Guest Blog and Giveaway with J.A. Kazimer
Never Let Them See You Sweat: Hot Chicks in Leather
By J.A. Kazimer
According to The Wall Street Journal, "On the average, a book store browser spends eight seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds looking at the back cover." What does that mean for an author? Well, chances are if you are an urban fantasy or paranormal romance writer, your book cover will feature a chick dressed in black leather, even if your story takes place in the middle of the desert.
Don't get me wrong. Like any girl, I love tight black leather and heels. I often spend my nights dressed in the form fitting stuff and carrying extremely heavy weapons halfway tucked in my pants. What girl doesn't?
Yet I wonder if these dark, sexy covers are doing more harm than good for authors and readers alike. As a reader have you ever hid the cover of the book you were currently enjoying? Ever felt ashamed of a book because of the hot chick in leather on the cover or the muscle bound hunk smeared in oil (baby not olive, I assume)? Or have you ever picked up a book strictly because of the hot chick on the cover? Did the tale live up to the artwork?
Authors complain a lot about their covers, from little things like my main character has red hair and the woman on the cover is a blonde to a publisher actually changing the race of the character on a cover. But what do readers really think about cover art? Do hot chicks in leather sell books?
CURSES! A F***ed-Up FairyTaleDefinitely not for baby's bedtime reading, this hilarious and irreverent take on classic fairytales—think Shrek for grownups—combines humor, mystery, and characters only a fairy godmother could love…
When Cinderella is run over by a New Never City bus, her not-so-ugly stepsister, Asia,suspects murder. So she hires RJ, a private eye, to investigate. Little does she know RJ is actually a villain on mental health leave from the Villain's Union. Cursed with an inability to say no to damsels in distress, RJ travels to the Kingdom of Maldetto, meets the rest of Cinderella's family—including her fiancé, the flamboyant Prince Charming, Cinderella's crazy stepmother, and a seriously twisted version of Hansel and Gretel—and dodges bullets, explosions, fires, and his own ex-wife to slip his own version of glass handcuffs on the wrists that fit. All while falling for Asia, who has a curse of her own to deal with…Fabulous, frolicsome, and delightfully F***ed-Up, Kazimer's debut is a thoroughly fun read. - Nicole Peeler, author of the True Jane Series.Forget everything you know about Cinderella and her sisters. J.A. Kazimer sets the record straight with wit, humor and a hell of an imagination! - Jeanne C. Stein, National Bestselling Author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles"More than f*cked up. Demented. Hilarious. Kazimer is going to warp a lot of minds and they're going to thank her." - Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf SmackdownAmazon.comBarnes & Noble.comBook-a-million.com
j.a. kazimer is a writer living in Denver, CO. With a master's degree in forensic psychology, j.a. has worked as a private investigator, bartender, and at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Books include The Junkie Tales (2010), The Body Dwellers (2011), CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale (2012), and Holy Socks & Dirtier Demons (2012). The next book in the F***ed Up Fairy Tale series, FROGGY-STYLE, is forthcoming from Kensington in 2013.
Want to win a print copy of Curses?
Leave a comment on this spot with your email addy
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By J.A. Kazimer
According to The Wall Street Journal, "On the average, a book store browser spends eight seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds looking at the back cover." What does that mean for an author? Well, chances are if you are an urban fantasy or paranormal romance writer, your book cover will feature a chick dressed in black leather, even if your story takes place in the middle of the desert.
Don't get me wrong. Like any girl, I love tight black leather and heels. I often spend my nights dressed in the form fitting stuff and carrying extremely heavy weapons halfway tucked in my pants. What girl doesn't?
Yet I wonder if these dark, sexy covers are doing more harm than good for authors and readers alike. As a reader have you ever hid the cover of the book you were currently enjoying? Ever felt ashamed of a book because of the hot chick in leather on the cover or the muscle bound hunk smeared in oil (baby not olive, I assume)? Or have you ever picked up a book strictly because of the hot chick on the cover? Did the tale live up to the artwork?
Authors complain a lot about their covers, from little things like my main character has red hair and the woman on the cover is a blonde to a publisher actually changing the race of the character on a cover. But what do readers really think about cover art? Do hot chicks in leather sell books?
CURSES! A F***ed-Up FairyTaleDefinitely not for baby's bedtime reading, this hilarious and irreverent take on classic fairytales—think Shrek for grownups—combines humor, mystery, and characters only a fairy godmother could love…
When Cinderella is run over by a New Never City bus, her not-so-ugly stepsister, Asia,suspects murder. So she hires RJ, a private eye, to investigate. Little does she know RJ is actually a villain on mental health leave from the Villain's Union. Cursed with an inability to say no to damsels in distress, RJ travels to the Kingdom of Maldetto, meets the rest of Cinderella's family—including her fiancé, the flamboyant Prince Charming, Cinderella's crazy stepmother, and a seriously twisted version of Hansel and Gretel—and dodges bullets, explosions, fires, and his own ex-wife to slip his own version of glass handcuffs on the wrists that fit. All while falling for Asia, who has a curse of her own to deal with…Fabulous, frolicsome, and delightfully F***ed-Up, Kazimer's debut is a thoroughly fun read. - Nicole Peeler, author of the True Jane Series.Forget everything you know about Cinderella and her sisters. J.A. Kazimer sets the record straight with wit, humor and a hell of an imagination! - Jeanne C. Stein, National Bestselling Author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles"More than f*cked up. Demented. Hilarious. Kazimer is going to warp a lot of minds and they're going to thank her." - Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf SmackdownAmazon.comBarnes & Noble.comBook-a-million.comj.a. kazimer is a writer living in Denver, CO. With a master's degree in forensic psychology, j.a. has worked as a private investigator, bartender, and at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Books include The Junkie Tales (2010), The Body Dwellers (2011), CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale (2012), and Holy Socks & Dirtier Demons (2012). The next book in the F***ed Up Fairy Tale series, FROGGY-STYLE, is forthcoming from Kensington in 2013.
Want to win a print copy of Curses?
Leave a comment on this spot with your email addy
Open to US Shipping Only
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