1. What was the first book you remember reading? Can you describe the cover of the book and did you like the cover?

I read at a really early age so I remember lots of Clifford the Red Dog books and I had a fondness for the Bernstein Bears and Little Critters. But the first book I remember reading that made a significant impact on my life was Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? I know I'm not the only girl who cut her teeth on Judy Blume, but this book in particular was huge for me and I can't even remember how many times I read it. The cover though was purple and had an illustration of a blonde girl on the cover.

2. Have you ever purchased a book because of the cover alone? If yes, which one and why?

Absolutely, I buy off of covers all the time. I don't remember the most recent time I did that, but I do remember that buying by cover is how I found one of my all-time favorite authors, Teresa Medeiros. It was years ago and I caught sight of Heather and Velvet and it grabbed my attention. I think part of what got me at the time was the fact that it was still a clinch cover, but the background was dark and that was unusual for the time. So it really stood out.

3. When did you first know you were destined to be a writer?

Oh, from an early age. I loved books and it just seemed like a natural thing for me. I wrote short stories and bad poetry when I was younger and kind of wandered around with my writing not knowing for sure what I wanted to write. And then in high school I read my first adult romance novel (A Rose in Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss) and it was like something clicked in my brain. I knew then that historical romance is what I wanted to write.

4. Who gave you your first break in publishing?

Kelly Harms was an editor at Avon Books and offered me my first book deal. I was unagented at the time of "the call" though I had an agent by the end of the day, so I sort of sold out of the proverbial slush pile. Kelly later became my agent for a while before she left the publishing business, but I still have such a fondness for her and I know I wouldn't be where I am today without her faith in me and my writing.

5. What was your first published book and what did the cover look like? Did you love it or hate it and why?

Courting Claudia in August 2005. The cover is mostly blues and purples and has the characters sitting in a garden on a stone bench. It's basically everything I asked for when we discussed covers and I still love it. Though it's not my favorite cover, I still think it's very pretty and romantic.

6. Do you believe a cover can increase or decrease the sales of a book? Have any covers affected the sales of your books?

Heh, see my comments below. I am not a marketer and frankly have no idea what works and what doesn't. I know what I like and what catches my eye, but have no idea if any of that matters in sales.

7. What has been your favorite book cover from all of your releases and why?

Wow, this is so hard because I've truly had some amazing covers. My favorite cover from my Avon books was A Study in Scandal, I just loved the moody colors and the moonlight and how soft and lovely the heroine looked (oddly enough this was my least successful Avon release). I want to say that my first Legend Hunters release Seduce Me is my favorite because it so fits everything about that book so perfectly (except the heroine's hair color) but I also really love Desire Me – I love the blue and the necklace and then there is my newest cover Treasure Me and it's just really stunning. It's so hard to pick. Seduce Me finished second in Cover Cafe's 2009 HST category. Treasure Me is showcased in Question #10 below.

8. What trends do you see in book covers currently and in the future?

I can't help but notice that when you walk into the romance section these days that the color scheme has gotten really dark. Everything seems to be shades of blacks, blues and purples – I think it's a testament to the popularity of paranormal right now.

9. What has been your least favorite cover from all of your releases and why?

This is actually NOT hard to pick from. I never did like the cover for Deliciously Wicked – the pose seemed really dated to be and the hero is crazy tall and the heroine seems really short and as best I can tell she only has one leg. But I will say the colors are bright and lovely and this was actually my best seller with Avon – which I guess just shows that what I think works in a cover doesn't necessarily line up with what really works with readers.

10. Do you have a current or upcoming release to share with Cover Cafe? Please give us the details and a peek at the cover, too!

My next release Treasure Me hits stores in March 2011 and of course, I'll let you see the cover because it's simply gorgeous.

Robyn DeHart's website

Linnae Crady () (October 27, 2010)

Back to the Take Ten With feature page.

Author image, and covers are displayed with permission from author.