Cover Stories: Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Lyn Miller-Lachmann's latest novel, Gringolandia, is a coming-of-age story about a son trying to reconnect with his father, who's been detained tortured at the hands of the Chilean government for five years. The father has come returned to the family's new home in Wisconsin, broken and beaten down. Yeah, big stuff.The cover is dark for a YA novel, but I adore its sense of movement, and I asked her to share the story behind it. Here's Lyn: "For the cover, I thought about having a newspaper or a Chilean flag in the background. In the foreground I wanted a photo of Daniel, the main character, or one with Daniel and his girlfriend, Courtney. I even searched through a database of stock photos and found one of a young man playing a guitar who looked a lot like the way I imagined Daniel to look. "The marketing director asked me for ideas, and I showed her the stock photo I'd picked out as well as my idea for what should be in the background. I lost interest in the flag, though, when I saw another book with a photo in the foreground and the flag in the background. It seemed clichéd. "As a small publisher, Curbstone Press had no in-house art department. All their work was done by freelancers. Then my editor, Alexander (Sandy) Taylor, passed away right as the book was going into production. Along with his wife, he founded Curbstone Press in 1975. When he died suddenly, everything was thrown into disarray. His widow, who was the production editor, asked for my help in locating a freelance cover designer. Curbstone used one designer regularly, and I liked her work. She designed a nice cover for my adult novel, Dirt Cheap (right). But in the case of Gringolandia, I wanted a designer who came from Chile and who understood the history and culture. "I knew of Guillermo Prado from his work with Oyate, an organization that evaluates children's books about American Indians; he designed Oyate's catalogs, their web site, and the award-winning bibliography A Broken Flute (AltaMira Press, 2005, left). Like Daniel's father in Gringolandia, Guillermo had been a political prisoner under the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile and had endured much of what Daniel's father in the novel went through. "When I first saw my cover I was surprised and amazed. It was completely different from what I'd expected, or what most YA covers look like. First of all, both the Chilean flag and the U.S. flag are red, white, and blue, so I thought those would be the dominant colors for a novel about a Chilean immigrant to the United States. But the dominant color of this cover was green. And there were no people at all. Just a bird that looks like a pigeon flying out of the abandoned swimming pool, and another bird at the bottom of the pool, the one that remained behind. "This is an authentic cover--it's as real as any I've ever seen. The abandoned swimming pool was from a former conference center in Santiago, Chile called Villa Grimaldi that after the 1973 military coup was turned into a prison for the regime's opponents. The pool was used for a torture called 'el submarino,' mentioned briefly in the novel--at one point, Daniel's father contracts pneumonia, which causes him to have flashbacks of this simulated drowning technique that's a cousin of waterboarding. "At that point, there was no editor. I had no complaints about the artwork, but I'm not sure the Advisory Board members who took over the operation of Curbstone Press after Sandy Taylor's death liked the cover as much as I did. But it was getting close to the time the ARCs needed to be printed, so they went with what they had, and asked for changes later. "The basic concept didn't change, though elements were rearranged. Originally, the bird and the pool were at the top, and there was no tag line or blurb. After the ARCs were printed, the designer moved the pool and the bird to the lower half of the cover, added the tag line, 'When history calls your name, how will you answer?' above it, and added Deborah Ellis's blurb at the bottom edge. I came up with the tag line during a test reading and Q&A I gave at an alternative school near where I live, after the original cover had been designed. "Guillermo Prado took the cover photo himself on a visit to Chile several years ago. Since the return of democracy in 1990, the former torture center of Villa Grimaldi has been turned into a peace park and human rights museum. In the waning days of the dictatorship, the military tried to destroy as much as possible of this terrible place to cover up what they did, but the abandoned swimming pool remained and has been preserved to remind people of those dark days so that they never happen again. "I feel privileged and honored to have worked with Guillermo Prado, that he shared his experience, as difficult as it must have been, through his art to bring home the story of Gringolandia. Beyond the significance of the pool used to torture prisoners, the bird flying toward freedom has layers of meaning. In Chile, the Spanish word for pigeon, paloma, is the same as for dove, as pigeons and doves are biologically similar. Throughout the world, doves are symbols of peace and hope. And while the pigeon is seen as a nuisance bird, a 'rat with wings,' pigeons have served to carry messages in wartime, as Daniel's father did as an underground journalist during the darkest years of the dictatorship. Finally, the idea that a bird considered ugly and disgusting can also symbolize peace and hope ties in with the challenge Daniel faces--to find the father he once knew within the damaged person who returns to him from prison. "It's fitting that the public face of my novel is itself so unique and realistic. Teens have commented that Gringolandia 'is like no book that I have read,' in the words of Readergirlz Street Team member Sarah. And the reviewer for School Library Journal commented on the unity of image and story, concluding her review, 'From the stark cover image of an empty pool used to torture victims to the intensely poignant essay that concludes the novel, this is a rare reading experience that both touches the heart and opens the mind.' I didn't want a clichéd image on the cover, and I'll admit that my involvement in the design process was a bit more hands-on than most--though not atypical for small-press published books. But writing about the legacy of torture is a bold, risky thing to do in the first place, and I wanted everything about it to be done right." I love all the symbolism in the cover, and the authenticity. I would say this cover is less commercial and more true to the story than most. What do you guys think?

