Cover Stories: The Jade Notebook

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The lovely Laura Resau has a new book out! The Jade Notebook is the third in her beautiful series about Zeeta (read her Cover Story for The Indigo Notebook). Kirkus Reviews says, "In this third in a series of novels focusing on Zeeta and her wanderlust-stricken mother, readers are immersed in the details of a lovingly described coastal town in Mexico and an action-filled mystery surrounding the poaching of ancient sea turtles that make their home there...  a graceful conclusion to Zeeta’s story."

Here's Laura to tell the tale of the cover:

"I'm happy and honored to be back on your blog, Melissa--I could spend all day reading these fascinating cover stories!

"The Jade Notebook is the third and final book in the travel-adventure-themed Notebooks series, each of which is set in a different country. The series went through a few different cover looks over the past few years.  If you're curious, you can read the story behind the hardcover look of the first in the series, The Indigo Notebook, here. For that cover, my publisher, Delacorte, did a photo shoot of an open, vintage-style suitcase containing items that evoked each different setting, below. (The Indigo Notebook is set in the Andes of Ecuador, The Ruby Notebook in southern France, and The Jade Notebook in a small Mexican beach town.)

"After the publication of The Indigo Notebook with the suitcase cover (above), Delacorte decided to change the look of the paperback and subsequent books in the series. My understanding is that the influential bookstores pushed for this, believing that a photo of a pretty girl on the cover would increase sales. With the new cover look—back views of a girl with a gorgeous background, right--Delacorte wanted to project a sense of romance and fun in a seductive setting.

"I do think that the new cover look achieves this, but I have to admit, I did appreciate that the suitcase-themed covers clearly evoked the idea of travel, which is central to the series. Still, the backgrounds in the new look do suggest exotic locales. For me, the final cover of The Jade Notebook -- a girl swimming in crystal, blue-green waters – evokes an almost visceral reaction of 'I want to go there!' It's so sensual--I can almost feel the tropical water, taste the salt.  he color of the sunlit water feels delicious to me… especially now, in mid-February, when I'm longing for the beach! And I was really happy that they photo-shopped sea turtles in the image, since they're  essential to the plot. I also think the font is lovely--eye-catching and whimsical—and suits the story well.

"The only aspects of the final Jade cover that I wasn't happy about were: 1) I wish the girl's skin and hair were darker to more accurately reflect Zeeta's appearance. (In response, Delacorte said they did the best they could using stock photos.)  2) It would've been nice to somehow suggest more mystery, danger, and adventure since there's actually a lot more to the story than sweet romance in a beautiful natural setting.

"Overall, though, I'm happy with the cover, and appreciate the work that the designers went through to come up with appealing images.  You can read more about the book here. You can see photos of the setting for the book on my blog, here and here.  I’m doing a book give-away this week, so feel free to swing by my blog and enter. Thanks for reading!"

Thanks, Laura! I do think the suitcase covers are charming, but I understand the appeal of the new ones too (see all three, above). They're almost more arresting at first glance, which is really important. (Though I do love the idea of pouring over the original covers and seeing all the little items in the suitcase.)

What do you guys think?

PS-Remember to visit Laura's blog for the giveaway this week.

Win-It Wednesday: The Holly Cupala Spectacular!

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 (Oops, this went up early and unfinished--apologies! All done now): Last week's winner of Andrea Cremer's Bloodrose is... donnas! Send me your address, D.

This week, I'm helping Holly Cupala celebrate the release of Don't Breathe a Word! Watch the trailer and then check out Holly's contest info below...

PRIZES:

Five Grand Prizes:

Signed copies of Don’t Breathe a Word, Tell Me a Secret, the TMAS special edition audiobook, bookmarks, stickers, and other swag

Ten Runner-Up Prizes:

Don’t Breathe a Word flyers, bookmarks, stickers, and a TMAS button

Plus the first forty people who buy the book at this link between now and Valentine’s Day get DBAW bookmarks, stickers, and undying book love from Holly!

HOW TO ENTER: Visit Holly's blog for all the info. I'll be back with a giveaway next week!

Cover Stories: Paper Covers Rock

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Publisher's Weekly named Jenny Hubbard's debut a Flying Start last spring, and summarized the novel thusly:

"Set in the early 1980s, Paper Covers Rock is structured as the journal of 16-year-old Alex No Middle Name Stromm, who is holding onto some secrets about the recent drowning death of one of his classmates."

The title and cover caught my attention, and here's Jenny to explain that gazing boy from Paper Covers Rock:

"I didn’t envision a cover while I was writing, but after I found out it was going to be published, I envisioned a black-and-white photograph of three boys in silhouette on a rock, their backs to the viewer.

"All I said [to my publisher] was, 'Please don’t put a face on my narrator.'

"The cover that is currently on the book is not the first one that was designed for the book. The first one caused me to burst into tears--truly. It was entirely wrong, both in mood and character depiction. What the reader would have seen was a free-spirited, smiling, skater-dude boy in mid-jump over water.

"When I explained why the first cover wasn’t right, they scrapped it immediately, and the designer went back to the drawing board. My editor asked me what I would like to see, and I gave her some ideas, none of which included a face on my narrator. One idea suggested by my agent I liked very much: a graphic design that hinted toward the journal aspect of the book. I liked that because it was, I guess, less literal.

"What the designer definitely got right the second time around was the mood of the book. The boy on the cover looks troubled. There’s a mystery in his face. And I like how the green (his innocence) is behind him. That’s fitting.

"They hired a model, as is often the case for the novels published by Delacorte Press (an imprint of Random House). I do not know this young man’s name, but he lives in or near NYC. He’s certainly more attractive than the Alex I’ve imagined. Of course, the boy on the cover isn’t even necessarily Alex, but I would imagine that most readers connect him to the protagonist on the inside pages.

"I didn’t notice, until later, that the boy’s tie is undone, as if he’s trying to get free of something that is strangling him. I really like that.

"I think the cover works. When I asked why they went with 'the face on the narrator,' my editor explained that they needed a cover to appeal to teenaged girls, as teenaged girls are the primary audience for young-adult fiction. Random House knows much more about how to sell a book than I do. I deferred to their experience and judgment. And, come to find out, the cover does indeed appeal to girls! It would be interesting to see, when the novel appears in paperback, a different cover--maybe something along the lines of what my agent suggested--to see what kind of reader might be drawn to it. I’ve had people, adults and teens alike, tell me that the current cover is off-putting because it seems to advertise a romance novel."

Thanks, Jenny! I actually like the cover a lot. It made me think of A Separate Peace by John Knowles, which is a good thing in my book.

What do you guys think?

Win-It Wednesday: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

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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!

Cover Stories: Dragonswood

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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?

Cover Stories: Skater Boy

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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?

PS-Skater Boy is available on Kindle or Nook for $3.99!

Win-It Wednesday: The Darlings in Love

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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.

Cover Stories: Catching Jordan

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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?