This Is My *SHAME* Face
Every writer I know thinks about book covers A LOT. No wonder, really — a great cover can make a book, a terrible cover can break one. They are supposed to market the book, let the reader know the genre, and be aesthetically pleasing, all at once. And on this blog, where we’ve made fun of covers quite a bit, we haven’t talked much about the ones we love. That’s what this post is about.
It’s actually the first in a series of two posts, because I’ve ended up putting a few covers into two categories: The covers that I love love, and those — like these — that I love despite myself.
Exhibit #1: Johanna Lindsey’s DEFY NOT THE HEART
Ignore the tights. And the eyeshadow. Look at her dress!
I know! I know! God, I’m so ashamed of myself. There’s so much here that is awful. Fabio, to start with. The lavender tights. The eyeshadow. But at the same time, I look at this cover and I think … my god, that is gorgeous and romantic. And I look at her dress and just die. That color is amazing — and so is the texture. It’s not so clear in this picture, but when the book is in your hands, that dress looks like thick, soft velvet. And there’s the gold accents, the fact that the heroine is the focus because she’s dark and vibrant in a sea of pastels, and you’ve got me loving this thing despite myself. And the same thing goes for these two:
I know, I know! But I’m using these two because sometimes, I wonder if my love for these covers is just nostalgia. After all, Lindsey, in particular, was my favorite author when I first began reading historical romances, and Tender Rebel is a personal favorite (again, sometimes despite myself). So I think it can be easily argued that my emotional attachment to that book might be heavily influencing my love for some of her covers. But that isn’t true of the Kleypas.
Don’t get me wrong — I love Kleypas’s work. But I wasn’t introduced to it until later in her career, when these types of covers had gone bye-bye. Yet when Jill posted this cover on her Goodreads account, I went: Gasp! And the reason was very, very similar to the reason for my gasp! at the two Lindsey covers — the colors and the textures of these paintings just rock my socks. There are a million things that are laughable about these paintings, a million details to snark on, and yet when I look at them as a whole … I just love them.
(By the by, I think they might all have the same artist: Elaine Duillo. I’m certain of it for the Lindseys, but not so certain of the Kleypas.)
And extreme love for a book won’t make me die for the cover, either. This is a (small, because I can’t find a larger image of it and I don’t have a scanner) image of the cover for my favorite historical, NO GREATER LOVE. I think it’s really pretty, and I’m deeply attached to the book, but … it doesn’t rock my socks. Nor is it just love for the clinch. I’ve seen plenty of clinches to hate. Example:
No, this isn't a real book. The cover image is real, but Amethyst Blaque has a different story.
I mean, it’s got it all, right? The gorgeous tropical setting. The lovingly textured cutoffs. The vibrant hair!
…yeah, no.
So, anyway. Here’s me, red-faced, admitting that I really love some of these old clinch covers. Not all of them, but give me an amazing dress, bright color, and crazy hair — which all seem to add up to a visual focus on the heroine — and I just might not be able to resist.
Anyone out there love a cover (in any genre) despite themselves? Tell me about it in the comments, because my red face could probably use the company. And on Monday, I’ll talk about two covers in particular that I love love love for all the right reasons … and in their own ways, are related to my love of this:
Hey Meljean, what I nice post! Did you know that all of the German romance covers look like that? Yeah, they still do. Somehow they haven’t overcome that bodice-ripper-thing yet, but maybe, in the future…
I’m sorry to say that from my side there won’t be a red face to be company to yours.
I can totally understand what you mean when you talk about the colours and the texture of the dress, but still, I can’t really like them, not even in a whole. That might be because I’m an artist myself and whenever seeing those covers thousand things come to my mind that I would have done differently.
But still, I do have things that get me red-faced, too. So maybe there’s still one to keep yours company, but because of other stuff…
Oh, no! Yes, I don’t mean a clinch cover, exactly. But any cover that you think, “Oh, god, why do I love this?” There are a ton of SF/F covers, for example, that I like despite myself, too.
