Cover Stories: Stalker Girl by Rosemary Graham

Rosemary Graham's Stalker Girl intrigued me instantly. I wouldn't quite use the "s" word about myself, but it wasn't far off at certain low points in my life, relationships-wise. Anyway, this isn't about me. It's about that compelling cover (and how you can win a copy of the book!).

Here's Rosemary:

"There were three versions of the cover prior to the final one. Or maybe I should call it the final final one because the very first cover I was presented with was deemed 'final' (right). I absolutely loved this first one from the moment I saw it even though it didn't actually make sense in terms the Stalker Girl plot. I loved how it suggested a New York skyline. I loved the knowing look in the girl's eye and a really loved her dress.

"Two months after this cover was presented to me as final, my editor wrote to say that sales and marketing people were having second thoughts. They felt that the girl looking right into the camera was wrong for the story, that there needed to be a sense of people being watched without knowing it.

They also felt strongly that there should be a couple in the camera lens because in the story the stalker is stalking her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend. I completely understood and accepted the reasons for the change. However, I was not happy with the new image (left).

"For one thing, I felt like the urban feel of the first was lost. That couple might have been walking along Fifth Avenue, in front of Central Park, but there was nothing to strongly indicate an urban setting. Also? As a friend of mine said, it was 'a bit hair swingy.' Also? The girl was wearing a bright pink shirt and since my second novel's hardback cover had been very, very pink, I was hoping to avoid pinkness and the whole chick lit question this time around...."

Read the rest of Rosemary's Cover Story, and enter for a chance to win the book, at melissacwalker.com.