Cover Stories: Undone by Brooke Taylor

Today's Cover Story is from Brooke Taylor, whose debut novel, Undone, just came out and is getting awesome buzz.Here's Brooke's story: "I had a cover idea after the book was finished. I love covers that are shiny block with like one object in the middle--like the Twilight books, or Looking For Alaska. And I thought it would be fun for mine to have a Post-it note dangling on mine--Dean Koontz's The Good Guy actually was very close to what I had in my head. In retrospect, I'm glad they didn't go with that--it is kind of boring. "My publisher didn't ask me for ideas, but I did ask them about it. They let me provide input--but thank goodness they didn't take it very seriously, because I love what they did and would've never suggested a model. It is too hard to get it right, but they did--the model they picked is so close to perfect it is scary. "When I saw the cover, my very first thought was--Oh, it's a person! See, I was sure they were going to love my Post-it idea, so to see Serena staring back at me was a little weird. It took all of 1 second for me to go--Love IT! "At first I didn't like the font--I don't even remember why. I think I was stuck on having more of a tattoo influence. But within a day I realized the font had this undone quality to it that made it the only choice. I doubt they would've changed it anyway. I'm sure they included my suggestions in the conversations, but I don't think mine carried any more weight than any other suggestion, and that's probably how it should be. "In terms of changes, we fixed up the color of her eye and darkened her lips. Small changes but they really make a huge impact. "In the end, I love my cover! It's perfect on so many levels." Thanks, Brooke! I have this book in my pile and it will certainly make it to Win-it Wednesday sometime this year. But you should read some of those above-linked reviews and pick it up now if it sounds like your thing! PS-Later today: The Violet in Private Release week party starts!

Special Sunday Edition: Cover Stories, True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet

Lara M. Zeises is a fellow member of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, and she also has a ton of news, plus a good cover story to share!First, she writes under her own name, and also as Lola Douglas. Lola has written two books, True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet and More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet. And here's some big news: The Lifetime adaptation of True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet premieres August 9th, at 9 p.m. And it stars Jojo (whom I met when I edited Seventeen Prom) and Shenae Grimes, a Degrassi vet who's now a cast member of the upcoming 90210 2.0, as I like to call it. How cool is that? Anyway, here's Lara "Lola Douglas" Zeises's cover story for True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet: "The first draft of the cover for True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet (left) was a bit of a disappointment to me. I loved the idea of a tabloid cover, but the image of the actress they used looked nothing how I pictured my protagonist. And that alone ruined it for me. I told my editor that I wasn't happy with how Morgan was portrayed, but the truth is, most covers use stock photography, and it wasn't easy for them to find an image like that to begin with. So my words had no impact. "The publisher ended up changing the entire cover concept after reading the full draft of the manuscript. My editor at the time, Kristin Pettit, said they were surprised by how warm and funny the book turned out to be. They felt like that initial cover was too harsh in light of that, and that's how we ended up with the second draft - and the one that made it to hardcover (below). "I liked the design of that cover but was never crazy about the muted colors. So when the publisher decided to keep that design but shift the colors for the paperback version, and I saw it morph into the sparkly hot pink and black cover it is today (below), I was thrilled. It had the right vibe and the right impact. "I've always loved the cover for More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet, which had that same bright, sparkly look and feel (left)." Great story, Lara, and so fun to see the early drafts and different hardcover/paperback versions! Lara will be blogging LIVE during the premiere of the Lifetime movie on 8/9 at 9 p.m. She promises to reveal stories and secrets and reactions while she's watching. Super fun. PS-Tomorrow, the Cover Story behind Brooke Taylor's Undone!

Saturday in bed with books

That's where I am--over at inbedwithbooks, blogging about fashion (just like Maryrose Wood and Jennifer Banash did earlier this week!). Check us all out. And, comment to win our books!Here's what I'm blogging about. Intrigued? You should be. Thanks for having me, Liviania! Oh, and here's her review of Violet in Private. Phew, she liked it! (Extra entries if you comment there too.) PS-Happy to be alongside Breaking Dawn on BuzzSugar's Must Haves for August! Who went to a BD party? I want to hear about it!

Photo Friday: Love Your Body, plus Readergirlz and a Violet Contest

I hope you guys'll all join the discussion about the Violet books throughout August at Readergirlz, where we'll be talking fashion, fame, and finding your true self among all the noise. Body image is a huge part of these books, as I've discussed with book maven Little Willow, and it must be since they deal with the modeling world.Little Willow emailed me to this image, pictured, because it won the National Organization of Women's Love Your Body poster contest this year. And it's beautiful! Had to share. Check out their campaign, which would so not approve of Violet's night with just olives and soda for dinner (she does make mistakes sometimes, but she's a good role model in the end!). Happy weekend. PS-Head to Linda Gerber's blog for a big Freebie Friday, including a full set of Violet books! And also read about our big reading on Wednesday (and please come if you're near NYC).

PS-Vlog and Contest at Story Siren

I have to double post today: I did an Author Tales vlog for The Story Siren, and her monthly contest is only running until midnight, so go over there and check it out!

Guest Blogging about Book Love, and win a copy of VIP

I'm over at Megan's, blogging about Major Book Love. Come visit me there?PS-Gabrielle at Innovative is giving away a copy of Violet in Private, and I love what she's asking for in the comments! Go enter. Thanks to Casey, aka Teen Fashionista, who blogged lovingly about Violet last week! And also, to Regina, who reminded me that Violet in Private is a Cosmogirl "best beach read." Yay! And to Carol, who liked Violet in Private! Remember to email me if you want some bookmarks. Yay!