I LOVE THOSE COVERS. My favorite is probably Lindsay’s FIRES OF WINTER (legs!) or SILVER ANGEL (hair!) just because of the beauty of the art. Realism? pfft. Oh, and Barbara Cartland’s old books had lovely painted covers. I want a book full of the art of all of them, thankuverymuch.
(Oh, and that X-men Issue? Love the cover but SUCH A DAMN TEASE. I have that copy and never did I weep more when I got to the end. I wanted hot Rogue/Gambit sexxoring and I got cockblocked.)
Someday I will sit with my grandkids and tell them how desperately I searched for that issue of X-Men based on the cover, far and wide, for months and months, before finally finding it in a Toys ‘R Us two-for-one bag.
I’m so glad I have access to comic book shops now.
LOL. I love some of the older clinch covers, too.
I really love that comic book cover…
Kubert isn’t one of my favorite artists, but that romance-y cover combined with the characters I probably ‘shipped the hardest in my life … and it just fills my heart with love.
Back in the day, romance books to me were the ones with the Johanna Lindsey covers. If it had Fabio on it, I would read it.
Even though people may make fun of them, they are very artistic and makes you want to go to a costume shop and throw on a fancy medieval gown and search for a long haired guy with no shirt and bulging biceps. *sigh*
Since I started with HPs and category romances (which didn’t always have a clinch) it wasn’t Fabio that said romance to me, but his covers did say, “big historical romance,” which I was just getting into at the time.
But I could mostly ignore him (blech — even then I thought he was spectacularly unattractive) because of the female on the cover. One of the reasons I didn’t pick up Kinsale for a long, long time was because they put him on the cover alone. I probably would have picked up her novels earlier if they’d had a female model sharing the space with him.
According to her sales data, though, I’m apparently in the minority on that
Gah!!! That Rogue & Gambit cover is the BEST EVAH!! I bought that issue when it came out and read it so many times.
Even though it made me *crai*
The romance cover I am ashamed (in a good way) to love is:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n21/n105056.jpg
I just adored this book as a teenager. *sigh*
I remember that book! I still have some Anne Weale’s around here. Not that one, but some of her Harlequin romances.
The whole Rogue/Gambit dynamic just … *heart melts* The idea that she’s untouchable and he’s the playboy type, but with her regardless? LOVE.
Apparently, they’ve just fixed her powers so that she can control them. She and Gambit aren’t together together, but they did kiss and I was all: Awwwwwwwww.
I still don’t get why Rogue and Gambit never thought of condoms. Or those collars from Genosha that nullify mutant powers? Why not get one of those (surely the X-men or Tony Stark have them lying around somewhere), slap one on Rogue and then just go to town on her?
Clearly I have thought about this scenario far too much.
“slap one on Rogue and then just go to town on her?”
Hahahaha!!! You old romantic, you.
I’ve wondered about the Genosha collars for years! I LOVE that you did too.
so glad to find out i’m not the only obsessed person here. I did, too
Confession – ashamed to admit that I love pretty much any cover that shows a very well-sculpted male torso (sans head) in the buff. Give me a six pack and some well-defined pecs and I’m all melty. If the cover is in black and white or muted colors, double the melt. If there’s a lot of stuff going on in the background, the cover drops a lot on my love it chart, though.
So, are Kresley Cole’s newer covers doing it for you?
B&W, well sculpted torso…
I have to agree about the background. I don’t mind a bit of flowers or a suggestion of foliage, a house, or whatever — but when there is TOO much? Not a fan. Like TENDER REBEL vs the fakey LOVE’S THROBBING SPLENDOR. A little hint of the setting? Great. The whole waterfall and surrounding? Don’t love it.
Johanna Lindsey!
Love!
But you wouldn’t believe how many times I had to go in and change Lindsey from Lindsay. *headdesk*
I LOVE GAMBIT and Rogue. I have alot of Xmen comics! (not as many as the hard core fans but about over two hundread so thats not so bad right?)
Gambit and Rogue are my fave couple… ever!
