Me, either. But, I'm seriously considering a midnight raid on my neighbor's chicken coop. I'm not bloodthirsty enough to actually sacrifice a live chicken on the altar of the Cover God, but after getting a look at the cover of my April Superromance, RETURN TO THE BLACK HILLS, I have to try something.
Check this out.
On the surface, this cover has everything a good cover should have: hunky hero, sexual attraction between two nice looking people, bright, vivid colors and an interesting setting (I believe that bluff in the background is from a photo I took in the Black Hills). I probably should be weeping tears of relief because I know how many ways a good cover can go bad. And if the Cover God (or our esteemed Harlequin art department, for that matter) is listening, please understand, I'm not knocking the artistic composition of this one. My problem is: I don't recognize the heroine. Or, rather, I'm dreadfully afraid the wrong twin slipped into this steamy embrace when the artist wasn't looking. Does that mean the other twin will adorn the cover of my next book?
I don't know. That's where the chicken feathers come in.
MY HUSBAND, MY BABY, Dec. 2003
You might not be able to see it from this image, but my poor hero is wearing zipperless pants. Talk about emasculation! Poor Sam. He and I both cried. Hmmm...maybe the Cover God knew something I didn't. But Sam is the daddy of those two adorable babies, who, in my mind, saved the cover. Readers were so enchanted by the babies, they didn't notice Sam had no zipper.
But I did.
And then there's my third book, BACK IN KANSAS. Or, as I tend to think of it, the "pink mittens" book.
I blamed myself for including too much detail when I filled out the Art Fact Sheet (a standardized form that each writer completes for each book) for the next book. (These mittens aren't mentioned in BACK IN KANSAS but do appear in SOMETHING ABOUT EVE, the spin-off that followed.) Plus, I have to admit, my gut reaction to the female model on this cover was, "Does she look like a hooker to you? A librarian, maybe, but a reformed sex worker? Really?" And, I ask you, who dons mittens to look at a map?
In addition to filling out an Art Fact Sheet form, authors are asked to provide the art department with a brief synopsis of the story. Somehow, somewhere, something went wrong--communication-wise--with A BABY ON THE WAY, which features a pair of teenagers frollicking on the cover. Doesn't the hero look like a cast member of Glee? His striped polo shirt nearly killed me. Why, you ask? Because in my book these characters are thirty-something married lawyers at a crossroads in their relationship dealing with a lot of heavy, intense issues, including whether or not to stay married.
But this cover does have one redeeming feature: the dog. The dog is the spitting image of my sweet Belle, who died a few months after this book was released. So, despite its flaws, I have a soft spot in my heart for this cover.
Actually, I must admit that I am very lucky. Three slightly wonky covers out of 28 isn't bad. And I accept responsibility for the inspiration behind all of my covers--I'm the one who picks the main characters' attributes from a drop-down menu, fills in the blanks, describes specific scenes in the book and provides a synopsis of the story. But I've come to understand that description and artistic interpretation are two different things.
Which brings me to April's RETURN TO THE BLACK HILLS. The hero, Cade, is great. It's the heroine, Jessie, a professional stuntwoman who dyed her hair a tawny, lioness shade of gold to match her Freerunning alter-ego, Jess DeLeon, who has me worried. Readers are also introduced to Jessie's sister, Remy (heroine of May's A FATHER'S QUEST), in this book. Sweet, girlie-girl Remy with the long, white-blond hair. Maybe if I'd offered up a small burnt offering (or paid closer attention to the Art Fact Sheets), the model on this cover would have had shoulder-length tawny blond hair...and been on top.
I know. I know. I'm too picky. And, realistically, there's no changing things, now. My neighbor's chickens can rest easy. But, maybe the next time you pick up a Superromance and study the cover, you will appreciate how much time, angst and superstitious nonsense (on my part, at least) has gone into its making. ;-)
I know. I know. I'm too picky. And, realistically, there's no changing things, now. My neighbor's chickens can rest easy. But, maybe the next time you pick up a Superromance and study the cover, you will appreciate how much time, angst and superstitious nonsense (on my part, at least) has gone into its making. ;-)
Deb
82 comments:
Zipperless pants...that is just wrong! And the mittens? How do you work with a map while wearing mittens? I would have dropped it or at least had one side flapping in the wind.