Cover Stories: Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The prolific and fabulous Cynthia Leitich Smith, whose book blog Cynsations is a must-read, is here today to share the Cover Story behind ETERNAL, her second YA Gothic fantasy novel (TANTALIZE was the first). This one comes by special request from Ari of Reading in Color (another fantastic blog). Here's Cynthia!

"I had trouble imagining what the cover of ETERNAL (Candlewick, 2009) might look like. It's set in the same universe as my previous YA Gothic fantasy novel, TANTALIZE (Candlewick, 2007, right), so I sort of expected the books to have a somewhat similar cover design style.

"Only problem? Where TANTALIZE is told from one point of view, that of Quincie (who's 'pictured' on the cover), ETERNAL is told in alternating points of view by two characters, the guardian angel Zachary and the vampire princess Miranda.

"I couldn't figure out how the designers would incorporate two similarly laid-out profiles, unless one was on the front and one on the back, but then, how would they pick which would go where? I was also vaguely worried about them finding the right stock image of a girl to represent Miranda. She's Chinese-Scottish, and I've noticed that at least some mixed-race characters on book covers don't seem to reflect their full heritage (with the obvious caveat that biracial kids in general turn out looking a very wide variety of ways; the text made it clear that Miranda's facial features reflected both sides of her heritage).

"On a related note, here's how Miranda describes Zachary: 'This one is a heavenly looking young man. He's tall and muscled like a swimmer or a statue by Michelangelo. No, not a statue; nothing so mundane, so common, as a mere masterpiece. More like its inspiration. His shoulder-length, gently curled hair falls like feathers. It's a golden brown, a shade lighter than his skin. His eyes are a shocking green--not emerald, warmer than that, more vibrant and fringed with dark gold lashes. He looks like he's been ripped from Eden, and he's gazing at me as if mesmerized, as if he loves me, and as if I'm the most geeky hell spawn in history.'

"How do you cast that? I wondered. Heavenly is a high standard. "The irony? That the author writing this nonlinear series from multiple points of view and in both prose and graphic-novel formats would expect the design team to hem themselves in.

"They went with a symbolic cover instead, juxtaposing Zachary's luminescent white wing against a dark background, showing heaven's light at the top and then becoming more shadowy as the eye descends to the Gothic, devilish red lettering that represents Miranda. I've also included the Walker UK cover (12/7/09 release, above), which emphasizes the concept more (vampire princess, guardian angel) with jazzier type while still using the same image and the Walker Australia and New Zealand cover (12/01/09 release, right), which offers the angel himself instead."

I've always admired Cynthia's covers. I think TANTALIZE is breathtaking, and I like the version of ETERNAL with just the wing--it has an ethereal feel that hints at lightness and darkness. I'm into the subtlety. What do you guys think?

Bonus Cover Stories: Black is for Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Laurie Faria Stolarz is on her Girlfriend Cyber Circuit tour this week, and she stopped by to share a short-and-sweet Cover Story:"I loved the cover for DEADLY LITTLE LIES. I love the pop of red in the umbrella, and I love the barren tree and the sliver of moon in the background. [MW interruption: I love this cover too! I am really into umbrellas for some reason... Also, remember the Cover Story behind Laurie's DEADLY LITTLE SECRET? It's good!] "For BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS, seeing my work illustrated, in general, was such a thrill. I loved having the opportunity to work with an illustrator to see my characters come to life. My editor and I viewed the samples of so many different artists as we were picking the illustrator for BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS. As soon as I saw Janina Gorrissen's work, I knew she was the perfect person to illustrate my book." Thanks, Laurie! Obviously these books are in different series and they have different feels. Having your characters illustrated must be a thrill (Black is for Beginnings is the first one in the Blue is for Nightmares series that is a graphic novel, which is why it looks so different)! Here are the other four books in that series: I see a candle theme... One that they kept in the graphic cover. What do you guys think of the covers?

