Cover Stories: Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

This month, I got to hear the lovely and curly haired Sarah Beth Durst read from her new release, ICE. It was a great peek into her reimagined fairy tale, and when she reads out loud, she sounds kind of like the queen from The Neverending Story, which is pretty darn cool. Here's Sarah with her lovely, easy Cover Story:

"I can quote for you word-for-word the entirety of my involvement in the design of the cover of ICE.

"EDITOR: Here is the cover art for ICE.

"ME: Eeeee!!!

"EDITOR: Do I hear trumpets?

"ME: Eeeeeeeeeee!!!

"EDITOR: Where did the parade come from? Hey, who let in the elephants?

"ME: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

"EDITOR: As I was saying, we're happy with it, and we hope... Really, Sarah, fireworks?

"Okay, it wasn't exactly like that. There was only one elephant, and the fireworks were tasteful. Seriously, though, I had zero involvement in the cover. I had hoped there would be a polar bear on it, but I didn't know what my publisher was planning until the jpg arrived in my Inbox. When it arrived, I did in fact shriek, jump up and down, and begin dancing around the room.

"The cover, I think, perfectly captures the book. The characters look exactly as I imagined them, as if the artist peeked into my brain to see Cassie (a 16-year-old Arctic research scientist) and Bear (basically, the Angel of Death for polar bears).

"I'm told that the image began as a photograph, and they did several photo shoots before they settled on the correct girl and the correct pose. I am reasonably certain that the reason it took several models was that they wanted just the right shot and not because the polar bear kept eating the models.

"After the girl was selected/digested, the artist then incorporated the photo in the final work of art using a technique known to laypeople (such as myself) as incomprehensible magic.

"The artist is Cliff Nielsen. He also did the art for THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series and the latest edition of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. When I found out that he'd be doing the cover for ICE, I spent at least an hour Googling examples of his work and daydreaming about what he'd design for my story. He exceeded all my expectations. I really hope I get a chance to meet him and thank him someday. Before the day that the image arrived in my Inbox, I hadn't known it was possible to fall in love with a jpeg."

That Cliff Nelson does some fantastical covers! I love the white contrasting with Cassie's red hair, and I think it has a great arctic fairy tale feel. What do you guys think?

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Cover Stories: Elphame's Choice and Brighid's Quest by P.C. Cast

P.C. Cast, along with her daughter Kristin, is the author of the bestselling House of Night series. Some of her previous books are being reissued for Harlequin Teen's new line, so she's here to talk about the new covers they'll have. Thanks, P.C.!"The cover story for the YA reissue of Elphame's Choice (right) and Brighid's Quest is a little unusual. When they were first published by LUNA, my fabulous editor, Mary-Theresa Hussey, and I had several conversations about how the strong, unique heroines should be portrayed. I remember the cover of Brighid's Quest was particularly interesting because both of us felt that it was important that the setting stay true to the descriptions in the book. "Well, many of the most important scenes in the book are set in Partholon's Centaur Plains, which is basically Oklahoma's Tall Grass Prairie. So the original cover of Brighid included real flora from pictures taken of the Tall Grass Prairie by my mother! How cool is that? "And how to top that?! "You can imagine that Mary-Theresa and I had several in-depth conversations when the decision was made to reissue Elphame and Brighid as part of the launch of Harlequin TEEN. We loved the original covers, but we agreed that they really didn't focus enough on the YA appeal of the books. So we delved back into the world of Partholon, revisiting Elphame and Brighid with the intention of really bringing alive the heroines for the new covers. "Mock-ups were done with stock photos, setting the look, and then real models were used for the two young heroines. Some of you may already know that in the land of Partholon many of my main characters are centaurs, so I especially love the cover effect that allows an illusion of a horse's mane wrapping around both books. I think the models were perfect, and I couldn't be happier with the new look for the series!" I love seeing old evolve into new. So cool! And I think the new covers definitely look way more YA. What do you guys think of the new covers? Share your opinion at readergirlz for a chance to win prizes from Harlequin Teen (and I'd love to hear thoughts here too).

Bonus Cover Stories: The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau

Superawesome Author Laura Resau is here to talk about her newest cover in fascinating detail! Here she is: "The Indigo Notebook is the first book in my new travel-adventure-romance series. Each of the three novels is set in a different country (and as in all of my books, there's a bit of mystical/magical stuff in there, too...). As I was writing this book, I imagined the cover being similar to my most recent novel, Red Glass (right, illustrated by Steve Rawlings and designed by Vikki Sheatsley).

