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By: Lizzie Furey,
on 9/26/2016
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Judging a book by its cover has turned out to be a necessity in life. We've all perused book shops and been seduced by a particularly intriguing cover--perhaps we have even been convinced to buy a book because of its cover. And, truly, there is no shame in that. It takes skill and artistry to craft a successful book cover, and that should be acknowledged.
The post Five questions for Oxford World’s Classics cover designer Alex Walker appeared first on OUPblog.
Always exciting to see the final cover come together on a new project! And in this case, my first board book with the good folks at Sasquatch's Little Bigfoot imprint.
On sale in February 2017!
In the
Weird Fiction Review conversation I had with Eric Schaller, Eric asked me to talk a bit about designing the cover of
Blood: Stories, and in my recent
WROTE Podcast conversation, I mentioned an alternate version of the cover that starred Ronald Reagan (this was, in fact, the cover that my publisher originally thought we should use, until she couldn't get the image we ended up using out of her mind).
I thought it might be fun to share some of the mock-ups I did that we didn't use — the covers that might have been...
Front(click on images to see them larger)
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1a & 1b. These two are variations on an early design I did, the first one that seemed to work well, after numerous attempts which all turned out to be ghastly (in a bad way). 1b for a while was a top contender for the cover.
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2. I always liked the idea of this cover ... and always hated the actual look of it.
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3. I made this one fairly early in the process, using the
Robert Cornelius portrait that is supposedly the first photographic portrait of a person ever made. It ended up being my 3rd choice for the final cover. I love the colors and the eeriness of it.
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4. This never had a chance of being the actual cover, but I love it for the advertisement alone. As far as I can tell, that was a real ad for revolvers.
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5. The inset picture is one I took in my own front yard. I like this cover quite a bit, but there's too much of a noir feel to it for the book, which isn't very noir.
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6. Here it is, the Cover That Almost Was. The image is a publicity photo from one of Ronald Reagan's movies.
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| 7c |
7a, 7b, 7c. Once I found
the Joseph Maclise image, I immediately thought I'd found the perfect illustration for the book. It took a long time and innumerable tries to figure out the final version, but it was worth the effort.
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| Actual cover |
Back
Though the book designer Amy Freels ultimately did the back cover herself, I gave it a stab. As you'll see, we went back and forth on whether to use all of the blurbs or just Chris Barzak's and put the other blurbs on an inside page.
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1-7. These are a bunch of early attempts. None quite works (some
really don't work), and they would have all felt sharply separate from the front cover. We had lots of conversations about #4, though, as the publisher was quite attracted to the simplicity and boldness of it for a while.
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8-14. I love these, but they're all too complex for the back cover. As images, though, they still appeal to me deeply. I also like that they use
the Alejandro Canedo (or Cañedo) painting from Astounding (September 1947) that plays such an important role in the story "Where's the Rest of Me", though I also know we probably would have had to figure out how to get the rights to use it, and that could be a huge headache and a wild goose chase.
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| Full, final cover |
Just playing around with a Winsor & Newton Ivory Black Water Colour Marker and my trusty water brush. Fun, but seems to fade quite a bit after a few minutes. Scan or take a photo quick, kids.
And just for fun...
OK, this might not be totally, finally, and absolutely the final version... but its getting close enough to share! On the final day of little tweaks and nudges to the book and I really couldn't be happier with the way that its all turning out. And Gator, reserved and shy as he may look right here, can't wait to say hello in early July! Thank you Sterling Children's for making him look so great :)
SECOND FIRST CHANCES
Elliott Saint James
Releasing January 8th, 2015
A heart warming story about love, loss and second first chances.
Moving to New York City might have been the biggest mistake Emerson Richards ever made, but she’s determined to show everyone – namely, her parents – that it’s the best one too. Emmy isn’t giving up, and if that means she has to bus tables to make ends meet, or deal with rude New Yorkers, then so be it.
Then Emmy lands an office job at one of New York’s top engineering firms. Everything seems to be going according to plan – until she’s forced to work with Ryan West, an architectural genius. And the man she’s been literally running into all over the city.
Gorgeous, quiet and arrogant are three words Emmy could use to sum up the mysterious Mr West. Yet as their strange relationship begins to turn into something more than she can handle, Emmy is forced to take a hard look at her life and figure out who she is.
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Elliot Saint James is a twenty something Australian moonlighting as a university student. She has a penchant for Nora Ephron films and sexy romances. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading or abusing her Netflix privileges.
Her debut novel, Second First Chances, will be publishing in January 2016.
DREAMS OF HER OWN
Dreams Come True #3
Rebecca Heflin
Releasing November 2015
Soul Mate Publishing, LLC
Can even the unlikeliest of dreams come true?
He sees a spinsterish misfit.
If the Guinness Book of World Records had a category for the world’s most boring life, Millie Stephens knows she would hold the record. After the plain, strait-laced personal assistant is saved by a total stranger from becoming New York City’s latest traffic fatality, she has a disheartening epiphany: her life’s highlight reel didn’t exist. Determined to step out of the shadows and take a walk on the wild side, she starts Millie-style – by making a list.
She sees a stereotypical thug.