Do the covers go to freelance artists or is there group of artists that are used regularly?
Hi, Barbara! Congratulations on "Return to the Black Hills"! The very attractive cover, overall "sunny" appeal, and your talent as a storyteller make it a winner! I love my books from cover to cover and everything in-between. I find it distracting when the cover image does not match the character descriptions in the book. What's even worse is when the back blurb contains wrong information which is different from the actual story line and even gives wrong names for the charcters. I read a very good book which was hit with all three misfires: poor cover image, incorrect story line info in back blurb, and a wrong name for one character. I really felt bad for the author because she had written a very well-done historical romance featuring a heroine whose intelligence was a huge part of her sexual appeal to the hero. The cover the book was given featured a brown-eyed woman posed provocatively in a low-cut gown. The heroine in the book had large, luminous blue eyes and wore glasses. A more intriguing, and in my opinion, sexier, cover would have shown both the heroine and the hero in their clothing style as described in the story line. He would have one hand on her shoulder, looking at her appreciatively, and twirling her glasses with his other hand. She would be looking his way, eyes slightly dropped, with a most sly, innocent grin. That image would have depicted the real nature of their hotter than hot attraction. He was one guy who most certainly did make passes at the girl who wore glasses!
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
Oh,Deb! I love your Return to the Black Hills cover. Tawny hair or not, she looks VERY happy right where she is. (Even if she isn't on top.) ;-)
P.S. The woman on the cover of my first book looks nothing like the blond heroine, but she could be my own red-headed sister's identical twin. That's a little creepy. ;-)
I've said this before but I'll say it again ~ I'm weird because I don't pay very much attention to covers. But maybe the next time I pick up a book to read I should start looking closer at the cover since you have to go through so much angst over them.
You made me go look! Poor Sam - I didn't realize his legs were made to look so short either! The whole inseam is a little messed up isn't it?
And you know - Claudie is reformed so maybe that's why she has such a sweet smile on her face. She knows Bo will catch the map if she can't hold on. hmm...might be a trick to let him know she needs him?
I have to admit I'm one of those who look again at the cover once I have the character description. In Molly O'Keefe's Notorious O'Neill's - the guys were supposed to be blond. I guess the lighting for the cover shoot made their hair darker!
Then there's the long hair/short hair debate for the heroines. It's opposite of what's in the story compared to the cover. I tell myself that she got her haircut somewhere between the pic being taken and the story being written.
The covers do attract me - mainly on authors I've only read a couple books of or none at all - but for my auto-buy authors (ahem you would be one of those)I really hope they have pretty covers because I want readers to discover them.
The Special Moments cover is beautiful. The cover is so important. It really helps determine whether I buy a book.
I could never make it as a writer. I would get caught up in all the pesky details and not write a word. And don't get me going on all the blogging distractions (which I prefer to think of as "an outlet"). Nope. Writing is not for me. Too many judges. Too many promotions. Not enough time.
How do you find the enjoyment with all these details? Well ... you must, since you've written so many books, but "the process" is way too involved for me! I'll leave it to you. Yeah. You write. I read. Works for me!
I love all your Black Hills covers, Deb. I love covers, and I do usually find something in them that doesn't match the story. The one that probably bugs me the most is hair. The story will say blonde and the cover will be brown. Or even worse, the heroine is supposed to have a mass of unruly curls that really bug her in the story, but on the cover she only has a few, tame bouncy curls at the ends of her hair. I do have to say that the unzipped zipper is hilarious. I think the covers have been getting better and better. Perhaps computer technology has something to do with that.
I hate it when the cover of the book does not match the inside and Zipperless pants that is just plain wrong! And the mittens how is anyone supose to work with a map while wearing mittens?