The cover of Red Glass takes my breath away. Many people of all ages--both guys and girls--have told me that they were immediately drawn to it. I thought that since each book in this new series is named for a different color--The Indigo Notebook, The Ruby Notebook, and The Jade Notebook--the artist could do some really cool things with color and imagery. For this first book, I imagined a purple-blue light-saturated cover with images of a waterfall, crystals, candles, the Andes, a snake, and a close up of a girl's and guy's interlocked hands. When I told my editor at Delacorte my ideas, she said that they'd already decided on a different designer and cover look because they wanted to set this apart from my other books to signify a new series. This seemed reasonable to me (but I'm still holding out the hope that some future book of mine will have a similar look to Red Glass!)

"I was excited to find out that Marci Senders, the designer of the infamous Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants covers, would be creating my series covers. The first cover they ran by me (below) was pretty, but it didn't evoke travel in Ecuador (which is where the book is set.)

"Another problem was that it featured a girl with a a fair complexion holding a fair-skinned guy's hand. In my book the main character, Zeeta, and her love interest both have dark skin and hair (features which are essential to the storyline). I thought the girl's expression was intriguing, but she looked too polished, sitting at the café table in an elegant black outfit. To me, she didn't quite capture the spirit of Zeeta's personality or give the sense of movement and flight in her story. Zeeta has lived all over the world with her whimsical, hippie-ish mother, and her style reflects her upbringing--for example, her wardrobe has come from markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

"My editor was very receptive to my comments, and asked me to send some pictures of how I envisioned Zeeta. I searched through hundreds of stock photos looking for the right match. It was frustrating! I couldn't find the perfect picture, but I settled on one that gave a sense of windswept flight. The girl's skin and hair are still lighter than I wanted, but it was the best I could find. Marci tried out this photo in the cover (left)...

"I was happier with the second version, and thankful to Delacorte for incorporating my feedback, but part of me still wished for a cover that clearly suggested travel and adventure in the Andes. Luckily, the sales team wasn't crazy about the cover either, and asked for another one.

"In the end, my editor and Marci decided on covers that featured a vintage suitcase filled with things that suggested each book's setting. I was thrilled about the idea--and even more thrilled to hear that they planned on doing a photo shoot of all three covers. Here's the coolest part: they asked me to send them some items to include in the suitcase! The photos tucked in the suitcase are ones I took in Ecuador, including the picture of Zeeta's love interest, Wendell. The guy in the photo is actually my good friend, Maria's, brother (an indigenous Otavaleño Ecuadorian). This is perfect--my character Wendell shares his ethnic heritage (although he was adopted by an American couple when he was a baby). The crystal and the white embroidered shirt are also mine (and the toothpaste happens to be the same brand and flavor I use!).

"I'm very happy with this final cover. It's definitely a book I'd pick up in a bookstore. I love the rich indigo background and the vivid colors and interesting patterns and textures in the suitcase. I hope potential readers find the cover as enticing as I do!"

I love this story and the lengths everyone went to to get it right. Read more about the book, and enter for a chance to win a copy, at readergirlz.

Meantime, what do you guys think of the cover?

Cover Stories: Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter writes some seriously romantic books. And she's here to talk about Intertwined, a story about a boy with four human souls living inside him who meets a girl who quiets their voices and brings him some peace. He's a loner who attracts the paranormal; she's a social butterfly who repels it. But somehow... they're coming together.Here's Gena: "I love brainstorming cover ideas, but this one stumped me. I could see ribbons winding together, as well as a boy with his arms around a girl. But the first told nothing about the story and the second was perhaps a bit too suggestive with a title like Intertwined. "I was asked to toss out any ideas I had. But truth be told, I didn't give my publisher much. I think I told them about my ribbon idea, though I wasn't sure if that kind of cover would intrigue readers. "They used a real model for the Intertwined cover. In fact, they did a casting call (and I sooo would have loved to be there). Then they sent me several different pictures of the models; the guys stood against a white wall and each held a number. Boy number 15 won all our hearts. He had a very Rob Pattinson feel, and as I have a cougar crush on Mr. Pattinson, well, there was just no other way for me to vote. "When I first saw the cover, I loved it and couldn't have been happier! No ribbons. A cute boy. And the title was on his shirt, which fit a scene in the book. By the time I saw the cover, it was pretty much a done deal. My only suggestion at that point was a darker, more paranormalish background. But a darker background would have distracted from the boy and the title, so we didn't end up going that route. "They played with showing more of the boy's face, but in the end they opted to show just his mouth and chin. And I am absolutely, utterly satisfied." Thanks, Gena! I have to admit that I think there's something sexy about that peek of undershirt on the cover, right? What do you guys think? I'd love your comments here, but also head over to readergirlz, where you can post your thoughts and enter to win some prizes from Harlequin Teen.