That total stranger, bad boy Ian Brand, is more than the sum of his parts. Beneath that sexy, tattooed exterior is a man with a painful past who’s desperate to both hide and overcome his disability in the pursuit of his dreams. But his decision to bid on a large construction project could both lead to his downfall and reveal his secret.
Will Millie and Ian look beneath the surface and see there’s more to each other than meets the eye?
If the Guinness Book of World Records had a category for the world’s most boring life, Millie Stephens knew she would hold the record.
Bundled up in her brown wool coat against the chill of a New York fall, she hurried down the Brooklyn sidewalk to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for her boss.
As personal assistant for best-selling romance author, Darcy Butler-Ryan, Millie kept her calendar, edited her manuscripts, handled her social media, and through her agent, Gloria Madison, scheduled her public appearances, among other duties. Since Darcy had become pregnant, Millie had also taken it upon herself to run errands and generally oversee Darcy’s health and well-being.
Thus, the trip to the pharmacy for Darcy’s anti-nausea medication.
She consulted the day’s to-do list to see what other errands were on it. Lists were her life. They provided organization, structure, and a sense of accomplishment. She loved ticking things off her list so much that if she accomplished something that wasn’t on the list, she’d write it down just so she could have the pleasure of marking it off.
She had a list for everything. Errands. Tasks. Books to be read. Special dates to remember. If something needed doing, she had a list for it, all appropriately categorized, of course. Shoving her errand list into her coat pocket, she stopped at the corner and waited for the walk signal. As soon as the light changed, she stepped out into the pedestrian crosswalk, anxious to get to the pharmacy and out of the cold. She glanced to her left and froze, as a delivery truck barreled down the street as if the red light meant nothing. And as if she truly were invisible.
Fear stole her ability to move and she scrunched her eyes closed hoping death would at least be quick. She strived for invisibility, but now she’d give anything to stand out.
Next thing she knew she was yanked from behind and hauled up against a hard object, bands of steel around her waist, her feet dangling in the air.
“Are you okay?” a gruff male voice asked, his breath warm in her ear.
She nodded, unsure if she could do any more than that.
“I’m going to set you back on your feet. Do you think you can stand?”
Nodding again, she realized the hard object at her back was a man’s chest, and the steel bands were his arms. She slid down his body and felt the sidewalk beneath her feet. A wave of dizziness washed over her.
“Breathe,” her rescuer encouraged. He turned her to face him, his hands on her shoulders, and she looked up and into eyes the color of a winter-gray sky, earnest with concern. His already tousled sandy blond hair ruffled in the wind whipping around the corner, and his chin bore the stubble so many women were fond of.
She inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent of something spicy and leathery. “Better?”
She nodded, still speechless.
“You should always wait after the signal changes before you cross a street. I’ve got an appointment. You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded.
“Be more careful next time,” the stranger in the leather jacket said before he turned to walk away.
Millie managed to put one foot in front of the other for another block before coming to a bus stop and collapsing onto the bench. Her legs shook, her hands quivered, and she struggled to take in a deep breath. All she could think about was how your life was supposed to flash before your eyes when confronted with a near-death experience, and hers . . . didn’t. Instead it was like a film projector that had run out of film – just a blank screen.
What did that mean?
It meant, Millicent Grace Stephens, that your life has been so boring that the highlight reel was nonexistent. Her thirtieth birthday was right around the corner, and what had she accomplished with her life?
Not much, that’s what.
Sure, she had a bachelor’s in literature, summa cum laude, with a focus on the Middle Ages from Sarah Lawrence College. She had a job she loved. And she could support herself. Other than that, she might as well have become a nun for all the excitement her life held.
She recalled the hard strength of her rescuer’s chest against her back. The rough and tumble look of him. She’d bet her first edition autographed copy of Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence, that his life wasn’t boring. That if he had a near-death experience he’d have a highlight reel worthy of an action movie.
Rising on still-wobbly legs, she drew in a long, slow breath, and resumed her errand in an I-almost-died daze.
Rebecca Heflin is an award-winning author who has dreamed of writing romantic fiction since she was fifteen and her older sister snuck a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Shanna to her and told her to read it. Rebecca writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. When not passionately pursuing her dream, Rebecca is busy with her day-job as a practicing attorney.
Rebecca is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, and Florida Writers Association. She and her mountain-climbing husband live at sea level in sunny Florida.
Tasty Book Tours is thrilled to Present
the Cover for the Upcoming Brightwater Romance…
BEST WORST MISTAKE
Brightwater #3
Lia Riley
Releasing Oct 20th, 2015
Avon Impulse
The third sexy and emotional novel in debut Avon author Lia Riley’s Brightwater series set in the mountains of Northern California
Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best…
Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.
After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and returned to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. Spending her days in a small bookstore, her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined to not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.
But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn flameout or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY
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Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult and Contemporary Adult romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments.
A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn’t mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c’mon, who doesn’t love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about future books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound mighty fine.
Check out the other books in the Brightwater Series
Get ready for Boiling Point! The next installment in Tessa Bailey’s thrilling Crossing the Line series. We hope you love the cover as much as we do!
Release date: January 26, 2016
About Boiling Point:
Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all…
Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.
Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him.
But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.