Cover Stories: An Off Year by Claire Zulkey

So you guys know that I loved Claire Zulkey's An Off Year. Totally. And her Cover Story pretty much kicks ass too. Here goes:

"I had no cover ideas, but I did hope that it was a little off the beaten path in some way but I didn't know how. My favorite YA book of all time, Celine, has an illustration of the narrator on the cover created the author but I don't think that was the path for my book (also I can't draw anything but boxes and horses). At one conversation I told my editor, 'This idea might suck but how about the dri-erase board that you see in the very first scene of the book?' and she said 'Hold on a second' and sent me an email she had already drafted proposing the exact same thing, so I felt bad suggesting that that idea might suck somehow. But then a little while later I received the following email from her about the early version that you see here with the lizard feet:

"'Here are the things that will strike you instantly: * this is not the idea we talked about * there is no description in the manuscript matching this image

"'BUT -- it feels perfect to me, I have to say. The 'slippers' you're seeing here are a found image/placeholder and the goal would be to get the same legs/vantage point and the same color contrast but something instantly recognizable as funny bedroom slippers, not like a costume. And I think it would be simple enough to mention the slippers. Same goes for the pink shag . . . which is unexpected but it very visually striking and has the right feel to me. I think it hits the audience you're looking for -- comfortably 20-something crossover.'

"She really sold it and it definitely was off the beaten path, as I had hoped for! My editor wasn't sold on the dragon feet (which I kind of loved--the contrast between these lizard slippers and the pink carpet) so I went searching online for funny slippers. It was a pretty fun task:

"I always loved the dragon feet but Julie (my editor) told me the art department went berserk for the bunny as you see it and I thought, 'OK they've been doing this longer than I have--they know what they're talking about!' and it worked out great.

"Truly at first I couldn't believe how PINK it was, since I don't think it's a very 'pink' book--it's about a girl, but it's not a very girly book. But I grew to love it especially since the font I think is a little off-kilter which shows that it's not a super feminine book, plus when I go to bookstores and subtly stick it up next to copies of Twilight (see photo) it really pops!

"Here was my editor's email on the lizard/bunny debate: 'Everyone loved the direction and the contrast but sales had concerns about the ambiguity of the dragon/dino slippers we originally comped (even though they thought it was cute). The requested a more immediately recognizable slipper--and so we have arrived back at bunnies. I do quite like these, because while they are wholly traditional bunny slippers, they are also a little silly and fun. Sales and marketing saw this morning and were very happy with it.'

"If they were 'very happy' with it then so was I.

"The cover didn't change much: my original mockup is almost exactly the way you see it except for the slippers (the lizard version was just a proposed comp, since Dutton never purchased the rights to use that image, which was a stock photo.) And John Green's blurb on the cover too was a late edition I'm quite happy about.

"I believe it was a model on the cover because apparently the art director now owns a gigantic pink shag rug.

"I love my cover--I think it's eye-catching and fun. I went to a signing at River Lights 2nd Edition in Dubuque and the owner had done a lot of cute stuff to welcome me like put out pink cupcakes and gave me some pink flowers so the undercover girly side of me was very touched by all that. I would like to tell guys that if you take the jacket off it's just a white book with (metallic!) pink writing on the spine so it won't look as feminine although being freaked out by the color pink is so lame anyway."

I love this story. I triple-love the mockups with all the slippers! I also adore Claire's Twilight antics. And yes, the book is hilarious.

In the end, I think sales & marketing were right to go pink-carpet-with-bunnies. What do you guys think?

Also, this is definitely a non-pink book in content, whatever that means. Kinda like another very pink-covered book I admired this year: Natalie Standiford's How to Say Goodbye in Robot.