Cover Stories: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

The very cool Sara Zarr is here to talk about the cover of her latest book, Once Was Lost, and I couldn't be more excited to read it. In case you can't tell by these stories, I'm sort of a judger-of-books-by-their-covers, but I try to fight it... here, it works, because this cover is beyond gorgeous.And here's Sara: "Once Was Lost is set in this very small, rural town, and there was a point during the writing process when I was reading Sinclair Lewis' MAIN STREET and found this cover I loved (left). "I became somewhat obsessed with it and imagined a similar cover--the silhouette of the main character, Sam, looking at a small town main street, kind of separate from it, and observing. I send this picture to the designer, Alison Impey, not to try to tell her what to do but just throw some inspiration out there. Other than that, I really had no clue what would work or what to expect. I'm definitely a word person and not a design person. "Obviously there is nothing of the Sinclair Lewis cover in the final cover for Once Was Lost. I think they tried that direction but decided the end results didn't look YA enough. My publisher sent me the two concepts they'd narrowed it to: "My initial reaction to the one with the vase was that I didn't like it at all, at least for the story. It was a little too pretty, maybe? And didn't hint at the content in any meaningful way, I thought. I loved the second one, with the flower and the very stark background. My only comment at this part of the process other than that was that my most enthusiastic fan mail came from readers who loved Sweethearts, and I felt we needed to have the Sweethearts title on the cover, not just Story of a Girl. "When I saw the final version (right), they had kind of blended the image of the single flower with the more layered, gauzy look of the vase photo, and tweaked the color scheme. At first, I was all about keeping the starkness and eliminating the soft focus, but everyone at Little, Brown overwhelmingly liked the one with more depth. And, they are professionals, so I trusted them! "I love it. When you see the whole thing put together, in hard cover, in your hand, it's so much more powerful than just seeing an image on the screen. The background is matte and the title and flower are glossy. They were so right about the depth of the photo, because even that fuzzy table in the background tells you there is a home here, a family. "And, the book is so much about decay and brokenness, and also unexpected life, so the flower with the dropping petal is perfect. I also like that it's consistent with the Sweethearts cover in a way--a central image that is of a pleasant thing (a cookie! a flower!) but there's something off and missing. That works for my books! Also I love the color palette and what Alison did with the back, spine, and inside flaps. You'll just have to go get a copy to see what I'm talking about!" I need a copy right now! I love this cover unabashedly and I think the combination of the photos is just right. What about you guys?
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Cover Stories: Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent

Rachel Vincent, author of My Soul to Take (August 2009), My Soul to Save (January 2010), My Soul to Keep (June 2010), and My Soul to Lose (free e-book prequel here) stopped by to chat about the Soul Screamers covers:"I think the coolest thing about the cover process for the Soul Screamers books is that all three of the covers were designed at the same time, so the continuity between the titles is flawless. In other words, they match each other perfectly. ;-) "For each Harlequin title, the author is asked to fill out an online art fact sheet, which is a form full of questions about every possible aspect of the novel. Plot, characters, setting, clothing, themes, physical characteristics, title meanings, etc... But for the Soul Screamers books, among the very first of Harlequin's young adult covers, we went a bit beyond the art fact sheet. "In addition to the forms I filled out, my editor asked me to send in pictures that best reflected Kaylee (my main character) physically, as well as other images that captured the tone of the novel. I sent in these images of Danielle Panabaker and Alexis Bledel, who both have that every-girl look I was going for: "Pretty, but in an average-teenager kind of way. I also sent in about a dozen different creepy images to represent the eerie feel of the Netherworld (which we'll see a lot of in the second and third books). "Personally, in the beginning, I pictured an ensemble cast shot (similar to what I later saw on the cover for Another Faust), with some creepy Netherworld imagery around them, but the art department decided pretty early on to focus on just Kaylee, which I think works, because she's the only viewpoint character. "For a while, there was talk about a close-up of just her face, with some color swirls in her irises, but in the end, they decided to go with a full body shot. Once they'd chosen a design, my editor sent me images of all three cover concepts (mockups). Each showed 'Kaylee' in a different pose, wearing a different dress, on a different colored background. Red for My Soul To Take, blue-green for My Soul to Save, and purple for My Soul to Keep. For these mockups, they used stock images, and approximations of the final fonts. "My favorite part of the concepts was the 'word ribbon' (see the final cover, top). On each mockup, the title was repeated over and over, winding around Kaylee's body in a continuous stream. I loved that! I'd never seen it done anywhere else. "Once they'd scheduled the cover shoot, my editor sent me pictures of the two models they were considering for Kaylee, and they were both perfect for the part (see the chosen one, left). And since the art department already had concepts in place for all three titles, they were able to take pictures for all three covers during that one cover shoot. For me, that was a big relief, because with my adult series, we're on our third cover model, after having lost the previous two mid-series. [Here are the three poses for My Soul to Take:] [And here's the retouched image of the chosen cover image:] "Unfortunately, doing the word ribbon on the actual cover proved more difficult than on the mockup, so the review copies went out with different, regular swirlies. But I was thrilled to see that the word ribbon made it onto the final cover of My Soul to Take, and that it's even more prominent on My Soul to Save (right). And soon, we should have the final cover for My Soul to Keep! I can't wait to see it!" I love all this insider info and the shots! Thanks, Rachel! What do you guys think of the covers in the series so far? PS-Comment over on the readergirlz blog for a chance to win a book! (But leave your thoughts here too if you like!)

