[RonnellDPorter]

So here's the second cover designed by KB legend Tara Shuler:

Thumbnail:

Here's the blurb:

My name is Demitri Mitchell, and I'm a vampire. I also happen to be addicted to blood, and have a history of being addicted to amphetamines as well as most mainline narcotics (it was the 80's.) Some people would say that I have a sex-addiction, but I think all those years of casual sex and prostitution was just a means to feed my ravenous hunger for blood; it's the chicken or the egg, to be honest. I want to tell you all about my journey; it's a story of love, of self-expression, romance, desire, and my quest to avoid it all. This is the tale of how I was a brooding teenage vampire.

Honest opinions, KB? I'm lost and teetering, need some directions...

 

[DelilahFawkes]

I laughed when I saw the cover, so I think the image is perfect!   

The one thing I noticed is that your brooding vamp's head seems to be missing its top as it blends into the background. I'm sure that's something that can be fixed. I wanted him to "pop" more.

LOVE the expression on the girl's face.  LOL.

 

[JeanneM]

The cover is nice, but it looks like the girl is the main character as she is highlighted and he is in shadow.

I would rather see just a brooding type of guy alone on the cover since it is about him.  

I haven't seen the first cover.  Can you post it?  I'd love to see it.

 

[CraigInOregon]

The male figure is okay.

Something about the female figure seems off. The smile is a big part of it. Not angst-y enough. Too posed.

The font doesn't hold up well in thumbnail for legibility.

Definitely not a YA title, from the blurb...

If there's humor/parody to this, I wonder if a more cartoony approach might be the way to go...

 

[Will Write for Gruel]

I like it. It certainly got my attention. I assume they are both vampires?

The word "brooding" does get a bit lost when reduced to thumbnail size. You may want to work on that.

 

[DelilahFawkes]

The male figure is okay.

Something about the female figure seems off. The smile is a big part of it. Not angst-y enough. Too posed.

I was totally assuming from the title that this is a parody type story, and if it is I love the girl's kind of dorky blank expression, like she's making fun of the teen girls who swoon over the brooding vamp.

That was the vibe I was getting, at least, and it cracked me up . I could be way off, though.

 

[CaedemMarquez]

So here's the second cover designed by KB legend Tara Shuler:

Thumbnail:

Personally, I like it as is.

Caedem

 

[RonnellDPorter]

The male figure is okay.

Something about the female figure seems off. The smile is a big part of it. Not angst-y enough. Too posed.

The font doesn't hold up well in thumbnail for legibility.

Definitely not a YA title, from the blurb...

If there's humor/parody to this, I wonder if a more cartoony approach might be the way to go...

Yep, total spoof/comedy, and not a young-adult story, more of an older teen/adult story. I like the female, she looks Angelina Jolie-ish to me, but my problem is that there are no female vampires in the story, so it didn't exactly sit well for me when I saw it this morning. But I love her '

Spoiler

rape

' face, it made me giggle, so I'm torn on it...

I would rather see just a brooding type of guy alone on the cover since it is about him.

The one thing I noticed is that your brooding vamp's head seems to be missing its top as it blends into the background. I'm sure that's something that can be fixed. I wanted him to "pop" more.

Yeah, I had some vision of that myself, but to be fair I didn't specify anything. Tara had no idea who the main character was, or any details of the story, so she did a great job out of my vague email . I thought there would be communication in the process so I was waiting to send the details, but was surprised with the cover this morning so I didn't need to send anything lol.
But somehow it just works! It's like Tara just 'knows' even when she doesn't know anything about the story itself... It's eerie, I feel like my thoughts aren't private lol

 

[Sarah Fawkes]

This is definitely better than your last try but I'm curious: is this meant to be a parody (that's the impression I got from the title) or something that seriously falls within the YA vampire category? A parody of the original source material, not trying to go within the norms of the genre you're lampooning, would probably work better for a book like this. If, however, you're going for true vampire paranormal, it's there but the heroine is a bit, hm, spacey.

 

[LauraDenior]

But somehow it just works! It's like Tara just 'knows' even when she doesn't know anything about the story itself... It's eerie, I feel like my thoughts aren't private Shocked lol

This. She did the same for my cover. ^^

 

[CraigInOregon]

Yep, total spoof/comedy, and not a young-adult story, more of an older teen/adult story. I like the female, she looks Angelina Jolie-ish to me, but my problem is that there are no female vampires in the story, so it didn't exactly sit well for me when I saw it this morning. But I love her '

Spoiler

rape

' face, it made me giggle, so I'm torn on it...

OK, good to know.

The cover may work then, but I'd still reconsider the font work...

 

[kellymcclymer]

I liked it. There's something vacuous about the girl's face that suggests she is not the main character. if your artist could make his hand on her arm pop more, it might be all you need for the naysayers. Definitely says humor and spoof to me. Reminds me a bit of all those "I Was a Teenage X" in the 50s and 60s (and reprised with humor in "I Was a Teenaged Werewolf" with Michael J. Fox in the 80s.

 

[DelilahFawkes]

But I love her '

Spoiler

rape

' face, it made me giggle, so I'm torn on it...

This, exactly! I love how she looks surprised, but also like she's kinda into it. Like she's about to say "ooh!" any second now.

 

[Tom Junior]

I opened this thread and spewed coke (the beverage) out my nose! Ronnell you owe me a new keyboard! 

Seriously, I like the cover and the blurb. The girls kind of blank, vapid expression is PERFECT.

I'll be reading this!

 

[CraigInOregon]

I liked it. There's something vacuous about the girl's face that suggests she is not the main character. if your artist could make his hand on her arm pop more, it might be all you need for the naysayers. Definitely says humor and spoof to me. Reminds me a bit of all those "I Was a Teenage X" in the 50s and 60s (and reprised with humor in "I Was a Teenaged Werewolf" with Michael J. Fox in the 80s.

The Michael J. Fox thing was just called Teen Wolf, actually.

And a relaunch of Teen Wolf is currently airing on MTV or something like it...

 

[RonnellDPorter]

I opened this thread and spewed coke (the beverage) out my nose! Ronnell you owe me a new keyboard!

Seriously, I like the cover and the blurb. The girls kind of blank, vapid expression is PERFECT.

I'll be reading this!

Awesome - I think that we can all agree that Tara knew just what I needed and I was over-thinking it (I told myself that I wasn't going to be one of those clients...)

And ARC's (sans the review obligation) are available to anyone who wants to read it for a larf, it's only 15,000 words long

 

[DelilahFawkes]

The Michael J. Fox thing was just called Teen Wolf, actually.

And a relaunch of Teen Wolf is currently airing on MTV or something like it...

Omg, how did I not know this! I *have* to watch that show now...

 

[RonnellDPorter]

Omg, how did I not know this! I *have* to watch that show now...

Yeah, I rolled my eyes when I saw all the commercials leading up to the premier... and then I watched it in a house of girls and got hooked - it's actually really good. But it's Lacrosse instead of Basketball

 

[DelilahFawkes]

Yeah, I rolled my eyes when I saw all the commercials leading up to the premier... and then I watched it in a house of girls and got hooked - it's actually really good. But it's Lacrosse instead of Basketball

"It's not as bad as it looks..."

 

[ccjames]

I like it, esp. the cover model's quirky little smile that goes with the snarky title (even though she isn't brooding). But I think that's what you're going for, snark.