I have been waiting on pins and needles for the cover to THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL and it’s here! It’s finally here!
Pretty cool, huh? On first glance, it doesn’t look as shiny as the BUTTERFLY SWORDS cover, but I kind of like the more classic painted look. It definitely looks more like a romance cover.
Now let the cover kibitz begin:
Tang Dynasty clothing – Suyin’s robe is stunning and I approve of her styling with the string of pearls and the off the shoulder look. The hanfu is also a lot prettier than the one from Butterfly Swords, so thumbs up there!
Li Tao’s jacket — Okay, minor point: I know it’s not Tang. The jacket is more Qing in style. Does anyone care? Actually…given that the cover of Butterfly Swords made it on to random Han clothing manufacturers’ blogs in China, people might care. But he’s not the star of the cover anyway.
Background – Does that background look familiar to you? I think it’s the same one used for the previous book, but it’s still very nice.
The headless warlord – Well, he does have a head. I’m actually glad they didn’t show Li Tao’s full face. It’s better to leave a little to the imagination. And Li Tao has grown so big in my head, it’s so hard to measure up. Plus then there’s the question of hair which can be tricky. I would have to object if they depicted him with a Qing-era queue…though I don’t think I actually get to object.
So half-face is a good compromise. 🙂
My favorite part – This is so silly, but I love the building on the back of the cover nestled among the cliffs. It looks just like pictures I’ve seen of parts of the Bamboo Sea in Sichuan. And now there are two books labeled Tang Dynasty. Tee hee. Tee hee hee…
Hero Hotness – The model is handsome enough, but if I had to judge from the bottom part of his face which of the Five Tigers he most resembles, I’d have to go for Kent rather than an Andy or a Michael. (Okay, I just lost about 80% of my audience there, didn’t I? Quick explanation: As a child of the 80s, these five actors were huge in the Hong Kong market so I pretty much cast them (young versions) as characters in my head. One of the tigers is my oft mentioned Tony Leung. Another is Andy Lau.) Kent is not my favorite tiger, but I really shouldn’t complain.
Okay, enough from the picky author. What do you think, really?
Jun 13, 2011 @ 13:28:15
I love the new cover! I wouldn’t have noticed the backgrounds were the same had you not pointed it out. The back cover is gorgeous. As much as I loved your first cover and the book, this cover screams romance! Yay! Thanks for posting. I can’t wait to read The Dragon and the Pearl!
Jun 13, 2011 @ 14:16:37
I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time too. I hope you like it! 🙂
Jun 13, 2011 @ 14:27:40
Gorgeous, Jeannie! Love it. Can’t wait until it’s sitting beside my copy of Butterfly Swords.
Jun 13, 2011 @ 14:28:15
This is awesome! =) It’s a lovely cover and she (the model) takes away from the fact that he’s wearing a different period jacket. But knowing now the fact that he’s a warlord kinda makes one wonder why they used that particular jacket.
But as with the first book the emphasis on the cover seemed to be the heroine so…. *shrugs* All in all, I like it! *grins* Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy! +)
Jun 13, 2011 @ 14:31:53
I like that they used same background. Cohesivenessier. *I stand by my made up word*
Jun 13, 2011 @ 15:08:34
The cover looks amazing..Huge congrats
Jun 13, 2011 @ 16:23:21
Zowie! It has to be one of the most beauriful covers I’ve ever seen.
Jun 14, 2011 @ 02:34:19
w00t, two hot East Asians on the cover! Too bad about the jacket, but ah well. Can’t wait to read it.
(Personally, I’ve always imagined Li Tao looking a lot like Russell Wong)
Jun 14, 2011 @ 05:59:19
Thank you everyone. I’m trying to dig up the address for the Harlequin art department so I can send them a thank you gift. I think this is deserving of a few chocolates.
Eve – I’m totally with you on the Russell Wong! I do love a strong jaw. 🙂
I can’t complain and the cover does look so pretty. Plus my CP pointed out that he has a scar on the left side of his face. Pretty cool! It’s the little things.
Jun 14, 2011 @ 12:03:51
Beautiful and uniquely attention grabbing cover, Jeannie. As for the anchronistic jacket, what dates are we talking about here. You know how men are, always hanging on to favorite pieces of clothing whether or not they are out of date, OTOH, he may just be a fashion forward kind of guy.
Jun 14, 2011 @ 12:26:20
Hi Barb!! Good point. I really love how unique the cover looks.
Now since we’re fellow historical authors, you totally get the clothing nitpick. Unfortunately, the hero have to be fashion forward and a time traveler as it’s about 500 years ahead of time.
I don’t think most people would notice or mind. The Qing dynasty is what people see in their heads when they think imperial China, but the Qing Dynasty forbade the old style of dress and made people change their hairstyles and wear the single queue. Clothing was so political. It’s just one of those historical things that bugs me since I know this, but not many others would notice.
Jun 14, 2011 @ 12:29:45
LOVE! Sorry I can’t be more coherent than that…its too pretty 🙂
Jun 14, 2011 @ 15:27:50
It’s beautiful, Jeannie! congrats!
Jun 15, 2011 @ 16:09:38
it is a gorgeous cover, Jeannie!!! Again.
Jun 16, 2011 @ 12:56:53
You are right: he is very handsome and the cover is beautiful! Congratulations and lots of success.
Jun 17, 2011 @ 15:29:39
BEAUTIFUL cover! I’m in love with it 🙂 Can’t wait to read this one!
Jun 18, 2011 @ 07:41:30
Beautiful, Jeannie! So excited. It definitely screams more romance than “Butterfly” did and I really like the girl’s overall appearance. The hanfu is much more rich-looking. Who cares what men are wearing, really? Especially in a romance. LOL And I have to agree, the same background lends cohesivity to your work. Ha, there’s my own made up word. ;D You’ve got some stunning covers. The art department has earned some chocolate.
Jun 19, 2011 @ 22:31:22
Dara & Victoria – Thanks! I’ve been very lucky and I think that hanfu has me wanting to once again go costume shopping. 🙂
Jun 20, 2011 @ 23:02:40
Hi Jeannie, Love this cover. I am looking forward to this book. when does it arrive on the shelves? I sometimes think Russell Wong is too pretty 🙂 I’m a big fan of David Chiang, Ti Lung,& Fu Sheng (so sad that he is no longer with us). Looking forward to seeing you at RWA. yay.
be well. ox
Stephanie
Jun 22, 2011 @ 09:05:47
Hi Stephanie! The Dragon and the Pearl should hit shelves end of September. The official date is Sept. 20. I’m so excited and hope we’ll get a chance to chat at RWA.
Jun 27, 2011 @ 16:11:58
It’s beautiful, Jeannie! Congratulations!
I can’t wait to read it. 🙂