I cant tell you the number of times I have read a book where the heroine and or hero on the cover don't match the description on the inside I mean you get the ones where the girl on the front is blonde but on the inside she has red or black hair , or the hero is described as a powerfully handsome looking man and then the man of the cover looks like a 22 year old !
I do adore the hard work the artist put into the covers but really sometimes they just don't make sense at all ! I have even seen books where the cover has a baby involved in the picture and then the back description makes it sound like somewhere in the book there will be a mention of the baby bu then after reading the book back to front ---no baby weird !But I do adore reading so much that most of the time I tend to rather just ignore the covers and their "mismatches" lol
And I agree with you your Australian Special Moments release's cover is simply lovely !
Keep up the great work
All the best
Desere
Yeah, you write....I read! Love the covers and love to read! Keep up the great writing!
Thanks!!!
Do they ever reuse cover art?
Hi Deb-
Your post made me laugh until I cried. My eyes are so bad now, I hardly noticed these details (except the pink mittens)
Ah, Deb. You made me laugh this morning. Thank you for that.
I think the one that stands out the most is the pink mittens. What the heck? Seriously? I can deal with the dude wearing pull-on pants, but those pink mittens...well, they intrigue. Did she have ugly hands or something? Maybe that's the art dept's ploy - intrigue them with the mittens.
I have to admit that my covers (just three so far) have been awesome! I've loved them all, especially this month's cover for A Little Texas. They pegged Rick and Kate - even have them wearing what they wore in the scene. So I'm sure I'm up for a wonky one soon. I've been too blessed with my others.
I think covers are pretty darn important. They tell you a good bit about the book - even it's tone. If you look at the January book carousel, you can find tone in the cover. Check out Nanny Next Door - makes me smile to look at it. It's the first introduction to content of the book. So I'm not really sure about what your pink-mittened ex-sex worker is supposed to tell me? LOL
Great post!
Hi Deb. I have to admit, I don't pay that much attention to the covers. The pink mittens crack me up - maybe she was a germophobe. Eagerly awaiting your next book! All the best...Jackie
I'd have to say that the front cover is probably the last thing that entices me to choose a book. I turn to right the back, I want to know what the story is about. I do often notice after I read the book that the cover doesn't quite match the characters in my head. (they are usually much younger in the picture). But for me, it isn't exactly what the hero or heroine looks like, it's how they make each other feel.
Loving your Glee like hero and nearly died laughing about the zipperless pants.
My pet hate is when the hero/heroine on the cover is not even marginally like the person described in the books. I read a lot of medicals and it happens quite frequently in them. I imagine it must be very frustrating for the author.
Then there is a whole other debate about the titles. Just a read a fabulous book that had mistletoe in the title. But not a glimmer of it in the book. Doesn't figure!
Arugh! I wrote a very long, detailed post and hit "post comment" and was told, "Sorry, sucker, you don't exist in blogger land." Or something like that.
I'm blaming my husband who was watching "Welding Tricks and Tips" for HOURS! so I tried to reply via my iPad. Didn't work, obviously. Back to the lap top. Who wants to know some welding tricks and tips...kidding.
We're here to talk about neurotic writers...I mean, covers.
First, the questions:
Barbara, I visited the Harlequin home office in Toronto two years ago and was amazed by the Art Department. Supers are only six of how many covers they put out every month? A lot. It's mind-boggling. They are super busy, super gifted. I mean that.
JCP, you asked about re-using covers. I don't know, but my friend CJ Carmichael and I had books that seemed to share a very similar background. Her's was set in Canada and mine in...wait for it...Kansas. Yeah, that one. Ironic, huh?
Virginia, this cover DOES capture the essence of the hero's and heroine's attraction for each other. And the artist included some very nice details that reveal aspects of the characters that become clear in the story. Like the swim top...
