Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Moonlight Mistress by Victoria Janssen

I love this cover. I rarely say that about any cover, romance or otherwise, but this one actually caught my attention. All that's missing is the nipple that seems to have been airbrushed out. (I'm not entirely sure why male nipples are acceptable, but female ones aren't, but I know I'm a little odd like that).

And now, the author's thoughts:

The Moonlight Mistress by Victoria Janssen

When I opened the PDF of my cover flat for this novel, the first thing I noticed was that it showed a lot of pale skin.  The second thing I noticed was that one of the women was staring out, directly at the viewer.  I love that.  I think it says a lot about the character of Lucilla and about the novel that the cover features a woman’s direct, frank gaze. The other woman, lying on a fur rug (a reference to her being a werewolf) looks perfectly happy in herself without needing to swoon in a man’s arms.  Meanwhile, the only man on the cover is completely focused on his partner, his face against her neck and his hand cupped tenderly over her bare shoulder.  So yes, this cover is very naked..  But it’s also very evocative and representative of the novel.
 
As World War One begins, English chemist Lucilla Daglish finds herself trapped on German soil. She and a French scientist, Pascal Fournier, escape and share a brief, intense affair.
They are reunited as Pascal investigates rumors of werewolves and the rogue scientist who abducts and tortures them.

Meanwhile, a group of soldiers, including Lucilla's brother, deal with forbidden relationships, little knowing that one of their own is also a werewolf.

The cover appears to be an homage to this Vaity Fair cover -

3 comments:

  1. Wow! I love the link to the vanity fair cover! Did you find that yourself or did you get a tip from the art department about it?

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  2. Actually, a writer friend identified the homage - I hadn't actually seen the original.

    Though I love Annie Leibowitz, I actually like my cover better. I love the expressions on the women's faces.

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  3. I love that cover! It's absolutely gorgeous -- and very sophisticated. If I ever write anything sophisticated, I hope I get one just like it. *grin*

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