Cover Stories: What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando

Tara Altebrando's What Happens here has rave reviews from many sources, including ellegirl.com and author Sara Zarr, who calls it, "A compulsively readable tale of complicated friendships, life-changing loss, and the search for authentic experience in a world full of artifice." Why have I not read this one yet? Because I'm lame and buried under books. But I will get there! Anyway, the book also has a cool Cover Story. So here's Tara!

"One of the four pictures on the cover of What Happens Here wasn't actually there on the original version. Can you guess which one?

"Well, I'll tell you.

"But first, a little back-story: After a few title changes, we all finally decided on What Happens Here and my publisher felt strongly that she wanted the art to get the Vegas setting implied by the title across more directly. I did my usual obsessive searching on Getty Images and found a few cool imagines of two teen girls in Vegas-y settings (since two lifelong friends are at the center of the story) and sent those in to my editor for inspiration.

"Then the first version of the cover arrived in my inbox featuring none of those photos (of course!) and I took one look at it and thought, 'Okay. Me likey. Sort of.'

"Usually the first time I see cover art, I cry, so this was progress.

"I thought the tone was right. Dramatic. Dark. I liked the big white space at top that would eventually allow Sara Zarr to blurb the heck out of the book. I liked the fact that the surveillance camera aspect of the plot had been used to interesting effect.

"But there was one image among the four that didn't sit right with me at all. See that blonde girl in the top right photo? The bottom left photo was another angle on her and she had what I could only think to call a 'come hither' look in her eyes. She looked about 25 to me. And way too sexy. Like working girl sexy. So I said so and asked that the image be changed.

"'To what?' my editor asked. We talked for a while about putting in the Eiffel Tower since the book also has a lot of scenes set in Europe and also in the casinos in Vegas inspired by Paris, Venice, etc. But everyone thought that would be too confusing. Finally, I suggested a roulette wheel since the narrator is more than a little obsessed with odds and the gambles we all take in life. And they went for it. And once the come hither shot went away I felt like the model no longer looked too old and sexy but just old and sexy enough. Because the book also rubs up against some issues surrounding teen girls dressing sexy/looking older/drinking while underage.

"Ultimately I think the bottom right image--the dark alley--is the one that makes the cover the most effective. I hope people look at that alley and want to know what happens there."

Did you guess the right photo? I was thinking it was probably the alley that was added. Wrong! Anyway, I'm into the film-strip look of this cover, and the colors definitely convey the darkness of loss. I like the way the pink title pops, too. What do you guys think?

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Cover Stories: My So-Called Family by Courtney Sheinmel

Courtney Sheinmel is back to share the Cover Story behind her first novel, My So-Called Family (read yesterday's Cover Story about Courtney's latest release, Positively).My So-Called Family is the tale of a 13-year-old girl named Leah who finds out that she was conceived through artificial insemination. So her father is "Donor 730," and though she has a stepfather and younger brother and a loving mom, she wants to know more. So when she finds out that Donor 730 has another daughter around her age, she intends to meet her half-sister! That sounds like a great book and a tough cover to design. Here's Courtney with the story: "MY SO-CALLED FAMILY, went through a few different covers before the final version. About a year before the publication date, my editor emailed over a sketch from the cover artist depicting the concept for the cover - a girl, her mother, and the dotted outlines of her unknown father and siblings. I liked the concept and they scheduled a photo shoot. But then when my editor emailed me a few weeks later with the actual cover, it was not at all what I expected. I thought the colors were too jarring, the font seemed off, and I didn't like the expression on the girl's face. They kept the concept, but changed the colors, font and picture, and I really liked the second version. It was the version that ended up on the galleys (left), and I showed them off to everyone I knew. "Sometime later I found out that the design had changed for a third time: same concept, same girl, but the colors were different and the mom was taking off the front cover and moved to the back. The final version pops out more (above right), and I'm really happy with it. "The paperback cover of MY SO-CALLED FAMILY is different than the hardcover - the colors and fonts have changed again (right). It came out September 15th, the same day as POSITIVELY!" I like the way the cover ended up, and I think the colors on the paperback pop a little more than the blue-green of the hardcover (plus the title stands out more on the paperback). However, I think I like the hardcover better overall. What do you guys think?
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Cover Stories: Positively by Courtney Sheinmel

