Dan’s art has graced many book covers, and our favourites in particular, the Mercy Thompson series, which you, our lovely readers, will have seen many times before on the blog. Dan has also created some beautiful covers for other authors, such as Gini Koch and Lucy A. Snyder. Dan’s art has not only worked with publishers, but his work spans from Disney, Universal Studios and Dark Horse Comics.

Book Pushers: Dan, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Did you always know that you wanted to work as a illustrator in the Science Fiction/Fantasy and Urban Fantasy genres?

Dan: I knew I always wanted to be an artist, but not specifically an illustrator. It wasn’t until High School, when I met my longtime mentor who introduced me to the world of illustration, that I decided it would be my pursuit.

Book Pushers: How were you approached to become a cover artist for publishers?

Dan: It’s the cover artists usually do the approaching. Being a freelance illustrator takes a lot of solicitation, especially when you are starting out. So I aggressively advertised towards clients I wanted to work for. Now that I have established a career, and clients know my work by name, they approach me.

Book Pushers: What is the process for creating a book cover before putting it down on canvas? Is it a collaboration of sharing ideas with the author, and reading the manuscripts beforehand?

Dan: An illustrator rarely gets to work with the author of the book. Instead, most of the collaboration is done with the Art Director. The Art Director will send me a manuscript, which I read through. I then do two or three sketches of concepts, and the Art Director picks their favorite (often contingent upon revisions). Once I have sketch approval, I seek out reference to help me refine the drawing. A a few tutorials outlining the specifics of my process can be found here: http://www.dandossantos.com/extras.htm

Book Pushers: We’ve read on your site that you like to take 3 weeks to complete a painting, but due to time constraints, it’s rarely possible. What has been the most time you’ve spent on a painting?

Dan: For ‘Shiva’s Crown’, which was a personal piece and had no real deadline, I spent 4 or 5 weeks. The least amount is four days, which unfortunately has happened on more than one occasion, most recently for Diana Rowland’s ‘Secrets of the Demon’.

Book Pushers: Do you use models for all of your book covers? If so, where do you find them, and how do you pick them?

Dan: I almost always use models for covers, unless time/budget doesn’t permit. I frequently use a website called Model Mayhem, through which I’ve found many good models. Typically I look for models with some acting ability, and obviously, a beautiful face. But there are a lot of other factors as well. Being able to take direction and coming up with creative poses is really important. Because I reuse models often, a model with a versatile face (which I can change easily from painting to painting) is also a great asset.

Book Pushers: From the various covers you have done, is there a particular favourite of yours?

Dan: Currently, ‘My Life as a White Trash Zombie’. Though, ‘Butcher Bird’ and ‘The Fires of Heaven’ are long standing favorites of mine.

Book Pushers: Can you explain why it’s so important for you to match the tone of the cover with the contents inside of a book?  We’ve seen so many other covers that don’t even convey the genre, never mind representing the contents.

Dan: Firstly, let me state that an illustrator is not always given the opportunity to read the manuscript. In many situations I’ve had to do covers for books that were not even yet written. I do the best I can with the Art Director’s suggestions. Though, even then, that suggestion may be just one or two sentences from the Publisher’s sales sheet. In these cases, the artist is really just guessing what the book is about.

When it’s available, I almost always read the manuscript. Personally, I place great importance on making an accurate image. A cover is essentially an ad for the book within, and I believe all ads should honestly portray the product they are selling. (That’s not to say we can’t shed things in a prettier light sometimes!)

Book Pushers: Are you able to tell us about upcoming projects you have lined up?

Dan: I am already booked for the next in Patricia Brigg’s ‘Alpha & Omega’ series, as well as Gini Koch’s ‘Alien’ series which has consistently been one of my favorites to work on.

Book Pushers: And lastly, you’ve probably been asked this many times before { sorry }, but what dream author/movie/comic, past or present, would you love to create a cover for?

Dan: With out a doubt, ‘Dune’. It is one of my favorite books ever, and I still have my fingers crossed that if ACE decides to release it as an e-book, they will let me do the cover.

Interview with Daniel Dos Santos is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Here are YA release and future YA releases that we are itching to get our hands on:

The Iron King by Julia Kagawa. Release date: Out now.

Blurb taken from author’s official website:

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY— ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Tagged by Mara Purnhagen. Release Date: March, 2010. Review coming soon.

Blurb taken from Fantastic Fiction:

Can Kate Morgan stand up for herself – without being labelled a snitch?

Kate is just as confused as her best friend, Lan, when she arrives at Cleary High to find the building’s been “tagged” with a life-size graffiti mural. Could the culprit be one of their friends or classmates? And is the kind-of-amazing creation really vandalism, or a work of art? She’s tempted to stay out of it – mostly because, as the police chief’s daughter, she’s worried about being labeled a snitch. But when the same mysterious graffiti starts appearing throughout the state, putting more pressure on the authorities to catch the vandal, her investigative instincts kick in.

