Monday, March 12, 2012

Guest Blog and Giveaway with J.A. Kazimer

Never Let Them See You Sweat: Hot Chicks in Leather
By J.A. Kazimer

According to The Wall Street Journal, “On the average, a book store browser spends eight seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds looking at the back cover.” What does that mean for an author? Well, chances are if you are an urban fantasy or paranormal romance writer, your book cover will feature a chick dressed in black leather, even if your story takes place in the middle of the desert.

Don’t get me wrong. Like any girl, I love tight black leather and heels. I often spend my nights dressed in the form fitting stuff and carrying extremely heavy weapons halfway tucked in my pants. What girl doesn’t?
Yet I wonder if these dark, sexy covers are doing more harm than good for authors and readers alike. As a reader have you ever hid the cover of the book you were currently enjoying? Ever felt ashamed of a book because of the hot chick in leather on the cover or the muscle bound hunk smeared in oil (baby not olive, I assume)? Or have you ever picked up a book strictly because of the hot chick on the cover? Did the tale live up to the artwork?

Authors complain a lot about their covers, from little things like my main character has red hair and the woman on the cover is a blonde to a publisher actually changing the race of the character on a cover. But what do readers really think about cover art? Do hot chicks in leather sell books?


CURSES! A F***ed-Up FairyTale
Definitely not for baby’s bedtime reading, this hilarious and irreverent take on classic fairytales—think Shrek for grownups—combines humor, mystery, and characters only a fairy godmother could love…

When Cinderella is run over by a New Never City bus, her not-so-ugly stepsister, Asia,suspects murder. So she hires RJ, a private eye, to investigate. Little does she know RJ is actually a villain on mental health leave from the Villain’s Union. Cursed with an inability to say no to damsels in distress, RJ travels to the Kingdom of Maldetto, meets the rest of Cinderella’s family—including her fiancé, the flamboyant Prince Charming, Cinderella’s crazy stepmother, and a seriously twisted version of Hansel and Gretel—and dodges bullets, explosions, fires, and his own ex-wife to slip his own version of glass handcuffs on the wrists that fit. All while falling for Asia, who has a curse of her own to deal with…
Fabulous, frolicsome, and delightfully F***ed-Up, Kazimer's debut is a thoroughly fun read. - Nicole Peeler, author of the True Jane Series.
Forget everything you know about Cinderella and her sisters. J.A. Kazimer sets the record straight with wit, humor and a hell of an imagination! - Jeanne C. Stein, National Bestselling Author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles
“More than f*cked up. Demented. Hilarious. Kazimer is going to warp a lot of minds and they’re going to thank her.”  - Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf Smackdown


j.a. kazimer is a writer living in Denver, CO. With a master’s degree in forensic psychology, j.a. has worked as a private investigator, bartender, and at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Books include The Junkie Tales (2010), The Body Dwellers (2011), CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale (2012), and Holy Socks & Dirtier Demons (2012). The next book in the F***ed Up Fairy Tale series, FROGGY-STYLE, is forthcoming from Kensington in 2013.

Want to win a print copy of Curses?

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15 comments:

Carl Scott said...

Now that's one f*ed up synopsis. Please enter my name to win this hot mess.
carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx

Texas Book Lover said...

This sounds like a fantastic read...and just what I need to put some laughter in my day.

Mmafsmith at gmail dot com

Debby said...

I love the title, Sounds like a great book for me.
debby236 at gmail dot com

Lexi said...

Whew, I just got my leather pants and 5 inche heels off for the night. Nope not telling how they came off either =) hehee
But leathal weapons aside, I agree with the cover issue. So many of them are starting to look the same (yeah yeah, I will stop posing for so many of them. =) ).
And it bothers me if the character on the cover has the wrong hair color or things of that nature. Though I think I break the mold with the 8 seconds, I love pouring over the front covers and finding all the details. Whoever has the job of making the covers I envy them. Some covers are just beautiful!
Anyway, love the sound of Curses, adult humor with a fairy tale. What a great combo!

eyesofblueice (at) gmail (dot) com

donnas said...

Sounds fun. Thanks for sharing!

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Krystal Larson said...

Sounds like a book I would enjoy, thank you for the giveaway! edysicecreamlover18@gmailDOTcom

Gena Robertson said...

This sounds like one F**kin' great read!! It's going straight to the top of my wishlist :D

Thanks for the chance to win!

Gena Robertson
robertsongena@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

LOL This looks so awesome! :D adriana@adrianaryan.com

bn100 said...

This sounds like an intriguing and fun read. Thanks for the giveaway.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Sharon Stogner said...

how could someone not want to read a book with this title? love the cover art too. thanks for the chance :) sstogner1 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

This sounds very good. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Jen B. said...

I love the twists on the classic Fairy Tales. And your cover is eye catching.... As far as covers go, I have two different methods. For ebooks, I quickly scroll through recommendations and depend on the cover to let me know if I should dig further. If I am in a bookstore, I depend on shelving methods, author name, and the blurb on the back. Honestly, I will pick up a paper book I would never look at online. All that said, I have picked up random books both online and in stores (or the library) because the cover is so stunning (for example, Kushiel's Dart) and found a new author that I love. The final word, covers count!
jepebATverizonDOTnet

In Julie's Opinion said...

This book sounds hilariously funny!! I'd love the chance to win a copy, and I've already put it on my TBR list! Thanks for bringing it to my attention and also for the awesome giveaway:)

jwitt33 at live dot com

angie lilly said...

This sounds so fun and very creative/unique! Would love to read it! Thanks for the chance to win it!
Angie
14earth at gmail dot com

wanda f said...

This sounds AWESOME I will be reading it as soon as I cant get my hands on it .Thank you for the chance to win Have a great weekend
flanagan@mebtel.net

 
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