Ellen, I had one of those woo-woo look-alike moments with PICTURE-PERFECT MOM (a cover, I loved, BTW). The little girl looks like my friend's daughter, Morgan (which is also the name of my heroine). Eerie, no?
EllenToo, weird is as weird does...or something like that. ;-)
Marcie, thanks for being so understanding and forgiving. Your'e right. Jessie's hair might have grown some since I wrote the book. And it could be wet, which makes it look longer. And blonder. I love it that you give these characters a life after publication. Sweet!
Runner10, several of the foreign covers I've seen, including Special Moments, seem to favor a softer, more diffused look. Different markets, I guess.
Laney4, I agree with you about the distractions. You have summed up my life in a nutshell, but your forgot to add in that we are often our harshest critics, which makes things all the more complicated. Thank you for reading. I mean that.
On that note, I must dash away to one of my usual distractions--family. Back in a minute.
Deb
Hi Debra, I agree with the readers who don't pay much attention to the cover—though I might have noticed the mittens. I go right for the cover summary or the first page. Return to the Black Hills is an enticing cover. Hope the readers are too engrossed in the story to notice. And I have smelled burned chicken feathers. Yukky—worse than cover art gone awry.
I agree that it's a little annoying when the people on the cover don't look like they are described. I remember a couple of covers that had kids featured which was nice but I felt that the kids looked to young on the cover. :( Oh well, I have also seen some great ones!! Good luck are your next book!
JCP - I have seen covers used again. Usually the book is released (say as an American Romance) and then the cover is used again for a Special Release. I've seen this happen twice.
I also have to say when I read the title - it reminds me of a movie called Chicken Run (by the creators of Wallace and Gromet (sp?)).
Too funny. I recently read a Love Inspired title wherein the heroine had a teenaged daughter with every bit of teenage attitude and angst. Except on the cover the girl depicted was wearing a red velvet dress with a large white bow in her hair. She looked every bit of eight or nine. That threw me off and detracted a teensy bit from what was otherwise a very enjoyable read from a seasoned LI author.
Maybe the art department, given the increasing number of covers they have to design per month as lines expand, only skims the books or synopsis. They certainly can't be expected to read every one cover to cover. Even with your input, they're sure to mess up a few, right? (This she says as she hopes and prays that when she's a Harlequin author, all of her covers are stupendous.)
Rula, you are too kind, but thanks for the praise for the Spotlight on Sentinel Pass covers. I've been happy with them all, although it always surprises me what the artists decide to include--like the stuffed dinosaur one of the boys in DADDY BY SURPRISE was carrying. No mention of such a thing in the book, but a GREAT idea! Wish I'd thought of it as a marketing tool. ;-)
Deb
Desere, you're a doll. Thanks for being so forgiving. Might be a lesson here for me.
Jackie S., thank you. I will keep writing. And I have to say, I feel the same way about art direction--I write; artists art (or something like that). ;-)
Deb
Tammy, oh, thank you, thank you, for getting my humor. I knew there was a reason I like you.
Liz, you are SO right. The Art Department has really stepped up to the plate. And I love the way Ro has set up the carousels. I'm mesmerized by all the great looks and how different they are.
Jackie, LOL re: your gremophobe idea.
Deb
I love the zipperless man..um..no...cover! The babies on that cover are adorable!
I also love your Return to the Black Hills cover.
My favorite is the pink mittens - on an apparently sunny day where coats aren't necessary! :)
Overall, though, I think Harlequin generally does a good job matching covers to stories, and I like to look for the moment in the book that matches the cover.
I'm curious, though, they have you submit all that information for the cover, but you don't get to proof it? I suppose that could go on and on forever, but it's got to be hard.
I think it would be like the times that my kids stay at grandma's house and come home and I think "I wouldn't have dressed them like that! And what did you do to her hair?" :)
The pink mittens are great! :)
Generally I like the Harlequin covers. Sometimes they are a bit overdone with the happy family all smiling. But in the end the cover doesn't really matter, as long as the book is really good!
Good luck with your new book!
