Hi there, long time no see! I trust everyone is well and reading like fiends? I’m in the middle of a romance reading spurt myself, and in my humble opinion, there’s nothing like a good book to make everything good.
Well, a good book AND maybe some junk food. Say like cookies. The other day I was taking a writing break and sitting on my deck reading and eating. A neighbor stopped by, took one look at the half naked man on the cover and wrinkled her highbrow. Or high brow. Whichever. 
“I like books where the covers are more tasteful,” she said.
What she meant was, she liked her sex on the inside, thank you very much, and she’d rather no one know what that she was reading it in the first place.
And that’s okay. I get that. In fact, my first two Bravas were like that. All cozy on the outside, and a little spicy hot on the inside. And then they were reprinted in mass market, and well . . . Maybe you’d better see for yourself.
Get A Clue, original in trade, and then the reprint:
I got lots of mail on the cover of this one.
And then came Aussie Rules, first the original . . .
and then the sexier reprint:
I’m guessing the hotter covers sell better or we wouldn’t be seeing them. My Sexy series out last year, SMART AND SEXY, STRONG AND SEXY, SUPERB AND SEXY, all had pretty hot covers, and they did well, proving the point, I’m thinking.
Next February I have a new series coming out, starting with:
Oh, wait. That’s not quite right, though I LOVE it. Sorry. Let’s reshoot him without my wonderful editor in the shot:
There it is. Not quite as overtly sexy as my past series. Which brings me to my question of the day. What do you want on your covers? Sexy? Subtle? Gorgeous men? Scenery? What? Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh, and I’ll draw a few names from those of you who comment and give away books from my backlist, including the very sexy covered SEXY series, or the more subtle covers of some of my others. Your choice. Now spill!
UPDATE: I randomly drew winners, and they are . . .
Amelia, Aideen, and Antonia Peace! (Funny that it was totally random and yet they all start with A’s!)
Anyway, hit the link to my site and email me from there with your snailmail and a few book choices!
I really like the sexier covers. While I love to see a really sexy guy on a cover…a really attractive woman can also draw my attention. I love all your covers, but I really do like the sexier ones a bit more.
A great cover can definitely pull me to a book!
I much prefer the sexy covers!! In fact, it makes me mad that the publishers changed the covers on the above books. I bought them with the original covers, and now they have the hot, sexy guys on the covers. Not fair!!!!
I like covers with sexy hunks or couples. I also think the colors makes the difference too.
I like sexy (two couples embracing, nearly kissing, etc) but not blatantly explicit where you can see the naughty bits right there. I like something left to the imagination, and more sensual imagery. Now if Mr. Instant Attraction had no jacket and his shirt unbuttoned (or off completely) I would have absolutely no problem with that.
And I like your original covers for “Get a Clue” and “Aussie Rules” but the other ones are wonderful too.
I enjoy a nice, sexy cover on a book. I think it does add something to the appeal of the book for sure. I think publishers are pushing sexier covers because women are becoming more comfortable buying them. My daughter and I were at a bookstore the other day and she spotted a WolfTales book by Kate Douglas and said ” Look Mom, you’d like that book, it has a naked man on it!” and of course I replied “Thanks, hon, but I already have that one…” two elderly ladies were nearby and one shot me a dirty look and walked away, the other came over and asked me if the book was as hot as it looked, and she bought it! LOL.
I gotta say, I love the sexy covers! Who doesn’t enjoy a little eye candy, right? Although, covers that are more subtle don’t deter me from buying a book. I’m generally looking for specific authors so it wouldn’t matter what their covers looked like, sexy or not. But honestly, in the romance genre, a sexy cover catches my eye more often than a not-as-sexy cover.