About Tessa Bailey:Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband of seven years and three-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
Website | Twitter | Facebook
Ask and You Shall Receive…
LUCKY’S CHOICE
The Last Riders #7
Jamie Begley
Releasing July 29th, 2015
Young Ink Press
Life dealt him a dead man’s hand.
Lucky had always led a life of service, always putting his life on the line for someone else, managing to survive by pure luck and skill. After bringing an end to a multi-state drug ring, he was finally able to live the life he had wanted as a Last Rider.
A good man would walk away and not touch the curvy woman who had been tugging on his heartstrings. Lucky wasn’t a good man. Therefore, the bad-ass biker in him had a choice: once again become the man he had pretended to be and stake his claim or take the devil’s highway.
Some girls had all the luck.
Willa wasn’t one of them. All she wanted to do was give a home to the children she had made orphans. Instead, she found herself needing help from the man who had left the pulpit behind to embrace a life of sin.
Painfully shy and withdrawn, she wanted a quiet life, a simple man, and well-behaved children. The last thing she had ever expected was for Lucky to want her size twenty body and show her a passion that would lead her straight to hell.
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“I was born in a small town in Kentucky. My family began poor, but worked their way to owning a restaurant. My mother was one of the best cooks I have ever known, and she instilled in all her children the value of hard work, and education.
Taking after my mother, I’ve always love to cook, and became pretty good if I do say so myself. I love to experiment and my unfortunate family has suffered through many. They now have learned to steer clear of those dishes. I absolutely love the holidays and my family puts up with my zany decorations.
For now, my days are spent writing, writing, and writing. I have two children who both graduated this year from college. My daughter does my book covers, and my son just tries not to blush when someone asks him about my books.
Currently I am writing five series of books- The Last Riders, The VIP Room, Predators MC, Biker Bitches, and The Dark Souls.
All my books are written for one purpose- the enjoyment others find in them, and the expectations of my fans that inspire me to give it my best.”
Coming Soon to Your E-Reader…..
The Highly Anticipated conclusion
of the Chasing Fire Series
RECLAIM ME
Chasing Fire #3
Ann Marie Walker & Amy K. Rogers
Releasing October 21st, 2015
Berkley Intermix
As the heart-pounding Chasing Fire trilogy concludes, a dangerous entanglement leaves Hudson and Allie wondering how much they’re willing to risk for the love they can’t live without…
There’s almost nothing Alessandra Sinclair wouldn’t do for Hudson Chase. He was her first love, and she’s determined that he’ll be her last. But when the terrible truth Hudson has been hiding comes to light, Allie finds herself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a man from her past who’s determined to use what he knows to ruin Hudson. Now, the only way to save the man she loves may be to lose him forever…
Hudson has always known that the secrets he keeps could be his downfall, but he never expected them to put Allie’s life in danger as well. It’s time for him to come clean–before everything he’s ever wanted is destroyed…
Includes previews of REMIND ME and RELEASE ME, the first two books of the Chasing Fire trilogy.
Praise for the Chasing Fire trilogy
“Walker and Rogers strike the perfect balance between blistering physical desire and heartfelt connections…”–RT Book Review
Pre-Order Now
Though thousands of miles apart, Ann Marie Walker and Amy K. Rogers are in constant contact, plotting story lines and chatting about their love of alpha males, lemon drop martinis and British supermodel, David Gandy. You can find them on twitter as @AnnMarie_Walker and @Amy_KRogers.
Amy K. Rogers
Ann Marie Walker
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Available Now
Releasing July 21st, 2015
I have a Top 5 list and a cover reveal this morning for Victoria Denault’s NA hockey romance, One More Shot. This is the first book in Victoria’s Hometown Players series.
Top 5 Fun Facts about Victoria Denault
1. I’ve run the bulls in Pamplona, Spain – twice.
2. The title One More Shot was inspired by a song by a band named Kane.
3. The characters are from the fictitious town of Silver Bay, Maine. It’s roughly based on Old Orchard Beach, Maine, but I swapped the ocean for a lake.
4. The relationship between the Caplan sisters (Jessie, Rose, Callie) is inspired by the relationship I had with my best friends growing up.
5. I LOVE hockey and was lucky enough to be at a Stanley Cup winning game. Total bucket list item.
ONE MORE SHOT by Victoria Denault (June 2, 2015; Forever Yours E-Book; $3.99; Hometown Players Book #1)
They say you only get one shot at making your dreams come true. Jordan is determined to take two.
Drafted by the NHL at eighteen, Jordan Garrison was headed for fame, and there was only one person he wanted to share it with-Jessie Caplan. He was crazy in love with her, and had finally told her so. They shared an amazing night . . . and then everything fell apart.
Jessie tries not to think about the night she gave herself to Jordan-or how he broke her heart. She tries not to think about it, but she does. Especially now, when she’s staring into his sky-blue eyes for the first time in six years. After so much time and torment, she can’t tell if she loves him or hates him. But Jordan has learned enough to know a connection like theirs is rare. He was lucky to find Jessie once. No way will he lose her again.
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon
B&N
iBooks
BAM
GooglePlay
Kobo
About the author:
Victoria Denault loves long walks on the beach, cinnamon dolce lattes and writing angst-filled romance. She lives in LA but grew up in Montreal, which is why she is fluent in English, French and hockey.
