At RWA, I have a lot of silly conversations in the bar. What follows is the result of one of those silly bar conversations.
It’s been awhile since we’ve done a Photoshop contest, but IT IS TIME. First, some backstory:
Both of the RITA® Reader Challenge reviews for Lauren Willig’s Mischief of the Mistletoe referenced that the hero, one Turnip Fitzhugh, didn’t get a sex scene!
Emily wrote, “I love Willig’s light-hearted style. That being said her books work better for me when they are darker. Missing is the steamy sex from the first three Pink books. She writes loves scenes that work for me, so I wish she would go back to the R rated ones.”
And Abby wrote in her review: “I love that moment when my beloved protagonists finally get to consummate their feelings, and in this novel, I was absolutely dying for it. I wanted it to be awkward and sweet and real, and then it just… wasn’t. So that’s it. That’s why it gets a B+ from me instead of an A. Judge me all you want, but I think the Turnip Fitzhughs of the world deserve their moment in the sexytimes sun just as much as those brooding mysterious types!”
I mentioned this to Lauren Willig when I ran into her in the bar at RWA this year, and she laughed about it, especially since both reviewers reached that same “Poor Turnip!” reaction. I asked her if she’d be willing to write the Missing Turnip Sexytimes if the Bitchery readership could came up with an appropriate cover art for the scene. She said she’d totally do it.
Then, a few days later, Mischief of the Mistletoe won the RITA® for Best Historical Romance! Way to go Lauren!
SO IT IS PHOTOSHOP TIME, Y’ALL. Not just any Photoshop, either: HOT TURNIP COVER ART time!
Your challenge: Create a cover for the Missing Turnip Sexytimes scene. You can title it whatever you’d like, but the title is part of the contest. Turnip’s Missing Chapter. Teatime for Turnip. Whatever.
Your job is to design the cover and title for the missing scene, and submit to me by noon EDT Friday 15 July 2011.
A few notes:
– PLEASE DO NOT STEAL ANY ART. Anyone caught lifting paintings from the Prado or Right-click-save-as-ing graphics without permission will be spanked royally! Please ask before you use someone’s art.
– Please make the file size one static image of 300 pixels wide by 450 pixels tall.
– I will post the entries on Friday afternoon, and voting will begin and run through the weekend. Winner will be announced Monday.
– If your cover is selected as the winner, you’ll win a copy of Mischief of the Mistletoe, and a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice.
But the best part is what we’ll all win: if we receive good covers Photoshopped for our amusement and pleasure, Lauren Willig has promised to write the missing chapter for Turnip. As she says, “Definitely a fitting way to celebrate Turnip winning the RITA®—he’s earned that night (or day, or afternoon) of passion!”
Standard disclaimers apply: I’m not being compensated for this contest. Void where prohibited. Turnips are indeed sexy and look marvelous wearing boots. Measure twice; cut once.
Fire up your graphics software, and bring on the Turnip Bookcovers! After all, as Abby said, “the Turnip Fitzhughs of the world deserve their moment in the sexytimes sun.” Bring it on!
I am reading the first Pink Carnation book and I did not even realize there was steamy sex on the way. YESSS!!!!
I have not yet met Mr. Fitzhugh, but this sounds like it will be a lot of fun.
I’ve been requesting all the interesting RITA winners and nominees from the blog posts here and “Mischief of the Mistletoe” is right here on my TBR pile for the next week, perfect! Looking at her in that overheated velvet cloak and fur muff at this very moment in 80 degree heat in the shade! If I do another cover, it will be a beachware edition for the summer book release…
I got some strange looks at the library for requesting a holiday book!
I didn’t know this was part of a trilogy, should I read the other books first or do they stand alone okay?
I’m COMPLETELY excited about this. I love ALL her books, my favorite being The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, but I also REALLY liked this one too. Not being particularly photoshop talented I hope you guys create some AWESOME covers so we get the missing scene!!!
Tee – I think you can read the recent RWA winner without any problems. However, you should totally check out the rest of the books in order. Now, I’ve ONLY read them in order, so I think they would make more sense that way. Here’s the link to Willig’s website to the book order. Have fun!
http://laurenwillig.com/diversions/bookorder.html
Unfortunately I have NO talent with photoshop or the like. Furthermore, I’m only just finishing the first book in this series (I’m always slow to catch on). But I look forward to everyone’s entries!
I have no photoshopping abilities, but I have THE greatest title idea. I’m going to sit on it, though.
I love, love, loved the first eight (I think) Pink Carnation series books. I read them in ordre this winter. Lauren Willig is just wonderful with writing dialog and creating humorous situations.
Excuse me while I go jump around the room in circles and squee like a fangirl!!!!!!
I am so excited for the FABULOUS photoshop covers (The Bitchery always impresses me with their mad skillz) AND for Turnip! YAY TURNIP!
Sarah, you have officially made my summer.
Well, there went a couple hours of productivity.
I will not be winning this contest.
BUT I had a good time with my trusty dusty MS Paint making the one I will submit for real and the one below, which I can’t think of a clever title for (it is ALL about the title) so I donate it to you, gentle readers, in case someone has a clever title but no backdrop for it.
(all images from free stock image site)
<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jT3vDrgvb_U/Thyofj6St8I/AAAAAAAAEZQ/JfJuGUcgwCk/s1600/lighthouset.png" >
If that bit of code didn’t work, you can take it from here.
Oh html. I thought you were my friend.
Sorry ya’ll.
What a fun contest! Here’s my entry for Turnip’s missing chapter
Photo of the lady is a royalty free image provided by The Graphics Fairy.
Excited!!
Here’s my contribution. I took the photo myself, so I have the rights to it. 🙂
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/writeratheart/TurnipCover.jpg
Soooooo… I’m not very tech savy and my computer only has paint, so the best I could manage was putting titles on paintings I liked. If I could I would get all fancy with the usual ribbon/lace border and flower emblem that the rest of the books have, but oh well 🙂
http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa456/kbatesel/?action=view¤t=turnipjam.png
http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa456/kbatesel/?action=view¤t=turnip.jpg
I think we’ve managed to unearth some raw talent here, rooted in a genuine taste for tuberlicious heroes.
Thanks for the post. What do you all think of the future of blogging? I have been reading a lot about google’s attempt to gain preferential treatment for its site from internet providers. This will result in their sites being faster than sites owned by in.
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