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“It’s a Brazen cover.” You don’t know how many times in my career I have heard another writer describe their cover, or someone else’s as “a Brazen cover.” The look is now iconic, but in 1996, the cover for Brazen Angel was a brand new take on covers–the tousled sheets, the tangled couple, the sexy pose. John DeSalvo in all his glory.
Oh, those had all been done, but not put together as it was for Brazen Angel. When I was shown an early version of the cover, my jaw dropped. The eye popping color, naked John DeSalvo. Have I mentioned John DeSalvo? I knew this cover wouldn’t be easily forgotten, but never did I think it would become a classic.
Can I gush some more? I’ve loved the Brazen Angel cover from the first moment I saw it and I still love it. But when I got the rights back to Brazen Angel, they came without the cover. So it was time to find a new look for Brazen Angel.
Because I had seen a couple of covers that Su over at Earthly Charms had done, still just stops me–and it is “Brazen” after all–sheets and sexy pose!) I turned to her first. You might not know it, in fact you probably don’t, but Su designs
(this one for Robyn DeHart all my bookmarks so I knew she’d understand and get what I wanted.
What I definitely wanted was to keep the sexy feel of this story. This story is very sexy. Still is, even all these years later. Sophia and Giles are instantly attracted to each other and that tension and desire runs rampant through the story–which surprised me. 
But I’ll talk about that unexpected revelation in an upcoming blog.
So we chatted back and forth about how to handle the sort of iconic qualities of these books (They also been known as the “red one”, the “blue one” and the “green one.”) and decided to at least give a nod to their old colors, keeping Brazen Angel branded with red, Brazen Heiress with blue and Brazen Temptress with green. And very quickly, these classic sexy books had a fresh new look:
I think the new Brazen Angel retains that sexy tension with this wonderful pose. I love the dress and all the red, and it has the feel of Sophia’s deceptions and Gile’s longing for her.
This cover for Brazen Heiress truly captures the long and almost too late realization that Wedd Dryden comes to–that the minx he once thought of as an annoying plague, is the woman of his dreams. There is a tenderness in this pose that is perfect for their love story. For while it is a dog fight to the death in some ways, once he makes that acknowledgement of his feelings, she is his for life.
I must confess that Brazen Temptress is my personal favorite of the three. Writing Julien and Maureen’s story just about broke my heart. I had the unenviable task of writing their early love story and then ripping them apart. I cried buckets writing this story. LOL. The true challenge came figuring out how–after a horrible and wrenching betrayal, do you find the road back to trust and love? Doesn’t this cover capture that moment perfectly. It just says, “I love you with all my heart.”
What do you think? And to make it more fun, let’s do a blog giveaway, so here it is:
Which cover is your favorite or which story is your favorite?
Comment below to enter this week’s blog drawing.
The Rules:
1) Leave a comment below and let me know which of the covers or books you love:
and/or
2) Tweet the following: Enter to win a signed book by #JuliaQuinn & an arc of @elizboyle’s Along Came a Duke at http://elizabethboyle.com/blog/?p=2129 #BrazenContest
Do both and you are entered twice! I’ll give you all until midnight, PDT, Saturday, March 31st to get your entries in.
Make sure to check back here Monday, April 2nd to find out if you won. You’ll have a week to claim your prize.
Last week’s winner is: SharonA, who was poster #14 and made her comment on March 19, 2012 at 11:38 AM. Sharon, contact me with your address and I will send you your prize. You have a week to claim it.
March 26th, 2012 at 8:55 am · Link
Brazen Temptress is my favorite, its funny I was glancing at the photos before reading and had already decided I loved that one before reading that is the one you loved too! I’ve always loved that touching foreheads pose, its like the tension is building up before you kiss and you’re tingling all over….! Ahhh!
March 26th, 2012 at 8:58 am · Link
I like your Brazen Heiress cover. You’re right. It looks like the “moment of realization.”
March 26th, 2012 at 9:51 am · Link
I read all three stories in the original issue and loved them and their covers. I think I like the new cover on Brazen Angel best.
March 26th, 2012 at 10:38 am · Link
I love all of your books. I think I liked the older covers, but new ones are okay too. The Brazen trilogy are the only books of yours I don’t have. Will they be reissuing them in paperback?
March 26th, 2012 at 10:39 am · Link
Like the temptress cover best. It just screams pure love. 🙂
March 26th, 2012 at 10:40 am · Link
Brazen Heiress is my favorite of the books, but I really like the Brazen Temptress cover. It really is just as you described.
March 26th, 2012 at 10:45 am · Link
They are all pretty amazing … how excited were you when you saw them for the first time?!?!
I love the cover for Brazen Temptress – I love the angst of of the torn apart couple who need to rediscover each other!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Tweeted at: https://twitter.com/#!/lostingreatbook/status/184333055765385216
March 26th, 2012 at 10:47 am · Link
Brazen Temptress is my favorite cover, but I love all of your books 🙂
March 26th, 2012 at 10:50 am · Link
I like Brazen Angel the most. I like how it appears he is in control, but in reality she is pulling all the strings.