Social Media Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
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This morning I have a cover reveal and giveaway for Rachel’s Deception by Karen Ann Hopkins. I enjoyed the Temptation series, and I’m looking forward to reading the continuation. Noah’s sister Rachel and Rose’s younger brother take center stage, and I can’t wait to find out what happens. Check out the cover, revealed below, and then enter the giveaway!
Growing up Amish is difficult…but leaving it behind is even harder.
Noah was Amish…Rose wasn’t. Being together should have been impossible. But somehow they found a way to make it work. They are finally a family, but their happily-ever-after is still a long off. Will Rose and her friends be able to force real change?
Karen Ann Hopkins returns with a gripping new book in the YA Temptation series. The powerful family saga continues with Rachel’s Deception, as events spiral out of control in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview. And Rachel Miller has her own secrets to hide. Noah’s younger sister has been living a double life. That is, until Justin Cameron, Rose’s little brother, catches her in the act. Rachel is not the obedient Amish girl that her sister was, and her rebelliousness takes her to a very dangerous world. A world that only her true friends can help her escape from.
As Rachel questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment, Rose discovers what it really means to be shunned. And an evil shadow looms on the horizon, threatening not only Rose, but everyone she holds dear.
The Temptation Series:
Temptation (Book 1) onGoodreads |Get a Copy Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
Belonging (Book 2) on Goodreads | Get a Copy Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
Forever (Book 3) on Goodreads | Get a Copy Amazon |B&N |Indiebound
The Temptation Series is now on Audible!
Here is some exciting news for all those audiobook lovers out there: The Temptation Series will be available April 21st and you can Pre-Oder your copy right now! Listen to a sample on audible.
A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.
Karen is generously offering up a $25 gift card (Amazon or B&N) as well as a copy of TEMPTATION (book 1) to one lucky winner! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form
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Death and Desire
P.H. Turner
Releasing March 17th, 2015
Lyrical Press
Ancient rituals. Up-to-the minute deception.
Reporter Taylor McWhorter knows something is going on at the newly reopened uranium mine on the local Navajo reservation. The Native workers are being fired. Rumors of bad Native American spirits and shapeshifters mingle with the stink of leach pit mining. The rough red mountains and steep canyons hide more passes and getaway trails than any maze. And Taylor’s sources keep turning up dead…
Until she meets Captain Trace Yazzie, head of the tribal police force and plenty to reckon with on his own. The chemistry between them is enough to incinerate Taylor’s rule about mixing business and pleasure. But with a murderer on the loose, priceless Navajo artifacts turning up in the wrong places, and Trace’s suggestion that spirits disturbed from looted burial sites might be part of the problem, Taylor can’t afford to lose her head to lust. This might be the story of the year. But unless she keeps her wits about her, it could be the last one Taylor ever tells…
PRE-ORDER
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Teaching and shooting news and documentaries took me to work on the East and West coasts, the Midwest and an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Born a fourth generation Texan, I live in Austin with an energetic mutt that waits patiently every day for me to come home and write.
Find Her Here
The post Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Death and Desire by P H Turner appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
I have always been a bit fussy when it comes to books. It goes without saying that I have to love the concept and in a lot of cases I'm swayed by recommendations. But what can often make me decide to pick up a book in the first place is the cover. If it is striking, if it grabs my attention - I very often want it, or at least want to know more about it.
So it goes without saying that I was delighted when Scholastic sent me the design for Seven Days. I immediately loved its bright, bold statement and the fact that words, spiteful words from my text, were plastered across it. It represents bullying so well for me. It's a big, bold statement. I was confident that this cover could have impact.I guess I'd worried a lot about the cover. I really wanted to love it, so it was such a relief to see it. I just wanted to hug the designer behind it (in fact I did at the Scholastic party...!)
It got me thinking just how important cover design can be, and how authors could be blessed or cursed with a cover that they do not like, or do not feel reflects their story.
With this in mind, I spoke to a few authors about their favourite covers and asked what it was about them that made them stand out.
What were their cover stories?
Helen Grant - Urban Legends (Random House)
" I was very pleased this cover because it shows a female (dead?) body but in such a way that it appears almost abstract; you can only see one eye and the line of the face runs diagonally across the cover. I thought that was quite stylish."
Keren David selected Salvage (Atom Books)
" I love both the published versions of Salvage. They are very different, but still have lots of impact."
Hilary Freeman selected The Camden Town Tales (Piccadilly Press)
"I love all my Camden Town Tales covers. I think that they appeal to the readership because they are pretty and perfectly targeted."
Emma Haughton selected Now You See Me (Usbourne)
'I love this cover because it's so simple, and yet so striking, And that gorgeous zingy green!'
Sheena Wilkinson selected Still Falling (Little Island)
"What I loved was the feel of the cover. I couldn't in a million years have said what I wanted but when I saw what the designer had done I just thought, yeah, that's it. I wanted the book to have a sexy grown up feel which I think it does. My last books all featured horses and I really wanted this one to feel like a departure which it does. "
Caroline Green selected Hold Your Breath (Piccadilly Press)
"I loved the metallic look that gave it an underwater feel. And the colours are gorgeous."
