Cover Coveting (15)

 
Cover art is found from Wicked Scribes, ATUF, Goodreads, social networks, and other sources. ***All cover art may not be final.***

I’m a little short on time

---

Nightstruck by Jenna Black

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: Interesting touches. A lamppost noose and a monster grate. Let’s hope this Jenna Black series doesn’t get the axe, and that it’s good.

One Good Dragon Deserves Another by Rachel Aaron

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Heartstriker’s, book 2 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: First off I know what they’re trying to do with the typography, but it doesn’t quite work here. Very nice attempt though. Love the art and all those cats! So nifty. Though none of the art ever screams dragons. That’s what the titles are for.

Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Oh, I adore this cover. How beautiful and unique. It makes me so happy!

Riders by Veronica Rossi

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Riders, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: The instant I saw this cover I knew it had something to do with the four horsemen of the apocalypse. So well done. The flames look a bit funny on the horse. Pretty nice try though.

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Grim Reaper, book 2 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Unique. Still I don’t like these covers. Still really cool.

Serpentine by Cindy Pon

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Cover success. The cover makes me think of historical china. The girls eye screams fantasy! Goal! Adore this cover. However, the quote is over powering the title. No-no.

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: So pretty. I love it. The typography is so simple and pink. Which is not something I’d think would be a good thing. But it fits perfectly with the cover art.

Smoldering Hunger by Donna Grant

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Dark Kings, book 8 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Fits the series well. Again . . . been there done that.

Spider Game by Christine Feehan

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Ghost Walker, book 12 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Paranormal Romance covers have officially hit an all time low. This is the bottom of the barrel. I actually loath this cover. Loath it. They should have just had spider webs no girl. That would have been better. Burn. It.

Staked by Kevin Hearne

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles, book 8 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Fits the series well. Atticus looks badass and mischievous. Though I don’t think this cover is as good as some of the previous ones.

Strangely Beautiful by Leanna Renee Hieber

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Actually a cover makeover. Definitely a step up.

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult High Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Very cool. If feels very Greek.

The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl by Ishbelle Bee

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Peculiar Adventures of John Loveheart, Esq. series, book 2 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Ah! I love these covers. It’s amazing what the designers do to the title! To fit all that on the cover and make it work so well. Bravo!

The Dirt on the Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Charley Davidson, book 9 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Skulls and scythes. I always look forward to how they’ll incorporate it into these covers. Or what they’ll focus on. Fits the series well and I love that lipstick on the rim. Nice touch.

The Forgotten Mountain by Heather Lyons

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Collectors' Society, book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: Love how this cover looks and feels like a High Fantasy cover, but then there’s that lovely skyline! Love this cover, and I wasn’t even aware of all the other pretty covers that came before it.

Cover Coveting(9)

 
Cover art is found from Wicked Scribes, ATUF, Goodreads, social networks, and other sources.
***All cover art may not be final.***

---

A Curse of Ash & Iron by Christine Norris

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Steampunk Shera’s thoughts: Really like this cover. However, the girls dress . . . the shiny doesn’t fit. There’s just something off about it.

Dark Ascension by M.L. Brennan

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Generation V, book 4 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Again. This is how I like my male badasses on the covers. Thank you.

Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Black Blade, book 2 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: For some reason I do like this cover more then book 1. The girl looks a wee bit to adult. It doesn’t seem as tacky. But it could just be my love for a graveyard scape.

I’m With Cupid by Anna Staniszewski

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Heart and Soul, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: This cover is tacky, but cool. It establishes that this is a funny book and that there is a power swap going on. Well done.

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Paper Magician Trilogy, book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Fantasy Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: I really like these silhouette covers. Very cool. I feel like the woman is posing, but the guy is trying to seduce her. Anywho . . .

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Red Rising Trilogy, book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Dystopian Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: I Know What You Did Last Summer anyone? Only the typography fits with the covers the series has had so far. The scythe/hook is just tacky.

Nobody’s Goddess by Amy McNulty

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Never Veil, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Fantasy Young Adult Shera’s thoughts: Very pretty. I like how she’s cast in shadow and half of her is in the light. Overall it does a nice job at peeking my interests in this book.

Our Lady of the Ice by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: N/A  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi Shera’s thoughts: Love it!! it doesn’t really scream Sci-Fi, but everything else about it is gritty and awesome. I like the typography. But I wonder how it would look if the dome was containing “ICE”, but I do like how it’s escaping the dome.

Primal Heat by A.C. Arthur

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Shadow Shifters, book 6 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Standard PNR cover. However, it is one of the better covers for this series.

Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Immortal Game, book 2 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: N/A Shera’s thoughts: I like what they were trying to go for. But the lipstick looks nasty and it does not in any way match the last cover. Looks like a whole new series.

