Cover Stories + Win-It Wednesday: Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney

Last week's winner of Natalie Standiford's Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters is... Priya! Send me your address, P.Flynn Meaney is here to talk about the cover of Bloodthirsty (out next week!), and how difficult it is to create an original vampire novel look these days. I love the idea of a guy faking vampire-dom to get girls -- hilarious, right? -- and Little, Brown is offering a chance for you to win the book (just comment to enter). Take it away, Flynn! 'I didn't even think about the cover of Bloodthirsty, my debut YA novel, until the first version was emailed to me. I was still in a state of disbelief that my book, which tells the story of high school outcast named Finbar Frame who pretends to be a vampire to get some action, was really being published. There I was, four months out of college, being paid to do something I loved, be creative, reach out to geeky teens like the one I was, and--most importantly--sleep until noon. I was so damned grateful, I would have agreed to any cover. "Except.... The first cover they sent me. My email from Little, Brown contained a photograph of a giant Slurpee. No vampire, no nerdy boy, not a drop of blood. Um, what? "As my editor explained in her email, the publishers thought a Slurpee was emblematic of suburbia. My protagonist, Finbar, lives in suburban Westchester, New York, also where I grew up. Now this may be snobby, but, hey, I'm from Westchester, so it fits--we are not a Slurpee suburb. We are more of a Frappuccino suburb. Plus, my hero Finbar isn't much into junk food--whether it comes from 7-Eleven or Starbucks. In fact, he's a super scrawny dude. "This cover wasn't going to work for me. "But I wasn't going to push my luck--after all, I had a major publisher paying me a couple thousand Frappuccinos to write books. I had my dream career. If that career came with a giant Slurpee, so be it. "Then fate, and a fat vampire, stepped in. My agent, Dan Lazar, found a similar book, Fat Vampire by Adam Rex, which had a Slurpee on the cover. [Remember the Cover Story for that one? --MW] And a Slurpee is definitely more appropriate for a fat vampire than for my undersized Finbar. Phew. I was safe. "Unfortunately, we found that not only the Slurpee, but lots of other ideas were already taken. There are so many vampire-related stories out there that we couldn't touch blood, pale dudes, or--my suggestion--plastic vampire teeth, the type you wear for Halloween. "Apparently designing a book cover is easier down under, because the Australian edition of my book features a pale dude with plastic vampire teeth (right). As much as I like the look of the Australian Bloodthirsty, that edition has a Finbar on it, and I wanted American readers to imagine their own Finbars as they read. "Because so many vampire objects were taken, and the publisher and I agreed to stay away from a drawing or photo of Finbar, the art people at Little, Brown moved towards a more abstract design. That's how we got to the American cover of bloodthirsty--a cheeky smiley-face heart with decidedly non-menacing fangs. "To me, the cover represents people's initial impressions of Bloodthirsty. It's 'just another vampire book,' with a black and red color scheme like the Twilight series. But then you notice that my book isn't pouting a la Kristen Stewart--it's grinning at you. I also think the fanged heart will grab the attention of bookstore browsers, who will have to look twice to figure out what they're looking at. "My hope is that the cover--and the book--will appeal to both those who love vampire love stories, and those who mock them mercilessly." Thanks, Flynn! Such a fun and interesting Cover Story, right? What do you guys think? Commenters will have a shot at winning a copy of Bloodthirsty (US addresses only, sorry). Weigh in!