The awesome Courtney Sheinmiel is here to share the Cover Story behind the recently released Positively. The book is about Emerson Price, who was four-years-old when she and her mom were diagnosed as HIV-positive. Now she is thirteen and her mother is dead. Emmy moves in with her father and stepmother, but she feels completely alone. When they send her to a camp for HIV-positive girls, Emmy is certain she's going to hate it. But soon she realizes that she's not so alone after all -- and that sometimes letting other people in can make all the difference in the world.Here's Courtney: "While I was writing my second book, POSITIVELY, I kept thinking of the cover of Jenny Downham's wonderful book, BEFORE I DIE (below). The image is so haunting and powerful - a black and white photo of a teenage girl. The expression on her face just seemed to me to be a lot like Emerson, the thirteen-year-old narrator of POSITIVELY. A writer friend suggested that I send my editor the BEFORE I DIE cover, which I did. He emailed back not to worry; they would come up with something perfect for POSITIVELY. "A couple months later, my editor emailed me the POSITIVELY cover. It looks nothing like BEFORE I DIE. For one thing, it is full of color. It is so hopeful and it captures the book better than anything I ever imagined. There is a pivotal scene in the book when Emerson and her family release balloons, which is depicted on the cover. I love the way the balloon in Emerson's hand has a red ribbon. As far as I know, the picture was a stock photo and not a model shoot - hard to believe because it's just so perfect. The one thing I was surprised about was the girl's blond hair; I always pictured Emerson with darker hair. But I am absolutely thrilled with the cover, and now I think of her as a blonde." I'm so glad the cover got that bright treatment (though I love Jenny Downham's cover too). I just think the feel of it, like a photograph taken in the sun, is so warm and hopeful. What do you guys think? PS-Courtney will share the Cover Story for her first book, My So-Called Family, tomorrow! PPS-Courtney is donating a portion of her proceeds from this book to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Very cool.
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Cover Stories: Crazy Beautiful

The prolific Lauren Baratz Logsted's new novel, Crazy Beautiful, is getting major buzz. Just check out these reviews from Angieville, The Compulsive Reader and GreenBeanTeenQueen. Raves! And the cover is dark and compelling, so of course, I had to ask for a Cover Story. So here's Lauren:

"When I thought about the cover, I knew I wanted there to be a hook on it, since Lucius Wolfe has prosthetic hooks in place of hands.

"It came up during a visit my family paid to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Boston to discuss The Sisters 8 series for young readers [read that Cover Story here!]. I said I wanted a hook and my editor agreed there should be one.

"When I first saw the cover, I was overwhelmed. I'd envisioned a realistic hook, not the wispy, smoky hook that you can barely see for what it is, but I absolutely loved it. HMH does great covers.

"My editor is wonderful. With each cover, she says something like, 'Sales loves this, but the most important thing to me is: What do you think?' Who knows? She may just be the world's greatest politician, but she always makes me feel like my point of view matters.

"However, no further comments or suggestions were needed from me, other than: 'I love it - you people rock!'

"The photo of the couple is by Harry Vorsteher, the photo of the hook is by Sean McHugh, and the jacket design is by HMH's own Carol Chu.

"I just think they did an amazing job and the reaction to the cover by the YA blogosphere has been phenomenal, nothing like anything I've ever experienced before. One thing I hadn't noticed before I started answering these questions for you: At the bottom of the inside back jacket flap there's a much more pronounced hook. Neat. I'm so unobservant. Oh, and I like how when you remove the mostly black jacket the book underneath is hot pink with silver lettering."

Ooh, cool! I have an ARC that doesn't have that hot pink interior, so I'll have to find that in a bookstore. What do you guys think of this cover? (I also love the hint of pink in the title font... gorgeous.)