It's fascinating looking at different front covers and wondering what the author felt about each one. I guess when an area such as design is taken out of their hands, it's even more important that it works, that they connect to it.
What front covers do you especially like? Have you ever picked up a book initially because of the design?
I know I have...
Eve x
By: Kenneth Kit Lamug,
on 11/21/2014
Blog:
RabbleBoy
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The first of two beautifully lavish books created to celebrate the distinctive designs behind the Adventure Time title cards. Combining sketches, works in progress, revisions and final title card art, the book will take readers on a visual guide of the title card development, with quotes from each episode and commentary from the artists – Pendleton Ward, Pat McHale, Nick Jennings, Phil Rynda, and Paul Linsley.
- Hardcover: 111 pages
- Publisher: Titan Books (September 23, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1783292873
- ISBN-13: 978-1783292875
Montana Actually
Medicine River # 1
Fiona Love
Releasing January 6th, 2015
Berkeley / Penguin
A big-city doctor in a small-town Montana practice….A former nurse who has sworn off doctors forever….The scene is set for passions to ignite in Big Sky Country. For readers of Robyn Carr and Sherryl Woods.
City doctor Josh Stanton and his sports car don’t suit the country, but with his medical school debt about to bury him, Josh has to make the best out of a bad situation. Adjusting to his new job and life in the middle of nowhere isn’t easy, but at least the views of the mountains—and one distractingly attractive local—are stunning…
After eight years away, Katrina McCade is back in Bear Paw for a break from her life, bad choices—and men. But when a broad-shouldered stranger bursts into town, she finds herself unexpectedly saddled with the town’s sexy new doctor as a tenant. Katrina doesn’t need a man to make her happy, especially a disgruntled physician. But try telling her body that…
Fiona Lowe is a RITA® and R*BY award-winning, multi-published author with Harlequin , Carina Press and, Berkley USA. Whether her books are set in outback Australia or the USA, they feature small towns with big hearts, and warm, likeable characters that make you fall in love. When she’s not writing stories, she’s a weekend wife, mother of two ‘ginger’ teenage boys, guardian of 80 rose bushes, slave to a cat and often found collapsed on the couch with wine.
The post Cover Reveal: Montana Actually by Fiona Lowe appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
A couple of weeks ago I gave a talk on the traditional vs. self-published experience for writers. I discussed covers, but had to stick to those with new art created by artists, since I had no experience with photo covers. If only I'd been quicker about reading the May/June 2014 SCBWI Bulletin, I would have had some good info I could have included.
In that issue, author Chris Eboch had a great article called Photo Cover Design for Self-Published Novels. She uses a case study of an author who found the main photo for her cover herself and still needed a photo artist and a designer (that's two different people, folks) to finish her cover. I mention this to make sure everyone understands how involved creating a cover is.
Finding this article will be worth the effort for anyone thinking about creating their own book cover.
I’m super excited to reveal what Razorhurst will look like when Soho Teen publish it in the USA next March. Quite a contrast to the Australian cover, eh? Yet at the same time they both have that gorgeous, strong font treatment.
I adore that font and those colours. I hope you do too. Everyone who’s seen this cover has been wildly enthusiastic uttering comments like, “I would buy that in a heartbeat.” “Utterly beautiful.” “Wow, that’s so commercial.” All of it music to my ears.
Soho’s edition will have a bonus glossary. Yes, you US readers are going to be spoiled. It also means the USA Razorhurst will be my first novel to have both a glossary and a map. That’s right, Soho are keeping the beautiful map used in the Allen and Unwin edition. Still gorgeous, isn’t it?
Map designed by Hannah Janzen
Map plus glossary? What could be cooler? Nothing. I can’t wait until all my US readers can get their hands on Razorhurst. March is so soon, youse guys!
Cold Burn of Magic is sooooo on my wish list, so I’m happy to share the cover reveal this morning. The book sounds so good! What do you think of cover? Is this on your reading list?
Cold Burn of Magic
Black Blade #1
Jennifer Estep
Releasing April 28th, 2015
KTeen, imprint of Kensington Publishing
THERE BE MONSTERS HERE…
It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power.
I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick.
But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call—get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her… a Rafflecopter giveaway
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep is constantly prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Jennifer is the author the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington and the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. She is also the author of the Bigtime paranormal romance series.
Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and other writing groups. Jennifer’s books have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, and a variety of other publications.
The post Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
I have a couple cover reveals this morning. First up: I read about The Elementalists last week, and the plot sounds intriguing. Besides, anything with dragons gets a second look from me. What do you think of the cover?
The Elementalists
C. Sharp
It is the hottest year on record for the fifth year in a row, and famine riots spread across much of Africa. Along the Gulf Coast, the hurricane season is one of the worst in memory. The latest in a string of 9.0 strength earthquakes has claimed two-hundred thousand lives in central China. Far below the earth’s crust, imprisoned in ancient slumber, the elemental powers of the land grow restless…
All seems normal in small town Virginia, where fifteen year old Chloe McClellan dreads the start of her sophomore year. Whip-smart, athletic and genuine, she’s also a bit of an angry loner who is totally unaware of her charms. Despite her plans to stay under the radar, Chloe becomes a target for the fiery queen of the It-girls in fifth period gym. She then draws instant notoriety when she’s struck by lightning after her first disastrous day of school. As if that weren’t bad enough, she soon comes to believe, that either she’s going insane, or her accident has unleashed a powerful and terrifying creature from the mythological world—triggering the final countdown to the world’s sixth great extinction level event.
