Just a quick blog today to announce that LADY MACBETH will be out in a trade edition soon, with a new cover! The trade paperback will be released from Three Rivers Press in April -- new format, great new price and a great new design. It's always exciting to finally see the cover design for a book -- and here it is ...
The background is a pattern of Celtic knots in a bronze tone on black, and the cover will have a matte and gloss effect. The bronze brooch is a 7th century Irish example in the British Museum -- a particularly interesting and dangerous brooch that reflects, in the intricate artistry of its details and the subtle threat of that long point, the hardships and stark beauty of the Celtic age in Scotland. I think it's a striking cover, and I'm very excited to be able to share it with you all first -- it's not even up on my website yet, but will be soon!
Also featured in the trade edition of LADY M -- two teaser chapters from my next hardcover from Crown, QUEEN HEREAFTER: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland.
"If you think you know Lady M, think again." -- Entertainment Weekly
If you were thinking of reading Lady M, but haven't had the chance -- or didn't want to spring for the hardcover price (honestly, I've been there myself!) -- the trade edition is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other sites for pre-ordering. (There's a handy link in our right-hand column if you'd like to check it out further!)
What do you all think -- would this cover catch your eye on the bookstore tables? It's a bit different, and while that's a quality that publishers always hope for to some extent, different can be cool, yet sometimes it's a tricky line to tread.
What cover looks do you like in non-romance historical fiction lately? Would you snap this book up for a closer look, even if you didn't know the author through Word Wenches? Either way, I hope you'll put LADY M in trade on your list of books to look for!
Susan Sarah
Having seen how the matte and gloss contrast looks in real time (a jpeg doesn't do it justice), I can attest how striking it is, and I'm a sucker for dangerous jewelry on book covers. :)
Of course, I've also read the book already and know it's fabulous, so my opinion doesn't count for much. :) I'm looking forward to reading the excerpt from QUEEN HEREAFTER, though!
Mary Jo
Posted by: Mary Jo Putney | Monday, February 23, 2009 at 07:59 AM
Wow! Gorgeous! I hope it sells a ton more!
Posted by: Maggie Robinson | Monday, February 23, 2009 at 09:38 AM
That is an absolutely gorgeous cover. I love it. Forget about the display table — it would probably grab me from across the store.
Posted by: Jane O | Monday, February 23, 2009 at 09:55 AM
Susan Sarah, I think it's a beautiful cover. The Celtic knot background is lovely and the brooch is just stunning.
It would certainly lure me to it from the other side of a bookstore...
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Monday, February 23, 2009 at 12:20 PM
I love the cover, but just the title Lady Macbeth would hook me--even if I had never heard of the book before.
Posted by: Janga | Monday, February 23, 2009 at 07:06 PM
It is strikingly beautiful, Susan Sarah. I would buy this book based on the cover art alone, which wouldn't be the first time that has happened.*g*
Posted by: Alison | Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 03:12 PM
The cover is both beautiful and appropriate (an all-too-rare occurrence) and should appeal to a broad cross-section of readers -- I hope it sells like hotcakes.
Posted by: Susan/DC | Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Always a day late (or in this case, several) but I LOVE that cover!! It makes me want to touch it. Does that make sense?
Gorgeous.
Posted by: theo | Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 02:12 PM