Best contemporary covers.

Okay these are the last of the covers from the cover cafe contest. This post will cover three categories: contemporary, series, & two image, so I've only picked the top 2 from each. Why have I bunched them up rather than a post on each? I'm going to have to shrug and say whim.

 1st place contemporary:
Nice composition and color, and lets be honest you can't go past his bod.

As Kati put it, it’s “abtastically delicious!”

Other voters were attracted by the sports theme. Sue T. was one of them. “I absolutely love this cover! This is one of my all-time favorites; that pose just seems to typify all of the hard work and sweat that goes into making someone into a professional athlete.”

Cover Cafe’s Jeanette summed up the appeal of this cover: “Do I have to explain? No, I don’t think so.”

 2nd place contemporary:
 This didn't scream romance to me, but it is a lovely simple cover that draws one in, makes me want to know what's behind the image.

Many voters noted the simplicity of this cover, including Cover Cafe’s Christiane. “Simple and very heart warming. Both the author’s name and title are just the right size, they do not overwhelm the flower.”

Other voters mentioned the striking color combinations and graphic design, including Beth F.: “Beautiful colors! Unusual choice of the dogwood, no perfect people, the weathered blue wood. I want to know why! I want to read this!”
Anne H.: “Love the petals against the soft blue, very evocative.”

 1st place series:
I'm not a huge fan of cowboys so this wouldn't be my fav, but it is a nice atmospheric cover.

Sandy seemed to speak for many of the voters however when she wrote: "Cowboys have a special place in my heart, so had to give this one the nod. Honest, loyal, sexy, and hard-bodied. Who can ask for more?"

Other voters also appreciated the artistry of the cover. Lynne pointed out the “Unusual angle,[and] evocative colours…” while K.L. noted it’s “Fresh and Bold – also love the use of color.” 

 2nd place series:
I loved the connection between the characters and the fun they were having together. You can believe in their romance.

Several voters commented on the unusual pose and atmosphere: Elyse: "I like how he's trying to protect her from the rain with his hand. Ineffective yes, but sweet! They're just so joyful--not letting the nasty weather get them down."

Nana: "It's such an original pose. I like how the personalities of the characters come through - him protecting her from the rain, her so happy she flings her arm out in it. It's like Gene Kelly in cover form."

 1st place 2 image:
 I like the outside image better of the two, but hte second certainly fits with title :)

Cassie stated: "Decadent and glorious - both in colour and in the art direction. I want my bathroom to look like that." Linda added: "Forget taking a shower..would love to crawl in a tub like this with a man that looks like this!!!" And Pat exclaimed: "The bathtub, sigh! First they have a reason to be getting undressed, you can see the tub in the background. Then they are IN it! Hot."

2nd place 2 image:
 I think it's the red that catches my eyes here, and the inner image is certainly atmospheric.

Cover Cafe’s Mary Lynn stated: "There's a lot of mystery in this cover combination, from the sweep of her hair to the mists in the land she's walking through. And the connectivity between the cover and stepback is excellent: the use of red, the filigree in the corners of the images, and the movement in the hair (albeit in opposite directions!)."

Lynne C. voiced: "Love the colours! It's rich and it promises mystery. And it's left to us how the heroine appears, apart from her hair. The other covers are too cliche, apart from the Frost one, which I also liked."

Judging a book by its cover & series covers

It's been a while since I've done a post on covers - and you know they're a favorite of mine. As I've confessed before, I often judge books by their covers. I don't want to, but I do anyway. We live busy lives & covers are a short cut to genre and content, although not always as accurate a shortcut as we would like.

One book I picked up almost entirely on cover was Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (I say almost, I'd read her name somewhere but knew nothing about her or her books). I saw the book, the cover caught my eye, I liked it, got the book, loved that, and I've been a fan since. So picking a book by the cover does find one some gems (although it also finds the dross, sadly).

Recently I was in the book store & I saw the new UK covers for her books. I bought her latest one (Kiss of Snow) but on the way home I couldn't help thinking of the differences between the US & UK versions. I should say up front I have no problems with any of these covers. Authors get very little input into their covers Nalini's been lucky :)

This is US cover of the first book in the psy/changeling series. Simple, sexy (but not overt), kind of mysterious, it was certainly enough to make me pick it up. Each of the covers in this series are reasonably different. They somewhat give you a feeling for the action and characters within.

In contract this is the UK version. Still sexy, although in a different way (this relies on the power of the eyes), it's also dangerous/violent. I would have pick up this cover too. This cover sets the trend for the others. 1/2 male face with wound. I actually think these covers capture the male characters better, but they suggest very little else. Also they might capture more male readers? Although the titles might defeat that plan.

Most recent book in the series, US cover. Compared to UK covers the feeling of series is not as strong here (e.g. different font for her name from all the other books in series). Although all the other books, and even this one do have a strong similar vein. Series connections I've noticed are often under-emphasized in US series. I guess you pick up more readers, but as a reader who has been caught, it's annoying to realize you're in the middle of the series (fortunately these do stand on the own even through they benefit from being read in order). To be fair the the US publishes they didn't know how popular this was going to be when Ms Singh started :). More man-titty. With the wolf, also a clear no at what type of paranormal this is going to be. Although a good job, not dissimilar to a lot of other covers out there.

 This is UK version. As you can see (and if you look at the others) an incredibly strong sense of series. On a book shelf together they'll look great. I like this one too. All the men are different, they all look at the reader in a different way. If I have one complaint it's the very thing I also like (yes, I know their is no pleasing some people) it's their very same-ness. You really have to know which ones you've read or you risk picking up the same book twice. The series look is unique, and unlike other covers out there which adds impact, but also using the same device repeatedly for each book does somewhat remove it's power to affect the observer.

One other comment I would make is that  both US & UK covers suggest white men, readers will find that is not the case.

You can see full covers here: US and UK. Two very interesting takes on the same series. Regardless of cover I seriously recommend the series :)