Goblin Quest by Jim Hines

Did you design the cover?

I had absolutely no input into this one. The first time I knew anything about how my cover would look was when my publisher sent me the finished design.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

This was actually the second Goblin Quest cover. The book was first published by a smaller press before being picked up by DAW. I had some input into the small press cover (which is online at http://www.sff.net/people/jchines/Covers/GoblinQuest%20-%20Full.jpg ). That one came out pretty dark.

I think the DAW cover works much better. This is one case where it was better to keep the author out of it and let the professionals work. The DAW cover really captures the fun tone of the book, even though there's no way my goblin would ever get that close to a dragon. He's much more the "Run away and let someone else get toasted" type.

Who is the cover artist?

That would be Mel Grant. He has a web site and gallery at http://www.melgrant.com

Are you happy with the cover?

I'm very happy. As the author, I'm a complete control freak, so there are always details to nitpick about. The skin tone is a bit brighter than I like, and technically, that scene never appears in the book ... but it's a good cover. It conveys the tone of the book, and I've had a number of people tell me the cover led them to pick up and buy the book. That's exactly what a cover is supposed to do.

And Mel does a marvelous job of getting the details right, from the torn seam in Jig's boot to the color of his spectacles on the cover of the sequel.

If not, what would you change and why?

I would probably change Jig's loincloth. It looks a bit too diaperlike to me.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

Probably Smudge, Jig's pet fire-spider. It doesn't come through as well on the book cover, unfortunately. But I've got a larger print of the artwork, and Mel actually managed to make that little spider cute. I'm a bit arachnaphobic, but he really captures Smudge as a lovable little pet.

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Hm ... nope.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.jimchines.com

Or you can go directly to the Goblin Quest site, at http://www.sff.net/people/jchines/GQ/
What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756404002/

Right to Recover by Yvonne Perry

Did you design the cover? No

Did your publisher design the cover? Yes

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? Yes

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. My publisher works with the subtle messages a picture or design implies. She assures me this cover makes the appropriate statement and conveys a message

Who is the cover artist? I have no idea. My publisher came up with all the photos and the layout

Are you happy with the cover? Yes, over all.

If not, what would you change and why? The subtitle lettering is hard to read and messes with my eyes. Maybe it is supposed to do that.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover. I like the colors and the photos in the middle group.

Please provide your website link. www.right2recover.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.amazon.com/RIGHT-RECOVER-Political-Religious-Research/dp/1933449411/ref=sr_1_2/104-3055924-8852737?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179852278&sr=1-2

Yvonne Perry
Author of Right to Recover: Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America.
www.right2recover.com

Each person that posts a comment for Yvonne will be entered in a drawing to win a free copy of her book at the end of September.

Alaskan Magic--Carol McPhee

Cover of Alaskan Magic--Carol McPhee--http://www.geocities.com/carolmcphee2003

Did you design the cover?

I requested certain things be on the cover and let the artist take it from there.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

I asked for a raven, a wolf, and a bush plane because these things are crucial elements in my story. The artist added the moon and dark purple background.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

The first design was difficult to see. The raven was perched on a limb which due to its position made the plane look weird. Besides, the plane wasn't right, so at my suggestion the artist substituted another more accurate one.

Who is the cover artist?

Chris Butts at Champagne Books designed the cover of Alaskan Magic.

Are you happy with the cover?

I'm very happy with the cover.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

The best part is the immediate eerie feeling each object conveys.

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know?

There are a couple of scenes in Alaskan Magic where moonlight sets the spookiness of each scene so it's fitting to have it looking down from above.

Please provide your website link. http://www.geocities.com/carolmcphee2003

What is the link to buy your book? www.champagnebooks.com

Coming Back a Virgin by CJ Maxx

We want you to share your book cover with us. An attractive cover is a big element in the appeal of your book.

We want the details about yours.

Did you design the cover? No, I didn’t.

Did your publisher design the cover? Yes, it was done by Whiskey Creek Press-Torrid.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?

They asked for my input. I gave it to them but their cover artist had a better idea.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

The cover artist did a good job in tying the cover to the story. We discussed her idea and I agreed wholeheartedly. She actually read the story before coming up with the idea and it fit perfectly. It depicts the story.

Who is the cover artist? Jinger Heaston

Are you happy with the cover? Yes, very much so.

If not, what would you change and why? I wouldn’t change anything.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

You can’t discern it because of the size, but the computer screen actually has part of the story on it.

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share.

The female character on the cover is helping the author write romance scenes. If he writes it well, they act it out. I think she would inspire most men to write well.

Please provide your website link. www.cjmaxx.net

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=211

Post a message for CJ Maxx and be entered in a drawing for a copy of his book. Its that simple to have a chance to win.

Clouded Crescent

We want you to share your book cover with us. An
attractive cover is a big element in the appeal of
your book.

We want the details about yours.

Did you design the cover? No.

Did your publisher design the cover? Yes Mr. Bob Robert of AuthorHouse USA

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? Yes I gave the idea to him.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. Yes it is. My book is about a man who falls into the traps of evil -doers such as Islamist terrorist, drug smugglers and Al-Qaeda.

Who is the cover artist? Mr. Robert de Grave

Are you happy with the cover? Yes

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover. The back ground of clouds as my book is titled Clouded Crescent

What is the link to buy your book? customersupport@authorhouse.com

Affordable Paradise - Skip Thomsen

Affordable Paradise, ISBN: 0971853, Skip Thomsen

Did you design the cover?

Yes! I'm lucky to have a long art and graphic arts background, so I wrote the book, did the cover and my small-publishing company, Oregon Wordworks, published it.

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.

I wanted a photo that would allow me to share my feelings about Hawaii in general and the Windward side of the Big Island in particular. (That's where I live and work.) The photo was taken from Coconut Island in the beautiful Hilo Bay, and of the many I took that day, I chose this one because of the way the clouds played into the area where the title would go. I did the text and layout in PhotoShop and Illustrator.

Are you happy with the cover?

Well, there's always room for improvement, but generally, yes. When placed face-out on bookstore shelves, it sells well. People will pick it up just based on their impression of the cover, so it must be working!

If not, what would you change and why?

I'm not sure about that. The Third Edition is almost sold out, so I am working on the Fourth Edition and I'm undecided whether I should run the same cover again. It is essentially unchanged from the first two editions.

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.

Visually, the photo. Sales-wise, the title is good because it is the ONLY Hawaii title that includes the word "affordable." That seems to work with a lot of people!

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know?

Not really . . . I submitted the TIFF file in CMYK, 600 dpi to my printer and it came out great.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.affordablehawaiiliving.com

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.affordablehawaiiliving.com

Fatal Marriage by Alicia Rice

Did you design the cover? no

Did your publisher design the cover? no

Did you get to give any input about the cover design? no

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details. I asked my cover artist to give me her best fit and this is what she came up with. I was so over joyed and impressed. I thank her each and every chance I get. She's has completed the cover for my other novel and it's just as beautiful as this one

Who is the cover artist? Danette Alling

Are you happy with the cover? Extremely!

If not, what would you change and why? n/a

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover. The trust burning in the background

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share. It fits the storyline to Fatal Marriage perfectly

Please provide your website link. www.aliciarice.com

What is the link to buy your book? www.lulu.com/aliciarice

Alicia Rice

"See creativity through my eyes"

www.myspace.com/lilhayme
www.lulu.com/aliciarice
www.aliciarice.com

Scott Zema - Three Steps to Investment Success

Did you design the cover?
I provided the cover photo and my website designer designed the cover.

Are you happy with the cover?
No...could be splashier in hindsight. But I feel my book is a project in evolution, everything from cover to content, until I get it right. Try doing that easily with traditional published editions!

Is there anything else about your cover we need to know?
I wanted to convey some impression of the kinds of properties I discuss in my book and use them as a rich backdrop for the titile and my name.

Please provide your website link.
www.arklimited.com

What is the link to buy your book?www.arklimitedpublishing.com

CJ Maxx - Coming Back a Virgin

I posted the wrong link for CJ's interview. Please click here for more information about the setting for his novel - http://itsallinthesetting.blogspot.com/

I'm sorry for the confusion.

Nikki Leigh

Only Moments by Nick Oliva

Did you design the cover?Yes. I wanted to convey timelessness so I used my own photography from
Carmel and Big Sur.

Did your publisher design the cover?No, I laid out the criteria and they did a great job following through with it.

Did you get to give any input about the cover design?Total

Is there an interesting story behind the cover design? If so, please share the details.The front picture is Carmel CA in October of 1984. The back is Big Sur in 1994 that I took when I was out there writing the book.

Who is the cover artist?
I shot the photographs

Are you happy with the cover?Very pleased. I wouldn't change a thing.

If not, what would you change and why?nothing

Tell us what you think is the best part of the cover.I love the sunset and birds. It gives a glimpse of the eternal

Is there anything else about your cover that we need to know? Feel free to share.Nothing really. I am lucky I know what I want and I have a good sense of what is pleasing to most and what makes sense themwise to the book's general gestalt. I like those two words together. Sounds like a German army officer. Seriously, I think that the cover must relay a sense of what the book will convey to the reader once they've begun to read it. It helps to sell something with the desirability of the cover, as one plunks down hard cash just reading the back cover so it better look good and be verbally intriguing so Mr. or Ms. John Q. Public feels good about the purchase.

Please provide your website link.
www.onlymomentsbook.com

What is the link to buy your book?www.onlymomentsbook.com or amazon.com