Monday, November 22, 2010

Contest winner...plus a surprise!

Earlier this month I held a contest inviting readers to show me what they think my cover might look like for MAKING WAVES.

Since the prize was a coveted signed copy of Eileen Cook's hysterical YA novel WHAT WOULD EMMA DO, you guys pawed through your closets and dug out your most colorful, creative thinking caps. I'm delighted with the submissions!

So delighted that I can't possibly choose a winner. Even though this is just for fun and not for the real book cover, it's just too much pressure for me to handle.

For that reason, I asked Eileen Cook herself to do the honors.

Take it away, Eileen!

Thank you so much for having me as a judge for your cover contest. All of the entries were awesome, but just like Miss America, only one gets the tiara. Everyone else had a cat fight over double sided boob tape in the changing room.

My thoughts on the entries:

Option 1 from Eleven Eleven.
Option 1: Love the back tattoo. Very clever. I have to think there is a temptation to have a big X marks the spot in a place where the sun doesn't shine.


Option 2 from Mark Simpson.
Option 2: The bra on the pirate flag is a nice touch – but this one won my heart with the tag line: A dumb plan is still a plan. Could be my life motto.


Option 3 from Suz Korb.
Option 3: Great use of color and has a nice whimsy feeling to it.



Option 4 from Miranda.
Option 4: Sinking bikini top is good, love the heart bubble. Also can't beat a Nora Roberts quote.


Option 5 from Miranda.
Option 5: Very Jaws like feeling. I can hear the music in the background. The tagline here is also a winner.


Option 6 from Harley May.
Option 6: Killer photo, love the wine bottle, somewhat concerned about the woman's five o'clock shadow.

And in my humble opinion.....the winner is....(cut the tension with a knife).....

Option 1!!!


Applause! Applause!

Hey, it's Tawna again, and thank you so much to Eileen for the insightful judging and commentary. Thanks also to everyone who submitted a cover, and super-huge congratulations to regular blog reader Eleven Eleven for submitting the winning entry.

Wow, this feels a little anti-climatic, doesn't it? I mean I know we weren't picking the actual book cover here, but it still seems like we should have a group hug or at least grope each other or something.

Better yet, let's keep the contest going.

Since these entries were so lovely, it seems wrong not to have a second round of judging, this time for a Readers' Choice pick. Tell me in the comments which cover you think deserves the Readers Choice award and I'll send the winner a copy of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Brenda Novak's romantic thriller WHITE HEAT.

While this is not a signed copy like Eileen's book, I'll go ahead and throw in a special MAKING WAVES "booty bag" for the winner. Heck, I'll throw one in for our first winner as well. I'm nice like that.

Leave a comment suggesting which entry should get the Readers' Choice award. I'll tally them up on Friday and will send out prizes after that.

Oh, and let's have a round of applause for Eileen Cook, who is not only a fabulous guest judge, but a ridiculously amazing author (as evidenced by the starred Kirkus review she just got for her upcoming January release, THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK (which you can pre-order right here).

Yaaaay, Eileen! Yaaaay, Eleven Eleven! Yaaaay Readers' Choice winner, whoever you are!

I need a celebratory drink, how about you?

33 comments :

Anonymous said...

Option 3's my fave ;)

lora96 said...

Option 2. Love the tag line and the bra and the slightly dim sexiness. Has a nice naughty and irreverant feel.

Debs Riccio said...

I agree with Eileen, all things considered, I prefer Option One. The old fashioned Pirate-y-type font argues with the contemporary bikini-tatoo-ed body, making you want to know what happens inside. Ha ha, me hearties!

Gabriela Lessa said...

Hum, this is hard. I do like the nice life motto and the bra on 2... And 3 is so cute!
But I really believe it wouldn't be Tawna's book without a bottle of wine. I'm really worried people might not recognize her name without it...
So, #6 it is! Great job, everyone! I wish I was that creative!

Matthew MacNish said...

Wow. What fun! How did I miss that we were doing this?

Shain Brown said...

They all were so good. Almost makes you want to put a cover on the back as well.

Linda G. said...

So hard to decide! They're all great. Hmm...if pressed, I'm going to have to go with Option 6, because I'm a sucker for a good five o'clock shadow. Sure, this one is on the heroine, but why sweat the details?

Anonymous said...

I really like Option #4 the best. Simple and clever.

Harley May said...

My dream of becoming a romance cover pirate model is over.

