The Last Rising blog tour - Let's talk cover art!

Welcome to The Last Rising blog tour! I'm excited to have author Rachel Firasek here, talking about cover art! I just adore cover art, which is why I've started designing it myself. I mean, can you tell me that you haven't bought a book just because the cover was so pretty? Some of the books I've purchased just because of the covers are Mistwood by Leah Cypess, Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (the pearly one), and Fallen by Lauren Kate. The cover for The Last Rising is just beautiful - I love the colors! Also, some of you might not know that a lot of authors don't have a whole lot of say in their book covers. Crazy, huh? I could talk book covers all day long. I'll be quiet now so you can see what Rachel has to say about cover art...

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Thank you, Tishia, for having me on Paranormal Opinion today. I thought I’d talk about something you obviously love so much and touches me as an artist—Cover Art! I mean, come on, a good cover can sway me into buying a book and I’m sure that there have to be more out there that will buy on covers alone. Please speak up! This is a fun interactive blog post and I adore comments, so don’t be shy.

My cover artist for The Last Rising, Heather Howland, is a genius in my eyes. She will take a short two or three sentence description of my heroine or hero and give me a piece of art that completely captures what I’m going for in my story. It’s rare to find someone who gets it like this.

Okay, so for everyone that thinks authors have a big say in their covers, here’s the real low down. We get to answer a questionnaire about our world, the H/H, the atmosphere and that’s about it. Then we turn this information in to our publisher and we’re at their mercy. Luckily, Entangled will work with the authors to really capture a Grade A cover.
When I received the first proof of The Last Rising, I was blown away. I mean, how did she find a picture of a heroine with a streak in her hair? Did she add it, later? What about the background all moody and stormy, how did she know that’s exactly what I wanted? Do you see the genius here? LOL.

So, how important is that cover? Well, you tell me. Do you buy on cover alone? Have you ever? Have you ever remembered a title of a book only because of the cover? Please share with me. And yes, if you remember the title, please let me know. I’d love to check them out. If you haven’t checked out the Entangled covers, please do and let me know if there are any covers that are your faves. There are so many pretty ones to choose from. Thanks for sharing. ;)
Oh, and have you checked out the covers on Tishia’s design site? So pretty. Very nice!

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CURSE OF THE PHOENIX - Book One

Title: The Last Rising
Author: Rachel Firasek
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: September 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-28-2
Mobi ISBN: 978-1-937044-29-9

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/the-last-rising/

Book Description:

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment.

Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.


Excerpt:


“Why is it I can’t get you out of my mind? You say we haven’t met, but my dreams remember you.”

Oh yeah, he’d dreamt of a woman for months now. She resembled his dream woman in so many ways, but he’d never seen his fantasy lover’s face.

She struggled against his clutch. “Mr. Alcott, I assure you we haven’t met. And for your other question, I don’t know why, but you need to release me.”

Why did that quivering bottom lip make him suspect she was lying? Turner rested his forehead against the top of hers and sucked in her scent. “Please, tell me I’m not losing my mind. Tell me you don’t visit me every night and I’ll promise to leave you alone. I just need to know.”

He sounded like a crazy man but she had to tell him. She was the only one who could put a stop to his mind’s constant fantasizing, and this feeling of déjà vu every time he saw her.

Ice wriggled in his arms, her thighs chafing against his slacks. “Mr. Alcott, you need to let me go.” She glanced around his shoulder. “Brodie is probably staring out that glass window and I would hate for him to get the wrong impression.”

She was right. He needed to get ahold of himself, but he didn’t have the strength to walk away. His hands traveled up and over her shoulders, stalling on her neck. Brushing his thumbs against her jaw, he pressed her head back and stared into hard eyes—no emotion. Couldn’t she see the battle he fought?

He teased the corner of her mouth with his thumb and her breathy gasp pleased him. So, she wasn’t completely immune to him. He dropped his head until his mouth hovered over hers.

“Mr. Alcott—”

“Shhh. I just need a taste of the sunshine.”

Books 2 and 3 are coming in October and November 2011!

About the Author:
Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales, before she settled on a blending of the two.
Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves.
She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows… or at www.rachelfirasek.com .

Check out Rachel Firasek's site HERE for a full tour line-up!