Win-It Wednesday: A Brooklyn Gift Bag

How crazy/fun/scary were all those dreams? Very. I loved reading them--thank you for sharing! The randomly chosen winners are 1. I dream of a world where beauty is an inside job and 2. CrystalGB! Crystal requested Wake, so that decides who gets what. Email me your addresses, lucky girls.Today's Win-It is a little different. You see, last week I went to Prospect Park's Summer Soiree, which looked something like this: There were a ton of Vogue editors there, as the magazine was a sponsor, and I went with a few friends, including my friend Brooke, who's in the completely bombshell red dress with me, below: There was food and drink and dancing. This couple closed out the night and I think she is particularly fabulous (amazing dress! amazing hair! amazing moves!). But the best news for you guys is that I snagged two gift bags, and one is for today's giveaway. The contents: August Vogue (Kate Moss cover), Angelique Kidjo CD, adorable kissing-clasp coinpurse, various Bumble & Bumble hair products, a can of Izze pomegranate juice, 2 pens (random, I know), Louis Licari deep red nail polish (so pretty!) and a Sunglass Hut lens cleaner/repair kit. In these tough economic times, gift bags are rare. And this all can be yours if you'll just comment below and tell me about the best party you've been to this summer (even if it's a party in your own room with a cupcake and a great book, which is my kind of party). Happy Summer!

The Barefoot Contessa and Me

Just look at her admiring the bread! She loves bread! I love bread! She loves Paris! I love Paris! I'm slightly obsessed with Ina Garten, the happy Hamptons homemaker on The Food Network's Barefoot Contessa. Is that weird?I love her house, which I know is not weird, because it's gorgeous and at the beach and has a manicured garden. I love her recipes, because they seem not too hard and one day I'll try making one. And when I got engaged this year, I immediately registered for the exact things she has in her kitchen (KitchenAid mixer, that shiny Le Creuset dutch oven) just so I can be like her. I also dream of one day hanging out with my gorgeous and witty gay boyfriends like she does often at mealtime when Jeffrey (her husband of 39 years!) is stuck at work in Manhattan. Oh, and I want to look this freckled and young when I'm her age (she must be 60, right?). Anyway, I'm rambling, but do you guys ever watch the Food Network? I find it oddly soothing, at least with certain chefs. Ina, I would love to have dinner with you in the Hamptons. Please call me! PS-Today is the final day to enter for last week's "Win-It Wednesday." Go here!

Cover Stories: Aberrations by Penelope Przekop

Penelope Przekop was the first author to get in touch about Cover Stories, and also, her cover is gorge (all flowy red hair and blue rose and a watery feeling). So, perfect.Aberrations is her debut novel, though she is also the author of Six Sigma for Business Excellence (McGraw-Hill), and I haven't had the chance to read it yet, but I will soon, and then it will likely be up for a Win-It Wednesday contest. Woohoo! She also has a contemplative blog. Without further ado, I give you Penelope's Cover Story. "They say that if you can dream it, it can happen, so I pictured my published book every painstaking day. There were day-dreaming moments when I sketched out ideas but knowing that publishers usually design covers, I didn't take what I was doing too much to heart. Once the book was picked up by Greenleaf Book Group, I got more serious about it. I knew that I wanted something meaningful and unique. I wanted it to have intense colors as opposed to muted ones. Lastly, I liked the idea of somehow incorporating The Blue Flower scene/setting as it's one of my favorite parts of the novel. [MW note: Cannot wait for "blue flower scene." How cool does that sound? I want a blue flower scene of my own!] "I brainstormed with cover designer Sheila Parr about initial ideas, images, and concepts. We both liked the idea of using some type of blue flower. It seemed unique and would reflect a specific scene in the novel as well as the aberrations of life we all must deal with in some form. As for the hair, we started out thinking about somehow incorporating a braid, which evolved into the hair on the cover. Sheila suggested that a braid may influence folks to think of the book as a young adult novel, which was not the intent. She created numerous designs, which were circulated internally. I was able to see the top five covers, and provide my input. I was lucky because the cover I liked best was also their top choice. It was a fun process and I'm extremely pleased with the outcome. The designer loved Aberrations; she was dedicated to creating a beautiful cover that would inspire people to take a look inside. "Of the five choices, the one that was ultimately chosen immediately jumped out at me. I loved it! I showed the options to several members of my family without telling them which was my favorite, and they all liked it best, too. My nineteen year old daughter, who is an avid reader, went crazy over it. My mother, who is in her sixties, loved it also. So all generations agreed! "When my Six Sigma book was published, McGraw-Hill just sent me the cover and said, 'This is it.' It's a different type of book, of course, but I wasn't particularly crazy about it. Based on my experience and what I've heard, publishers are likely all a bit different in how they handle author input to covers. I think it's great to have input but I also counted on Greenleaf to make the best decision in terms of the science behind attracting readers and appropriately representing my novel in the marketplace. "In the end, I absolutely love the cover! It's both meaningful and unique. The colors are perfect. I like it so much that I hope my next novel cover can mimic the style. I'd love readers to recognize my next book as being mine based on the cover, similar to Stephanie Meyers' covers, as well as other successful authors who have great followings. There has been a tremendous amount of positive feedback regarding the cover. One reviewer said that the novel lives up to the promise of its fantastic cover. I dreamed it and it happened. What a feeling!" Thanks, Penelope! So, what do you guys think of Penelope's cover? Would you pick up Aberrations? More Cover Stories soon.

Saturday Street Violets

Okay, so I have a bunch of bookmarks for Violet in Private, and I'd love to get them distributed to local bookstores and libraries all over... would anyone like a batch (of course feel free to keep one for yourself!)? Please let me know if you'll help distribute, and email me with your address so I can mail some out to you--tell me how many you'd like. Librarians, booksellers, I'm happy to send them to you for your readers! And THANK YOU. Seriously. If I knew how to make that "thank you" into a deep red color to express my love, I so would.