Cover Stories: Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Ivy Devlin's Low Red Moon just shines on shelves. Partly because of the foil, and partly because of its gorgeous red and partly because of the amazing illustrations -- it comes together gorgeously.Here's Ivy to share her side of the story: "The original title of the book was red, so as I was writing the book, I figured that, if I was lucky enough to have the stars align and have it sell, a cover with some red in it would be cool. "We did talk a little about the cover, mostly because the title of the book changed. Everyone wanted red from the start, though, which was fun! "When I first saw the cover, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, because it's a total dream cover! The red is amazing looking, and it's done in foil, so it shines, and then the title is embossed...I am the luckiest author ever, to have such a great cover! "I actually talked to a lot of people at Bloomsbury about the cover, and the actual interior of the book as well. The cover is gorgeous, but the inside is really stunning because it's two-color, which is rare and really makes the book pop! The whole thing is so pretty I wouldn't mind framing it, if I could... "The ARCs were very different looking than the final book--much smaller font, just one page of two-color printing, and no fancy cover (right)--so yep, the cover--and the book! changed a lot from the ARC to the finished book. "The designer for the cover of Low Red Moon created the entire thing! I'm not sure if any photos were used or not, but I know a lot of work went into creating the cover and the awesome little illustrations in the book, and I know I keep saying this but really, if I could frame the whole thing, I so would! "In case it's not obvious (!), I LOVE my cover! And I'm so grateful to Bloomsbury for creating such an amazing looking book, not just the cover, but the inside as well. I couldn't ask for a more perfect looking book!" Thanks, Ivy! And yay, Bloomsbury! (I will be sharing the Small-Town Sinners cover by their great art department soon!) I have seen this book up close and personal, and showing pics on a blog really doesn't do all the foil and amazing interior art justice. Pick it up off the shelf to appreciate it in real life. (The word "moon" is always printed in red -- super cool.) What do you guys think of this cover? Has anyone seen it in person? Watch the trailer here:

Cover Stories: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Sophie Jordan's Firelight is about a girl who can shift between human and dragon forms... which might have been quite a cover challenge!Here's Sophie to talk about the process: "Early talks revolved around maybe a silhouette ... and my protagonist's striking red hair. We wanted something to hint to her 'dragon qualities, like wings, but we wanted to make certain no one saw the cover and thought 'angel' since she's not that! "They kindly asked for my input, and I remember just being so excited about some of their thoughts (mentioned above) that I didn't have too much more to contribute. There never seemed to be any doubt it would be Jacinda, the protagonist, on the cover. We were in accord for so much of the cover concept that I knew Firelight was in good hands. "I was shocked when I first saw the cover because it wasn't a silhouette at all but rather this amazing close-up. The red hair was there, of course! And she had this hint of cool, scaly skin around her eye... but I still thought something was missing. It was maybe too subtle, so I made a suggestion ... "I persuaded them to try elongating her pupils into a vertical slit. My protagonist's eyes alter this way when she shape-shifts into a 'draki,' which are what dragons have evolved into over the millennia. "The art department listened! I was so excited. They had reservations that the slit pupil on the protagonist might make the book appear sci-fi/fantasy, and I even worried about that, too, but I guess we all figured we could go back the other way if it wasn't the look we wanted. "It's perfect now! They changed the eye to what you see now, and it just gave the cover that extra something I was looking for. I'm so lucky to have a publisher who actually listened and took my comments to heart. "The cover was shot with a model. A rather extensive photo shoot, from all the accounts I've heard. Thousands of shots were taken, so they will have those to delve into for the second and third book of the Firelight series. "The more I study my book cover, the more I see the magic and romance within it - and Firelight is all about magic and romance... and even suspense. I think there is something haunting about the cover model's face/expression that reflects what's in the pages of Firelight." Thanks, Sophie! I think this cover is riveting, and I agree that it's the eyes that draw me in most. What do you guys think? PS-Here's the trailer:

Cover Stories: 8 at Unabashedly Bookish

Over on the BN.com blog....Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart. "Once I saw the cover of this book, I knew that I could go anywhere, the book in hand, and read it to teens and adults alike, proud of the look of the book. It's such a gorgeous cover..." Read more... Onaedo, The Blacksmith's Daughter by Ngozi Achebe. "There are so many layers to the cover of Ngozi Achebe's Onaedo, The Blacksmith's Daughter--that gorgeous dress, the map of Africa that folds into the skirt, the ship in the distance, and the young girl looking up at the woman who is the focus. I see something new every time I study this cover." Read more... Husband and Wife by Leah Stewart. "Leah Stewart's first novel, The Myth of You and Me, about a friendship lost, is a favorite on my shelf that I've read more than once. Her latest, Husband and Wife, is one I'm greatly looking forward to reading. Here, she talks about the cover." Read more... Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony. "I love that even though Molly's walking down a dock, it isn't clear where it is or where she's going or why she's walking down it. And then you have these sort of doorways of light framing the picture, so that gives you a hint that the book is set in the future. The thing I love most is it's perfect for the story, but doesn't give anything away." Read more... Out of the Shadows by Joanne Rendell. "I made no comments, except 'I love it. Please don't change a thing!' Thankfully, they barely changed it from the first draft, except to insert a blurb. Also, even more deliciously, they added pale blue foil lettering on the final copies!" Read more... Speed Shrinking by Susan Shapiro. "When they sent me their cover design, I literally cried. I hate pink. I am so not a pink girl. And I hated the quote bubbles which made no sense to me. And she had white shoes! It's an autobiographical book and anyone who ever met me knows I wear black shoes. Not white shoes. I even took both covers to my shrink, who agreed with me." Read more... Blows to the Head: How Boxing Changed My Mind by Binnie Klein. "The original design my press sent me didn't move me, and I went into a panic. They said they had gotten the design from an award-winning cover designer. It was basically a stock photograph of hanging boxing gloves that one could find on the internet in thirty seconds. The designer inserted pink laces, and that was the, ahem, 'hook.'" Read more... Grace by Elizabeth Scott. "I really had no idea what the cover would look like as I was writing. I mostly thought, 'girl raised to be suicide bomber who doesn't kill herself and goes on the run? Huh. Okay brain, let's do it!'" Read more...

