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readergirlz is a literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize. The rgz blog serves as a depot for news and YA reviews from industry professionals and teens. As volunteers return full force to their own YA writing, the organization continues to hold one initiative a year to impact teen literacy. All are welcome to "like" us on Facebook!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Cover Stories: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

livingdeadgirl.jpg Elizabeth Scott is an awesome author who writes heartfelt stories about first love and friendships and parental relationships (I've adored Bloom and the upcoming Something, Maybe, and can't wait to read the rest of her canon, which includes Stealing Heaven, Perfect You, and the upcoming Love You, Hate You, Miss You). Living Dead Girl is unlike most of her other work in that it's the story of a girl who was kidnapped at a young age and faces horrific abuse. It's not a G-rated tale, and the cover represents the novel's ominous feeling very well.

So I had to ask Elizabeth: How did the cover come about? Here she is:

"My editor at Simon Pulse always talks to me about the cover--the kind of look they're going for--and usually I see samples that they're thinking about using, which come from stock photos, or pictures that have already been taken. For LIVING DEAD GIRL, though, Simon Pulse had a photographer, Russell Gordon, take the pictures.

"The very first cover was just a dress, and I liked it, but worried that it wasn't going to be eye-catching enough. With so many books out there, it's really important to have a cover that pops visually and that will grab a potential readers' attention.

"The final cover was shot in Central Park, I believe (I know it was a park in Manhattan!) and Russell very patiently took about a million shots of different dresses on fall leaves. Oddly enough, the picture that ended up being chosen was one where Russell's leg had accidentally gotten into the shot, but as soon as I saw it, I *knew* it was the right one--it conveyed a sense of menace that the shots of just a dress didn't, and really did a great job of showing what the book is about--and all without words!"

Thanks, Elizabeth! I agree. You guys?

PS-For a chance to win a book by Elizabeth, visit my blog and enter by Monday 12/29!


7 comments:

Lorie Ann Grover said...

Living Dead Girl was AMAZING!

I love Russell Gordon's cover which included his leg with the dress.

He also did my three novels: Loose Threads, On Pointe, and Hold Me Tight!

Melissa Walker said...

Oh, how cool that he did your covers too, LA!

Reyna Meinhardt said...

Living Dead Girl sounds so amazing!!! And the cover is so beautiful. I love it! It is for sure eye catching! And its so neat how the photographers leg got in their by accident! Thanks for the enat cover story!

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