Cover Stories: Spring Break by Kayla Perrin

Kayla Perrin's Spring Break Cover Story is up on Unabashedly Bookish at Barnes and Noble, but I thought I'd leave a teaser here. The cover went from the original version (left) to the final version (right): And here's an excerpt: "Now, you have to understand how conservative publishing is. They like things black and white -- literally. So they had two black college girls on the cover, but didn't include the white girl. My agent and I were able to convince the publisher to try something different, and even my editor thinks the new cover is fantastic. Ashley needed to be there. I hope that readers are able to see beyond 'color' and pick up this book because it's a great read!" Read the full Cover Story here. You have to register to comment, but I'd love that! Happy Saturday!

Photo Friday: Teen Author Festival

Just a few photos for fun. I missed taking them at Books of Wonder on Sunday (oops!) but here are a few--sorry they're blurry. My blog just does that sometimes.Me with Coe Booth, who's working on Tyrell II (not the official title, but yay! Tyrell is soooo good): The panel that needs no introduction, but what the heck? John Green, David Levithan, Libba Bray and E. Lockhart rocked their performances of each other's work and then readings from upcoming books. And my group reading at the Grand Army branch of the Brooklyn Public Library was super great, with an awesome rotating audience of students (L to R we are: Melissa Kantor, Siobhan Vivian, me, Robin Wasserman, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Emily Horner, Adrienne Maria Vrettos and Matthue Roth)! Ashley, whom I met on Friday during my panel on "The Boy You Can't Have," taped a ton of video that day, so if you want to see some reading clips, check out her youtube channel. She also sent me this lovely photo of the panel. That's David Levithan, me, Elizabeth Scott, Susane Colasanti, Robin Palmer and Maryrose Wood (we just missed Elizabeth Eulberg on the far right!): 'Twas a fun week! Y'all come next year, y'hear? More pics (and clearer version of these) up on readergirlz. PS-I also filmed a writing update vlog for Adele from Persnickety Snark -- her new feature asks authors what they're working on, so I talked about Small Town Sinners, my next book, and the one after that! I can't wait to see this feature evolve and hear from other writers. Great idea, Adele!

Win-It Wednesday: The Four-Book Contest!

Watch the video and find out how to enter. Okay, I'll tell you: Just comment below naming four books you love (recent or ancient, doesn't matter). Then, you're entered!(But if you want to know the books you're playing for, you've gotta watch.) +1 entry for tweeting, linking, facebooking or otherwise spreading the word, just note that in the comments. Contest ends 4/21, when I'll post a winner! xoxo PS-Forgot to announce the winner of last week's contest for Living Dead Girl. It's Andrea M.! Send me your address, A!

The Library-Loving Blog Challenge!

This is a library-loving blog challenge!For every commenter on this post between now and 3/26 at midnight, I will donate one book to my local library: The Brooklyn Public Library, up to 50 books. (Yes, this kind of scares me but I'm ready to do it!) How easy could it be? You comment, I cough up the books, the library gets a gift! If you don't know what to say in your comment, "I love libraries" will do. I asked my friend and librarian Marie Hansen why she loves libraries so much, and she said, "I love libraries because they are full of FREE books! Free books is an amazing concept!" YES! Note that my pledge is "per commenter"--so if a single person leaves 50 comments, that still only counts once! But you can do more by spreading the word ... please link to this post, tweet about it, and send your friends here so they can comment and raise more donations. If you're moved to make a flat-fee donation to your library, or to start your own challenge, bring it on!, and please leave that information in the comments. For a complete list of participating bloggers (and to visit other sites where you can help libraries just by leaving a comment!) visit the writerjenn blog. Happy Tuesday! *UPDATE* Since 50 was too low a bar (thanks, everyone!), I'll now donate 50 books for the first 50 commenters plus $1 for each additional comment through Friday 3/26 at midnight, up to $100 (so 150 comments = 50 new books + $100 for the Brooklyn Public Library). Yay!

