February 06, 2013

Triple Threat Blog Tour - Interview/Giveaway


Welcome to Stop #12 on the Triple Threat Blog Tour featuring Myra McEntire, Kate Ellison and Jennifer Lynn Barnes! Today we welcome Torborg Davern, cover designer for Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for a great giveaway I am hosting and for details on the Triple Threat Blog Tour grand prize giveaway!

Meet Torborg Davern, cover designer for Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison

Q: When first beginning your design process, do you read the manuscript for inspiration?

A: If there is one available, I always read the manuscript. I make notes about recurring themes, important symbols, character descriptions, and repeated words or phrases. As I read, I also sketch quick cover thumbnails when ideas pop up. Jotting down concepts on paper helps me focus my thoughts and eliminate the initial "knee jerk" ideas. Then I’m more open to unique cover designs.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for the Notes from Ghost Town cover?

A: Throughout, there is a recurring theme of color blindness, and Olivia feels lost while trying to learn the truth of a friend’s murder. When she (spoiler alert) discovers the truth, her vision is restored and she is at peace with herself. I felt that the cover would work best with a monotone color scheme to illustrate the literal color blindness, but also to represent the mystery and dark subject matter throughout the story.

Q: When designing your covers, where do you get your inspiration from?

A: I look everywhere for inspiration. I love visiting art museums, libraries, and old bookshops. I read a lot— and not just manuscripts—for work. I read books for pleasure (right now I am reading a biography of Van Gogh), newspapers, fashion and art magazines, and creative blogs. My garden also provides a calm escape and inspiration for me. When I’m burnt out working on a project, I step away from the computer and into my garden to refresh my brain.


Bio:

Torborg Davern is a full-time freelance book designer. She graduated from Pratt Institute with a degree in communication design. She worked for two years at AFG, an advertising agency, designing campaigns and creating sales pitches for new clients. In 2008 she joined the design team at HarperCollins Children’s Books. Torborg moved south in 2010 to the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina, where she works from her sunny home office filled with plants. Visit her online at torborgdavern.com.

The Outtakes:


This was our original cover design. The editor and I loved the stillness and mystery of this image. Unfortunately, the photographer would not license the image for the final cover and we had to start over.




We created a revised cover design that was inspired by the original look. We wanted to mirror the stillness of the first image, use a model that looked more like Olivia, and play up the water element. However, the end result was too similar to the original cover. Also, we discovered that several books from other publishers were coming out right before Notes from Ghost Town using the same “reflection” approach for their design.

******Please visit I Read Banned Books http://www.jenbigheart.com/ tomorrow for the next stop on The Triple Threat Blog Tour********



The Triple Threat Blog Tour is also offering a COVER REVEAL GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY.  The cover reveal is of Myra McEntire's last book in the Hourglass Trilogy due out this July – Infinityglass.  To celebrate the Big Reveal each stop on the blog tour will have a “piece” of the cover.


* There are a total of 15 pieces to the puzzle - one for each stop on the tour.

* Collect all 15 pieces to reveal the cover of Infinityglass by Myra McEntire (pubbing in July)

* Submit the assembled cover via this LINK by no later than 2/12 at 10pm ET. You will be entered to win the 6 book Grand Prize Giveaway of: Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Nobody and Every Other Day, Kate Ellison's Butterfly Clues and Notes from Ghost Town and Myra McEntire's Hourglass and Timepiece.

* The puzzle can either be assembled electronically or a picture of the assembled printed pieces is also acceptable

* The winner and completed cover will be posted on Myra McEntire's blog www.myramcentire.com on 2/13.





In addition to this awesome giveaway, we're also giving away a HARDCOPY of Notes From Ghost Town & a paperback edition Butterfly Clues. This giveaway is open US & CANADA only. To enter follow the Rafflecopter below. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

8 comments:

  1. This was such a cool post!! I loved getting the details on the covers. They all would have been fabulous :)

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  2. This was one of the very best reviews that I have ever read. All of the details are great.

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  3. Sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Im pretty excited to read Notes from Ghost Town. Thanks for the awesome giveaway :)

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  5. Both covers are nice but I think I like the one with the blonde girl best. The story sounds interesting too.

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  6. EEK! I've seen this cover around so much, and it's so interesting to see an artist's thoughts on it.

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