turns out he had come interviewing for a job, which he got. Soon thereafter, he got me--as a friend, then as a girlfriend, now as a wife.

"Something similar happened last spring when I received an email subjected 'SWOON cover comp.' I clicked on the JPEG attached and flashed: 'This is $%#^@!ing hot!' A first. SWOON is my fifth book, but the only one with a cover I truly love. Imagine my dismay, for instance, when sent the results of the pricey photo shoot my previous publisher did (without my knowledge, much less input) for my debut novel 6X: The Uncensored Confessions. This is a book about a rock band. Why, then, a cover subject tarted up like a Vegas hooker? Did I squawk? Damn skippy. To no avail. Who was I, fledging author, to tell a big publishing company its business.

"SWOON, different story.

"Considering my previous experience, I sweated the cover of SWOON. Now I was with perhaps the biggest publishing company of all--surely they wouldn't deign to consult me. Plus, with SWOON's fairly complicated premise and plot, a design no-brainer it was not.

"Fortunately, I had an appreciation for covers Cara Petrus, the creative genius assigned to SWOON, had done for other books. Still, she had her work cut out for her. I, for one, was challenged to conceive an image.

"While I did envision a young woman in 'swoon mode' and a tree, the doodle I doodled fell seriously short. My aforementioned husband had a look and said, 'What's that stuff growing out of the girl's butt?' To which I barked, 'Bark! Don't you know the bark of an ash tree when you see it?'

"The only other concept that occurred involved my hero/antagonist, Sinclair 'Sin' Youngblood Powers.

Several months into writing I happened on a magazine advertisement--and couldn't look away. The dude was Sin. Except with manlier hands and 18th century teeth. Still, it just didn't feel right to have a guy--even if we could track down this guy--adorning SWOON.

"Then the fateful email arrived. One download later, I was in love. Sure, I could nitpick. Point out that the subject is a redhead who resembles none of the characters of SWOON. Complain that her pose seems a tad comatose (if not dead) and argue that a person in swoon mode is very, very, very much alive. Me being me, I did--nitpicked, pointed out, complained and argued. Remarkably, they listened, offering to do a photo shoot and forwarding pics of prospective models.

"At which point I slapped on the kibosh--except for a semi-metallic sheen to the title, the final cover of SWOON hasn't changed one iota from Cara's original comp.

"Because my initial reaction was that this image evoked the darkness, mystery, romance and sensuality of SWOON. Because I've learned to trust my instincts. And because I believe in love at first sight."

So do I. And this cover? LOVE. Do you guys agree? Also, Nina's notes on the Sin model crack me up! And her drawing actually DOES have some resemblance to the final cover, at least the head-thrown-back thing, right? I'm impressed.

Cover Stories: This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy-Stone

Heather Duffy-Stone's This is What I Want to Tell You has a really arresting cover, which is why I invited her to the blog to tell her story. And here she is:"In imagining the cover of my book, the only thing I was sure of is that I did not want models represented as the characters. I told my editor I didn't mind a hand or a neck or an unidentifiable body part--I just want the reader to be able to imagine what the characters looks like... that was very important to me. I also liked the idea of tattoos being on the cover, as they figure sort of prominently in the text. At the early stages, too, the book was called Permanent Ink, so the idea of tattoos felt more connected to the title. My editor and I definitely had conversations about the cover but to be honest, I was sort of clueless. I knew Flux had amazing covers--that was actually part of what drew me to them. So I felt pretty confident standing back from the process... "That said, when I first saw the cover I burst into tears. I was at work and I opened the PDF and I was in total shock. It was nothing like I had imagined... even though I'm not totally sure what I imagined. I thought it was incredibly violent. Then a student was in my office a few hours later and he saw the image and said 'Oh, is your book about a kidnapping?' "I was horrified. "So I called my editor and he was amazing. He talked to me about taking a few different versions of the cover to some teen focus groups. This one was the most popular by far, he said. Then he told me: 'A cover needs to do two things: it needs to give the reader some hint of what the book is about. And it needs to grab you.' "I started to come around. This cover definitely grabbed. "Then the more people saw it, the more I could step back from it. People were really struck and intrigued by the cover. Now, about six months after I first saw it, I am in love with it. It is actually very close to the original version. It is a stock photo but I like the story about writing the title. Apparently, at a staff meeting the designer asked everyone to write the title in his hand writing. I was hoping the handwriting on the actual cover belonged to Andrew, my editor, just because it would be so appropriate, because he was my guide through the whole process. But he said, apparently, his handwriting looked too much like it belonged to a serial killer. So I'm not sure whose handwriting it is in the end. But I like that it was a collaborative process--a stock photo and Flux handwriting and, though it is a model, I think there still leaves enough room for you to imagine what the characters look like. And hopefully want to read more..." I have to say that this cover certainly drew me in, and it's interesting to hear that Heather was horrified at first. What do you guys think? Has this cover grabbed you?

