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?