Cover Stories: Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors

I really enjoyed Are U 4 Real? by Sara Kadefors. Sara lives in Stockholm, Sweden, where this book was an award-winning bestseller. To be honest, I thought the meeting-online premise sounded a little stale (it came out in Sweden in 2001, and just this year in the US), but the story really drew me in. It's about Kyla, a beautiful and popular LA socialite with an absent father and a deeply depressed mother, and Alex, a shy ballet dancer from outside San Francisco who tries to avoid bullies and has trouble talking to girls. They meet in a chat room and share their deepest feelings of isolation. It was a really sweet and romantic read with genuine angst and realistic situations, I thought.Anyway, I'm rambling. Here's Sara, talking about the US cover and the Swedish cover: "The only thing I thought about my cover was that I wanted it to be modern. The first cover was something new in Sweden (right), it looked almost like a comic with a young girl throwing a glass with something inside. All books for young people had foggy faces on the cover at that time. The cover on the American version of the book is simple and nice, and not childish at all, which I like. "The American publisher didn't ask me, which was okay, because I don't know anything about how books look like in USA. But I was very much involved with the Swedish creator. "I didn't make any changes. I think my job is to write the book. And as for the cover, I like it. At first I thought it was a bit boring. But I liked it more and more because of its simplicity." This seems like it would be a tough cover to design. I'm not sure how I feel about it, honestly. I think it's growing on me. The two covers are so different though! What do you guys think?
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Win-It Wednesday + Cover Stories: The Blood Coven Series by Mari Mancusi

The winner of last week's The Sweetgrass Basket contest is... Kelsey! K, email me your address. Thanks, you guys, for all the gaming ideas -- I have a want list now! Today, the effervescent Mari Mancusi is here to share the story of the repacking of her Blood Coven series -- so we'll see old and new covers, and you'll have a chance to win a copy of one of the books! Here's Mari:

"It was the phone call I'd been praying for. Berkley finally decided to buy BAD BLOOD, the fourth book in my Blood Coven Vampire series. But they also had another surprise for me. Thanks to the success of series like Twilight, House of Night and Vampire Academy, they had decided to repackage and re-release the first three books in my series. They told me Boys that Bite, Stake That, and Girls that Growl would be getting new covers and be back in stores. [The old covers]:

"I was thrilled, to say the least, and began dreaming of what the new covers would look like. While I always liked the first three covers, especially Girls that Growl, there were a few things that bugged me about them. One, the girl in Boys that Bite wore a jean jacket - which just looks straight out of the eighties if you ask me. And, besides the title, it doesn't even hint that it's a vampire book! The Stake That cover, on the other hand, goes too far in the other direction. It's too gothy. Now I'm all about the goth scene and so is Rayne, my main character, but I believe a cover should be accessible to the largest audience possible. After all, you don't have to be a hardcore goth to enjoy this book. Girls that Growl, on the other hand, is pretty awesome - really captures the feel of the book - where the goth girl becomes a cheerleader.

"But the thing that bugged me most was that the old covers were all different and didn't have a cohesive feel. Looking at them, you might not even know they were a series. They also felt a bit outdated now -- with the cut off head motif that used to be so popular in YA or chick lit books. Now most paranormal books feature the model's entire face.

"For the new covers, the publisher wanted to make them less humorous and more like House of Night covers. (Which people always compare them to now, so I guess they succeeded.) They even changed the original jokey back cover copy to something darker and more mysterious to emphasize the angsty romance in the books, rather than the humor.

"I have to say, overall, I really do love the new covers. The girls they chose, the colors -- all gorgeous. And best of all, they look like a set. They now say 'A Blood Coven Vampire Novel' on the cover to indicate they're part of a series. They're dark and mysterious and very striking. I love them quite a bit, especially looking at them side by side (Bad Blood is at the top):

"That said, some people have criticized, saying the new covers are more generic and don't capture the feel of the books as well as the old ones did. I definitely see their point; for example, you know exactly what Girls that Growl is about by looking at the old cover. Not so much with the new one. Also, some criticize saying the new covers look too much like all the other paranormal books out there and aren't as original. Also true, but, to be honest, I think that will actually make them appeal to a greater number of readers. Perhaps those who never picked them up the first time around.

"And in the end, more readers means more sales, which means me being able to write more books in the series. Which, I think, is a win for all readers -- no matter which covers they prefer.

"My question to commenters is: Which covers do you prefer and do you have a favorite out of the new covers? My favorite is Stake That, but I think I'm in the minority so far. Bad Blood is also beautiful.

"Comment for a chance to win a copy of the newly repackaged Boys that Bite. OR one of the old ones if you prefer!"

Thanks, Mari, for this double feature Win-It Wednesday + Cover Story. I love this success tale of a series being repacked for new readers, and I think the new covers are really striking. I have to admit that I love the camp nature of the old covers, especially Girls That Growl in all it's cheerleading awesomeness. Among the new ones, I like Bad Blood the best -- it's gorgeous.

PS-Late add: The very cool trailer for Boys That Bite and the Official Blood Coven website!

You guys?