Bonus Cover Stories: A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan

The winner of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty is... Iryna! Send me your address, I. You are going to loooove this book. I'm halfway through (I'll send after I finish!) and totally swooning. I am so ready for summer!Today Brian Sloan is here to talk about his cover for A Really Nice Prom Mess, which involves boobs and big-chain objections! Let the story begin: "Prom, of course, is a huge genre for YA fiction with a lot of books out there on the topic. A REALLY NICE PROM MESS is about a secret gay double date to the prom that doesn't stay a secret very long, leading to an all-night long series of adventures/ catastrophes involving strippers, drug dealers and a good chunk of the DC police force. I think the key thing for me in thinking about the cover was trying to come up with something that would differentiate this book from all the other prom titles since it does not tell your average prom story. "I talked with my editor, David Gale at Simon & Schuster, about the cover before they started working on it. Starting out, David and I discussed a very general concept about having an image that would seem like a snapshot of the couples in the story as opposed to a more formal looking cover photo. Also, the snapshot concept seemed in line with the book's take on the prom, which is this haphazard night that spins out of control. So we thought a photo that looked like it was taken on the fly would capture that idea. "David Gale knew this photographer whose work he really liked, Sam Bassett, and got him to do a full-on professional shoot. They hired some actors that were close to the characters, though the woman was given a very convincing red wig to match her character's hair in the book. I thought the guy who 'plays' Cameron on the cover, Daryl Crittenden, looked so right that I had him do some readings with me, actually. I wasn't really involved in the process of the photo shoot which was probably for the best. I'm also a film director so I probably would have driven everyone crazy! "The first time I saw the cover, I thought it was awesome! Honestly. I thought it really captured the essence of the book; that this was not a traditional prom story but something more unusual. Not your mother's prom book, as I liked to say. Sam created such a great image which said just enough about what to expect in the story, a little chaos and a lot of sexiness as well as some angst, without giving too much away. And the picture itself had a certain artfulness to it as well. Once they sent it to me, I was showing it to anyone and everyone I met, like a proud parent... 'Look at my book cover, isn't it cute!' :) "I really didn't have any suggestions on the front cover. I think the quote on the back was changed, which was an excerpt from the book, but I really thought the cover was close to perfection. Then Barnes and Noble got involved. S&S always sends their covers to the B&N sales reps to get their comments before finalizing the covers. B&N doesn't have 'approval' of covers but publishers definitely pay some attention to what they say, given that the chain is so key to any book's success. "Well, B&N had a bit of a problem with the girl's cleavage. They said they could sell the book with the original cover design but that they would not be able to promote it in-store because of the prominent décolletage. It seemed a little odd to me frankly, giving the sexiness of other YA covers where girls are in bikinis and bras. But there was something about this particularly ample cleavage that really bothered them for some reason. Anyway, there was a lot of discussion about what to do at S&S.They looked at other images from the shoot but decided that this one was definitely the best. So they stuck with it and the art department made a small clever change, moving the title up over the breasts and adding a white screen to shield the public from the damaging effects of cleavage. This was enough to assuage B&N and the situation was peacefully resolved. Here are the before and after shots to compare: "It was a little frustrating because I think, graphically, the original design was so great. Also, I felt the uncovered cover was sorta subversive in that the racy image might catch the attention of those notoriously reluctant boy readers, even though the narrator is a gay teen. In the end, though, the original cover is basically still there. However, I think you do miss a bit of the effect with her chest covered by the title. But it was better to have B&N on-board than put up a huge fight over it. I think the great irony in all of it is that my book is about a gay male couple going to the prom and the thing that got them bent out of shape was the fake-date's boobs. I can't even imagine what would have happened if we put one of the strippers on the cover!" I love the drama of Brian's Cover Story! I also love the main character's stricken expression on the cover. What do you guys think?