Now Eli, Kate’s favorite coworker at the local coffee shop, is MIA. With Lan preoccupied with her own boy troubles, Kate needs to figure out some things on her own. Like why she can’t stop thinking about Eli. And what she will do when all the clues about the graffiti point to someone she’s close to.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong. Release date: April, 2010.

Blurb taken from author’s official website:

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine. Release Date: April, 2010.

The 8th titles in the Morganville Vampire series. No blurb available yet. Go here for more information on the series: Morganville Vampires

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr. Release date: May, 2010.

Radiant Shadows is the fourth book in the enchanting Wicked Lovely series. No blurb as of yet for the fourth book, or one I can’t find. These blurbs do seem to be hiding from me. Go here for more information on the series: Wicked Lovely

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. Release date: May, 2010.

Blurb taken from Fantastic Fiction:

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong.

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s – and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true – Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him – forever.

Forget You by Jennifer Echols. Release date: July, 2010.

Blurb taken from author’s official website:

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. With her life about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people—suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug

MockingJay by Suzanne Collins. Release Date: August, 2010

There is no blurb – as of yet, or one I can’t find – for the third and final book  in this exciting and mind blowing series. If you haven’t read this series, or heard of it, where have you been?

Go team Gale!

Go here for more information on the series: Hunger Games

YA Releases is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

I fell in love with romance after reading a Mills and Boons historical set in 1500s Spain. From that moment on, I voraciously read their series of historical romances and then moved onto the big guns – with heroes who had bigger guns and long swords! Authors such as: Jude Deveraux, Laurie Mcbain, Judith McNaugh, Shirlee Busbee and Johanna Lindsey were like total crack for me. But, there were repercussions to this new found addiction – especially as a 13 year old.

Dun, Dun, DUN: The Covers!!!!

Now you think the recent covers would be more explicit than the older books in the 70s and 80s. Not so! And due to the explict nature of the sexy contornotionist yoga positions in these covers, it was definitely implied that these books was not suitable reading material for a 13 year old, who should have been reading Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew books. But I was bitten by the love bug. So, I thought I would list the covers I could find that got me into trouble with my parents (they didnt approve of my reading choices), and Teachers (who thought I should read better quality material). The Tiger Lily was one of the first historical romances that I loved, but also one of the first big meaty books after reading the Mills and Boons one. I love the epicness and the setting, and its not until recently that I find that historical romances are turning back to that. However this wasnt the cover that got me into trouble but it was another Shirlee Busbee that got me into trouble was The Spanish Rose but I cant find the cover. Caught by mum who felt heaving bosokm heroine and half naked hero may not be suitable reading material despite the fact I argued that it was about pirates and the Spanish colonisation of the Americas and its pretty useful to know that! The next cover or should I say covers that got me into trouble were the Johanna Lindsey books- now you think Fabio would be to blame nope! It is this guy – Do you notice the common denominator here? Yup – Forget the mantitty!

He haz no pants! These were the ones that got me into trouble, big time especially Tender is the Storm by my mum again who thought the pantless hero was definitely doing rude things to heroine’s bosom. These were also the books I smuggled on holiday to Morocco one summer. I so didn’t want to get caught by customs checks, because one, I could imagine my mum’s horrified expression and two, how much would I need to bribe the customs agent not confiscate these books especially since they were the library’s!

But my innocent expression must have worked because we didnt get stopped and lets say I had a delightful summer reading these books other than the time I got caught reading Tender is the Storm! And because I am chatting about Johanna Lindsey and there is no Fabio- I will post one of my favourite book of hers and it haz Fabio! I wonder if Fabio had a Pants clause in his contract? I think that is a good thing because as a 13 year old it was safer to my delicate sensibilities. But that is not to say I didn’t get into trouble later on, and you can see there is again a common theme. But in this case it was more eyebrow raising than a stern lecture about naked men on covers.

However, despite the fact that I got into trouble several times, I have come to enjoy these covers because they can be campy, hot, sexy and unlike other books in different genres, I mostly haven’t been bored by one. So even though I may get pointed remarks about these books by my family, friends and even strangers, I know I will be engrossed in a fun story whether its erotica, historical or paranormal romance. And the people who disapprove of this are the ones who are missing out! I mean who doesn’t want to read about sexy pirates, knights and cowboys!

So, does anyone else remember about the covers that got them into trouble or remember their first sexy one?

Book Covers That Got Me Into Trouble is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

The pure white hair and black as midnight eyebrows. Yeah, he’s scaring me bigtime. Here is a close up:

Heh. Definitely has the devil winged thing going on.

Then I came across this:

You see what I’m seeing?:

Simon Cowell Trouser Man!

And this one:

The classic windblown hair…indoors.

This one I find to be very pretty and elegant:

Close up:

Old Style Covers is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Cover: Silver Borne by Patty Briggs is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter