Repackaging!

The Smart Bitches happen to link to an article in Publishers Weekly on the clinch cover. And the verdict is, the clinch is here to stay.

One particular quote from Sue Grimshaw, Borders' romance buyer, struck me. “A tastefully done clinch is a must-have for debut authors,” said Ms. Grimshaw, which is more or less what she said when she had breakfast at RWA SF with a few of us Bantam authors.

So now my wonderful publisher is giving me the must-have clinch covers for debut authors. Bantam will reissue DELICIOUS and PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS with new covers to coincide with the release of NOT QUITE A HUSBAND. And here, without further introduction, are the preliminary versions of the new covers.


I do love the background on this. There is something very fairy tale-ish about it. I am not crazy about the mantitty--I'm never crazy about mantitty to start with, and this one is bigger than mine. So...wish he had some clothes on. But chest is de rigueur so I'll go with what sells.


Now this is much more my thing. Love the pose. Love the dress. Love the presence of the man without the actual mantitty. I'm, however, slightly torn about the color. On the one hand, I personally love it. On the other hand, there is something slightly poison apple-ish about it and rather startled the spouse when he looked at the high-def image. But there are certain colors that don't translate as well in jpeg and I trust Bantam to get it just right in print.

The Little Book That Could

This news is actually two days old, but I'm still going to consider it news. PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS made Publishers Weekly's Best of the Year list! It is one of the five books picked for the Mass Market category. Also on the list is my Levy Tour compadre Jordan Dane whose book NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM actually came out on the same day as PA. Congratulations, Jordan.

It's been years since I read PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS. And recently, during an online chat, when asked my favorite character of mine--Gigi's mother from PA--I misspelled her name. :-) So getting on the PW list has been fun and sweet rather than rolling-on-the-floor thrilling, like watching a childhood friend succeed from afar.

Now back to work on NOT QUITE A HUSBAND, which is, of course, going to be my best book EVA! :-)

Updated NOT QUITE A HUSBAND Cover

And here it is. Bigger, bolder, with a better tan on him and a fuller head of hair on her. (I specifically requested more hair on her, since her hair actually begins and ends the story, in a way. In fact, I requested a great deal more of hair on her--I wanted the old fashioned, will-engulf-small-villages-and-smother-unsuspecting-farm-animal kind of ginormous hair. But I was shot down, because the art department said that much hair might make the cover look muddy. :-P)