Cover Stories: Vamped by Lucienne Diver

The winner of last week's Sarah Dessen contest is... Mishel (who, ironically, has never read a SD book! WHOA.) Start here, M. Send me your address! Today, the fabulous Lucienne Diver is here to talk about the cover of her new release, Vamped. I love that it looks like a Vampire Lipstick ad! Here's Lucienne:

"I didn't have anything in mind when writing the book. When asked, I took a look at a bunch of YA covers I thought worked and sent them off in a file to my editor. It included Rachel Vincent, Rosemary Clement-Moore and Rachel Caine covers. Now that I've seen A.S. King's Dust of 100 Dogs cover, that one would have been there as well.

"I also put out a call on my blog. There were some fabulous ideas thrown out, and one of my authors e-mailed me separately (I'm a literary agent by day) with a wonderful concept: Have what looks like a photo out of a yearbook that someone has drawn fangs on. It would have captured the fun feel of the book, but might have been a little too cartoonish, ultimately, since Vamped has its dark moments as well as light.

"Anyway, I browsed a whole host of YA covers and sent a file of the kind of art I most wanted to emulate. Flux blew them all out of the water. I still think all those covers are great, but Flux managed to truly capture the tone of Vamped with the cover: Fangs and fun!

"I don't know if the girl on the Vamped cover was hired specifically for this photo shoot or whether the art department used a photo from their arsenal which they modified; hard to come by natural fangs, at least in a model that actually shows up on camera!

"I was traveling and first saw the cover when I checked my e-mail at an internet cafe. I paid to print it out and had to show the guy behind the counter, who looked a little bemused. I then proceeded to show everyone I encountered, whether they knew me or not!

"I thought it was pretty much perfect. About the only thing I had to say was, 'Do you want to see my taglines? I promise, they're nothing like my etchings!' Anyway, when he said yes, I sent him off three or four to look at and they chose to go with Eternity needs an entourage, which I love. It now appears in the upper right hand corner of the cover.

"The only changes were the length of the fangs, which they extended to make them stand out more, and the addition of the tagline.

"I really like my cover. My name's a little small (*grin*) but I can live with that. Vamped is all about Gina, my heroine, and she really hates to share credit. After all, I only channeled her. She did all the hard work. (Kicking butt and taking names is hell on her couture.)"

Like I said, I'm all about vampire beauty. I also like that it brings up the red-and-pink question that Sarah Dessen mentioned last week in her Cover Story. And I love the tagline! What do you guys think of this cover?

Release Week Cover Stories: Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Welcome to the fifth and final post of my Release Week Cover Stories extravaganza! (Lovestruck Summer was officially released on Tuesday!) I use the word extravaganza because each day, as I interview a new author about their cover, I will also be giving away a copy of the book we're talking about. To enter to win, just leave a comment about the Cover Story. I'll choose a winner exactly a week later. The amazing Sara Zarr is here for the final day of the Release Week Cover Stories, bookending a really fun week with Sarah Dessen, Siobhan Vivian, Beth Kephart and Jenny Han! I hope you guys have enjoyed it! Here's Sara:

"I am not at all arty. In fact, I am a little challenged when it comes to visualizing the abstract in any way, shape, or form. All the furniture in my house is pushed up against the wall because I can't visualize any other way of doing it. I can barely read a map! So when it came to the cover my first book, Story of a Girl, I had literally no clue what to expect. I do remember saying to my agent, 'I'll be happy with anything, as long as it doesn't have a big giant photograph of the character's face on it.'

