Blog Tour: Jill S. Alexander Cover Interview and Giveaway!

I'm excited to welcome the fantastic Jill S. Alexander to my blog today! She is here as part of her blog tour, this time to discuss her covers!

1. The cover of your debut (The Sweetheart of Prosper County) and your sophomore novel (Paradise) are quite a bit different. Did the same designer work on them? And did you have any input on them before they were finalized?

This is such a great question, and one I’ve never been asked. Like most authors, I have little or no input on covers. The art director is Rich Deas, and he’s amazing. On both covers, I received an email of the cover image and responded with my thoughts – even though the decision had already been made. I loved the Sweetheart covers (both hardback and paperback). However the first image sent to me for Paradise caused some concern. I can’t share the image, but the girl and boy were much older. I did not feel they reflected the characters in the book. My agent and I expressed our concerns, and my fantastic editor and Rich, the art director, came up with the cover you see today.

2. Were cover models used for Paradise’s cover or was a stock image selected? Do you think the cover suits the book?

The PARADISE cover is a stock image. I do think it suits the book. It’s very swoon-y, and the girl is Paisley perfect. I also love that it captures a moment of hesitation.

3. The Sweetheart of Prosper County’s cover changed quite a bit from hardcover to paperback. What made your publisher decide to do that? And which version do you like better? Do you think one appeals to teen readers?

SWEETHEART’s hardback cover (the rooster) is fun and whimsical but is more of an intellectual cover – it requires some interpretation. The paperback with the girl rockin’ the hat is less interpretive. You can look at that image and know that it’s a story about a small town girl. The more straightforward cover is probably better for impulse buying at a bookstore. I’m sure that factored into the publisher’s decision to make a change. At school visits, teen readers tell me they prefer the paperback cover with the girl on it. Which do you prefer?

4. If you could have any other image on your cover then the couple currently being used, what would you choose?

One of the things I adore about my publisher, Feiwel & Friends, is that they believe in attention to design detail – both inside and out. When folks buy the hardback, they will find beautiful images on the inside – one of which is a girl with drumsticks in her back pocket. I’d probably put that on the cover if we weren’t going with the kissy couple.

5. You are lucky to have two fantastic covers that really stand out. What are some of your favorite covers?

Thanks so much. I do feel really blessed with fantastic covers. However, there are really some terrific covers in YA fiction. I LOVE the cover for Sara Zarr’s newest novel HOW TO SAVE A LIFE. (Anxious to read that one!). And I have to say; Andrew Smith’s novel STICK, which comes out this fall with my same publisher, has a powerful cover that captures the strength of the novel. Those two covers really stand out to me.

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

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Review: Paradise by Jill S. Alexander

Paradise by Jill S. Alexander

Paisley Tillery is the drummer for a country rock band. If they can make it to the stage at the Texapalooza music fest, then Paisley will be closer to her dream of a career in music and a ticket out of her small Texas town.

Drumming and music are what Paisley has always wanted. Until the band gets a new lead singer, the boy from Paradise, Texas. With Paradise in her life, what Paisley wants, and what she needs, complicate her dreams coming true.

Review:

I was completely taken by Jill S. Alexander's sophomore novel. With likable characters, a charming setting, and an inspiring plot I was soon caught up in Paisley's story. All Paisley has ever wanted to do was live her dream- play the drums. And by being the drummer of the Waylon Slider Band, which is well on its way to being in the Texapalooza, she will be that much closer to escaping her little town. Until Paradise shows up, with his sexy hat, sweet singing voice, and charming smile, Paisley suddenly isn’t sure drumming is the only thing she wants. Paradise was a novel filled with so much heart. It will inspire readers to want to live their dream and have them rooting for Paisley and the rest until the last page.

Paisley was a feisty main character, but she had heart. I didn’t really know anything about drumming and this is the first novel I’ve read that focused on the drummer (and female, at that!) of a small rock band. I enjoyed getting to know the different members of the band- they each had something unique about them. Levi, Cal, and Waylon were a great group of guys and together with Paisley and Paradise they were going to get to Austin to play on the big stage at the Texapalooza. Their ride wasn’t all smooth sailing though and the band faced a lot of ups and downs as a group and separately as well.

Family is such an important aspect often overlooked in YA novels and I loved getting to know Paisley’s parents and her sister, Lacey. Over the course of the story Paisley hid a lot from her mother, but learned that sometimes honesty is the best course to take. Her family members were each very developed and I was rooting for the Anderson’s from the start.

After almost every chapter was a song written by Cal and it expanded on his character so much, since he didn’t say much during the actual story. The lyrics were beautiful and heartbreaking and inspiring all at once. The setting of this story was a character in itself and I liked getting to see the different sights through Paisley’s eyes. Paradise- wow, what a guy. He was cool and collected and knew where he was headed, but at the same time had so much more to him than met the eye. I really liked the scenes with him and Paisley and watching their relationship develop.

The ending was definitely surprising and tugged my heartstrings. I may have even shed a few tears! Jill S. Alexander completely emerged me in the story of everyone in Paradise and by the end I felt like I knew them all personally. This was a fantastic, contemporary read that I hope won’t be overlooked. Definitely check this out! I can’t wait to read Jill’s debut, The Sweetheart of Prosper County, and to see what other sweet, Texas tales she writes next.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

July 5, 2011/Feiwel & Friends/256 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Author (ARC)

Other books by this author: The Sweetheart of Prosper County