urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:seanan_mcguire The Journal of Seanan McGuire Seanan McGuire 2012-12-28T22:22:53Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:seanan_mcguire:485327 2012-12-28T22:22:53Z 2012-12-28T22:22:53Z Owl City, "When Can I See You Again?" At last it has come; <a href="http://www.rantingdragon.com/cover-battle-final-blackbirds-vs-discount-armageddon/">the final round of the Ranting Dragon cover battle</a> is upon us. On one side, the armies of Chuck Wendig. On the other, the armies of my own. What do we fight for?<br /><br />We fight for the title of Best Cover of 2012. The entrants, <i>Blackbirds</i>, and <i>Discount Armageddon</i>. The prize? INFAMY.<br /><br />Chuck is a dear friend of mine, at whose head I often hurl foul profanities. This is the basis for our relationship. And <i>Blackbirds</i> is a truly gorgeous cover; if I lose to it, I will feel that my battle has not been in vain. (It's also a truly gorgeous book, which you should totally read, assuming the phrase "foul profanities" is not your kryptonite. He has swear words like I have talking mice, and it is awesome.)<br /><br /><a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/12/28/the-final-battle/">Chuck has said a few words about his cover</a>, and I thought I should say something about mine. Here's something you may or may not know: I <i>begged</i> my publisher to give me Aly Fell. Literally <i>begged</i>, along with mailing my editor half of his publicly available images, while going "see? He has the right quirky cheesecake feel, he would be amazing." When they said he'd agreed to do the book, I cried.<br /><br />I cried again when I got his roughs for the cover. Literally hand-over-mouth, can't-see, sat at my desk and <i>sobbed</i>, because it was <i>perfect</i>. It managed to be quirky, almost ironic cheesecake: perfectly Verity, perfectly sincere, perfectly <i>Price</i>. This is a series that's aimed at a very strange sort of demographic, almost like <i>Adventure Time</i> meets <i>Sanctuary</i> meets <i>Leverage</i>. I needed a cover that got all those things across, and Aly Fell did it magnificently.<br /><br />It still makes me tear up when I remember seeing the cover for the first time. I cried again when I got the cover for <i>Midnight Blue-Light Special</i>. Just, "Oh, there you are Verity," and all the tears. All the tears, always.<br /><br />I love both these covers, and while I would of course appreciate it if you voted for me, I will not feel slighted in any way if I don't win; it's apples and oranges at this point, and Chuck and I have one thing in common. We both won the cover artist lottery.