Obviously I’ll follow any of my favourite authors and buy their books regardless of covers. But if a cover has to have significance for me, then the hotter the better I say. I love nothing more than a hero’s strong hand placed dangerously close to his heroine’s throat (I’m not that kind of kinky but this pose just screams caveman to me) and I love when his hand is bunched in her hair. Am almost kiss will do it for me too. I prefer a couple on the cover as opposed to a him or her shot. And my absolute favourite would be somebody convincing Viggo Mortensen or Gerard Butler to become cover models for just one day.
Blaze really do get some of the best covers because let’s face it, sex sells big time!
Aideen.
I like the sexy hunks – full body or with the head cut off. Also like the colorful cutesy covers like on Marcia Evanicks Misty Harbor or Marilyn Pappano’s Bethlehem Series Covers. Susan Mallery’s Sweet and Buchanan Covers are also very eye catching.
I like the sexy covers but I also like fun ones like the first Aussie Rules. Really my only requirement is that the cover have something to do with what the book is about.
I checked out Get a Clue from the library and it had the first cover on it. A couple weeks later I bought one of your books at a used bookstore and realized when I started reading it that it was the same book I had already read but with the new cover. LOL I really should have read the back cover but thought I hadn’t seen that cover so I must not have read it.
I like things a little more tame on the cover. I don’t need naughty bits on the cover. WhenI’m shopping for a new book and I see so many of them, I begin to think that’s a cover up for “not much plot”. And I’m not against a healthy romp
I just want a great story with it!
People embracing or kissing? Boring. Been there, seen that, big yawn. I like covers that look like just regular books, not romance books. It’s nobody’s business if I want to read romance. In fact, a cover that says something scary boring like “An Analysis of Nineteenth Century British Peerage Titles” and has a plain cover would be good. Way down at the bottom, in tiny letters, you could put “The explosive love story between Lady Pinkpetal and Lord Pounderhard that rocked Victorian London!” or some such…
ooh I love your cover for Instant Attraction.
Generally any cover that pops out at me will work. I guess it all depends on the genre. Mr hunk above will cause me to pick up the book.
Well, I kind of consider a cover to be a litmus test. if the cover is hot, the book will be too.
I’m loving the covers with the sexy shirtless hotties, like your Flash series!!
I’m not shy about letting people know what I read, maybe someone else might get to enjoy the view!!
I like the sexy covers in moderation. I don’t mind naked bodies on the front, but when I have to censor my kids from looking at them I know they’ve gone to far.
I like the ones with only the man or where the woman isn’t quite as obvious. I don’t want no woman getting in the way of my fantasy.
Oh! And I like to see some SKIN also.
Tina
I love sexy covers, but am fine with a subtle cover too. I really love your cover for Instant Attraction! He is very hot and sexy, even if he is wearing his shirt.
I think your sexy covers look great, but I like the subtle covers,too. I have both the subtle covers of Get a Clue and Aussie Rules and I am happy with them. Sure is easier to take as reading on airplanes! To me, the cover doesn’t really matter so much. If it says Jill Shalvis, then I know it is going to be an excellent read.
Subtle – does that mean I’m showing my age…….?
I love sexy covers with good looking me on them or a couple in an embrace. I think vivid colors catch the eye too.
I love sexy covers with good looking men on them or a couple in an embrace. I think vivid colors catch the eye too.
I like the covers that are sexy in a subtle way, like covers with just a shirtless man or ones with just a woman from the back showing her naked shoulders and back. I also like covers that are fun and flirty.
If a cover is very risque and sexy, I find that I am too embarrassed to buy the book in a store. I have to order it online!
I’m torn. I’m more attracted to, and more likely to purchase the new, hot covers. Especially with skin.
However, I’m far more comfortable reading the books with subtle covers in public.
In Jr. High and High School, I solved this problem by making cheesy book covers out of foil and paper. Oh? Was I not supposed to be reading romance novels while the teachers were lecturing?
I like sexy covers, of course but mostly the ones that are subtle and not overtly sexual. And also, cute bright covers, as wel.