Awesome! Cover Coveting & Author Gossip!

Well! Well! Well! (Maleficent moment.) Kelly Gay, AKA Kelly Keaton, happens to be one of my favorite authors! I’ve been frantically stalking for information about her Charlie Madigan series (Goodreads | Amazon). It’s made me nervous as she’s always planned to have more books after the 4th one in the series. But poor Gay has been “currently awaiting news on additional books” and I’ve been nervous since the last one came out 2012. (Because I WANTS IT SO BAD!)

Then her YA series Gods & Monsters (Goodreads | Amazon), under Kelly Keaton, was last released in 2013. So now to the whole point of my rambling.

Drumroll please!

---

That’s right! Behold the cover for book 4! But there’s more! Here’s the blurb:

CHILD FATED TO START A WAR.
A LOVE SHE’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO PROTECT.

Set in New 2, a dangerous and lush alternate New Orleans, the fourth book in Keaton’s Gods & Monsters series, finds the God-killer Ari and Mistborn Sebastian on the hunt for Archer, infant son of Athena, a child fated to bring about the Blood Wars, the ultimate showdown between the gods and the monsters they created, a war that will trap mankind in the middle of a destructive conflict thousands of years in the making.

As Ari and Sebastian attempt to rescue the child, forces pull them apart, sending Sebastian on a perilous journey to the desert sands of Egypt and into the lair of a dark, enthralling entity, and Ari to the Halls of Olympus and, darker still, the very heart of the Underworld where Death awaits with a bargain that brings Ari’s worst nightmares into sharp and heart wrenching focus…

What amazes me the most is that Kelly Keaton is self publishing this! In between her daughter’s hip surgery. So in the likely hood of Keaton/Gay reading this. Thank you! Thank you for giving fans more of such a wonderful series. And I hope everything go well with your daughters hip surgery and recovery!

---

Hope you all are as excited as me! Because I’m ecstatic.

Cover Coveting(6)

 
Cover art is found from Wicked Scribes, ATUF, Goodreads, social networks, and other sources.
***All cover art may not be final.***

It’s scary when it’s Christmas shopping time. No really. I try to avoid it at all costs. I’ve done my gift shopping and only want to run into the store for necessities. Though with a shopaholic mom I don’t always get what I want.

Worst we braved a Saturday sale. I wish you well all of you crazy shoppers, may you not get stepped on or trampled.

Let’s look at some pretty covers to make us all feel safer.

---

Black Wolves by Kate Elliott

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Black Wolves trilogy, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: High Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: How exciting that Kate Elliott is starting up a new series! Yeah! Sure I could make fun of some things. But this cover is pretty darn fierce. Oh, and the sword covering the title, perfection.

Burn by Paula Weston

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Rephaim, book 4 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal YA Shera’s thoughts: I love the constancy with this series, when they’re all lined up there is no doubting that they’re all from the same one. Personally this one is my favorite so far. It’s probably all of the colors.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: The Great Library, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Funny thing is the lions smudged into the blue with faint glowing red eyes—wicked awesome!—popped out at me more then the books at the bottom. Overall I love the spattered/speckled and worn look of the cover. Very cool. Though the line on the left just seems out of place. Can’t wait!

Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: InCryptid, book 4 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: There’s always been something sexist about these cover. Sexist as in those old romance time covers. Or better yet those movie covers with the girls clinging on to the “heroes’” leg. While this one isn’t as bad as some of the others. Why is this girl mucking around in the jungle with short-shorts, her top half on done, and no extra layers? Look at the guy! Oh, the art looks nice but I have complaints about their faces. Yes-yes. Grumble-grumble.

Resonance by Erica O’Rourke

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Dissonance series, book 2  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: N/A Shera’s thoughts: Oooo, I love it! Covers that take objects, in this case cool folded paper, and them look interesting is awesome. Better is how the designer(s) made the type work with the picture. Bravo! This is how typography should be done! On that note does anyone feel a cover makeover coming for book 1? This is a complete change of design and feel for the series.

Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh

Previous book(s) in series:

Goodreads | Amazon

Series: Psy-Changeling, book 14  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Every time I see a new cover for this series my heart leaps for joy! Especially now that the later books will be getting a makeover. Bout time. This reminds me of a snowier version of Heart of Obsidian, and it matches nicely with the previous winter cover Shield of Winter. The male lead is cover, and looks darn sexy, and the art is amazing, and the covers tie in together. Well done. Well done.

Well I leave this Cover Coveting on this lovely little tease. Hope everyone is enjoying the season.

Cover Coveting

The beautiful covers just keep rolling out!  If only spring would come with them.

