Friday, March 9, 2012

Shelf Candy Saturday #10: Tempest Rising, by Tracy Deebs




This wonderful book meme/blog hop
is hosted by

Stephanie @


The purpose of this feature is to display
a beautiful book cover,
with information, if available,
about the cover illustrator,
photographer, and/or designer.

For all the participation rules,
just click



This week, I'm showing
some cover love to:




Hardcover, 344 pages
May 10, 2011
Genres: YA Paranormal Romance,
Urban Fantasy



I've lived near the ocean all my life.  I love going to the beach!  It's one of my favorite places to read, too.  Since I've never been a sun worshipper, I prefer to swim for a while (having slapped plenty of sun block all over myself; no need to get skin cancer),  get under a huge umbrella, and then let the murmuring surf soothe me as I get lost in a book...  So I was instantly attracted to this cover!  Of course, it has quite a bit of blue in it (although tinged with green), and that's always guaranteed to pull me right in! 

The dark aqua-toned ocean and sky frame the young mermaid so beautifully...  It looks as if there's been a break in the clouds, and the sunshine is spotlighting Tempest, the girl featured in this novel.

I've always loved mermaid stories, as well.  There's something about these beautiful creatures (and I'm including mermen) that's just so captivating...  Maybe it's the fact that the ocean depths are alluring at the same time they're mysterious and frightening.  These creatures, though, are right at home where we air-breathing humans are not.  We do envy their easy familiarity with an environment entirely foreign to us. 

Although I'm not a fan of tattoos, I have to admit that the one on Tempest's back is absolutely breathtaking!  It's intricately detailed, and reminds me of the lightning-fast flourishes made by some graffiti artists.  (Graffiti art, by the way, can be mind-blowing, if done by a skillful artist.) 

Tempest's hair is gorgeous, and so well-rendered.  It catches the light in a soft, yet sharply delineated manner, its highlights creating a wavy movement that mimics ocean waves. 

The scales, too, are very realistic, just as well done as the hair.  I especially like the shiny, slick touch of silver as the light moves over them.  It makes them look as if they're slightly wet. 

The font used for the title is just right for this cover, too.  It blends right in, without overpowering the rest of the cover. 

I have to say that I would have put the endorsement on the back cover.  That's my one little complaint with an otherwise stunningly beautiful dust jacket!




The combination photo/illustration
was created by
who has several beautiful covers
to her credit,
as you can see on her website.

The jacket design is by
who is the Art Director at
the parent company for Walker Books. 


So what do you think of this cover?  Does it make you want to run to the nearest bookstore to dive (literally) into this book?  Sure would love to know!
I also want to see what gorgeous covers you all have picked, so be sure to leave your blog links in your comments!





14 comments:

  1. I have to agree with you! I LOVE this cover, the tattoo thing on her back is gorgeous also. Great pick this week!

    You can check out my shelf candy Here.

    [:
    ShawnaLeAnn
    Dreaming In The Pages Enter My Giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, I can't believe I actually like a tattoo! Normally, I don't like them, and would never consider getting one for myself. But the one on her back is so eye-catching!

      I'm heading on over to your blog to check out your shelf candy and giveaway.

      Thank yo so much for the great comment! : )

      Delete
  2. Gorgeous pick! I lived by the ocean until I moved to the city a few years back and I adored it. I'm still hooked on any ocean-paranormal book. I love the cover for this, especially the tribal tattoo :)

    Here's my shelf candy :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've lived in Miami, Florida, most of my life. Before that, I lived in Havana, Cuba, and the ocean was pretty close to my house. Miami Beach is just a few minutes away now, and we can hop in the car and go at any time! I don't think I could ever get used to living far from the sea. Even if I'm not a great swimmer, and am very much afraid of the ocean depths, I still love the feel of the salty ocean breeze. the sound of the surf, and being in the water (but close to shore, lol).

      I'm going to make a point ot collecting as many mermaid books as I possibly can!

      Yes, that tattoo is just spectacular!

      I'm heading on over to see your shelf candy. Thanks for the wonderful comment! : )

      Delete
  3. Is it wrong that I am staring at the back end of this mermaid? Here's the thing, the scales are done so well that I am trying to get a closer look and see exactly where the scales end and the skin begins. This is one that I can't wait to see again in person so that I can see it better.
    I agree, her hair is great, perfect fonts, the entire package.
    I am not normally a fan of tattoos on covers, but on a mermaid? Well, I think this adds something kind of cool and edgy.
    Thank you so much for sharing it.
    -FABR Steph@FiveAlarmBookReviews

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, you're so funny!! Yes, the scales are done very well, aren't they? The hair and tattoo are so exquisitely rendered, too! All in all, a lovely cover! I have to get going on this book sometime this year.

      You're very welcome for the share, and thanks for your lovely comment! : )

      Delete
  4. well I don't really need to say anything about this cover because you have said it all! And I totally agree! LOL. It is a great choice this week. The tattoos and the scales - all shimmery- are so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for such a lovely comment! The whole cover is indeed a beautiful package! So glad you liked my pick! : )

      Delete
  5. That looks so good! Mermaid covers always turn out so pretty. Great pick!

    Here's my Shelf Candy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, they do!! All the mermaid books I've seen so far have FABULOUS covers!

      Thanks for the great comment! And I LOVE your Shelf Candy pick!! : )

      Delete
  6. This is one wonderful, wonderful cover. I didn't specially like the contents, and I think they've done a poor job with the cover for book two - but that's because of the story. See, her tattoo and scales were supposed to be pink, not blue as it happens with the cover for number two.

    Anyway, yes, the cover is gorgeous. Incredibly realistic. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm so glad you like it that much!! I haven't seen the cover for the second book yet. I'll have to look it up.

      So you don't like the plot of "Tempest Rising"? I'm going to check your blog to see if you've reviewed it. Gosh, that's disappointing news... but I still want to read the book.

      Well, I really appreciate your comment!! And you're very welcome for the share! : )

      Delete
  7. I couldn't agree more about the scales, absolutely beautiful! I actually love tattoos so that little detail is a plus for me as well. Would you believe I have never read a mermaid book?! Maybe I need to try one out!

    Jamie@A book club of one

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you liked this cover! Yes, the scales are lovely, aren't they? As I wrote in the post, I don't like tattoos, in real life, anyway. Somehow, though, it works on this mermaid's back! It's absolutely beautiful!

      So you've never read a mermaid book? Same here! Except for "The Little Mermaid", by Hans Christian Andersen, which is actually a story, I haven't really read any, either. So I think I'll start with this one!

      Thanks for the great comment!! : )

      Delete

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