I havent really come across a book cover that has taken my breath away. Even though I own alot of books. But I think those book covers are awesome in thier on right. And yes the dress rocks. That is a book cover that you look at and think I am sooo going to wish I was in this book… (maybe thats just me) but I would love to own that dress! And he does pull those lilac tights off quite well
I really think that I might love them so much not just because of the pretty dresses, but that overall focus it puts on the heroine. I don’t self-insert when I read, but I do think of romance as a heroine-centric genre (even now, when the heroes POV is a lot more common than it used to be.) And so I love that the covers reflect that.
I mean, I love a naked male chest as much as the next gal, but I’d so much rather have the cover say: This is about this vibrant, strong woman being loved/finding love. I’m happy just letting the guy be the pastel or the neutral color in the background (as long as he’s not bland between the pages) and letting her take center stage on the cover.
Amen. I also think of romance as a heroine-centric genre. Not that I am trying to say men arent looking for love and romance. (I havent met any who would admit it lol)
But yes if the story is focused upon the heroine (and she is indeed placed on the cover) she should take centre stage. Its only right and fair. Its her story at the end of the day.
I’ve never seen any of those old Lindsey or Kleypas covers. Can you say “saaaa-woon!*
And don’t kill me, but I knew that was Rogue while having no clue who the dude was. Gambit, eh? While the Wolverine movie wasn’t The Bestest I was intrigued by Gambit. Will they feature Gambit and Rogue in any future movies? Hmmm….
I’m really torn about Rogue and Gambit in the movies, because I really, really, really — scratch that, and let me try again.
I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hated the movie Rogue.
If they re-imagined and re-introduced Rogue’s character, I think I could go for them as a couple again. Right now, though, I just want her to die.
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!
*deep breath*
Oh my! Well, and I’d heard that big comic fans were not happy about the casting. Understandable. Deep breaths, in…and out.
Not the casting, necessarily — it was that they turned her into a weenie.
Yeah. They did.
How did you feel about Gambit in the Wolverine Origin’s movie? I was really disappointed. He didn’t even have the right accent.
I understand the feeling, had same problem with X-mEna movies Storm (Loved Wolverine *slaps self to get a grip*) but Storm…. I still miss the strong aura from the comics….
On book covers? I have a few at home that I’ve read but wouldn’t really show off… they are closed in the closet and will stay there for quite some time….
I love covers of Patricia Briggs’ sereies and Ilona’s and a lot others… But I fail to see what the fans see in Fabio…. I just… *at loss for words*
and that X-Men cover is just WOW!!!!!!
You know, if they had made the films earlier I could have envisioned Tina Turner or – even better – Angela Bassett as Storm. I don’t know that there’s a black star quality actress in the movies at the moment that could portray that level of authority and fierce, but caring.
Ahhhh…Rogue and Gambit. Yes, indeed.
I didn’t read romance novels of any sort when most of the women I knew were. I didn’t catch on until later. I can’t think of a memorable cover like these except the one with the three-handed Guinevere. What was that one.
Off to look it up.
Oh! Yes, I know that one: Christina Dodd’s Candle in the Window or Castles in the Air (I can’t remember off the top of my head.)
Castles in the Air!!! Yup. That’s the one. Thanks!
I remember when I left home and Mom would not part with my favorite books, so I had to buy my own reprints with those STUPID, BORING flowers and castles and “tasteful” bits of nothing not in any way relevant to the book. I look at those and have zero recollection what they’re about. Show me the same book with the Fabio cover, and I can recite the story practically verbatim.
I love a clinch. And I am not ashamed to admit it!
I love mantitty, too. Even–nay, ESPECIALLY–headless mantitty.
If I’m looking for a book to replace one of my old, old favorites, I will ALWAYS go for the one with the older cover, rather than the reprint-blah-covers. Even if it means I spend extra money.
LOL about the blah/tasteful covers! When I was a teen the romance covers were all like your examples (except Xmen) I couldn’t tell a winner from a loser and there were so many romances! I wimped out on the genre (unless I get a recommendation – I’m staring at the author names on the covers). I read SF/Fantasy (among other things), so I came in the paranormal back door
Maybe I should reconsider headless mantitty. Or Kilts.
