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

SCUPPERS, THE SAILOR DOG from Little Golden Books. There was a dog in a yellow slicker on a ship in a storm. I loved that book.

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

Sure! I love covers and I'm always attracted to one that looks intriguing. I love the beautiful clothes on the historical romances and the fun and flirty covers on the contemporaries.

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

I’m still waiting for it to hit me. I’ll let you know when it does.

4. Who gave you your first break in publishing?

I was blessed from the beginning because I had a fantastic critique group who never let me take the easy way out.

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

The first book I sold was THE ABDUCTION OF JULIA. While I loved the teal color of the cover, I disliked the gown on the heroine because it was so obviously from the wrong time period.

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

A good cover will attract interest and get a reader to pick up the book, which is the hardest part of a sale.

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

I’ve been VERY blessed by the cover gurus, so that is a difficult question. I’d have to say that I absolutely love the cover for my last book from 2008, TALK OF THE TOWN from Pocket, since it truly reflects the fun, quirky tone of the book.

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

We’re definitely seeing more beautiful and graceful covers. They’re more tasteful than some of the really torrid covers from the earlier years of romance. I think the colors are more gorgeous, too. I love that there are gorgeous foils and die cut covers, too.

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

I disliked the cover for the first edition in 2000 of THE ABDUCTION OF JULIA from Avon. I love the new cover from the 2008 Avon reprint, but the old cover has the woman in a gown that’s from the wrong time period – she looked like a salon girl from the Victorian era rather than a Regency-era heroine.

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 upcoming two releases from Pocket Books – SLEEPLESS IN SCOTLAND (7/21/09) and THE LAIRD WHO LOVED ME (8/25/09). These are the final two books in the MacLean Curse Series and – this is VERY special – there’s something special about these two covers . . . scoot them together, and they make one picture! As you can see, the woman on the July release (SLEEPLESS IN SCOTLAND) is pulling a length of plaid behind her and, when you overlap the August release (THE LAIRD WHO LOVED ME), you can see where the kilt is coming from! Since the heroines are twin sisters and they end up with a set of brothers, the books are super tied together ... I think they work great!

Update: Karen released the first in her Hurst Amulet Series from Pocket on November 23, 2010, One Night in Scotland. The next in the series is, Scandal in Scotland scheduled for release on May 24, 2011.

Karen Hawkin's website

Linnae Crady ()

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