Chloe finds some solace as she inexplicably wins the affections of an unlikely trio of male classmates: the earthy and gregarious captain of the football team, the flighty stoner with a secret, and an enigmatic transfer student who longs for the sea. All the while she struggles with the growing realization that “Dragons” exist, and she may be the only one who can stop them.
The Elementalists, book one of the Tipping Point Prophecy, follows Chloe and her group of friends, and enemies, as they struggle to save humanity by harnessing the power of the elements.
Author bio:
This is C. Sharp’s debut novel. He studied English Literature and Anthropology at Brown University and Mayan Archaeology at the Harvard Field School in Honduras. He works in film and commercial production. Chris now lives in Concord, MA with his wife and daughter.
Goodreads link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22838892-the-elementalists
Sales widget:
https://ganxy.com/i/95879/c-sharp/the-elementalists-the-tipping-point-prophecy-book-one
eISBN:
9781626813113
Price:
$4.99
The post Cover Reveal: The Elementalists by C Sharp appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
By Matthew Jent
Oh, gang. What a fun panel.
Moderated by legend-in-his-own-time Mark Evanier, “Cover Story: The Art of the Cover” took five artists, gave them five of their own covers apiece, and had them talk about them. The covers had been chosen ahead of time, without the artists’ knowledge, and Mark hoped at least one of the choices would be a cover the artist didn’t like.
“Even if we take some potshots at your covers — it’s coming from a place of affection. Even Rembrandt had a worst painting.”
The Cover Story panel: Evanier, Conner, Staples, Brooks, Lee, Sakai.
We’d be here foreverlong if we went cover-by-cover, so let’s just hit some highlights.
Amanda Conner.
“Jack Kirby hated doing covers,” Mark explained. “He never knew when to do them. Before the comic, he didn’t know what the most exciting scene would be. During the comic, he didn’t want to interrupt his flow. When he was done, he wasn’t emotionally invested in that issue anymore.”
“I agree with Jack,” Amanda said. “I prefer sequential storytelling. I like Norman Rockwell — when you can look at a piece of art and tell lots of things are going on in it.”
Barbie #42. Marvel Comics. Art by Amanda Conner.
“Okay — this was before I got into storytelling. Boy, they made me make her way too skinny.”
JSA Classified #4. DC Comics. Art by Amanda Conner.
“Y’know — geez, lookit her boobs! I wanted to pull a moment of time out to focus on the cover, a moment that happens in between panels. So you don’t see this in the book, but it still moves the story along. Paul Mounts colored it — I put the stars in the background, but he did the burst. If I trust him and leave the background blank, he goes in and does a nice design.”
This cover gave Mark the opportunity to tell a Wally Wood/Power Girl anecdote, with Amanda’s encouragement: “Wally said, ‘I’m going to make her boobs larger every issue until somebody stops me. I think they just took him off the book instead.”
Zatanna #12. DC Comics. Art by Amanda Conner.
“Okay, I don’t always do big boobs, guys. This is another example of moments in time you don’t see often. Zatanna lives in San Francisco now, and I wondered, what does she do every morning, before she goes to fight things that want to destroy the universe? Probably the same things I do: get a cup of coffee, and a muffin, and read her iPad. Except, on the Golden Gate Bridge. My favorite thing is showing well-known superheroes doing an everyday thing that you and I do.”
Fiona Staples.
“Last night were the Eisner Awards, aka the Fiona Staples Show,” said Mark, by way of introduction. “The best thing about the Eisners is that whoop from the audience when they agree, yeah, that’s the one that deserves it.”
Done to Death #1. Markosia Publishing. Art by Fiona Staples.
“This was my first issue of my first comic. It was an oil painting, before I did everything digitally. They cropped it, but — that would have been my call. It’s an awkward place to cut off the image, at a joint, at the neck.”
Saga #18. Image Comics. Art by Fiona Staples.
“For Saga, the cover is part of the entire package. We don’t give away much story on our Saga covers. I usually do the cover before he scripts it — Brian told me, put Lying Cat on this one and make it dark. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen, so I gave Lying Cat a bloody mouth, like she’d taken a bite out of one of our heroes.”
Mark Brooks.
“For the last few years, I’ve been pretty exclusively a cover artist. It’s not really storytelling — I’m trying to sell the book. The cover has to be done the month before Previews hits — if we’re lucky, we have a short paragraph of what happens on the inside. The beauty of designing a character as a cover artist — I don’t have to worry about the interior artist who has to draw every angle of that character for 22 pages.”
Amazing Fantasy #1. Marvel Comics. Art by Mark Brooks.
“My first for Marvel, ten years ago. It was introducing a new Spider-Girl. I really stunk at foreshortening, so her leg looks really weird. Joe Quesada designed the character, but I put in the pouches around her wrist — I still don’t know what purpose they would serve.” (An audience member shouts out — chaptstick!)
