Hi, YABCers!
Today we’re super excited to celebrate the cover reveal for ROSEBLOOD by A.G. Howard, releasing January 10, 2017 from Abrams. Before we get to the cover, here’s a note from A.G.:
Hi, YABC! Thanks so much for having me over to reveal the cover for ROSEBLOOD! I’m very excited about this cover because we were able to snag the same incredible artist, Nathalia Suellen—creator of the magical Splintered Series covers—for my forage into the world of all things Phantom.
ROSEBLOOD’s cover had an interesting journey. You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child? The same could be said about the making of a book cover, if the village is really tiny and inhabited by a publishing house’s marketing team, the in-house cover designer, the freelance artist hired to do the artwork, the editor, the agent, and the author.
Having so many villagers involved is both a blessing and a curse, because each one has their own ideas of what’s best for the story, for sales, for branding, etc… which sometimes results in more than one cover mockup being drafted over several months of back and forth between the villagers. In the end, what it ultimately comes down to: so much more has to be considered than just something that captures the theme and is aesthetically pleasing.
At first, I had my heart set on a panoramic view of my heroine, Rune, singing in front of the stage. There’s a scene in the book when she first embraces her voice without pain that is so powerful, it gives the reader that feeling of being swept away upon swells of living music. That’s what I had hoped to capture. So Nathalia worked up an amazing, evocative, and dark rendition of said scene, and I fell in love.
However, the panoramic view was harder to spot from a distance . . . not as eye-catching. And eye-catching is one of the first rules of a good cover. Also, it was a busier cover, which can be distracting, especially in thumbnail images. And, were weinstead to go with a close-up image, similar in ways to the Splintered books, readers would automatically know it was written by the same author, just from one quick glance.
So, the panoramic was pushed aside, and the close-up took center stage for marketing reasons.
Once I saw the completed close-up, I was 100% on board, because it was just as haunting and beautiful as the panoramic. It encompassed the glamour of the operatic scene, and the romance of the original Phantom intertwined with the horror that’s synonymous with his name, yet at the same time looked like an A.G. Howard book.
And just like the Splintered covers, this artwork is rich with symbolism: the cracked mask, the shattered shards of mirror, the black winding vines and bloody thorns, the blue mist in the background. Even Rune’s eyes hold secrets that will be revealed in the story.
So, what I got out of this experience?
Two amazing pieces of art. Because although the cover you’re seeing today is the perfect *official* cover for my Phantom spinoff for all the reasons stated above, I didn’t want to say goodbye to that first mockup. So I bought the image from the artist, and will be using it for posters and postcards in giveaways over the next few months, along with the official ROSEBLOOD cover art. This way, you all get to share in the journey and have a visual of that pivotal scene from the book.
However, I’m saving the panoramic reveal for another day, because today is all about Rune’s close-up. Hope you love her cover as much as I do!
~AG Howard (ROSEBLOOD, Amulet)
Ready to see?
Scroll, YABCers! Scroll!
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Here it is!
*** If you choose to share this image elsewhere, please include a courtesy link back to this page so others can enter A.G.‘s giveaway. Thank you! ***
ROSEBLOOD
This YA novel from New York Times bestselling author A. G. Howard marks the beginning of a new era for fans of the Splintered series. Rune Germaine moves to a boarding school outside of Paris, only to discover that at this opera-house-turned-music-
Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.
Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.
A. G. Howard brings the romantic storytelling that Splintered fans adore to France—and an entirely new world filled with lavish romance and intrigue—in a retelling inspired by a story that has captivated generations. Fans of both The Phantom of the Opera musical and novel, as well as YA retellings such as Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, will devour RoseBlood.
About the Author
A. G. Howardis the author of theNew York Timesbestselling Splintered series and is a huge fan of the classic Broadway musicalThe Phantom of the Opera. As a writer, A. G. is most at home weaving all things magical into everyday settings and scenes. When she is not writing, A. G. enjoys rollerblading, gardening, and visiting 18th century graveyards or abandoned buildings to appease her muse’s darker side. You can find her online at @AGHowardWrites or at AGHoward.com.
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Giveaway Details
One winner will receive an ARC of ROSEBLOOD and a signed poster of the cover when available.
Entering is simple, just fill out the entry form below. Winners will be announced on this site and in our monthly newsletter (sign up now!) within 30 days after the giveaway ends.
During each giveaway, we ask entrants a question pertaining to the book. Here is the question they’ll be answering in the comments below for extra entries:
What do you think about the cover and synopsis?
Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway:
This cover is gorgeous!! Nathalia does such amazing artwork.
I can’t wait to read this new book!!
Thanks for the opportunity!
I’m so excited for this book you have no idea
I love your covers Anita!
I love it! A.G. has like the most amazing covers! They are so pretty and amazing!
I’m so excited for Rose Blood. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, I love it!
I am beyond excited for this book both because I loved the Splintered trilogy and because that cover is amazing!
That cover is GORGEOUS! I like how it’s the same style as the Splintered series–those covers are what drew me to the series in the first place. I can’t wait to find out the significance of everything when we can finally read the book!!
Love it!! Another fantastic cover for Howard’s incredible stories!