Carin, you nailed it exactly!! And, yes, I'm sure the timing required to proof a cover would throw a huge monkey wrench into the workings, considering how close we cut it with the print side alone. Production is a HUGE operation, finely timed with little room for neurotic writer-types. Like me.
Thank you, Nas. You are too kind.
And working backward this time up the comment column, PatriciaW, I think getting kids right is even harder than adults since their development can vary so much to their age. One person's idea of a 10-yr-old might be very different from mine--given the 10-yr-old I have in mind looks older than his age. I hope all your future covers are a perfect fit, too. And, trust me, seeing your first cover is like gazing upon your baby's face for the first time. It's love at first sight--no matter what.
Laura, thanks for the good wishes for my next cover. I hope I haven't jinxed things. :-(
Mary, do tell. Burnt chicken feathers. My mother used to butcher her own chickens, and she would dunk the plucked birds in boiling water. I don't remember how she disposed of the feathers.
Deb
I just wrote a whole comment, then it wouldn't take my password, which WAS CORRECT! But now that I've ventilated, I will try again.
The one thing I miss having a Kindle is the cover. I like covers. My favorites of yours are Love, By George (love the dog) and The Quiet Child (love the Christmas lights). I actually like all the covers with dogs. :)
As publishing moves more and more to the electronic realm, I hope covers don't go by the wayside. I believe in the future all books--aside from a few coffee-table types--will be electronic. I hope publishers figure out a way to advertise/promote that will still utilize cover art. Sheri
I'll have to trust you on the ziperless pants but the pink mittens do...um... stand out!
Hoping your next cover bring your hero and heroine to life (and not in a freaky zombie way).
=)
The mittens are the most noticeable,they are sooooo pink. Maybe the artist's solution to a day when no matter what they did the hands would not come out how they wanted?
LOL at the zipperless man still manging to father a child. That was an Erica Jong title, wasn't it?
Covers are important, even with ebooks when browsing I am more likely to peek first at the books with the most attractive cover.
Luckily, even though your heroine has been given the wrong color hair, the cover looks great!
Sheri! That's exactly what happened to me this morning. Maybe it wasn't my iPad's fault.
Wow. I hadn't thought about electronic covers since all the ebooks I've bought had covers to look at on Amazon. But you're right. That's an issue if they didn't start out as print books.
Thanks for remembering some of my favorite covers, too. The Quiet Child (Harlequin American) was so poignant and pretty. Definitely one of my faves. And George. I smile every time I see that cover. Luckily, I signed that book at RWA (as you know) and I have a huge poster of it on the wall of my office. What makes me grin, though, is the picture of the poodle on the wall behind George. Such a funny, clever touch that the artist added.
Deb
Deb, I have to admit, I have cover envy! Return To The Black Hills is gorgeous!! But I know what you mean about not recognizing the heroine. It's so hard when we're picturing these characters for so long and then have them show up looking completely different *g*
At least she's not wearing pink mittens ;-)
Beck--seriously--funniest comment of the day. You had me at 'zombie'. What a hoot!
Waitingforthecall...the mittens...I wish I knew. Alas, they are a mystery...like nipples on men...and what McNuggets are really made of...and...I'd better quit before I get in trouble.
Thanks for your comments, ladies.
Deb
It's always nice when the cover matches the premise of the story and the characters.
Kristina, I missed replying to your comment. Sorry. Such a crazy day. Thank you for responding. What you wrote is both profound and true! I really like this story and the relationship between these characters, and I hope my readers will, too.
Deb
I still can't get over the mittens. Who'd try to read a map with mittens on?
SusanWilson, I think I missed your post, too. You mentioned the hero's T-shirt, and I'm not kidding. The striped polo nearly made me ill because it is the LAST thing that particular hero would have chosen to wear. BUT imagine how silly he would have looked frolicking in the meadow in his suit and tie! That was my only consolation. ;-)
And titles...that's a whole 'nother blog.