"My publisher didn't ask for ideas or give me any hints. I didn't even know the cover was coming when one day I got an image in my email. And, guess what? A big giant photograph of the main character's face! My gut reaction was pure disappointment, to the point of feeling queasy and like I was going to cry. I could see where the concept made sense but I didn't like the girl in the picture. To me, her face and expression were all wrong. Her hands were too small and delicate. She was too pretty. Just not Deanna. I talked to my agent on the phone and we commiserated. He showed it around his office and they all felt like it was a good cover, in terms of marketing and representing the story. I tried to be happy and reconciled to it, but, honestly, it was a big disappointment.

"A few weeks later I got another email. They'd decided not to use the photo. They were going to stick with the concept but do a shoot with a model, and I could give my input when it came to picking the model. Yay! Not long thereafter, I saw the cover for an adult novel---Janet Davey's FIRST AID. And there was the image for my original cover (left).

"On my original cover, this same photo was less zoomed---you could see more of the girl's face, including her eyes. You can see that there's something about the way she's holding her hands that feels a little bit like a model and not a real girl. At least not the real girl in my story. I wish I could show you the original, but...oh, wait! Here it is on a recent YA book from the author of GO ASK ALICE (right).

"But back to Story of a Girl. The cover designer sent me head shots of the two models they were choosing from. The first attachment I opened was of a girl who looked normal enough, but to me she screamed 'East Coast.' She was tough-looking, like Deanna, but almost too tough, almost a little gangsta. I crossed my fingers, hoping that the next model would be better suited. When I opened up the picture files, I almost cried again, but this time they would have been tears of joy. The model, Linsday, was, to me, the embodiment of Deanna. And then she did an amazing job at the cover shoot capturing the emotion that is just right for the story. It's the kind of picture you can look at and think she's feeling hopeful, or you can look at and think she's feeling sad. Awesome. In addition, they used a printing process for the hardcover that made the majority of the cover matte while the title is glossy.

"The paperback cover is a little bit different, foregoing the glossy cover font for easier-to-read white and moving it around a bit to make more room for quotes and what have you. And of course, my favorite thing about the current incarnation of the cover is the sticker from the National Book Foundation. Yay!

"For my second book, SWEETHEARTS, once again I had no idea what the art department could possibly come up with. But in this case, it was total love at first sight."

I'm so glad Sara got to find the girl who really represented Deanna for Story of a Girl! And Sweethearts, well, what can I say? I want a frosted cookie.

Speaking of Sweethearts, it just so happens to be the June readergirlz pick, so to enter to win a copy of the newly released paperback, just comment below and tell me what you think of Sara's covers. Then you can join the online book talk in June!

Happy Friday! Be sure to go back and enter each contest this week, and of course don't forget to enter the big month-long contest I'm hosting with Susane Colasanti!

Oh, and did I mention that Lovestruck Summer is just $5.99? It's a bargain! It's in stores now! I will now stop my shameless promotion.

Release Week Cover Stories: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Welcome to the fourth post of my Release Week Cover Stories extravaganza! (Lovestruck Summer was officially released on Tuesday!) I use the word extravaganza because each day, as I interview a new author about their cover, I will also be giving away a copy of the book we're talking about. To enter to win, just leave a comment about the Cover Story. I'll choose a winner exactly a week later. Jenny Han is a Carolina graduate, so she and I can talk Chapel Hill and pretty much geek out over basketball. I am so excited to read her new release The Summer I Turned Pretty, which shares a release date with Lovestruck Summer! So here's Jenny's Cover story: "I sat down with my editor and my designer and I gave them a mood board of a bunch of images I liked. I wanted something pretty and classic and nostalgic.

"My editor let me give a lot of input, which I will be forever grateful for. I got to pick the models, which is basically like choosing which Barbie doll should go with which Ken doll-- soooo fun. The hardest character to cast was Jeremiah, because apparently blond teenage male models are in short supply in NY. It took us a while to find the right one, but in the end, I loved who we picked. I especially loved the girl, because she was so fresh and sweet-looking and also she has those adorable freckles.

