Cover Art Coverage: 17 New Titles!

  

Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes 

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Description: She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past—and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love… When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions. More…   “Is it to die for or what?” –Gwen Hayes

Series: Falling Under #2 Artist: Oceania Gottlieb Goodreads: Link	Publisher: NAL Trade Release Date: January 3, 2012 Source: Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
This model and the color scheme remind me of Alice in Wonderland (so does the vague creepiness).	I do like this, but I wish it was more of a departure from the debut.  This is the same dress just in a different color.

 

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     Blood of Eden by Tami Dane 

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Description: This mind-blowing new series introduces Sloan Skye, and ambitious intern at the FBI's paranormal unit, where the usual rules of crime fighting don't apply... Sloan has a sky-high IQ, a chaotic personal life, and a dream: to work for the FBI. Her goal is within reach until an error lands her with the FBI's ugly stepchild: the new Paranormal Behavioral Analysis Unit. She'll get to profile criminals, but the pool of suspects is a little more...diverse. Yet even as Sloan tackles her first case--a string of victims, all with puncture wounds to the neck--she can't silence her inner para-skeptic. More…   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Sloan Skye #1 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Kensington Release Date: December 6, 2011 Source: Wicked Scribes
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
While I could separate this cover into a few different pieces of clip art with a red wash, all together, I think they work very well.  Something about the font for the author’s name bothers me a little bit, but everything else works well together.	Way too much red…and it is rather generic.

 

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      The Mortal Bone by Marjorie M. Liu 

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Description: When the bond Maxine Kiss shares with Zee and the boys-the demons tattooed on her skin-is deliberately severed, the hunter is left vulnerable and unprotected. For the first time in ten thousand years, the boys have a taste of freedom-without Maxine’s guiding influence. As they grow more violent and unpredictable, Maxine starts to fear the little demons will lose their minds without their attachment to her. But reuniting won’t be easy, as a great temptation waits for her little demons : a chance to return to their lives….and unleash hell on earth   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Hunter Kiss #4 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Ace Release Date: December 27, 2011 Source: Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
While I applaud the inclusion of Grant, this cover seems much more “in your face” than the rest of the series(perhaps because we can finally see the left half of Maxine’s face).  Not a big fan of this cover, I wish they had left more to our imagination.	I agree it’s nice to see Grant. I think this might even be a new model for Max.  Either way I’m not digging the Vulcan eyebrows they gave her.

 

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      Angel of Darkness by Cynthia Eden 

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Description: Nicole St. James was a nice woman. An innocent, pretty, twenty-something school teacher with her life ahead of her. But as the angel of death, it’s Keenan’s job to take that life away. So when a vampire attacks Nicole, Keenan is not supposed to snap and take out the vampire instead. It cost him his wings–but she’s worth it. Except when Keenan catches up to his pretty school teacher, she’s not so innocent anymore. More… No Author Comment Available.

Series: Fallen Angels of Death #1 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Brava Release Date: November 29, 2011 Source: Wicked Scribes
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
Ack!  A cape and the barest hint of a duck face?  Not bad enough to completely turn me off, but cheesy enough for a thumbs down.	While I think the background and colors are lovely, the cheese factor killed it for me too.

 

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     First Frost by Jennifer Estep 

Available as an eBook only.

Description: I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift. It's called psychometry - that's a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people's memories off almost everything I touch, even guys. My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy--to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. More…   “Pretty cool, huh?” –Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos #0.5 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Kensington Books Release Date: July 1, 2011 Source: Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
I’m usually not a big fan of any thing too photo-realistic, and this combination of shots didn’t buck that trend.	I like that they are continuing to emphasis the setting prominently on each cover. It’s a unique direction for YA that I hope starts a trend.

 

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      Within the Flames by Marjorie M. Liu 

(Click to enlarge) Stepback:

Description: Joining the Dirk and Steele Agency turned Eddie’s life around. A pyrokinetic and former car thief, he cannot refuse an assignment to cross the continent in order to rescue an extraordinary woman in peril…even though he fears losing control of the destructive power of flame at his fingertips. The last of her shape-shifting kind, Lyssa hides in the abandoned tunnels beneath Manhattan, seeking refuge from those who murdered her family a decade ago and would now destroy her as well. Like Eddie, fire is her weapon, her destiny…and her curse. Yet she wants nothing to do with this mesmerizing stranger who seeks her trust while enflaming her passion. For beneath Lyssa’s extraordinary beauty are dangerous secrets…and even darker, nearly irresistible urges. But she has won the heart of a fearless protector…and all the demons in the world will not make him back down. “Remember, there are still some great e-reader deals on the Dirk & Steele series, if you’re curious about what the books are about!” –Marjorie M. Liu

Series: Dirk & Steele #11 Artist: Jon Paul  Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Avon Release Date: November 29, 2011 Source: Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
Some of the past Dirk & Steele look too Old School Romance for my taste, but I actually like this one.  Lose the sparkle on her scales (and don’t capitalize the “t” in “the”) and it would be even better.	This series does embrace the old school romance cover look, but I agree that it works here.  The stepback is especially pretty, but the scales look like a sleeve.