Deb
Jane, you're right. And, in that sense, this cover is spot on. The artist did a great job of capturing the tone of their relationship. They are interested in each other from the start and not afraid to act on that. Of course, numerous obstacles stand in the way of their moving that attraction to a more lasting sort of relationship, but, hey, how do you put that into art?
If I weren't so darn picky...no, wait, I'm going with Beth's wisdom. My disconnect stems from having spent so much time with these characters that I could only "see" them one way. Thanks, Beth. It's not my fault I'm neurotic. That makes perfect sense.
;-) Deb
Chey, you and me both. I can you imagine trying to re-fold that map with mittens on?
Deb
It's a beautiful cover, even if the heroine's hair is wrong. My first cover the men would zero in on the heroine's, um, chest. Women told me she looked like me (to which I always added a mental, I wish I looked that good!). The cover god's have done pretty well with your latest!
Hugs!
Laurin
It does annoy me once I start reading and find the cover doesn't match the picture the words are painting in my head, so I certainly see how it would frustrate the author even more. But most of Harlequin's covers are really appealing, and even the not so good ones wouldn't stop me from buying a great story.
I won't buy a book based on it's cover. I don't conciously pay attention to covers, but it I obviously pay attention subconciously because it does bother me when they heroine is a red-head and they have a blonde on the cover or they the hero has dark brown hair with green eyes and they show someone with blonde hair and blue eyes or you have a farmer hero and he's protrayed as a businessman. Sometimes I have started reading then go back and look at the cover because something isn't jiving with me.
And Deb, don't burn any chiken feathers, I promise you won't like the smell at all!!!
Your books sound great despite any cover flaws! May the cover Gods always bless you from here on out!
Best wishes!
Minor disasters make the best stories after enough time has past don't they? :)
I don't pay much attention to a cover, unless someone points it out.
Hello Deb,
This was quite amusing. I never really thought about covers...much, but I most certainly will now. I'm going to look through my boxes of romance books and check out the covers to see which ones don't match up. You must have been in shock when you saw those covers but hopefully, you can laugh about them now. And I agree with the other posts, those pink mittens...they certainly caught my eye!
Laurin--I don't think any of my heroines have ever been particularly well-endowed--on my covers, at least. Since I've only picked up your ebooks--and absolutely LOVE those covers, I'm struggling to picture the first one. Will have to go to Amazon to check it out.
Thanks for posting.
Deb
Thanks, Summer, for giving the story a chance and not judging it on the cover.
Snookie, I'm taking your warning to heart. No burnt chicken feathers. I did burn the hair on my hair on my arm once. By accident--no sacrifice intended. Pretty ghastly smell.
Deb
Chris M, I am taking your good wishes and running with them.
Kaetrin-- great name, by the way--you are soooo right. Look how much fun I've had with these poor, innocent covers. :-)
Estrella, would that person who pointed out the cover flaws be me? Sorry, about that.
Deb
Hello, Ginny,
I'm glad I gave you a new project. Sounds like fun. I love looking at covers--big surprise, huh?
Thanks for posting. Good luck with the drawing.
Deb
Hey Deb--Finally able to get on my computer, although no welding tips were involved--more like blogs being blocked at work.
I have to say I have been thrilled with every one of my covers. The only small glitch I ever had was when a cowpony on one of my covers was wearing a fancy English dressage bridle, but the horse was perfect, the couple was perfect. All the pants had zippers. Actually, now that I think about it, lots of guys wear Gramacci tech pants, which don't have zippers. Maybe your hero was one of those guys.
Thanks for a great read. Love your newest cover!
Lots of covers don't match the story, so I try not to pay too much attention to it. Your Australian cover though is very eye catching. Thanks!
Deb,
I had to go look on Amazon so I could enlarge the cover. I remember you talking about this when the cover came out. Goodness gracious! It looks as if those jeans were painted on in a bad way. Maybe they're supposed to be like sweat pants. The cover gods are sometimes not nice, but the babies save it. Gotta love babies.