Cover Stories: Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

Last week on The Contemps, there was a spotlight on Denise Jaden's new novel, Losing Faith. Her cover is pretty unique, in that it doesn't have a model or one single iconic image on it. Here she is to tell us how it came about:

"I had a few ideas in mind for my cover after it had sold. I didn't really think about the artwork until then. Usually what I envisioned included a cliff of some kind and a girl with arms outstretched, but I admit, I'm not much of a visionary in this area.

"My editor let me know a few days before they would have a finalized cover design for Losing Faith. To be honest, I expected there would be more of a conversation about their plans or my expectations, but that's not how it went in my case.

"I was so incredibly impatient waiting to see my cover art for the first time. As soon as I knew it was coming, I didn't leave my computer all day! Then, would you believe, when the email did come, for some reason the attachment didn't come through. My agent wrote me immediately, wanting to know what I thought of the cover, and my reply was something like, 'What I think is that I want to see the flippin' thing. RIGHT NOW!' She emailed another copy off to me, and when it arrived, it was a very small jpg copy of the art, and because it was white, on the white background of my screen, it really was not very impressive at first. In fact, it kind of just looked like a smudge on my screen. I spoke with my agent and she suggested I print it out. Best suggestion ever. In full size, and away from the computer screen, I fell in love, and have been in love ever since.

"I did make a few comments to my editor about the vague nature of the image at the bottom of the cover. She explained that this vagueness was purposeful, as they did not want the image to seem too morbid. That made perfect sense to me. "The only changes from the original version I saw, were the addition of a tagline reading, 'A terrible secret. A terrible fate.' And with the finished copies, the spine includes purple and butterflies (a winning combination in my opinion!)

"My cover was created strictly with stock photos. I've always been drawn to covers with real-life models, and I had hoped for that, but as I said, I really do love the finished version of my cover.

"There are lots of hidden meanings and underlying messages in the cover, at least in my opinion. But I think the Losing Faith cover is one that everyone may take something a little different from, and that's okay with me. The figure at the bottom was not apparent to me at first, and it took a lot of staring and contemplating to figure out exactly what it was supposed to be. I'd rather not explain it, as I think it's better if it's one of those things that people take what they see from it."

I'm still trying to find the figure! Thanks, Denise! Here's a look at the spine, which I think stands out with the butterflies.

What do you guys think of this cover?

