How a cover comes to life

I've always said that covers are like giving birth. You don't know what you're going to get until it comes out. Harlequin American has been doing some fantastic covers lately (I'm still with both Kathleen and Linda--moving to Toronto and finding that hot guy on her cowboy book. I'm single--I can do that, ha ha).

Above is my cover for my April release, Nine Months' Notice. I received the cover pdf via email about a week ago. At Harlequin American, here's how the cover process works (at least for me). It may vary for the other authors, but I'm betting it's 90 percent the same.

First step is completing an on line art fact sheet. These can be done up to a year in advance. For example, I completed this art fact sheet in either September or October this year. I haven't done one yet for my November American, but I have for my NASCAR book. The art fact sheet asks for all the pertinent details like hair color, height, etc., basically how the characters look. The sheet also asks for the setting of the story, any important landmarks, and three important scenes. We also answer some questions that allow us to describe the mood of the book and how the characters grow and change. If we have an idea for the cover, we can include that in this section.

Then we're done. That's our part. I don't submit pictures or anything like that, letting the art department take it away. From what I understand from a Harlequin workshop I went to, Harlequin holds a meeting with the editors, marketing, and art people. Then they brainstorm what they want. Someone writes the text. Models come in and are posed so that pictures are taken, and then the artist uses a computer to create the art. This is why some covers look so lifelike--because those people really exist out there and they were actually posed into that position so the artist had something to work from. Just like Disney brought in real lions for The Lion King, Harlequin brings in real people.

From there, they take it away, editing, fixing, and tweaking until satisfied. Then, around three to four months before the book debuts, I can request the cover be sent to me and I open it. There in full view on my computer screen is the cover of the book I sweated over and loved writing. I print it out, hold it, and show it off. Hence, the birth of a baby analogy.

I've been blessed to have some wonderful covers. (They are at www.micheledunaway.com Click on backlist.) The full cover text of my April cover is below if you want to see a larger image and read what it says on the back cover.

Thanks for taking part in this "birth" with me. My April book is child number 14 for Harlequin American since my first book debuted in October 2000. I still pinch myself every time that I get to do this.

All the best and happy weekend,

Michele

Sneak Peek!

Hi all,

Thought you'd like a sneak peek at what the cover of my April release, Nine Months' Notice is going to look like! Here's the back cover copy:

She'd Ended Their Perfect Affair…

Jeff Wright never saw it coming. One minute he was in the midst of a white-hot office fling and the next the lady was over him and leaving for Kansas City. He had no idea what went wrong....

For A More Permanent Arrangement!

Tori Adams wanted it all. Two years with Jeff had been long on passion but short on commitment, which is why she’d planned on a new start. But she hadn’t intended to get pregnant, and that was about to complicate her life in ways she hadn’t foreseen. Because the man who’d been a good boss and amazingly passionate lover would pull out all the stops over the next nine months to show what a doting dad and devoted husband he could be!

Soundtracks of our lives

Last night the Kings song "Slipping to Glide" came on the radio and I turned up the volume. That's the ultimate driving song and I first heard it in high school, when I was with friends riding to go somewhere. Didn't matter where, we were all hanging out and driving was one of the coolest kids in the school and it was just awesome being in his circle. Ah, those little moments.

My students are currently doing music projects. One of the things they have to do is find a song that has a deeper meaning and is designed to make the listener reflect and change behavior. They will then teach the song to the class, dissecting it as readers do a poem.

So I thought about songs and their influences. Here are some of mine and I'll post others as I think of them:

Ultimate driving songs: The Kings, "Slipping to Glide", Roger Hodson "Had a Dream"
My all-time favorite rock bands: Supertramp, Genesis, U2, Depeche Mode, INXS
Music I listen to a lot: 80s
Song that is my mantra: Richard Marx, "Satisfied"
Best break up song ever: Toto, "I know I can't hold you back now"


Michele

Flu season

My daughters have the flu. One would think that being off from the day job means that I'd get more writing done, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

I get less.

I do get a little more reading and TV viewing done. Being sick means wanting Mom in the room, and also wanting Mom at your beck and call. You know, more water. More food. More medicine. More hugs. More back rubs. That kind of thing.

My concentration is not on my lastest work. Instead, I'm distracted and worried. Not focused at all.

The flu last on average 10 days. Usually kids start to feel better about day 7. I'm there with one, two more days with the other.

Wish me luck.

What am I reading?

Since I'm currently revising two books, on the side I'm reading historical romances. I just finished Victoria Alexander's A Little Bit Wicked and Terri Bribin's The Earl's Secret. Both were excellent and if you like regency era romance, I highly recommend these two.

Once I finished, I turned my attention to rereading Hart's Victory, my November 2007 Harlequin NASCAR book. I'm really happy with it and currently I'm tweaking a few things.

At the day job I'll be reading book reports (about 75) while my 9th grade students read To Kill a Mockingbird and my 11th graders read Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Both are classics, and excellent as well.

Okay, chat at you more later and sorry so short! My daughters have the flu, and it hasn't been pretty.

Michele

Happy New Year!

It's the new year, and I'm thrilled that 2007 is here. The previous year was a blast, but it also had a lot of roller coaster moments and I'm hoping that those are all behind me now. (PS--above that's my cat Wiggy, short for Wiggly--her brother is Wu. She's starting 2007 with a snooze.)

As for me, though, second semester has started at my teaching at job and I'm working on revising Hart's Victory (my November 2007 Harlequin NASCAR release) now that my editors have seen it and made comments.

That's an interesting misnomer that the book simply goes into print the way an author writes it. The editor plays a very vital role. Once I submit the book, she reads it and then sends me what is known as a revision letter. This letter suggests changes I can make to strengthen the book. Often times my editor is right on the money. She's found little things that I've missed because I'm so close to the work. I'll make those this weekend and then finish up Picture Perfect, the manuscript I'm writing for Harlequin American.

So it's like now that January is here I'm getting my act together and getting back to the daily grind. The days are getting longer now and I'm starting to have a little more energy. Hopefully you, too, are finding the start of 2007 is something grand.

Michele