"They ended up doing the shoot at Coney Island. They shot like, a million pictures and the one we picked was literally right at the end of the roll. The sun was setting, and even though you couldn't see the beach, there was just this beautiful beachy light. It felt like summer to me.

"The first time I saw the cover, I could not stop staring at it. Love at first sight, I swear. And I continue to be in love with it!"

I love how involved Jenny got to be with her photo shoot--the most involved I've heard with an author so far! Casting models? Awesome. And yes, this looks like golden moments of summer to me for sure. Sigh. So, for a chance to win my early copy of The Summer I Turned Pretty, comment below and let me know what you think of the cover. Does it say summer to you?

One more day left of the release week fun!

PS-Nisha Sharma interviewed me about writing this week, so go read the interview if you have time!

Release Week Cover Stories: Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

Welcome to the third post of my Release Week Cover Stories extravaganza! (Lovestruck Summer was officially released... YESTERDAY!) I use the word extravaganza because each day, as I interview a new author about their cover, I will also be giving away a copy of the book we're talking about. To enter to win, just leave a comment about the Cover Story. I'll choose a winner exactly a week later. "Since Nothing but Ghosts is rooted not just in my imagination, but within Chanticleer, a very specific pleasure garden that I have now visited for years, this book was always visually alive to me. I could see each scene--place it atop the ambling hill, or beside the watercress stream, or within the shadows of a tree at night. I could see it. I hoped that others would.

"I sent photographs of the garden to my editor, Jill Santopolo, and to Carla Weise, art director, at HarperTeen. I sent images, too, of young women standing by windows, since this is one of the book's prevalent themes. And then I waited, as Jill, Carla, and the HarperTeen worked through what sounds like dozens of possibilities. One of the pivotal scenes in the book involves the sun streaming through a window and catching the light of tinted bottles; a related image was apparently tried. There are horses and old photographs in this book; these, too, were considered. In the end, there was but one day left before the book would have to be sent out for binding into ARCs, and that is the day that I first saw, on my husband's tiny phone, the image that became the Nothing but Ghosts cover.

"I loved it--every single thing about it--and felt the great happiness that arises when one feels as if an editor, an art director, and a marketing team have entered into your world and seen just what it was you were hoping to leave behind. That mood. That manner of maturity. That character waiting for a breeze. I seek, with my YA novels, to write beyond genre or category--simply to tell a story that has a teen protagonist at its heart, in a way that engages any reader, of any age. This particular cover is timeless and ageless, too. Oh, how I had hoped for that.

"It is rare when an author feels as at peace as I have felt about this particular cover. I know how lucky I got, this time around, and I am grateful."

I love this cover! I think it has a softness and a sense of nostalgia--and whoa, those grounds that Beth knows, how gorgeous are they? I'm right in the middle of reading the book--it's fantastic. Beth Kephart is a wonderful writer (just check out her blog, filled with photos and poetry daily--a bouquet of posts to enjoy!). I mean, Beth even writes poetry when she's telling me her Cover Story! So, for a chance to win my early copy of Nothing But Ghosts (after I read it!), comment below and let me know what you think of the cover, what it might mean to you.

Happy Wednesday!

PS-Over at Shooting Stars Mag, Lauren set it up so that Violet Greenfield interviewed me (and yes, it was bizarre and fun to be interviewed by my own character!). Check it out.

PPS-Last week's winner of Sophomore Switch is... Leighanna! Send me your address, L. (I loved hearing about all your views on feminism... maybe I'll ask questions like that more often).

