The following is from authors Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow… ~DD
Big thanks to Delilah Devlin for letting us come here and play today! We’ll get started with our first Q&A.
How You Doin’?
Q: The two of you have some very beautiful covers. Do you have any creative input on these? If so, how much or how little?
Michelle: I’m very lucky to have a really good friend, what was her name?, who does coverart for me at a couple of my publishers, man I wish I could recall… Steve…Bob…Nat…
Mandy: Hmm, odd. Wonder who the friend is. We should send her a fruit basket. Or hunky male cover models WITH fruit baskets. LOL. All joking aside, I really think that over the years we’ve been very blessed when it comes to cover art. There have only been a few that made me cringe. No. I won’t name names but I will say, they still make me cringe today. LOL. It was hard to recontract a few things because I loved the covers so much and knew they’d change. Like Gypsy Nights. I loved, loved, loved its first cover so much it was hard to agree to re-release it elsewhere.
I feel very strongly that cover art can make or break a book. Unless you’re to the point that your name on a blank screen will sell a book, you do need to be mindful of art. I’m curious, how do readers feel about cover art?
Michelle: Natalie Winters! That was the name. (*cough* aka Mandy Roth’s art penname)
I agree, cover art can really make or break a book. It’s the first thing a person sees while browsing. I, too, have had some covers that make me want to cry. I won’t list them, but I’m sure you can pick some out if you browse our websites, lol. New cover art day is like a holiday for me and a bad cover is like getting a single pair of plain white socks for Christmas—sure, you needed socks, but who wants to open that gift? A good cover is like a box full of coffee beans. Mmm… coffee…
Featured M&M Book of the Day:
Raven Books
www.theravenbooks.com
Raven titles are available on Amazon.com as well as other third party sites
Mandy M Roth
www.mandyroth.com
Michelle M Pillow
www.michellepillow.com
Thanks for letting us hang here, Delilah! Everyone, remember that to be entered in the contest at the end of the tour, you need to comment on the posts. You can enter as much as you like.
Join us tomorrow when we visit Stephanie Julian.
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These two gals are too funny…lol!!!
And Natlaie Winters is an awesome cover artist!!!
Valerie
in Germany
😆
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You gals are very funny. I have to agree with the cover art. A lot of times I will choose whether or not to read the book just by looking at the cover. If the cover doesn’t look interesting I won’t read it. The only way I will a book that doesn’t look interesting is if it is highly recommended to me by someone.
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Thanks for stopping by, ladies! And thanks for having us Delilah! 🙂
I am a cover art junkie. I just want to make posters of all of it and put it on my walls. Unfortunately, my decorating tastes have been vetoed. lol
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I’m sick for cover art. I half fall in love with the heroes before I even open the book just based on what their chest looks like on the cover and I’m sort of the “s” word for a guy with weaponry. oops:
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I am a sucker for cover art. I have bought books because the hot guy on the cover looks like you just want to touch and um lick every part of his body and then you read the book and well it may not even be that good. Present company excluded of coarse:-) Mandy your cover art always matches the book and always makes me buy the book, of coarse I would buy a book with you or michelles name on it even if it does not look good, cause I know it would be inside:-) By the way did you see the hot guy in the water on Delilah’s blog yesterday HELLO! 😈
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Running to see the water on Delilah’s Blog yesterday….
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I love covers too. I have bought books because of covers too. LOL. If I have read the author before(and I liked them) and I don’t like a cover I will still buy the book. You two are very funny. Enjoyed your post. I love your cover. Catches my eye.
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com
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B– I want to pick you your kitten icon sooooo bad. OMG, that’s cute!
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Hi Sue! I like your kitten icon too. Strays keep having kittens in my garage, so I have a baby in there right now, and a teenager, lol. The teen looks like a Russian Gray.
Thanks for stopping by to say hello!
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Michelle! So? How yummy is that water?
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Hope, I would like to submit my answer in the form of a musical number…. lol
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OMG I love how you two make me laugh. Probably why I enjoy reading your books too. Go figure.
As for cover art… its the eye catcher. Pulls me in and after I unglue my eyes from the front I’ll read the blurb. For me it is definitely important. Sad but true. I know people want you to buy the book based on what’s written but I need more than that.
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*Giggling* Love your interaction ladies 😀
As to cover art I am very particular about it. I adore anything with hot men on it or that actually pertain to the story. I don’t like cartoony covers or covers that are nothing like the story.
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I’m a total cover art whore. I can’t help myself.
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You two always make me smile, and your covers, Mandy? Awesomely beautiful.
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I agree about some of those covers are great. Loved the post today ladies.
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The covers are great. I missed yesterday blog, I will have to back and read it. water?
lorettaC
lbcanton@verizon.net
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You ladies are funny!! I can’t wait to check out your backlist.
I love covers. They catch my eye immediately, especially if there is a yummy man on the cover!! I really like when the cover art conveys a bit about the story.
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I can’t believe not one person took me up on my offer to sing my answer in musical form. And I practiced all night *giggle* (smart choice, all)
I love cover art. I used to get mad when I was *cough* younger when I’d pick up a novel and there would be a raven beauty on the cover then inside, she was flaming red haired and the hero was nothing like the guy on the front. Or, there’s a cowgirl in pants and the heroine is a socialite who’s never seen a cow.
I think covers are getting much better. Especially with smaller press as to the matching the insides.
Thank you all for coming to play with us!! Or next stop is:
http://onamoonlitnight.blogspot.com/2010/09/m-makin-rounds.html
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Michelle- I would have had you sing that musical number but I had to go to work and didn’t get off till 3 this morning then ended up babysitting my 3 month old neice this morning to say the least really tired:-) But little ones are so worth it 8)
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Ah, how cute! 3mths.. before they start talking back and realizing adults don’t know everything, lol. It’s great you got to spend time with her!
And, NO ONE wants to hear me sing. Trust me, you didn’t miss out. LOL