When you like to read while b-sitting the nieces and nephews the subtle covers are much better. My mom and I both have slip on cloth covers w/ a built in book mark that she sewed for us.
That takes care of that.
OH – I just had a thought… scary huh? Anyway the only thing I reeeeaaaallllly don’t like is when the cover contradicts the book (she’s a red head and the cover shows a blond – he has shoulder lenght hair and the cover shows short hair or hair half way to the tush.)
really I like to imagine the charactors but if they are on the cover they should look right.
I agree with Antonia. I like tohe covers, but sometimes feel uncomfortable reading them in public. with that said I will still buy the book!!
I just like striking covers – doesn’t matter one way or the other what’s on them. I’ve never been shy or embarassed about what I’m reading. It probably does help to have a cover that relates to what the book is about.
I like the subtly sexy covers—-the hunky guys.
Don’t get mad, but I prefer a bit more subtle cover. I don’t mind a handsome man, gorgeous scenery or even cute. Because I have kids. *g* And I’m not quite ready to have “THAT TALK” with my year old. *g*
Geez, I meant to type MY SIX YEAR OLD. *G*
I think it depends on the book. But generally, I like artsy, creative covers. I think certain “half naked man” covers I don’t like as much because they aren’t as creative. I loved the covers to the Black Dagger Brotherhood books at first -but now it seems everywhere I turn there’s a similar cover. I think I’m also not quite as big on real humans on the covers, because too often the cover models and characters look nothing alike.
So I guess that doesn’t really answer your question, but it’s how I feel about book covers.
Not to say I don’t like the super sexy book covers. Some of them are seriously drool worthy, and have definitely caught my attention, leading me to discover a great book I might not have otherwise.
I like a cover with a couple on it or the subtle ones like your original covers. But if they’re putting people on the cover they should be similar to the people in the story. A dark haired man on the cover of a story with a blonde hero makes no sense to me.
I like the colorful cutesy covers myself. I have trouble reading the sexy ones at work (at home I don’t care.) I guess I’m a “shy” romance reader. : )
I love both sexy and subtle covers. Headless torsos are very popular. I’m also a fan of scenery covers, too.
Jill, I like hot Alpha men on the covers. There is one certain Alpha Man that I still think should be on one of your covers.
Bring on the sexy covers. I am not ashamed to be seen buying them or reading them. I am an old-er woman and figure everyone knows what I read, so why bother hiding my books. I have the older cover for Get A Clue but I was expecting a “tame” book by the cover. WOW was I ever wrong. It was a great book, BTW.I like the cover for your new book. A brooding hunk. Have a great day.
I have to agree with SLS-Rainey. Covers that show pics that don’t match the characters are reeeaaaallly irritating!
Jill, I do like the sexy covers, but it does seem that it’s done a lot these days. I think what I like is a variety, and I especially like covers well-suited to their contents. I do like the fun as well as hot covers, and I love when they do give me a good feel for the kind of story inside. If it’s a cute cover, I’ll be expecting a lighter romp kind of story; if it’s darker and really sexy, I’ll be anticipating a more intense read. Oh, and definitely what SLS-Rainey said–I really prefer if the characters are shown on the cover that they actually match the descriptions used by the authors!
It doesn’t matter to me if the romance novels I read have gorgeous, sexy men on the cover. It’s a nice bonus when a cover does feature one. It just sucks if I think the cover model is cheesy, so I try not to picture him as I read the story.
The only time a sexy cover would have influence on my purchasing decision would be if I had a choice of a sexy cover or a bland cover for the same book title by the same author. I really don’t think a sexy cover has that much influence on my buying decision. Sure I like to look at sexy covers, but I’m more interested in the stuff between them. And for this reason I’m not interested in collecting cover flats, which authors often giveaway. I’m always disappointed when I received those because the best part of the book is missing!
I like subtle sexy covers that actually relate to the story. That way I can get an idea as to the setting of the story and still be able to drool at the same time.
wtg winners
love the hot covers