Cover Stories: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Michelle Zink got a redesign! Her Prophecy of the Sisters has a new cover for its paperback incarnation, and Guradian of the Gate, its sequel, follows that design. So how does Michelle feel about the changes?Read on: "I'm always so focused on channeling the story that the cover doesn't occur to me until well after the book is complete. Prophecy of the Sisters was my first published book, and I was so focused on writing something worthy of publication that I never dared to DREAM about the possibility of a cover! With Guardian of the Gate, I originally envisioned another graveyard statue (because that's what was on the cover of the Prophecy hardcover, left). Once I heard that Little Brown would be rejacketing the series, I immediately imagined something very pretty that would stand out on the shelves and reflect the sensuality of the era and the books without being obviously historical. "I've always felt strongly that everyone has a job to do in bringing a book to the shelves of a bookstore. I rarely second-guess my agent's advice (because I trust him implicitly and he's never steered me wrong), and I try not to question the advice and expertise of my editor, the Marketing department, my publicist, etc. It's not that I can't think for myself, it's that the skills necessary to write a great story are so different form the skills of an editor, a publicist, a cover designer. Maybe because of this, it never occurred to me that I might be included in the cover design, and when the talented Alison Impey designed the first Prophecy cover, I saw immediately why she'd created it! Once I was told the series was getting new covers, my editor sought my ideas and suggestions for the new look, and we had some really great back-and-forth about our ideas for the new look. We were totally on the same page, which was awesome! "I had mixed feelings about the first cover, not because I didn't love it. I TOTALLY loved it. I knew how unique and striking it was and how different from anything else in the YA market. But I wasn't entirely positive it would be warm enough for the average teen reader. Bloggers are savvy when it comes to covers and adults tend to see covers very differently from teens, but the average teenage girl (I have a teenage daughter and am surrounded by teenagers so I see firsthand how they choose books) who just walks into a bookstore looking for something to read is often drawn to things they can identify with and/or things that are beautiful and sensual. "The original Prophecy cover had done its job bringing in a tremendously loyal following among readers of dark fantasy, but as time passed, we noticed a growing trend of young people saying things like, 'I didn't know if this would be my kind of book, but I ended up loving it!' The book was often called 'addicting' by these same teens, and we started to wonder if we could expand that audience with a different look. All of that led to the new covers, which I loved on sight! I immediately believed they were going to do great things in the way of extending the readership of the series. "I did give feedback on all my covers, but my feedback was sought earlier and given more weight with the new covers. From what I've heard, this is completely normal! Debut authors are rarely given heavy consideration in the design of their covers which makes perfect sense. I'm a writer, not a designer! "With the redesign, the art department really, really did take my suggestions to heart! I was able to give feedback on the proposed photographer (by looking at samples of her work) and the models (by looking at their casting photos) before they were hired. My editor and I spent at least an hour one night just brainstorming ideas for giving the new covers the right blend of drama, intensity, sensuality, and semi-era neutrality that I thought would be so important in a new look. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to play such an active role! "The final covers for the Prophecy paperback and Guardian of the Gate didn't change much at all. The brainstorming we did ahead of the shoot really paid off, and I think we started out all on the same page. Plus, with a gifted designer like Allison, a talented photographer, and such gorgeous models, the covers didn't need much! "The new covers were shot with models (twins, in fact!) that were chosen after Little Brown held a casting call for the cover shoot. Originally, they thought they might need to choose non-twins to allow for some differentiation on the cover (even though the book is about twins, we didn't want them to be totally identical on the cover), but in the end, the stunning twins you see now ended up being too perfect to pass up! I think I gasped aloud when I saw them! [Here's the full jacket for the new paperback]: "I ADORE my new covers! I had the kind of immediate, knee-jerk, 'Oh, my God, these are unbelievably gorgeous!' reaction that I hope will be mimicked by teen girls in bookstores. I know it's sometimes hard for existing readers to get their heads around a cover change, but the new covers are going to open the series up to a whole new audience. Not only are the girls on the cover beautiful, with the kind of classic bone structure that I always pictured Lia and Alice as having, but they both have an intensity in their eyes that really speaks to the book. It's hard to capture that in a photograph, I think, but it is really done well here. "I love how the lighting on the Prophecy cover is cool and blue. It reflects the feel of the first Prophecy cover in a fresh new way, and I love the expression on the girl's face on the Guardian of the Gate cover. It almost looks like she's getting ready to flee something, which is very, very fitting for Guardian. One of my favorite things about them is the texture visible in the small glimpses of clothing on both covers. It brings a subtle sensuality to the image that lends itself well to the story's era without being cliched or overtly historical. I confess that I sometime can't help taking another look at them!" Thanks, Michelle! I have to admit I love the darkness of the original hardcover, but I get the marketing concerns about what readers will gravitate to in a bookstore, and the new covers are definitely way pretty. What do you guys think?