We must have started at Supers about the same time. I'm working on book number 28. Where did the time go?
Linda
Your present cover is gorgeous even if she doesn't look like the heroine.
54 comments ~ I'm late today and can't read them all right now. Thanks for the chuckles Deb. I like a cover with a kid or baby on it but that's about the only thing that catches my eye. I do hate it when the cover doesn't relate to the book though. That happens after I've read the book so it doesn't cause me not to buy a book. I think the most outstanding mistake on a cover was one of Maureen Child's Desire covers which had the wrong armed forces uniform on the hero and he was saluting with the left arm. The next cover mistake was a typo on a large print edition of Cat in an Indigo Mood ~ in inch and 1/2 size was the wood Idigio. I'll try to pop in sometime and read all the comments as this is the first blog on this site that I haven't read as it goes along.
Deb you are an auto buy for me so please don't enter my name for the draw.
I'll try to pop in sometime and read all the comments
Jeannie, thanks for dropping by. Your covers have all been very compelling. Yeah! I bet very few people would notice about the tack. I did once have a horse with no knees on one of my covers, but the artist used a photograph I'd taken as the background and I was so jazzed, I simply placed "Signed By the Author" stickers over the missing knees and everybody was happy.
Linda, you doll. How fun to see you out and about again. I hope that means you're feeling all better, my friend. Did I tell you your ONCE A COWBOY as my very first ebook? It was free and I wasn't sure I knew what I was doing. Lucky me. It downloaded perfectly and I really, really enjoyed the story. Your secondary characters were all so unique and fun!
Deb
Thank you, Eva. I appreciate that.
Kaelee, you are so right about not knowing the cover doesn't match the story until after you've read it--and presumably bought it. LOL. Too late then, right? My worry about someone thinking this is the wrong twin is pure writerly angst.
You are all too kind and polite to say so, so I'll say it: "Come on, Deb, they're twins. Get over yourself."
Thanks, everyone for hanging out with me today. I've loved all your comments. I'll check in once more after American Idol. Good luck to everyone. I so hope one of my peeps wins the Kindle.
Deb
Awk! Deb, sorry I'm late to the party. I've been having intermittent internet problems and can't even blame it on my husband :)
I think your cover is beautiful. I may have noticed, but wouldn't have cared. Although I can certainly relate because I notice every little detail of my own
I'll take the smell of singed hair over burned feathers anyday!!! :)
No worries, Ro. We've been having internet challenges, too. Seems okay if I stay close to the router but otherwise it's s...l...o...w. Glad you like my cover. We are our own worst critics, aren't we?
Thanks again for all your hard work putting this blog together.
Deb
I like the new judges. I'll leave it at that. I'm not a big fan of the audition stage of Idol, so I can go to bed now.
Thanks for playing today, everyone!!!
Hope I didn't miss any replies. If I did, let me know. Hasta manana.
Deb
Oh, Snookie, I just saw your last post. EIOUW! If the smell is that bad, then I'm doubly glad those chickens can run faster than me--in my mind, at least. Because that's as far as my stealthy, midnight raid got. ;-)
Deb
I have a weakness for pretty covers and often daydream about the story before reading or even buying it. If the H/H don't match I'm sometimes disappointed but it the story is really good that doesn't matter so much anymore. I really like the cover of A BABY ON THE WAY, even if it doesn't go with the characters. It gives me a happy and hopeful feeling.
Thanks for the new perspective on that cover, Kirsten. You're right. It is a bright, fun and hopeful image. And these characters do love each other and manage to turn their marriage around from the brink of dissolution. Yeah! Nice post! Thanks.
Deb
Deb, thanks for sharing your cover stories...very interesting!
Karina
www.karinabliss.com
You're too funny, Deb. :D My hubby is home from work on a snow day so he might be interested in the welding tips and tricks, he's a welder. =)
It's not very often a cover is so off that it catches my attention. But the pink mittens? LOL. I did take a second glance at the heroine with bikini bottoms and a long-sleeved, turtle neck top. ;)
And I can post here...but when I try to leave my address on the contact page, it won't take my password even though it's correct. Grrr.