Release Week Cover Stories: Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

Welcome to the second post of my Release Week Cover Stories extravaganza! (Lovestruck Summer is officially released... TODAY!) I use the word extravaganza because each day, as I interview a new author about their cover, I will also be giving away a copy of the book we're talking about. To enter to win, just leave a comment about the Cover Story. I'll choose a winner exactly a week later. Siobhan Vivian is one of my favorite people, and I adored her spring release, Same Difference. Today, she shares her Cover Story: "I was extremely anxious about the cover for SAME DIFFERENCE when my editor called me into his office for a meeting to brainstorm possible directions. At the time, I was just about to finish up the first draft of the book, and the story still wasn't clicking together the way I wanted it to. If my editor had asked me any questions about theme or whatever, I probably would have had a complete meltdown. "But part of me hoped that if we did come up with something amazing for a cover, it could act like a lighthouse, and I could follow that beam of light through the fog and arrive safely on the shores. To me, covers and titles can help in that way. They can bring clarity, focus. "Anyhow, my editor pitched me a couple of concepts. These are the two I remember: 1) A photograph of a girl, painting her self-portrait. You wouldn't see her actual face, only the portrait. 2) A photograph of a girl from the waist down, carrying her art portfolio which would be covered in a bunch of random stickers. "On the surface, these felt like okay solutions. After all, SAME DIFFERENCE was a book about a girl who goes to a summer art program--which was also the stock answer I'd been giving to people who asked what my new book was about. But I wasn't completely sold either. Their ideas seemed so art-heavy. And I wondered if that kind of approach would alienate readers who didn't find that kind of experience interesting. "It challenged me to dig to the heart of my story. And I quickly realized that even though SAME DIFFERENCE had art in it, art it wasn't the crux of the story. The meat and bones were Emily's journey as she tried to figure herself out. A girl stuck between two worlds, two friends. "Hmmm... I ran home and went onto the stock photo sites and started doing some research. I typed in TEEN and GIRL and REFLECTION. A couple interesting pictures came up. But when I saw the one that would turn out to be my cover. "First off, the girl was PERFECT. I mean, she was beautiful...but she also still looked like a normal girl. (This has always been so important in my covers! Real girls only!) And I loved the reflection, and watching her step out of the glass and leave a version of herself behind. Totally a slam dunk, IMHO! I sent the photo to my editor, who shared it with the design team. Everyone agreed it was perfect. "Finding that cover definitely gave me the clarity to push through the rest of my first draft with confidence. Once I found out who Emily really was, there was no looking back!" "And... I got a FaceBook message from the model! She lives in South Africa and a friend found my book and recognized her. She was so excited, and I was too! Here she is, and her name is Marcelle." "Also, someone had commented on my LJ a long time ago that they thought she looked familiar from another cover, Busted: Confessions of an Accidental Player by Antony John. I couldn't tell for sure, but sent her the link. Turns out it IS her...and her brother. So she went from ZERO to a cover star of two YA books in a matter of minutes!" How cool is that? Love meeting-the-model stories. And, I love how Siobhan had to dig deeper into her story to find the right cover. Nice! What do you guys think? Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of Same Difference, direct from Siobhan! And stay tuned for more Release Week fun! PS-Today is the last day to enter Stephanie Kuehnert's Women Who Rock Wednesday contest, and the last day to enter last week's Win-It Wednesday. Good luck!