---

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia

& Margaret Stohl

Source:  goodreads

Shera’s Thoughts:  Even though I don’t like the books the covers for this series always captivates me.  This one fails.  The background gate looks really amazing, but what were they thinking with that color.  It’s puke yellow, or as I like to call it “baby chicken dung.” 

 

Author’s Thoughts:

"When you read the book, I think [the title] will be really obvious," she said. "Without a spoiler, for those who read 'Beautiful Darkness,' they know that there were a lot of actions at the end of the book, a lot of decisions that were made that yield serious consequences and some of those consequences are the essence of chaos to us." –Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Previous Books:

Lost in Time by Melissa De La

Cruz

Source:  goodreads

Shera’s Thoughts:  This has to be the most beautiful cover I’ve seen with a feather on it.  It makes my toes curl with how understated sexy it is.  Plus I love the Egyptian outline at the bottom.  It’s just like the first book with it’s city outline at the bottom—something I loved on the first cover.  Plus, I am so happy with her shade of lipstick.  I know it’s a weird thing to pick up on, but a lot of series have been featuring fire engine red for their lady’s lips.

 

Author’s Thoughts:

“Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.  DYING over here.” – Melissa de la Cruz

Previous Books:

After Obsession by Carrie Jones

& SE Wedel

Source:  ATUF

Shera’s Thoughts:  Put this book in my goodreads to read a while ago, and yet I never thought of sharing the cover.

It’s stunning.  The black dress breaking up is beautiful, leaving readers with a mystery to solve.  Is it there to hint what the book might be about, or is it simply there for the stunning effect.  Though, if I look at it for a really long time I start seeing the swarm of locus from Hildago.  (Does the title font remind anyone else of Jone’s Pixie series?)

 

Author’s Thoughts: N/A

Previous Books:

N/A

Chosen by Fate by Virna DePaul

Source:  ATUF

Shera’s Thoughts:  It’s a classic UF pose and format.  Girl clad in tight leather and a revealing under tank, plus that grungy urban city scene.  It works nicely for the series and links it well to the previous book.  Also, I love how the font matches the shirt color again.  What can I say I’m a coordinating girl!

 

Author’s Thoughts:

Graced by the cover Gods!! Check out the cover of Book 2 of the Para-Ops Novels!!! Can't gush enough about Berkley's art department!! – Virna DePaul

Previous Books:

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Source:  ATUF

Shera’s Thoughts:  Oh, baby! Oh, baby!  Now that is what I’m talking about.  The cover model’s expression is perfect.  She’s haunted, almost an expression as if she’s not all there.  The effect of the background and her hood/cap/fishnet thing blending in together makes her white skin slap you to attention with its contrast. The Pledge lettering that has what looks like a screening/watermark effect is also really pleasing to the total look of the cover.  Truly a unique design.

 

Author’s Thoughts:

“ZOMG, what do you think?!?!? Do you love it as much as I do??? I have to say, I have hearts floating out of my eyes…” –Kimberly Derting

Previous Books:

N/A

Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

Source:  ATUF

Shera’s Thoughts:  Oh, god.  Gauge my eyes out now.  Not only is Georgina ugly on this cover, but she’s bright and ugly. Oh, and look that nasty fire engine red catastrophe I hate to love to rant about.  I worship this series, but why does it have to suffer from some of the worst covers out there.  I’m happy she doesn’t look as creepy as the last cover.  That was Mime power, all the way.

 

Author’s Thoughts:

“After some fighting with my scanner (whose problems are 95% the result of my laziness to properly install some software), I’m very happy to be able to give you the cover for Succubus Revealed” – Richelle Mead

Previous Books:

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Source:  ATUF

Shera’s Thoughts:  This cover brings up mixed feelings for me.  I love the idea of it, but it needs to be darker and a bit more contrast.  I want the frost to jump out, like she’s kissing it on glass.  The idea is great, but I think the execution could use some more work.  The custom font is definitely working.

 

Author’s Thoughts: N/A

Previous Books:

N/A

Frost by Marianna Baer

Source:  N/A

Shera’s Thoughts:  Um, wow!  This cover is easily the best.  The monotone colors.  I love how the house is on top of her, but she’s clearly in the forefront.  Her pose is so unique, I love unique cover model poses.  Don’t know what this book is about, but I assure you I’m finding out and it’s count down time tell it’s released.

 

Author’s Thoughts: N/A

Previous Books:

N/A

Enthralled (Anthology)

Source:  ATUF

Shera’s Thoughts:  It seems like more and more anthologies are getting the great covers instead of the regular books in UF.  The color tone for this cover is perfect.  The never ending road and trees lining it are perfect photography.  The girl looks cool, but it looks to photoshopped.  They needed to do some additional editing to make her fit in perfectly.  The magical mist might be too bright.

 

Author’s Thoughts: N/A

Previous Books:

N/A