Friday, August 23, 2013

Megan Shepherd Takes the Dare

I wanted to do something extra special for this dare, since it's been so long since I've done one, and I've so missed the public humiliation. So I decided to revisit one of my most popular previous dares, that went as follows:

Design an original cover for your book.

For the record, here are the real covers of The Madman's Daughter, and the sequel, Her Dark Curiosity, which comes out in January 2014 and is available for preorder. I just adore these covers. They're so atmospheric and classy and elegant and just beautifully photographed and designed.



I tackled this dare for the first time back in February 2012, for The Madman's Daughter, before that book even had a real cover. I came up with this gem. Lovely, no? Can't you just feel the tropical heat and tension in the air? It might not have quite the professionalism of the original, but you have to admit, it's just as classy.



For this dare, I wanted to continue with a similar graphic design, and show you my interpretation of the core story found in Her Dark Curiosity, which is inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and picks up a few months after The Madman's Daughter ends.

Ta da!


Like my first cover design, I think this one really showcases the book's strengths. There's obviously a much darker tone. There's mystery (that cloaked shadowy character in the bottom left), an atmospheric setting (Victorian London at Christmas...note the mistletoe), a hint of danger (lightning crash!), a deep and meaningful theme (the comedy and tragedy masks in the banner symbolize the duality of human nature, and also there's a really cool masquerade scene in the book), and a healthy dose of romance! My husband asked why the image was so grainy and I said that was clearly meant to be snow, but in case it was confusing, I decided to enhance the cover with lots of more obvious snow.


What do you think, does my cover design make you want to read it even more??

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Megan Shepherd is a young adult writer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her debut novel The Madman's Daughter (Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins) is the first in a Gothic thriller trilogy. The second book in the trilogy, Her Dark Curiosity, will be released January 2014. She’d love to hear from you at her blog, TwitterFacebook, or on Goodreads.

11 comments:

  1. That mistletoe is pure genius. Well done, Megan.

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    1. I think it adds a touch of the holiday spirit...OF DOOM.

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  2. LOL! Megan... you should design covers for adult historical romance novels ;) Maybe write them as well. The top-hat is definitely the best part. Or is it the lightning... WAIT THERE IS MISTLETOE! :D And the snowflakes are cool! Are the females in the two covers supposed to have different hair colors? Also, LOOK AT HIS FOREARMS :D

    *ogles*

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    1. Oh man! I forgot to change her hair color. Actually I don't know how to do that in Photoshop. We'll just ignore that little detail :)

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  3. Gosh. Why do these covers make me think so much of the Gonads and Strife video with the squirrel...?! (Seriously, don't ask me why.)

    This is genius, Megan, pure genius. Any cover that combines mistletoe and snow with an awesome bolt of lightning = instant must-read.

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    1. Thanks :) I was especially proud of the lightning

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  4. It's the masks that get to me. Oh GOSH am I misty eyed? I think I need Her Dark Curiosity NOW!

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    1. The masquerade scene in the book was my favorite to write. I hope you get a chance to read it soon!

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  5. I want to know why that man is trying to split that woman open like a fish for filleting - like seriously -- he could pull back on those winged elbows and she'd split right down the middle!!! Does THAT play into your twisted mind? Huh, Megan? Huh????? :0)

    (P.S. - stick to your day job)

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  6. The top hat with the bare chest, and then the mistletoe... Megan, I love this cover so much. So gosh darn much.

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  7. Yay! I love the follow up to the first cover! LOL the mistletoe is a nice touch.

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