Blog Tour: Shades of Atlantis - Carol Oates (Cover Interview + Giveaway!)

Tin and I are very honored to have Carol Oates on our blog today. We'll be talking about certain aspects of that lovely book cover! If you missed my review of Shades of Atlantis, you can read it here.

Did you have any part on the creation of the book cover for Shades of Atlantis, or do you leave it to the designer to weave his/her magic and see the result?

At the end of the day it all came down to the designer, but I was asked for input which I was incredibly grateful for since it’s not always the case for authors. During editing I was asked how I saw a possible future cover and about any images that spoke to me.

Eventually I was sent three possible covers for my impression on them. The final decision is with the Publisher and marketing but again I was grateful to have a voice. Out of the three the final cover was immediately the one I fell in love with and after a family vote I said that was my favorite. Both the book and the flowering shamrock brought to mind elements of the story, the red on the green made me think of blood seeping out.

I was over the moon when it was decided to go with that cover.

Do you have any idea or maybe a concept in mind of what you think the book cover will be like while you were writing Shades of Atlantis?

Oh yeah, I had lots of ideas and several mock ups. I’m a very visual person and when I read or write I see the images play out in my head as a movie. I was particularly drawn to lightening in the beginning and some scenic images of the Hill of Tara but they all paled in comparison to the final cover.

How are you liking the cover for SoA?

I love it. It is so much more than I ever dreamed. To see someone else’s impression of your work and for them to come up with a visual for it is sort of a surreal experience. I couldn’t be happier with it. The Celtic symbol carved into the stone on the back of the cover matches my brother’s tattoo. He likes to think it was intentional. It certainly wasn’t but it makes him happy.

The cover features a book and a four leaf clover. What do they mean?

Caleb, the lead male character has an extensive library, some his own and some passed from his father. In one particular scene he uses a comparison of books to push Triona to the answers he is, as yet, unable to give her.

The clover is from a flowering shamrock plant. It a mark of good luck for the finder and is much rarer than the three leaf clover that is the symbol of Ireland. The leaves mean luck, faith, love and hope, all the things required to bring Triona and Caleb together.

Does any of the elements used in the cover have any meaning or a connection to the story?

As I’ve said above both have a connection to the story from my point of view, but I can’t say that my opinion is definitive. If someone else reads the story and comes up with a different connection to the story, that would be wonderful too.

Given the chance, would you change the cover of Shades of Atlantis? If you do, which parts would you change and why? And if not, why?

There is nothing that I would change about the cover at all. I’m totally in love with it. I couldn’t imagine it any other way now. The first time I saw it I felt it was a perfect match for my story.

Thank you so much Carol for visiting our blog today! I really really like the cover for Shades of Atlantis. Very captivating indeed. The artist did a great job!

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Title: Shades of Atlantis
Genre: YA/Paranromal
ISBN: 1-936305-44-5
Pages: 308

Summary:

Since the death of their parents, Triona Pryor and her brother, Ben, have lived with their aunt and uncle in Camden, Maine. Now in her senior year of high school, Triona loves her family and friends, but she has always felt that she didn’t quite fit in…in Camden, or anywhere else.

Enter Caleb Wallace, the devilishly handsome man who has recently moved to Triona’s small town. While their attraction to each other is instantaneous, it also proves to be dangerous…and deadly.

When tragedy strikes, Triona flees to London for solace and to start her life anew. It’s there she discovers from an unlikely source that her family has been keeping secrets from her – secrets about not only her birthright, but her ultimate destiny as well. Armed with this knowledge, Triona finds herself thrown into a whole new world and into
a battle to save the lives of everyone she loves.

Author Website: http://caroloates.com/
Author on Twitter: @CarolOates
Buy the book: Omnific Publishing

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

We'll be giving away a SIGNED paperback copy of Shades of Atlantis!

Rules:
This contest is open to US Residents ONLY.
Giveaway is opened until February 17, 2011 11:59 PM
Fill out the form below. You will gain an extra entry if you leave a comment for Carol. If the link is not working, click HERE.