Cover Stories: The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

When I saw the cover for L.K. Madigan's October release, The Mermaid's Mirror, I had to find out how such a windswept, atmospheric image came about.Here's L.K. to tell the tale: "Sadly, I have no eye for design. I can envision scene after scene in my mind as I write them ... but I can't come up with an iconic image to represent the book. Since the book is about a girl surfer who finds a mermaid, I thought the cover might show ... um, a girl surfer... or a mermaid. "Which is why I'm a writer, not a designer. The first cover design my publisher sent me was very pretty (right). I loved the girl's hair, and the water droplets effect, but the blue graphic didn't really convey anything about the story. Only the word 'mermaid' in the title hinted that it might be a fantasy. My agent and I talked about it, and decided to ask the art director to consider incorporating the ocean into the design. "The final cover is what she came up with - I LOVE it. So beautiful and moody, and it definitely makes me think 'northern California,' which is the setting of the book. "After the cover was approved, we found out that a Jaclyn Moriarty book showed the same stock photo (right). But that book was a U.K. edition; it will be interesting to see if they release the book in the U.S., and whether they keep that same cover. "I just received my author's copies of the book a couple of days ago. I thought it would be interesting to include photos of the REAL LIFE cover. As you can see, it's a little darker than the previous image ... and there's more ocean on the back cover. More moodiness! "It's so pretty and layered. I love the lighting around the girl - Lena - and the misty blue swirling effect. I even love the little green shell detail on the spine. Carol Chu is the art director at Houghton Mifflin, and I've been lucky enough to have her design both my book covers." Thanks, L.K.! I adore this cover and I wish I could messily swirl my hair so perfectly into that mermaid bun. Sigh. Also, Alea noticed the cover twin in her awesome lookalike series earlier this year (along with some others--love this blog series). You can win a copy of the book here on Jaclyn Dolamore's blog if you enter by Friday. So what do you guys think of the cover?

Cover Stories: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

I love a bright red cover. Sleek and striking, Kirsten Miller's new release, The Eternal Ones, caught my eye instantly. Here she is to tell the tale:"I had an idea for the cover: I thought of two hands reaching for each other across the cover. The female hand was flesh and blood, while the masculine hand appeared ghostly--almost translucent. It was a rather literal nod to the plot. (The book is about reincarnation.) But I also knew going into the process that there are people who are MUCH better at this sort of thing than I am, so I wasn't going to ram my idea down anyone's gullet. "I know I discussed the design a great deal with my editor, but I'm not sure if mentioned 'my cover' or not. He had some pretty cool ideas of his own that I thought would be interesting to pursue. "The cover went through at least five phases which bore no resemblance to each other. There was the action cover, the bodice-ripping cover (which graced the original ARC, right), the spiritual cover, the lost in space cover, and the final cover. "I recently found out that they had something close to the final cover all along! But I'm happy they explored so many options. This way we all know we ended up in the right place. "I saw the final cover for the first time on my blackberry. As tiny as it appeared on the screen, I knew it was perfect the moment I opened the attachment. It's sleek, beautiful, and a little bit sinister. Exactly the combination I wanted. "A lot of authors don't get a chance to put in their two cents, but I did. If my comments were good, they were taken to heart. If they weren't so great, they were often ignored. (Which is just as it should be.) The secret is making only the suggestions that truly need to be made and not overwhelming the designers with minutiae. These people are artists and professionals, too. You have to let them do their job. (And while you wait to see the results, I recommend lots of prayer. Ha.) "I knew that I did not have the final say. But I was in good hands, so I was confident that we'd eventually land on something I loved. (One of the reasons I was so happy to go with Razorbill in the first place was the quality of their covers.) "I believe the silver ouroboros (snake swallowing it's tail) on the cover was created by a designer at Penguin. It was a real challenge to create an image that was both sinister and beautiful. "I love it. When you take it out into the sunshine it sparkles quite alluringly. And it certainly stands out in the bookstore. (Particularly since most books seem to be dark and gothic these days.) Having an iconic image to work with doesn't hurt, either. It lends itself to all sorts of stuff--tattoos, rings, etc. So in the end, I really couldn't be more pleased. "In The Eternal Ones, the ouroboros is the logo of the Ouroboros Society, a mysterious private club in Manhattan whose members all believe they've led multiple lives. The snake swallowing its own tail has long been a symbol of eternity, so it works perfectly with the story. "The final cover looks so much prettier in person!" Hear that? I think we all need to pick it up. It's #9 on the NY Times Bestseller list this week, so I think a lot of people are following that advice. Awesome! What do you guys think of this cover? PS-Kirsten also has a spectacular blog where you can submit a photo and have a past life revealed. She did one for me and I swoon whenever I read it. Gorgeous.

Cover Stories: ReVamped by Lucienne Diver

Lucienne Diver is here to share the story behind the second gorgeous cover in her Vamped series (remember the tale behind Vamped?). Here she is: "Flux did such a fantastic job with the cover for my first novel, Vamped, that I wasn't at all worried about what they'd do with ReVamped. When my editor wrote to say they'd come up with the concept of my heroine, Gina, filing her nails to sharp points, I think the only comment I had was to suggest the color of polish. I was sure I couldn't love any cover as much as the first (below right), but apparently, I'm fallible. Who knew?