Release Week Cover Stories: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Welcome to the first post of my Release Week Cover Stories extravaganza! (Lovestruck Summer is officially released... tomorrow!) I use the word extravaganza because each day, as I interview a new author about their cover, I will also be giving away a copy of the book we're talking about. To enter to win, just leave a comment about the Cover Story. I'll choose a winner exactly a week later.Today through next Monday, you have a chance to win a very special Advance Copy of Sarah Dessen's upcoming June 16th release Along for the Ride (which is vintage Sarah Dessen--a touching summer story of love and and friendship and growing up... sigh.) And Sarah is here sharing her Cover Story: "I knew I wanted my cover to reflect at least one of the major themes of the book: either something involving the night, or bicycles. Maybe even both. Most of all, though, I wanted it to look as summer-esque as possible. Like the kind of book I'd want to take to the beach with me. "My editor and I discussed a few options. We liked the idea of a diner, or some kind of cafe, at night. The fabulous art designer at Penguin read the manuscript so she had a few ideas as well. The title was in flux at the same time, though, so after we decided on Along for the Ride, we decided to go for the bike thing. It just fit better. "This was actually the very first time we had a photo shoot specifically for one of my covers. We just couldn't find a shot with a bike that everyone liked. Also I think since some of my other cover images have popped up other places Penguin wanted to be sure this one would be ours alone. "When I saw the cover, I loved how it captured the idea of summer so perfectly. Because I am a stickler for things matching, though, I was a bit hesitant about the pink dress on a red bike. I was always taught those colors don't go well together. "There were a LOT of phone calls and emails back and forth between myself, my editor, my agent, and the art department. Everyone had a different opinion, but we all know how important a good cover is. It is worth the stress. "[The art department] is always really patient with me when it comes to the covers, because they know how important it is to me that the book look just right. They actually did a bunch of comps with the bike and dress different colors, and I realized that the pink on red actually looked best. They were right, it just popped. And now, I can't imagine it any other way. "I'm really, really pleased with this cover. It just captures that feeling of summer that I was going for. And I love that pink dress. I WANT that pink dress!" I agree with Sarah! The cover has such a summer feel, and the pink dress looks like it's organza, perfectly blowing in the ocean breeze. What do you guys think? Comment below to be entered to win an early copy of Along for the Ride. PS-Last week's winner of the early copy of Susane Colasanti's Waiting for You is... Tiff! Send me your address, T. PPS-Don't forget to enter The Big May Release Contest too. OMG, so many prizes. I'm brimming with excitement!

Cover Stories: Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

Susane Colasanti's upcoming May release, Waiting For You, has lots of love, angst and the perfect pop culture references. It's plain awesome. That's why I had to ask her for a Cover Story. Here she is:"My vision for the cover of Waiting for You was actually a lot like the final product! I have an excellent cover designer who is able to reflect the tone of my story with amazing accuracy. "As with the When It Happens and Take Me There covers, a stock photo was used. I'm psyched it was out there. When I first saw the cover, I was so excited! I was on the phone with my editor at the time and could not shut up about it. I love everything about the cover - the characters, the water, the fonts, the colors. The hues are so peaceful. It was a very Zen experience. "My contract states that I get to be consulted about the cover once a mock-up is complete. I actually had no suggestions to improve this cover at all because I am in love with it so much. "With When It Happens, there were three cover mock-ups. I liked the tree version the best. It was great that I was able to provide feedback, most of which the art department incorporated. Originally, Tobey was wearing white sneakers. I explained that Tobey would never, ever wear white sneakers and suggested that he wear black Converse. I was really happy that the change was made. "The Take Me There cover was designed by Sam Kim, who designed the Waiting for You cover. I think this cover rocks. I love the natural light coming through that huge window, and how the characters are talking behind stacks of books. The original version of the cover had a square around the title instead of a rectangle. Barnes & Noble wanted the font sizes on the cover to be a bit larger, so the rectangle change was made after their input. The only change I suggested was that the box around the title be removed. This was not implemented for the hardcover edition, but I'm stoked that the paperback edition will just have the title against the windows without the box. "As for my newest cover, I think the it captures the feeling of my book perfectly. We see a boy and a girl on a dock. The story takes place in a small boating community and these two characters have a history of playing together on their dock. As they grow up, the nature and significance of their interactions on the dock change. When I look at this cover, I can sense their waiting, wanting, and longing. "Please let everyone know how they can connect with me. I love hearing from readers!" You heard Susane! You can find her on her website, blog, facebook, myspace or twitter. Personally, I love the cover of Waiting For You, and I think it's very Dawson's, which rules in my book. I also like the paperback version of Take Me There, without the rectangle. Maybe they were trying to make the square look like the circle on the cover of When It Happens, like a Susane signature, but I think all of these covers' signature is their light, airy feel (with a blue sky or natural light behind them). Anyway, the paperback version just looks more simple to me. I'm into simplicity. (I also love hearing how B&N again affected a cover... the stories multiply! Interesting.) Now, I seem to be giving away my entire bookshelf these days, but what the heck?! I have a review copy of Waiting For You for one lucky commenter who weighs in on this Cover Story. I'll pick a winner next Monday! PS-Last week's winner of Elizabeth Scott's Perfect You is... Sena! Send me your address, S.