Photo Friday: Glamour UK

This photo Friday is made up of pictures from a Glamour UK story I worked on. I interviewed models and their boyfriends for a fashion shoot, which resulted in tiny text (and an even tinier "Words by Melissa Walker" on the second-to-last page) but was lots of fun and had excellent catering. I think I ate an entire plate of brownies between interviews. (And yes, there were a couple of douchy boyfriends, but most were nice and I'll never tell who's who.) Enjoy! I think I like the daisy shot best. You guys? Happy Friday! PS-Links: * The amazing International Rescue Committee is focusing on women in their Haiti relief efforts. * I did an interview with Penelope Przekop about my writing habits and discipline. * Salon talks about what the new Sex and the City YA book gets wrong about teenage Carrie Bradshaw. * I'm late to this amazing John Hughes story in VF, but if you are too, read it now. (Molly dated Anthony Michael Hall?!) * Emily and Travis and Erica wrote about me for Author Appreciation Week (started by Heidi R. Kling). Thanks, you guys!

Bonus Cover Stories: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

I read Elizabeth Scott's latest novel in one day last week while I ate gingerbread cookies and drank coffee and tried to avoid my revisions. Total treat! (You can win a copy of it, along with four other great titles, on I Heart Daily--and enter the contest to win Living Dead Girl right here on this blog!) Oh, and check out Adele's review of the book to learn more about the inside.Here's Elizabeth herself to chat about the gorgeous purple cover! "I didn't really have an idea for the cover. I just knew I wanted it be as pretty as my other Simon Pulse covers are! [See two cover tries for The Unwritten Rule in this lineup of Elizabeth's other books (the bottom one is the final, just in different colors):] "My editor and I talked about what would look good, and we both thought hands touching or passing a note might be cute. But it turned out that there was a much better picture out there! "We looked at a lot (A LOT) of images before *the one* was found and we talked about all of them. [See three below!] "When I first saw my cover, I thought, 'PERFECT!' And it is. I think it is the cutest cover! "Simon Pulse has amazing designers, and when I saw the original image that ended up being my cover, I asked about making the background purple because a previous picture I'd seen had a purple background I liked. And they did that, and then we decided the carpet needed to be purple too, just to pull it all together. And the designer did all of that, plus more, and it looks amazing! "It was a stock photo that the designer tweaked quite a bit--in addition to the color changes, she also did some work with the model's feet and even their jeans! "I still think it's perfect--I smile every time I see it." Me too! I do like it the best of all the choices--though the note-passing one is my #2 (maybe with a shorter manicure--those long nails are freaky). What do you guys think? PS-Don't you love how Elizabeth and Simon Pulse let us share all these test covers?! They did it with Something, Maybe too. FUN.

