Last day for the Big Contest! I'll accept entries until tomorrow morning. Yay!A myspace friend of mine, Kimmy, specifically requested the cover story behind Laura and Tom McNeal's Crushed. I haven't yet read the book, but her questions about the cover made me curious to hear the back story.
Laura writes: "We didn't have an image in mind while writing the book because, for one thing, the titles tend to change. The working title of Crushed was Wicked, which as you may have noticed became the working title for another book before we went to press. Once we agreed on Crushed (after lots of discussion with our wonderful editor), it was hard to think of a cover that didn't involve a crushed automobile, which is why we're always so impressed with the art department at Random House. The art directors there have in every case produced an image that is subtly reflective of the story and interesting in its own right. The sideways portrait on the front of Crushed suggests both the 'three little maids from school' in the Gilbert & Sullivan musical that C.C., Lea, and Audrey once sang and the three misfitting maids that they are. Tom and I collect old postcards, and I'm a faithful car-Karaoke singer of Gilbert & Sullivan lyrics, so we were extremely surprised and happy to see the proposed cover art."
So there you are! A little insight into the meaning of the cover, from the author's perspective, and also some info about the original and working titles.
Plus, here's School Library Journal's take on the book, which makes it sound intriguing to me (I'm into quiet sophistication):
"The characters in this novel have their secrets and make false assumptions about others, causing them all to be crushed in some way. Audrey's mother died when the girl was young and her father is in financial trouble. Clyde's mother is dying of cancer. Wickham, born of an affair 18 years earlier and new in town, is running from his own secret. The trouble begins when he romances Audrey, who is quickly taken with his seeming sophistication. He, on the other hand, is looking for someone to help him graduate and relies on her academic assistance. Painfully shy Clyde also has a crush on her and uses his father's computer program to investigate Wickham's past. When he tries to share what he discovers with Audrey, she rejects him. In the meantime, a slanderous paper is circulating secrets about students and teachers. When cornered by the school bully, Audrey tells him that Clyde is the author, even though she lacks evidence. This sets in motion the revelation of other secrets and the breaking of hearts. With the exception of Audrey's friend Lea's off-key change in personality, characters and situations ring true. Readers will sympathize with these individuals, some of whom mature, and some of whom do not. This quiet, sophisticated story will appeal to a small, mature audience."
Has anyone read Crushed? I'd love to hear more about it!
PS-One of my past Cover Stories guests, Stephanie Kuehnert, hosted me for an interview on Saturday. Come visit me there!
This week, I'm giving away this cosmetics bag from Anne Taintor. It actually says "Not a shrinking violet" on it--how perfect is that?! This was in the gift bag for the Violet in Private book party, and I have an extra one to give away here. Be sure to explore their site--they have a fun feature called Meet the Models, which is kind of a "Where they are now" for the glamour pusses on their products. So cool!
To win, you have to visit me around the web. Each comment you leave on a few of the interviews I did last week counts as an extra entry in this contest. Then come back here and tell me how many comments you left--that's your main entry!
1. A chat with Elite author Jennifer Banash (not sure why I can't do an interview without mentioning Fiber One bars these days).
2. A visit with Death by Latte author Linda Gerber (who has the coolest holes in her covers!!).
3. Sharing stories about spring breaks with author Jennifer Echols (including 1999 snowy spring break photo of a doofy looking me!).
4. An interview with author Stacey DeKayser! (With chocolate questions)
Click around on all these authors' blogs--you may find a new must-read because these are talented people!
Happy Wednesday!