Congratulations on "Return to the Black Hills"! Your book cover is beautiful.
I have to admit I don't pay too much attention to book covers. I read book descriptions to get an idea of the book (and those are wrong sometimes, too!) The cover and my imagination never seem to match.
Oops, coming in late. I've been neck deep in school books, contact, permanent markers... The Aussie school year starts on Monday.
I don't buy books because of the cover, but once I am reading I go back and look at the cover (I know I'm strange, lol). It always bugs me when the people on the front don't match the people inside.
I love the Aussie Special Moments cover design, but I don't like the fact SE and Supers are rebadged under the one title. Makes it hard to find the Super titles.
Deb,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. We always have an image in our mind of what we think it should look like, but sometimes... that just isn't the case. ;-)
Micole Black
That is so sweet of you to day thank you very much !!
Desere
Hi Deb-(its the other deb)... my hubby was sick on your blog day, so i sat by him and worried all day...I have to admit that I also do not look at the covers...it is the title and author I check out...and I see I have alot of books to make up reading from your list...yahoo(really)! lol.deb
Hi, Karina. Thanks for dropping by.
Micole, hope you're feeling better. You're right...sometimes, it just isn't the case. Gotta roll with it, right?
You're welcome, Desere.
Hiya, Deb2, hope your hubby is feeling better. A lot of flu around here, too. I wish I could tell you all those back list titles were out in ebook, but they're not. Love, By George is the first title of mine that came out in electronic print, too.
Deb
Chelle, my welder (hobby, mostly) really enjoys this newsletter. Here's the link: http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/welding-video-archives.html
Thanks for coming by. Yeah, that swim top is not what I imagined, but...it works. And it got us talking about it, so that's cool.
Deb
Jan (my later sister's name), you and me both, apparently. LOL. But I find I'm comforted that most of the people who have responded aren't overly bothered when a cover doesn't match up exactly to the text. Whew!
Thanks for posting. Good luck in the drawings!
Deb
Anita Joy, I'm intrigued by your post. I thought the marketing aspect of combining one Superromance and one Special might be very well recieved--unless it costs a lot more. The duos (two-Supers, usually) seem to do well in France. And I've seen the mix of two lines in the Mills and Boon England line, too. Very interesting. Supers still come out individually in Australia, don't they?
Good luck with the first day of school.
I hope the flooding in your country is starting to subside. The photos in the news have been heart-rendering.
Deb
Thank you, Emma!
Appreciate your good wishes.
Deb
Debra, I guess because I am trying to write Supers I'm very focussed on reading them - and no, you can't get them individually, Supers are only released as Special Moments now (all 2-in-1).
It does make them more expensive than before as you are buying a bigger book with the two in it.
Thanks for the first day of school wishes, I'm both excited and sad to see my youngest starting.
The floodwaters are receding but the destruction and loss are mind-numbing. Aussies are pretty resilient, though, and pull together in a crisis, so it's great to see that spirit shining through.
Thank you so much Debra I cannot wait to receive my prize and to read it !!!
Anita Joy, wishing you all the best with your Supers project. Have you tried a Kindle? You can download them individually, and they're usually cheaper. Although, this might might not be an option for you in Australia, but I'd be curious to know if it is.
Desere, I boxed up your prize and included a little extra since. I love knowing I have an avid reader on another continent. My first editor was from S. Africa. She has the most delightful accent. I have no idea how long the mail takes to get to you, but I will send it off today.
Deb
Debra, I don't have an e-reader myself (fingers crossed for the kindle, lol), but the e-book version from M&B Australia is also as Special Moments.
From what others have said we can buy them from eHarlequin, but value depends on the exchange rate (so at the moment with the Aussie dollar being high probably a very good option).
LOVE this authors books!!
Best~
Esther Grabowsky
Esther449@gmail.com
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