Those were some great entries! My favorite (besides the winner) was Cover #2.

Well done everyone!

Patty Blount said...

Love #2... A dumb plan is still a plan and thought the bra with the flag was a great touch.

Danica Avet said...

These were great! #1 was really, really good, loved it. My choice though? Has to be #2...the tagline, the bikini top on the flagpole...priceless!

Michelle Wolfson said...

Great comments by Eileen, and I read What Would Emma Do so winner, you're in for a treat!

I'm going to have to say the tagline "A dumb plan is still a plan" really won me over. It was almost like he's read the book. ;)

But the 5 o'clock shadow is definitely a close second.

Anonymous said...

Those covers are fantastic! My favorite is option #2. I like the images and the tagline is just hilarious.

Anonymous said...

Oh man, option 2 had me in stitches! Such a simple yet telling tag line, but realistically option 3 is the sensible choice for winner ;)

abby mumford said...

this readers' choice? option 4. you can't beat a heart shaped bubble.

also, congrats to Eleven Eleven, that cover kicked some serious pirate bootay.

adam.purple said...

Very fun entries. I like numbers 1 and 2 the best.

Bren said...

Have to go with Eileen's choice. #1 is the best one for me. Love the map tattoo. Great idea!

Shelley Watters said...

Great entries. #1 and #2 are definitely my favs. #1 has an INVINCIBLE SUMMER by Hannah Moskowitz vibe (which I love)

And I love the back tattoo of a map. So creative & really pretty.

Miranda said...

eeeehehhee. what a delicious contest. my favorite is #6 because it is pure hilarity, though I still stand by my alternative option 5, just in case you ever need to rewrite your main conflict to be Janet Reid gnawing on people.

LR said...

These are hilarious! I vote for Harley May.

Nicole Zoltack said...

My favorite is #2. I love it.

Christina Auret said...

I'm voting no 2, mostly for the tag line. It sounds almost authentic :) I do like no 1 a lot, but seeing as it already won, I don't think the idea is to pick it for second as well.

I must say I am really glad my scanner broke last weekend. My effort was very much closer to the originally posted art. Technology loves me more than I realized.

Teri Anne Stanley said...

I'm liking option 6...five o'clock shadow on the heroine, and a tag line by Stephen King..."Pirate Whore" ROFLMAO.

Mark Simpson said...

What red-blooded guy wouldn't like option one? Very sexy. I liked both Miranda's entries as well, very professional Photoshop work. (or whatever you used.) All were quite good, I can see this isn't a blog for hacks.

Anonymous said...

As much as I love the tagline in option 2 I have to vote for option 4. Love the floating bikini top!

German Chocolate Betty said...

You are NOT going to believe this... I read the post, then returned to what I am supposed to be doing, without leaving a comment.

THEN, I came back to the site and was scrolling down quickly to get to the comments. As I flashed on by, I could have sworn that those legs in Option 5 were a PENIS, and thought, huh, WTF?????!!!!

Squint and you'll see what I mean!

Does this have anything to do with the fact that my husband has been away from home now for 3 weeks...?? (And I have 2.5 more weeks to wait and I am seeing male genitalia everywhere, obviously...)

I wonder if the gal in Option 6 has anything left in that bottle, I think I *need* it!!!

Aaaaargh!!

Suzy said...

Here via Eileen's link on Twitter. Very clever readers you have here!

I pictured myself at Barnes and Noble and imagining which one would jump out at me and it's no. 5. (didn't like the tagline tho, would use A dumb plan etc in its place)

Deborah Small said...

I vote for option #2. It's a cover that would catch my eye in the bookstore. Love the tag line.

Deb

Elise said...

I TOTALLY agree with Eileen; option one rules. It's sexy, intriguing, and fun... all the things I'd expect from a Tawna Fenske novel.

That, and lots of wine. Maybe that can be included in the tattoo.

TAWNA FENSKE said...

Thanks for all the votes and comments, guys! Keep 'em coming :)

Tawna

Anonymous said...

I admit: I LOLed at Harley's. Best use of a kiddie playhouse evar. :D

Claire Dawn said...

Option 4.

These people have so much talent! Makes we want to curl up in a kiddie playhouse with a bottle of wine. Wait a minute...

lol

Kim Mullican said...

OMG, Nov. 30th post killed me front to back...maybe I needed the laugh (writing query letter #8M or so...)

So glad I found this blog! So followed!