Cannot bloody wait to read this book. Get it in my hands and OWN IT FOREVER!!! Seriously. This cover is phenomenal!
I am in love with this book cover! It is so beautiful – just like the Splintered series’ covers! I can’t wait to read this and since it is a day after my 17th birthday I hope to purchase and read it as a gift!!! It will definitely be the best gift ever 😉
In love with the cover.
I love splintered series and can’t wait to read this one 🙂
This cover is so gorgeous!!! I loved Splintered & I love Phantom of the Opera and I just cannot wait to read this!! A.G. Howard is so brilliant! love her!
I love the cover, can’t wait to see the twist of phantom of the opera. Love boarding school stories
OMG OMG OMG!!!! Im so excited for this!!! Anita is my favorite author ever! This cover is amazing!!! I’d just die if I won an ARC!!
I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK! Seriously trying not to cry over how beautiful it is!
Gorgeous cover and the story sounds captivating. Can’t wait for this one!
I can’t wait to read this. It sounds really good and I love her Splintered series.
Wow, great cover!
I think the cover is haunting, her sad eyes and the backlight glowing on her hair is gorgeous. I also love the dark mood to the cover. But the branches should’ve been a tad lower and behind the title so they wouldn’t be obscuring her neck so much, making the cover look crowded and her short.
I love the idea of the book, obviously, but the synopsis was a little confusing. In the third paragraph I wasn’t sure when the author was talking about the boy, Thorn, and the phantom or if Thorn IS the phantom, and where this father figure relationship came from. There needs a smoother transition and distinction in the introductions for that third paragraph.
I’m a huge fan of the Splintered series and I know with such a creative author, Roseblood is going to be amazing!
I love the cover! I’m glad that it resembles the Splintered covers, although I’m sure the other cover was gorgeous, too. But this version will look better on my shelf next to the Splintered books. I’ve never been a huge fan of [i]Phantom[/i], but I’m hoping Roseblood will help convince me to give it another chance. I know this book will be fantastic regardless!
I love the cover!! Im a huge fan of Alice (which led me to the Splintered series) and I am also a huge PotO fan!!! EXCITED!
It’s so beautiful!!!
Thanks for the giveaway! I love the Splintered series and I can’t wait to start a new adventure. A Phantom spin off sounds awesome. 🙂
Such a beautiful cover! I really can’t wait to read this book.
I LOVE A.G. books! Her Splintered series is amazing and I can’t wait to see what she does with Phantom of the Opera!
OMG, I can’t wait for this book! It needs to come out immediately! I’ve always been obsessed with all things Phantom of the Opera related (and even saw Love Never Dies against my friend’s better advice not to). But THIS I can totally get behind. The idea pulled me in (which I accidentally stumbled on AG Howard’s twitter only a few days ago), her Pinterest Board made me obsessed, and the cover made me fall in love. I am not totally sure about the fact that it is in so similar to the Splintered books (It gave me pause), but it definitely is beautiful! And the synopsis! It gives me grabby hands and I know I will just love this book!
I am so excited for this book! The cover is amazing! Just wish we didn’t have to wait till January! 🙁
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! I am so in love with this cover!!!!!! I cab’t wait to read it. I loved the Splintered series an just know this one will be just as good!!!!
I love the cover and cannot wait to read this book!!! I am a huge fan of Anita’s and this book sounds so amazing! 😉
Honestly, I’ve never seen or been interested in the Phantom of the Opera, but this seems super cool!! Excited to see the next book from A.G., and the cover looks just as gorgeous as the Splintered series
I’m BEYOND excited for Roseblood! The cover is gorgeous – it has all the wonderful aspects that drew me to the Splintered trilogy, coupled with a very distinct Phantom of the Opera feel. It’s creepy and haunting and gorgeous! I loved Anita’s take on Alice in Wonderland SO MUCH and I know her version of Phantom is going to be just as wonderful!
Thank you for the giveaway! Fingers are crossed!!!
It’s so haunting and beautiful. The synopsis sounds intriguing. Can’t wait to read it!
O-M-G This cover is absolutely amazing!! The dark colours make a great and beautiful contrast with the red roses and the lips. I’ looking forward to read this book ’cause the plot is brilliant and I’m sure A.G.Howard wrote an incredible book, with deeply “human” and well described characters as always!!
I’m so excited about this book! I love the [i]Phantom[/i] story and I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the story this time. The synopsis sounds great! I hope Roseblood is as captivating as the Splintered series. I loved the spin on the Alice in Wonderland storyline previously- it was so good! I have high hopes for Roseblood. And once again the cover is absolutely beautiful! I can’t believe I have to wait until next January :(.
I love A.G. Howard so much and I will read ANYTHING she writes! I also love The Phantom of the Opera so I think this will be a huge win. I cannot wait to read it!
I love the cover of Roseblood ♡ And the book sounds great! I would love to read this book. Thank you
I’m so excited for RoseBlood!!! The cover is so beautiful!!! I’m such a fan of the Splintered series and I can’t wait to read this one!
The cover is so beautiful and haunting! Yes, I am so excited to read this!
I would expect nothing less from one of A.G Howard’s books! It is almost as incredible as her amazing writing!