 

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     Crypt: The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond 

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Description: Meet Jud Lester: Paranormal Investigator. When a crime is committed and the police are at a loss, the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team (or CRYPT for short) is called in to figure out whether something paranormal is at work. Jud is their star agent. Jud, unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex, has just landed his biggest case yet...people have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances while others are viciously attacked - yet there are no suspects and a complete lack of hard evidence. The only thing that links each attack is the fact that survivors all claim that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen. Can Jud and Bex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction?   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Crypt #1 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Headline Release Date: September 1, 2011 Source: Book Chick City
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
This may be the engineer in me, but I love this cover.  The architectural lines and scale work very well with the skull (whose glow effects I love), though this cover has as much of a Thriller/Crime vibe as anything else.	Not an engineer so I’m not finding it remarkable in any way. It does scream thriller novel to me, which I guess is fitting given the description.

 

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      Everblue by Brenda Pandos 

(Click to enlarge) Not yet available for pre-order.

Description: Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them. Ashlyn is about to discover what she’d thought to be true her whole life, wasn’t, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Mer Tales #1 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing Release Date: July 31, 2011 Source: Late Bloomer Online
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
I love the ripple effect on her hair, it looks like the rest of her is floating on a clear sheet of ice above the water.	Lovely.  The tone of red and blue against her pale skin is really beautiful.

 

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      Sisters of Isis: Volume 1 by Lynne Ewing 

Description: Based in Egyptian mythology and set in modern-day Washington, D.C., Sisters of Isis follows the lives of Meri, Sudi, and Dalila, three fifteen-year-old girls who have just discovered they are descendants of very powerful ancestors—Egyptian pharaohs. From these ancestors they’ve inherited magical powers of transformation, the ability to cast spells from the Book of Thoth, and, as they will soon learn, the responsibility of protecting the world from the evil forces of Chaos.   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Sisters of Isis #1 & #2 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Hyperion Books Release Date: December 27, 2011 Source: la femme readers
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
Interesting, but not particularly memorable.	This looks a little cutesy and fluffy for my taste.  Love that it involves Egyptian mythology though.

 

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     A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton 

(Click to enlarge) *NOT ACTUAL COVER*

Description: A power she can’t deny. A destiny she’s determined to fight. When Ari first arrived in the dilapidated city of New 2, all she wanted was to figure out who she was. But what she discovered was beyond her worst nightmare. Ari can already sense the evil growing inside her—a power the goddess Athena will stop at nothing to possess. More…   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Gods & Monsters #2 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Simon Pulse Release Date: February 21, 2012 Source: la femme readers
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
This cover reminds me a bit of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, but it is still a lovely addition to the series.	*UPDATE* Turns out this is not the cover we’ll be seeing on shelves:  "A BEAUTIFUL EVIL has a gorgeous new cover design to go along with a new cover design for DARKNESS BECOMES HER. Guys, we HAVE NOT released the cover yet, so whatever you are seeing online right now is not it. Rest assured, you'll know when the real one goes live as I will be posting it here and on my website." - Kelly Keaton

 

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      Everlasting by Elizabeth Chandler 

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Description: Ivy and Tristan have both moved on—Tristan to the other side of the afterlife, and Ivy with sweet, dependable Will. But when another serious car accident injures Ivy to the point of near death, she meets up with Tristan at the place of “in between,” and their bittersweet reunion culminates in one breathtaking kiss. Unbeknownst to both Ivy and Tristan, it was that one heartstopping kiss that brought Ivy back to life—and angels are prohibited from meddling in matters of life and death. Now fallen from heaven for saving the girl he loves, Tristan is in the body of a stranger, and he must find his way to Ivy once more....   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Kissed By An Angel #5 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Simon Pulse Release Date: March 6, 2012 Source: la femme readers
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
It looks like these covers have changed with the last few, I like this one best of all.  Though bright enough to almost glow, the colors of this rose are realistic enough to intrigue.	The font in miniscule. It unfortunately looks like a self-published book.  Not a fan.

 

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      Snow White, Blood Red edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling 

(Click to enlarge) Not yet available for pre-order.

