Cover Cafe

2011 Romance Cover Contest - Let the voting begin!

nospam@example.com (Linnae - Cover Cafe) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:13:00 -0700

We're celebrating the best and worst in 2011 Romance Books Covers!

Cover Cafe's 2011 Cover Contest

Online voting from May 2nd, 2012 until Midnight CST on May 16th, 2012.

Choose your favorites in six categories ~ Alternate Reality, Contemporary, Historical, Series, Two Image Covers, and the infamous Worst.

Please leave your comment below. We'd love to know your thoughts on this year's contest. Contest results will be posted in June, 2012.

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Honorable Mentions ~ 2011 Annual Cover Contest

nospam@example.com (Linnae - Cover Cafe) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:05:00 -0700

Welcome to Cover Cafe's 2nd annual Honorable Mentions post! We're celebrating worthy nominations that didn't make it onto the final slates this year. Category chairs spend most of the year reviewing the eligibility of nominated covers, uploading jpgs, coding multiple ballots, researching artist information, and tabulating countless votes. Yes, it's a ton of work but if you love the book covers as much as the words inside...it's worth the effort.

As a reward for the work they do all year, chairs determine the tenth finalist on their slate. There are always several nominated covers that could fill the tenth position but the chairs can choose only one cover. Cover Cafe's 2011 Honorable Mentions highlight 2011 covers worthy of recognition even though they didn't make the finals! Enjoy!

PUBLISHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON MOUSE OVER!

Jenny - Alternate Reality

It was very difficult choosing honorable mentions this year, there were so many good covers! But in the end I went with these:

The Charmer by Autumn Dawn ~ It's a lovely cover and it would have made the final slate but it was published at Smashwords in 2010 with the same cover.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick ~ It's a dynamic and engaging cover and since angels were so very popular on the nominated covers last year, I just had to pick a cover that features an angel.

Karen W. - Contemporary Chair

Never Enough by Lauren Dane ~ Although I'm not usually a big fan of tattoos, there was something about this cover that drew me in, from the first time I saw it. Maybe it's the expression on the hero's face, maybe it's the intimate pose of the heroine leaning on the hero's shoulder - or maybe it's just those amazing muscles! I would pick up this cover any time.

From This Moment by Sean D. Young ~ There is something so comfortably romantic about this couple. No elaborate poses, fancy costumes or sweeping settings. Just two people who seem happy to be together. What could be more romantic than that?

Jeanette - Historical Chair

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James because of the colors and the fact that the beauty and the beast are on this cover in a very subtle way. It's a very nice cover by illustrator James Griffin. I'm not sure if I love this cover because it is so nice or because I really loved the book. It's one of the best Historicals I read in 2011.

When Passion Rules by Joanna Lindsey because it's a fantastic man we see here. The uniform of course but also the white, red and grey make it a very nice cover. Great butt!

Karen H. - Series Chair

Extra Innings by Debbi Rawlins ~ I like this because it's really eye catching with the interesting rear view in those nice tight pants,the broad shoulders emphasized by the bat, and the locker room background. I also appreciate that his full head is showing!

Winter Kisses by A.C. Arthur - I actually like this cover better than Sweet Persuasions (2011 SE finalist) because of the sweet gesture (her hand on his cheek) and how they're staring into each other's eyes, and their full heads are showing. The roaring fire in the background is also nice and gives it even more of a romantic feel.

Katherine - TIC Co-Chair

My first nominee is Taken by the Prince by Christina Dodd. I like the design of the front cover: the color scheme, the positioning of the hero and heroine, and the background. I like the masculine seriousness of the hero and the softness of the heroine. I like the stepback because it shows the setting of the book and represents the rough isolated nature of the hero’s homeland. Both the front cover and the stepback do a great job of representing the characters and setting of the book.

My second nominee is Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore. My favorite thing about this cover is the color scheme. The pink lettering and pink panel really complement the blue background of the waves and the night sky. The use of pink and blue really make this cover stand out from the rest. I also like the heroine’s beautiful white dress. The stepback is super romantic with the beach, the waves, and most importantly the hunky hero.

Lee - TIC Co-Chair

I really liked When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James because the front cover shows a stone representation of the "beast" and then the stepback shows the physical representation which is, of course, a man. I also like the lovely color scheme of pink and lots of roses.

Shadowed in Silk by Christine Lindsay is an intriguing cover, as we see an early 20th century woman examining a piece of silk, set against a backdrop of India. The back cover shows the woman wearing the silk over her head and shoulders. So the woman is intrigued by the material (and what it symbolizes) and the back cover shows that she has decided to embrace the culture, or so that's my impression.

Karen W. - Worst Chair

My two honorable mention covers for worst are My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones and Gotta Love a Cowboy by Sandy Sullivan. These two covers have something in common - they both have good elements that don't quite work when they're put together. My Jane Austen Summer combines two very pretty pictures - one of a country house and one of a girl with a book - but when they're put together, it looks like the girl has been cut in half. It's the typical "cut off head" cover taken to the extreme. Gotta Love a Cowboy has an attractive couple on one side and a rearing horse on the other - but no one noticed that the horse seems to be kicking the heroine in the head. Photoshop can be dangerous!

Leave a comment below and tell us what you think about the Chairs' Honorable Mentions this year. We hope you will also enjoy this year's cover contest celebrating the best and worst covers from the 2011 Romance world. The 2011 contest will be open for public voting from May 2nd, 2012 through midnight CST on May 16th, 2012. Results will be posted in June. Until next time...

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A little bit of Irish ~ St. Patrick's Day

nospam@example.com (Linnae - Cover Cafe) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:02:00 -0700

It's March and time to start thinking about the green. I'm almost half Irish...and celebrating St. Patrick's Day has always been on my "To Do" list. Cover Cafe wishes the luck of the Irish to romance readers everywhere!

Dear Publisher celebrates March with two Irish themed releases. This month, while enjoying a Shamrock Shake or traditional green beer, read something green.

PUBLISHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON MOUSE OVER!

And if you are interested in watching a little bit of Irish romance, check out the Hallmark movie, Chasing Leprechauns, scheduled for March 17th, 2012. I love Hallmark movies. They are a visual romance novel...sigh.

And finally, one of my favorite soups is Split Pea and since it's green, I'm featuring my recipe in the March edition of Dear Publisher. If you want to try something different this year, make a pot of this soup and serve it with warm french bread or oyster crackers. However, if you are a traditionalist, stick with the corn beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.

Linnae's Version of Ham and Split Pea Soup

2 cloves garlic - minced

4 large shallots – chopped

2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken stock

5 cups water

2 cups dried split peas - rinsed

5 slices Canadian Bacon or ham cut into small pieces

2 large carrots - shredded

2 celery stalks - chopped thin

2 bay leaves

1 tsp Herbes de Provence or ½ tsp thyme and ½ tsp marjoram

½ tsp. pepper

In a large pot combine all ingredients . Bring to boil, cover and lower heat to simmer. Add liquid if needed during cooking time – either chicken stock or water and stir often. Simmer for 1-1/2 – 1-3/4 hours until peas are softened and cooked. Remove bay leaves. Bring to boil again and stir well before serving. Serve with warm french bread or oyster crackers.

Enjoy!

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