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2015 Honorable Mentions: Annual Cover Contest

 

2015 Honorable Mentions - Annual Cover Contest

Welcome to Cover Cafe’s 2015 Honorable Mentions! We’re celebrating favorite 2015 nominations that didn’t make the finals but impressed the committee chairs. The Committee Members vote on many ballots during the year and see LOTS of covers. But what is one woman's favorite sometimes is just that -- one woman's favorite. The other committee members aren't as enthralled and so the favorite cover doesn't make the final ballot. The Honorable Mentions post shares those personal favorites.

Avant Garde

The first category is Avant Garde which was introduced by Linnae in 2013. The covers in this category are from books that do not have enough romance to meet the guidelines in our Contemporary or Historical categories, or they have an Avant Garde approach to cover design, or they feature a fresh take on current trends. Thinking outside the traditional romance box and remaining open minded are key elements for this category.

Kimberlee's First Choice - "Oddly, my first pick for Avant Garde Honorable Mention isn't actually my favorite non-ballot cover in the category. As I spent some time looking at all of the options, though, Dark Skye by Kresley Cole is the one I kept coming back to. I was intrigued by the way the lightning gave the appearance of wings on the hero. The cover gives the sense that he is in motion, but is he falling, or flying? My favorite covers are the ones that encourage me to read the book to find out more, and this one definitely fits the bill."

Kimberlee's Second Choice - ”Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier earns my second Honorable Mention. I love the idea of the heroine traversing the narrow keyhole-shaped passage to emerge into the brightness that lies beyond. The pop of red provided by the petals on the floor of the tunnel and floating through the passage, as well as the unique keyhole exit, drew my attention to this cover."

Jeanette’s choice - "The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands. The magical door is intriguing. What is on the other side? The light that shines, the signs on the door portals and in the circle. We don't know yet what they mean but the book will tell us. Together with the blue color and the fonts of the title an truly magical book."

Contemporary Romance Category

This category includes Category Series, Contemporary Romance, and Contemporary Alternate Reality Romance covers.

Lee’s choice - "The Little Flower Shop by the Sea by Ali McNamara. It's such an eyecatching cover and not stock images, but a pretty illustration that definitely evokes the English seaside."

Katherine’s choice - "A Single Kiss by Grace Burrowes, I love the pinkish maroon color of the title and the author’s name. It really pops against the white background while blending nicely with purple of the man’s shirt and the woman’s scarf. The couple looks genuinely happy and in love. The pose is very natural and makes for a fresh and fun cover."

Historical Romance Category

Our Historical Romance Category is one of the all time favorites in our contest. It includes Historical Category Series, Historical Romance, and Historical Alternate Reality Romance covers.

Jenny’s first choice - "The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long. This is such a romantic cover. Two lost lovers have found each other again, they’ve just flown into each others arms, and from the looks of it they will never let each other go again. Reunited at last! Aaaw, how sweet.”

Jenny’s second choice - "Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal. Love the lights in the image, that lovely white dress, and those long white gloves. The heroine seems to be deep in thoughts. Those smoky white swirls gives the cover a mysterious air. I’m wondering what they mean?

Two-Image Covers

Our Two-Image Cover Category is also one of our most popular. It’s also the most difficult because stepback covers are seldom included online with the front cover. The chairs have to play detectives and search out the second image. Can we just say that we love when the publishers provide the stepback and/or back images online. Here are the 2015 Honorable Mentions for TIC.

Lee’s choice - "Forbidden to Love the Duke by Jillian Hunter. The cover is your typical head chopped off model but I do love the color of the dress against the colored sofa, pillows and carpet. The stepback shows two roses and a partial sentence. Maybe too simple, but so much better than seeing another shirtless man entwined with a woman whose dress is falling off."

Katherine’s choice - "Treasured by Thursday by Catherine Bybee. It’s a beautiful cover. The white dress and the white roses are beautiful. The synopsis of the novel is written in the form of a wedding invitation. I love the combination of the bride on the front cover and the wedding invitation on the back cover. I also love all of the little details: the flowers on the invitation, the intricate design on the wedding gown, and the beautiful bouquet."

Worst Category

Last but not least, is our infamous Worst Category ~ What were they thinking? ~ and the unlucky covers selected for Dishonorable Mention.

Jeanette’s choice - "Break Water by Shannon Mayer. She sure looks as if her water is breaking. Or maybe she just had to pee? Headless and no idea what she is doing and there is light coming from her bottom. Doesn't look safe to me!"

Jeanette’s choice - "Guilty by Association by D.R. Polsz. This cover look like a photoshop gone wrong. The eyes are off focus. Is it a fork or a hand. A hand probably. Are we looking at eggs or tears? No idea. And a terrible font!"

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