OMG that X-Men cover is HOTT!!! Loved the post!!
As I’ve gotten older, I will say I’m not that big of a fan of seeing a whole bunch of mantitty on the cover, but I started out at as a teenager reading Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and LOVING the vibrant colors and art on her books.
http://www.librarything.com/work/2326885/covers/
Big X-Men fan here too… I need to find a comic store near me.. *sigh*
Hmm – my hates on covers – well, it’s the ones where the physical appearance of the heroine (or hero) is so completely implausible (related to her or his abilities, skills, or actual events in the story) that it raises my blood pressure just to look at ‘em.
I won’t spend too much time on Kate’s bicep on Magic Strikes, unless someone asks me. I’ll just say, she’s awfully skinny for a buff swordswoman, ain’t she?
An example I will share, CL Wilson’s King Of Sword and Sky. Love the book, but something about the sword angle is wrong. Every time I look at the book I think the guy never picked up a weapon in his life, until he walked into the studio and posed for the cover.
On the man-titties – hmm – well, I like them, you know, personally speaking. I cover the books when I read them in public though. Yep. I do. *shame*
I started reading romances after these kinds of covers were popular….feel kinda cheated out of the cheesy-ness, LOL.
A pretty dress is one sure fire way to make me want to buy the book. I’m shallow like that.
oh and cover models should at least somewhat resemble the description of the hero/heroine. Thats a pet peeve of mine.
Ha! I love the old covers in an ironic sort of way. Some used books have been mutilated to be framed on my wall.
Speaking of comics, I remember hearing that you’re a Wonder Woman fan, Meljean…. have you seen this?
http://www.pinkraygun.com/2009/10/02/free-halloween-pumpkin-carving-stencils-wonder-woman/
I love those covers, too. I know, I know. I love cheese, I admit it. And I can’t even blame it on nostalgia, because I never read Lindsay until I saw Hearts Aflame (Fabio cover!) at the grocery check-out counter, squee’d inside, and HAD to have it.
I also love Army of Darkness. Cheese. I am helpless before it.
I love Johanna Lindsay’s books and her covers were nice for that time. Right now I’m just starting Charlaine Harris’ books and I have to say I prefer the original covers than the new covers they are now doing since the show has boosted the sales of her books. But all in all I do not read a book by it’s cover; rather by excerpts, friends recommendations, blurb and sneaking a look into the book itself.
My Mom was a big romance fan and had shelves of paperbacks with covers like those you shared. At thirteen, I snuck and read one. Whoa! An eye-opener, but ultimately I stayed true to my first love, fantasy, and didn’t stumble back into romance (via paranormal romance) until recently. So, I have no hot cover nostalgia to share. I’ll just have oogle yours.
And comic books…I thought those were for the fellers. There’s romance, too? Well, dang!
I’ve got mad love for clinch covers! Some of the old ones remind me of my early romance-reading days. That sort of illicit thrill.
Bwa-ha-ha! I was hoping I would find this http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/lavyrle-spencer/years.htm
I remember this book came out when I was 11 and my mom used a permanent marker to cover up the naked bits. lol. I loved this cover compared to the “new” one they had.
Hand’s down my fave LaVyrle Spencer book. *sigh*
Oh and the Gambit/Rogue love. Man, the X-Men cartoon was the only reason why I got up early on a Saturday. I loved, loved, loved Gambit. I always found their love so stinkin’ tragic. *sigh*
Shirlee Busbee covers from the mid-80′s. I thought they were even better than the Lindsey ones back in the day.
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/shirlee-busbee/deceive-not-my-heart.htm
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/shirlee-busbee/tiger-lily.htm
Sigh – oh this takes me back! lol
Tracy
Meljean, did you realise that they actually didn’t put your beautiful cover for Demon Forged into the ebook version?
Fortunately I was able to convert my .epub into .lrf for my Sony and simply added your cover via calibre. I felt so annoyed even if my current Sony ereader is black&white.