Win-It Wednesday: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Last week's contest over at Teen Fiction Cafe ended with tons of winners and lots of peeks into writers' working lives and insecurities.This week, to help celebrate the release of her latest novel The Unwritten Rule, I'm giving away a copy of Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. It's the paperback version (read that Cover Story here), and it's a haunting book, in case you haven't heard. To enter to win a copy, just comment below and tell me about the creepiest/scariest book you've read lately. I'm sort of having a scary-book renaissance. I'll choose a winner at random next week! PS-Elizabeth herself is having a huge release party for her new book, and she's giving away a gazillion prizes, give or take. Check it out. (Oh, and there's a live chat with her tonight at 6pm EST too!) PPS-Elizabeth is also the Author in Residence at Readergirlz, and she's making awesome vlogs about writing and giving away 5 copies of The Unwritten Rule. Go here to get in on that! PPPS-Speaking of Live Chats and readergirlz, there's one with a certain Scott Westerfeld tonight at Readergirlz. 9pm EST. I'll be there!

Cover Stories: Beautiful by Amy Reed + The Melting Season by Jami Attenberg

So you guys know how I'm doing some Cover Stories for Barnes & Noble now, right? It's fun! So many covers, so little time. For example, Amy Reed's Beautiful Cover Story is up at Unabashedly Bookish. How cool is that full cover wrap?! Also check out the Cover Story for Jami Attenberg's The Melting Season. An excerpt: "The first cover I saw I hated immediately! It felt like it had nothing to do with the emotional thrust of the story, and it seemed frivolous. It was basically a woman in a white tank top with little snowflakes floating around her. (The snowflakes kind of looked like bubbles, which kind of made me hate it even more.)" Ooh, how will it be resolved??? Go read. Haha.

Cover Stories: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall is one of my favorite books that I've read in 2010--I really loved the voice. Sarah described the book as "Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls," and I think that's spot on (read Sarah's review here to learn more about the book).We're here, of course, to learn about the cover! What else? Here's Lauren:

"You know what? I really didn't have an idea for the cover. I am probably the least visual person in the world, weirdly enough. When I have to memorize phone numbers, for example, I memorize the sound of them. I just realized this recently. I have essentially the opposite of a photographic memory, and again, almost no visual sense. Maybe that's why I almost failed Photo 1 in high school.

"My publisher didn't ask for input, but I trusted them completely. HarperTeen is renowned for doing gorgeous covers; I want to eat all of their books. There is nothing an author likes better than a book that will sell by virtue of the cover alone, regardless of the quality of the text itself! It's a huge relief.

"When I first saw my cover, I was stunned. I thought it was breathtaking, literally.

"Originally we felt the cover was too summery; the grass was too green, the flowers too vivid. My book takes place in February and has a kind of bleakness to it, so it just felt too cheerful.

"The art department took that note to heart. Thanks, Joel Tippie! There were adjustments made to the cover's shade/colors. (Compare below -- original on the left, final on the right):

"I think it was probably a stock photo. That's my sense, anyway. But I'm not sure a photo shoot could have better encapsulated the feel of the book.

"Initially I assumed that the girl on the cover was Sam, the main character, even though her physical description is very different in the book. But a teen reader actually pointed out to me that she thought the girl on the cover was Juliet--a character who seems minor at the beginning of my book but proves to be absolutely critical. That had never, ever occurred to me, but as soon as she said it, I realized that the girl on the cover does look like Juliet! I like that the cover lends itself to both interpretations.

"I've also always liked that the girl on the cover kind of seems like she might just be lying there, or--because of the pattern of reflection in her eyes--as though she might actually be dead."

And on that eerie note, does it remind you of the cover for Anna Jarzab's All Unquiet Things? Alea?! It's funny because I do think of this book as having a bright, sunny cover, but I see that it was once even brighter, and I'm glad it was softened a bit.

As I said I thoroughly enjoyed the book (and, OMG YES!, of course that's Juliet on the cover! I didn't even think of that!). That won't make sense unless you've read the book, but either way: What do you guys think?