Cover Stories: Not Like You by Deborah Davis

Deborah Davis' Not Like You is the story of Kayla, a teenage girl who must decide whether taking care of herself means no longer taking care of her alcoholic mother. Sounds like a tough one for which to design a cover, no?I asked Deborah about the process: "I didn't have an image in mind for my cover except for picturing some of the warm red, orange, and brown tones of the northern New Mexico landscape. Kayla's story is an emotional one, so I wanted warm, lively colors. "Unfortunately, I was not asked for input. Authors rarely are! Both covers -- hardback and paperback -- were designed from stock photos. "The first time I saw the hardback cover (left), my heart sank right through the floor. The image -- a road in a dry landscape with a prominent road sign displaying a beer bottle -- seemed cold to me, not at all like the raw, emotional tone of the book. On the other hand, when I saw the paperback cover (below), I thought, 'That's it! That captures Kayla's yearning and loneliness perfectly.' "My editor encouraged me to offer feedback and suggestions about the hardback cover, which she passed along to art and marketing. She had already protested vehemently against an earlier cover, which I didn't see, and she thought this new one was a great improvement. But she wanted me to be happy, and it was hard on her that I wasn't. "I believe my comments were considered, but both the art and marketing departments thought they'd created a powerful, compelling cover that would appeal to readers, so in the end they kept it the way it was. "In retrospect, I think the first cover was unique, and it certainly stood out among the plethora of young adult novel covers featuring body parts that are prevalent. I'm not sure, however, that it compelled book browsers to pick it up. On the other hand, I still love the paperback cover. Every time I look at it, my heart aches, because it so exactly reflects Kayla's feelings as she struggles with her feelings toward her unreliable mother, her questionable older boyfriend and, ultimately, herself." I agree with Deborah -- I much prefer the paperback cover. I love the dryness on the ground, the gray hopelessness of the cement blocks, but the mountains in the distance, which seem to symbolize some hope. Am I getting too deep here? You guys?

Bonus Halloween Cover Story: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Elizabeth Scott was here last year, sharing the story behind the very eerie hardcover for her disturbing and chilling novel, Living Dead Girl. This fall, the paperback came out, and it always makes me think of Halloween!I asked Elizabeth if she'd return to discuss the cover change, and here she is: "I knew Simon Pulse wanted a new cover for the paperback version of Living Dead Girl and my editor said she would send me one of the shots they'd done for it so I could take a look at it. "Well, it came and I downloaded and looked at it and--I swear this is true--said, "I HAVE to buy that book!....Oh, wait. It is my book! Wow, what a cover!" "And then I sent my editor and the photographer, Russell Gordon, gushing emails because I think the paperback cover is even better than the hardcover--and I never thought that could be topped! How the cover came about is pretty simple--Russell, who is a genius, btw--wanted to do something very stark and simple, but also very eye-catching. So he took a picture of the bow, and then put it on a black background, but instead of making the black shiny (which is what usually happens), he made it matte, and made the ribbon shine. The result--a cover that looks like you can actually reach into it! Every time I see it, I think 'Wow.' "It's interesting how something as simple as taking the opposite approach to the cover background (going matte instead of shiny) can do so much, but it really can!" I am just drawn to this cover, too. You guys? I'd love to hear what you think. And here's the hardcover, for comparison: If you haven't yet read this book, you must. It's riveting and important. (Elizabeth says the main character Alice came to her in a dream that recurred until she wrote it--now that's a sign!). Happy Halloween, everyone!