"The first time I saw the ReVamped cover the nail file didn't yet look like a nail file. It was just a preliminary, so I didn't actually love it right away, but after tweaking...it's beauteous! It's a stock photograph that the art department modified. I'm amazed they found something that captured the feel of the book so well. I kind of prostrate myself before the Flux art department in homage.

"I could literally stare at my cover all day. I can't wait to see what they come up for Fangtastic, which is the next book in the series (and Fangtabulous, the one after that)!"

OMG, I'm loving the beauty vibe these covers have -- lipstick, nails, teeth, oh my. What do you guys think of the cover?

Cover Stories: Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Siobhan Vivian's Not That Kind of Girl is full of heart and hurt and love and kissing and feminism and awesome relationships. It's the perfect, perfect fall read. You will cheer and swoon. I can't say enough good stuff. Now, here's Siobhan with the story behind that hot cover:

"I started out pitching my editor, David Levithan, the idea of two girls standing next to each other, each wearing a private school uniform. One girl would be very buttoned-up and proper, while the other would trick out her uniform to make it look as sexy as possible. But David said that Girl-In-Uniform covers hadn't worked so well for them in the past, so he wanted to go in another direction.

"Then, when I was riding the subway, I saw the poster for the Neil LaBute play, REASONS TO BE PRETTY (right). I loved the vulnerability of that girl, and felt it very much in sync with my main character, Natalie. But I knew I couldn't have a naked girl on the cover, and I wasn't sure if the image would work as well with her in her underwear. Also, it maybe gave off the sense of someone being violated, which was not something I wanted my cover to convey.

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"Finally, I came up with the idea of a boy and a girl running into the woods together, as Natalie and Connor spend their nights fooling around on his family's Christmas Tree Farm. Something like this stock photo (left). That idea was shot down, too. I forget why. But I think it did lead us to the cover we have now, a photo that featured the love story of Natalie and Connor, rather than the story of Natalie and her friends.

"I really really appreciated their asking for my input. I got to pick Natalie and Connor from several beautiful girls and very adorable boys. Hardest part of the job. ; )

"I was definitely happy with the cover, but I did worry that it maybe looked a little too romantic. My book certainly has that element to it, but it is also very much about the relationship between three friends. That said, I was really impressed with the emotion captured by the photo. There was tangible heat behind that almost kiss!

"Here's a funny side note: David told me that both of my models were in relationships with other people, and that they REFUSED to actually make out for the shoot, even when the photographer told them to. Hello! What would Tyra say about that?!? I'm actually glad though. I think the second-before-a-make-out is way hotter than seeing actual tongue wrestling.

"The original concept for the photo shoot had been that we'd get a picture of a boy and a girl kissing, and then have the design department put a black censorship bar over their mouths. That was supposed to represent how Natalie fears how people might judge what she does with Connor.

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"But when the design department mocked the cover up that way (right), it became clear that the bar covered up all that emotion and longing and tentativeness and romance. It had to go! Nothing could get in the way of that kiss!"

Thanks, Siobhan! I totally agree that the black bar blocks the heat of the cover. So glad it went away. I love the just-before-kiss moment!

What do you guys think?

Cover Stories: My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours by Kristina Springer

Kristina Springer's My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours is out this week, and she's touring with the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit. (Also, she has a hi-larious cover.) Here's Kristina, sharing her short and sweet Cover Story:

"I didn't have any cover ideas at all! I couldn't even begin to think of what would fit my book so I pretty much think the FSG art department is full of geniuses because my cover turned out way cute.

"When I first saw my cover, I loved, loved, loved it! They asked for comments, but I think I pretty much just said 'OMG, I love it!'

"The cover changed such a tiny bit that I never even noticed. My husband pointed out to me that one of the phrases on the cover of an early image wasn't on the final book.

"Overall, I love it so much--I think it's cute and fun and fits the book perfectly."

Thanks, Kristina! I love how the cover is actually like packaging that would be hanging in a store--just noticed that. It's a cover that makes you want to keep looking at it for new hilarity. See the sides, flaps and back cover at Kristina's blog.

What do you guys think?