Cable/Deadpool #14. Marvel Comics. Art by Mark Brooks.
“One of the few times Cable got one up on Deadpool. But to keep them in frame, I had to have him hold the gun by the trigger and almost let it fall down, over Deadpool’s head. To this day, I think it looks very weird.”
Mark Evanier chimed in that, in earlier days, Marvel would have rejected this one because the figures obscured the title.
“That’s different now,” Brooks said. “I can pretty much cover up the entire title, as long as it’s with the main character of the book.”
Deadpool #30. Marvel Comics. Art by Mark Brooks.
“In the original solicit, Deadpool was dressed like Jimi Hendrix. Marvel found out Hendrix’s estate is very litigious. I had to go in and take out the striped shirt, take off the wig, and flip it so he wasn’t playing left-handed.”
Jae Lee.
“I always think I enjoy covers, but I always regret doing them. I’m not a fan of showing these out of sequence, because I’m afraid the same re-used images are going to crop up. I won’t have a lot to say about these because they were all done in a mad rush to get into the solicitations.”
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #3. DC Comics. Art by Jae Lee.
“This was done for solicitation. It was an Ozymandias book, but the cover features the Comedian. Where this fight was happening, they were surrounded by falling action figures. I hadn’t finished it, so I cropped it and said, is this good enough for now? I said I would come back and finish it later. But I never finished it.”
Batman/Superman #8. DC Comics. Art by Jae Lee.
“This was tough. It’s my second time drawing a car. I’ve been doing this 22 years and managed never to draw a car. I don’t know how to draw cars, so it has to be mangled. I don’t know how artists draw those things. The tires — I don’t know how you guys do it.”
“Also, Power Girl was much bigger than Superman, so we had to reduce her digitally. But then her head looked too big, so we had to reduce he head separately. It became a kind of Frankenstein project. I have a hard time looking at it.”
Amanda chimed in by saying she has no problem with cars, but hates drawing mangled wreckage.
“Oh, we should trade off,” Jae said.
Stan Sakai.
“I hate doing covers. I hate it with a passion. I have been doing covers with the same character for the past 30 years, so it’s difficult to think of a different situation for that character. The covers are done months ahead of time, and my writer, who is me, often has no idea what is going to happen in the interiors.”
Usagi Yojimbo #46. Dark Horse Comics. Art by Stan Sakai.
“This was a commission — a guy commissioned me to do a kite festival. So it was four connected pages. We used it for two consecutive covers. The colorist is Tom Bluth, who is my colorist of choice. In Tom’s case, it’s always — do what you want, Tom. I give him very little direction. I’m surprised sometimes by his choices, but it’s always better than I would color things.”
Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters #1. Eclipse. Art by Stan Sakai.
“Strictly a job for the money.”
“That’s funny,” Evanier added, “I worked for Eclipse — I don’t remember there being any money.”
Usagi Yojimbo #101. Dark Horse Comics. Art by Stan Sakai.
“In Usagi, there’s always a little skull when somebody dies, and a guy always writes in saying how many skulls I had in that issue. So for this cover I drew as many skulls as I could. But then the guy didn’t write in, and I was disappointed. There was no logo, but Usagi is iconic now — when people see Usagi, they know it’s a Usagi cover.”
Donald Duck Adventures #32. Walt Disney Publications. Art by Stan Sakai.
“Aw, I hate working for Disney. They kept saying ‘do it on model,’ but they didn’t give me any models! I must have drawn this duck’s head 7 times. The problem was, I was following the European design, which I prefer, and it’s a little different there.”
Evanier closed the panel by thanking everyone for participating, and saying he hoped panels like these remind folks that there’s always a story and a person behind the design choices of covers.
“These panels remind people — someone actually designed that. It gives people an appreciation for the art of the cover.”
Today I have a cover reveal for The Night is Found, the final book in Kat Kruger’s Magdeburg Trilogy! The book hits stores July 22nd. What do you think?
When they tried to kill a prince, they made a king
In the aftermath of his pack leader’s assassination Connor Lewis is ready to take control. Rodolfus de Aquila’s plan before he died was to unite the European werewolf packs against their common enemies: the Hounds of God who make the laws and enforce them ruthlessly and with questionable motives, and the Luparii, an intergovernmental group of werewolf hunters now bent on the extermination of his kind. The uneasy alliance between these two factions has fallen apart, and now a battle wages leaving the pack werewolves scrambling to escape bio-chemical warfare on one side, and total domination on the other.
After hearing rumors of a union between the American packs Connor returns with Amara to his home city of New York to learn how to bring the Old World packs together. Werewolf society in the New World has taken a very different course from that of Europe, but when Connor meets the American leaders he begins to question if their ways are, in fact, the path forward.
A world away from Madison, Arden, and all those that he is trying to protect, Connor must discover the secret to uniting and leading the packs under one final charge, or else risk extinction for their entire species in the epic conclusion to The Magdeburg Trilogy.
The post Cover Reveal: The Night is Found by Kat Kruger appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
Jennifer Chance and Loveswept are thrilled to share the hot cover and first-look teaser of FAKE IT, the second book in the Rule Breakers series published by Loveswept!