Bonus Cover Stories: Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

The lovely debut author Heather Davis is here to share the cover story of her fall release, Never Cry Wolf! Kirkus Reviews says, "What's a girl courted by an amber-eyed hottie to do? Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy this sweet debut." Nice!Here's Heather: "From the beginning, I think my agent, my editor and I were all on the same page for the cover for Never Cry Werewolf. There is a pivotal scene where Shelby, the protagonist, is lost in the forest -- and with the tie to the folk tale Little Red Riding Hood, well, it just seemed right to have the cover nod to that connection. That, and Shelby is wearing a red hoodie in the story and well... there is a wolf involved. "We'd discussed the idea of Shelby in the forest in her red hoodie. Then, they asked me to provide a detailed description of what Shelby looked like and who she was on the inside. It was probably the deepest character study I'd done to date. From those paragraphs of description, they really pulled an amazing image together. "The first time I saw the cover, I was blown away. It was fantastic, gorgeous, and captured the mood of the book perfectly. I love how it stands out on the bookshelves -- and I love that the image of Shelby is on the spine of the book, too. "I didn't really need to make too many suggestions. We had at one time wondered if we really wanted Shelby 'staring' out from the cover instead of looking over her shoulder, but I think we made the right decision. There was also talk of a wolf in the distance, but I think you get from the title what the book is about. "The art department was wonderful I know that the art director loved my book and the care she took with the cover really demonstrated that to me. I feel so lucky. "The cover model even mentioned being on my cover in a newspaper article in her hometown in Michigan! They showed me some of her headshots and asked if I thought she could be Shelby and - she was! "I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of my very first cover. It is literally everything I dreamed it could be. I have to say it's unreal to me, even still. When you're an unpublished novelist, sitting at your computer writing a book you say to yourself, someday this could be a real, published book. You allow yourself to picture the cover and some people even sketch it out on paper. (I think if I went back through old papers, I might even find the sketch I made of this one.) Skip to the day you walk into a bookstore and seeing it on the shelves. It's amazing! I can't thank HarperTeen and their amazing team enough for what they've done for the book. My editor and I are thrilled." I'm into the tree-branch-moon-clouds background, and I love the Little Red Riding hood nod on the cover, plus you know I'm a fan of the cover model and author talking to each other. What do you guys think of this one?

Cover Stories: Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga

The awesome Barry Lyga is here today, sharing the Cover Story for his just-released sequel to The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, Goth Girl Rising. (He's also giving away some insanely cool Goth Girl minimates! Read on for details...) Here's Barry!

"For my cover, I had an idea that, in retrospect, is one of those things that sounds cool, but wouldn't work. My idea was to co-opt the cover to the first book, but reverse it: Red lips on a black background for the hardcover, then blue lips on a black background for the paperback. It totally makes sense from a story point of view, but now I think it's too cutesy.

[Here are the first book's covers, hardcover (left) and paperback:]

"Speaking of that first book: I had some strong ideas for that one, to the point where I even had a friend of mine mock one up. Houghton politely declined it and commissioned Jon Gray to produce the kick-ass cover we ended up with (way above). I have never in my life been so happy to be proven wrong!

"Houghton has always consulted with me about covers, which I really, really appreciate. Like I said, they weren't too keen on my original idea (which I don't blame them for). So they sent me three or four different cover designs, all based on the same general aesthetic. I wasn't thrilled with any of them. There was nothing WRONG with them; they just didn't seem like the cover to my book, you know? "We went back and forth a few times and my problem was that I just couldn't articulate what I didn't like or what I wanted to see instead. So I just resigned myself to having a cover I didn't like. I told my agent this and she spoke to my editor on my behalf, explaining I wasn't happy with the covers and offering some suggestions of her own.

"The next thing I knew - I mean literally within hours - my editor sent along the photo that ended up becoming the cover. The instant I saw it, I fell immediately and irretrievably in love. I think the first thing I said was, 'Oh my God! Kyra is real and they found a picture of her!' It turns out to be a stock photo that my editor found just by poking around. It was just a massive chunk of serendipity dropped into our laps.

"They took that picture and did two versions of the cover, one of which ended up being the final cover. The other one was just as good, in my estimation, and had a big black block sort of weighing her down and closing her in. In the end, though, the model is just so damn striking, her eyes so haunting, that everyone agreed that it was best to show her as big as possible.

"I think the only thing I asked was if we could Photoshop in Kyra's facial piercings - her lip ring and nose stud. The art department gave it the old college try, but it just didn't look right. It looked, well, like someone had Photoshopped in that stuff. So my feeling - and what I tell fans - is that Kyra just decided to take them out the day that picture was taken.

"It's really so perfect that the piercings, to me, are a minor issue.

"Now that I've seen the actual, physical cover, I love it even more. I love the font, the raised type, the shiny lipstick. I love the details, the little elegant graphics that wrap around the spine. It's my favorite of the covers I've had so far. If you could marry a book cover, I'd be on my honeymoon right now."

I agree that the final cover is truly striking -- her eyes are kind of boring into my soul, and I love the violet hues. What do you guys think? How do you think it compares to the first book's covers?

Oh! Also, you can read a deleted scene from Goth Girl Rising here. (I love it when authors share these. I hope I have a deleted scene that's worth posting one day!)

For more on how to win a mini-mate (I have one, and I love her), see Barry's Share the Love Contest. Thanks, Barry!

PS-Thao at Serene Hours did a post on series covers that I just loved a while ago! Check it out. (Oh, and she really liked Goth Girl Rising, btw!) Shop Indie Bookstores