Description: Once upon a time, fairy tales were for children . . . But no longer. You hold in your hands a volume of wonders -- magical tales of trolls and ogres, of bewitched princesses and kingdoms accursed, penned by some of the most acclaimed fantasists of our day. But these are not bedtime stories designed to usher an innocent child gently into a realm of dreams. These are stories that bite -- lush and erotic, often dark and disturbing mystical journeys through a phantasmagoric landscape of distinctly adult sensibilities . . . where there is no such thing as "happily ever after."   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Fall River Press Release Date: July 25, 2011 Source:  Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
I absolutely love this cover, my eye keeps trying to decipher all the little details and put together a story.	So pretty with a nice vintage feel. And I love the little bird perched on her foot.

 

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      Eternal Captive by Laura Wright 

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Description: N/A   “How hot is he?  Lucian Roman.  In the flesh.” –Laura Wright

Series: Mark of the Vampire #3 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Piatkus Books Release Date: February 7, 2012 Source: Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
For a Man-Chest Cover, all of this series seem to give a strong sense of place.  I’m not big on blonds (sorry, Lovely Man), but this is a nice cover.	I’m never a big fan of the Man-Chest covers, but this one is better than most and it continues the ‘imprisoned’ theme from the previous two.

 

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      Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr 

(Click to enlarge) Not yet available for pre-order.

Description: Faery Tales and Nightmares is a collection of my short stories. Current Table of Contents: "Where Nightmares Walk" "Winter's Kiss" (fairy tales) "Transition" (vampires) "Love Struck" (selchies) "Stopping Time" (WL World) "Old Habits" (WL World) "The Art of Waiting" "Flesh for Comfort" "The Sleeping Girl and the Sumer King" (WL World-ish, the short story that started the series) "Cotton Candy Skies" (WL World) "Unexpected Family" (WL World) "Merely Mortal" (WL World)   No Author Comment Available.

Series: N/A Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Happer Collins Release Date: February 21, 2012 Source: Life After Twilight
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
This cover does an excellent job evoking both halves of the title.  There is something very bleak and chilling about this picture.	You stole all my words

 

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     Out in Blue by Sarah Gilman 

(Click to enlarge) Not yet available for pre-order.

Description: In a violent world where fallen archangels are hunted for their valuable plumage, Wren knows one thing for certain: the human woman who saved him from a poacher attack will die if she stays with him. The demon responsible for his parents’ gruesome deaths two decades ago pines for the chance to rip apart any woman who stands under Wren’s wing. Wren doesn’t expect Ginger to stay by his side once she discovers his ability to drain life with a mere touch, yet she lingers. When an unusual talent of her own reveals the location of Wren’s father, Wren’s isolated world implodes. With the help of the demon protectors he’s sworn never to trust again, Wren risks everything to rescue his father, confront the demon who stalks his and Ginger’s every step, and claim his eternity with the most courageous woman he’s ever known.   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Return to Sanctuary #1 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Entangled Publishing Release Date: September 6, 2011 Source: Entangled Publishing
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
Simple, nice.  A little static for a cover that includes a falling feather, but I do like the colors used.	I like this too because of it’s simplicity.  It’s provocative and that one feather tells you everything you need to know.

 

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      Midnight Reckoning by Kendra Leigh Castle 

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Description: Two separate worlds . . . One passion that binds them Wild and passionate by nature, Lyra Black is not just any werewolf. She's the future leader of the powerful pack of the Thorn-if she can stay alive long enough to inherit the title. One of the Cait Sith bloodline of vampire cat-shifters, Jaden Harrison has no interest in the wars plaguing the world of night. But when he rescues Lyra from a violent attack, they're both captured by an insatiable desire that threatens to overwhelm them and bind them together for eternity… (More) No Author Comment Available.

Series: Dark Dynasties #2 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Forever Release Date: January 1, 2012 Source: Wicked Scribes
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
Don’t know why this series demoted the Cait Sith to “headless” status for book two, it just seems so silly having nothing but abs on the cover.	Totally agree.  And the purple is a bit overwhelming.

 

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      Demons Like It Hot by Sidney Ayers 

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Description: Serah SanGermano, still grieving the loss of her grandmother, keeps herself busy by putting all her energy into her successful catering business. She doesn't have time to worry about the hidden powers that she now possesses. Not to mention, she suffers from selective amnesia. Her friends say she's a Pure-Blood, a line of ancient demon hunters descended from angels. They send for a bodyguard. Despite his hunky good looks, he's brutally distant and an aura of mystery surrounds him. Regardless of his uptight and militaristic façade, she's instantly intrigued. What's worse! She now dreams of him at night. Is it really a dream or something else? More…   No Author Comment Available.

Series: Demons Unleashed #2 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Release Date: December 1, 2011 Source: Wicked Scribes
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
I like the tension in this almost kiss (the hand placement is particularly nice), but everything else about this cover is pretty cheesy.	I kind of like the cheese here too.  It’s consistent with the style of the previous cover, but the colors and necklace feature are really pretty.  Plus the embrace is rather romantic looking.

 

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And our picks for Best & Worst…

Best	Worst

Which are your Best and Worst?