In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the smokin’ hot cover for the first book in the series Rock It
And now, check out the cover for Fake It! I have a teaser to share, too!
From Jenn: “This cover is perfect for Jake–right down to the biker-inspired smoky blue flame background behind the title. It really shows that Jake and Anna’s adventure will be quite a ride!”
Read on for more about FAKE IT and a super sexy teaser!
FAKE IT
Jennifer Chance
Published by Loveswept
July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-553-39228-9
Find FAKE IT on Goodreads
ABOUT FAKE IT:
As her sizzling new series continues, Jennifer Chance sparks some serious combustion between a sexy biker and a corporate go-getter who’s ready to let her hair down.
New grad Anna Richardson works hard—so hard that she’s given up having a romantic life. Anna has even convinced her friends that she’s dating an amazing guy—who they’ve simply never met. But now Anna has a wedding to attend and needs to produce the hottie she’s been lying about for the past six months. Enter Jake Flynn, her infuriating, motorcycle-riding, jaw-droppingly gorgeous neighbor, who’s more than willing to fake it for a weekend. In fact, Jake won’t be satisfied until things get real.
Though Jake is only playing the role of adoring boyfriend, he’s starting to feel the heat, and judging by Anna’s sweet blush, so is she. Letting chemistry this intense go to waste would be a real shame. Soon, though, the thin line between fantasy and reality fades. Jake may not be what every buttoned-up fast-tracker wants, but he’s sure as hell what Anna needs. And if she takes a ride with him, their adventure never has to end.
TEASER REVEAL!
“Jake, the wedding would completely suck for you,” Anna protested. “My ex is a nightmare and you would hate all of my friends. You would think the whole thing is ridiculous—because it is.” He just watched her, maddeningly, his smile curving as she tried to sputter out her refusals. “You don’t want to do this. Trust me.”
“I just said I did.”
“But . . . you can’t . . . you wouldn’t . . .” Anna stopped, flustered. What was happening here? Was she actually turning down a viable date? “There’s so much you would have to memorize about Dave. There’s no way you’re going to want to do that.”
Jake just lifted his brows. “You know, for someone who’s just met me, you seem to know a lot about what I would and wouldn’t want to do.”
“I don’t! I mean, I can guess. But I just . . . can’t.” Anna swallowed. “Look, I appreciate it. If I strike out tonight, I’ll call you. How about that?”
“That sounds good.” Jake signaled to the bartender. “So I guess I should make sure you have my number, then.”
“Oh, well yes. I guess. Or, you know, I could just—” Before Anna could complete the sentence, Jake had a pen in his fingers. They were both leaning on the bar, their faces inches apart. He tipped the pen to its side, sliding its base alongside her jaw. The cool metal on her flushed skin startled her, and Anna’s gaze jumped to his. The challenge in his eyes was unmistakable.
“Hold out your hand, Anna,” he said, as if they weren’t in the middle of a crowded bar, in front of everyone.
“That’s not necessary,” she said quickly. “I have other people’s cards—you can just use—just write on one of those.”
His gaze grew hotter, more intense. “That’s no good,” he said. “You might lose it.”
Anna hesitated, then something was triggered deep inside her, and she felt a dangerous flicker of pleasure. She knew that flicker, remembered it from somewhere, even as life and work and responsibility had taught her to keep it doused, out of commission. It had been a long time since she’d let that fire burn.
But now Jake Flynn was positioned in front of her with gasoline and a blowtorch.
Someone cleared his throat beside them, and a disgruntled voice rang out. “Excuse me, I’m Gary, and your friend Lacey—”
“Take off, Gary,” Jake said without turning around. His gaze held hers. “Anna?”
Anna held out her hand, and Jake held her arm steady, cradling it with his fingers. Sensation rocketed through her at the intimate touch, intensifying sharply as she felt the smooth slide of ink on her skin. He wrote slowly, sensually, the pen tracing wickedly silken lines on the hypersensitive skin on the inside of her wrist, all the way down until he reached her palm. By the time he was finished, Anna was amazed she was still conscious. Then he glanced at her.
“Think it’s dry? Or should I blow on it?”
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF FAKE IT – Want more of the Rule Breakers? ROCK IT, the first book in the series, is on sale now!
ABOUT JENNIFER:
[Author Photo] Jennifer Chance is the award-winning author of the New Adult series Rule Breakers. A lover of books, romance, and happily-ever-afters, she lives and writes in Ohio. Visit her website and find her on Twitter.
Connect with Jennifer Chance
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Connect with Loveswept
Website | Facebook | Twitter
The post Spotlight and Cover Reveal–Fake It by Jennifer Chance appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.
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It’s Tom Luth not Bluth
I wish someone recorded and archived all these con panels.
I apologize to the audience, other panelists, and the moderator. I was preoccupied as I had a family health crisis going on at that time, and kept checking my phone for updates. It was a fun panel and, no, I don’t hate drawing covers as much as I made it out to be.
Mr. Sakai,
I was sitting about ten feet from your place on the dias. You didn’t come across as being preoccupied, nor did it look like you were repeatedly checking your phone. I don’t think that you owe anyone there an apology.
@kate – Same here!