March 26th, 2012 at 11:01 am · Link
Wow, thanks for the win for last week! I sent you my contact info. 🙂
I like the Temptress cover. I think it does say exactly that, “I love you with all my heart.” I just bought the e-books of the trilogy and can’t wait to jump in.
SharonA
March 26th, 2012 at 11:03 am · Link
I loved the first two stories..I am just starting the third in the series. I agree on Brazen Temptress cover. It has that feeling that comes between two when they get hurt then come back together. I have to say my favorite is Brazen Temptress just from the feel you get when you look at the cover. Its got that touch.
March 26th, 2012 at 11:03 am · Link
Wow, love the new covers!!! They are all great and I loved all three stories. Of course I love all your stories, so how can I pick just one?
March 26th, 2012 at 11:17 am · Link
How do you girls create this sexy covers!!? OMG! I’m such a cover lover!!
I tweeted. Thank you so much for the giveaway!
March 26th, 2012 at 11:21 am · Link
There is noting I like better than Jimmy Thomas on a cover. I love all the covers. I would read an encyclopedia if it had Jimy on the cover. Keep up the good work!
March 26th, 2012 at 11:47 am · Link
I like the Brazen Temptress cover the best….its like anticipation!
March 26th, 2012 at 12:07 pm · Link
The Brazen Angel has the most WOW! factor to me.
March 26th, 2012 at 12:20 pm · Link
I have not read the Brazen books yet! I have them on my Nook wish list now. I do like the new cover for “Brazen Temptress”–they look so into each other.
March 26th, 2012 at 12:27 pm · Link
Nice makeover…maybe I love the old one a smudge more…probably because I like everything in soft focus now that I’m, ahem, no longer in my 20s.
March 26th, 2012 at 12:32 pm · Link
I like the new Temptress cover best, and I’m glad you kept the color schemes from the old editions. I honestly read these so long ago I can’t remember which one I liked best. Good excuse to pull my copies out and reread!
March 26th, 2012 at 12:50 pm · Link
I love the cover for Brazen Temptress! They look like they are both so sorry for the past and they truly love one another. Like Barb Ritchie said I don’t remember which I preferred. She is luckier though in that she can pull hers out to reread them, I’ll have to hit up a second-hand store and see if I can find them. I’m rather disappointed that those of us who don’t tweet only get one chance in this drawing, why are we being treated this way?
March 27th, 2012 at 9:48 am · Link
Molly, sometimes I feel like I can’t win with these contests–I honestly try to make them as fair as possible and yet then I see your post and honestly, it just disheartens me and takes the fun out of giving things away.
As it is, a vast number of entries come in on Twitter and these people do not post over here–they have the option, but they just prefer to put in their entry as a tweet. Also, by opening the contest to Twitter participants, it allows people who don’t normally read blogs or use Facebook, to find my site and my contests.
I honestly and truly want everyone to have a chance, and I am sorry you feel the rules are unfair.
March 26th, 2012 at 1:26 pm · Link
My favorite of the new covers is the one for Heiress. The sense of realization is sublime, and it doesn’t make my heart ache like Temptress. Still need to read the Brazen series, hopefully soon.
March 26th, 2012 at 2:03 pm · Link
nullLove the cover for Brazen Temptress the best, It says soooo much. Sorry to say I haven’t read this series yet. Juat all the others. Think my first read of you was in the anthology Hero Come Back and went from there. Will have to get to these in their rerelease. (And sorry, but I don’t twitter either, which leaves out a great deal of your and others’ audiences)
March 26th, 2012 at 2:07 pm · Link
Love all the covers..If I have to pick one it would have to be Brazen Temptress..
March 26th, 2012 at 4:13 pm · Link
while angel is sexy, temptation is just, well, tempting — who can just “hear” them debating whether to give in or not & if they have the will not to give in 🙂
March 26th, 2012 at 4:15 pm · Link
I really love Brazen Temptess. The cover is so initmate and I love seeing the heart that forms in between them in their pose. I don’t know if that was intentional however that was the first thing that caught my eye.
March 26th, 2012 at 4:17 pm · Link
My favorite is the Temptress cover. It says “understanding” to me.
March 26th, 2012 at 4:37 pm · Link
Well I’m partial to nekked men, so I do have to say the original. But like the new one as well, very romantic.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:57 pm · Link
I like the Brazen Temptress cover the best, but all of them are appealing to me.
March 26th, 2012 at 5:58 pm · Link
null
March 26th, 2012 at 5:59 pm · Link
Oops….sorry for the double post…I didn’t think the first went through.
March 26th, 2012 at 7:01 pm · Link
I like the story and the cover for Brazen heiress the best!
March 26th, 2012 at 8:22 pm · Link
My favourite cover is Brazen Temptress! Why? Well, one of the reasons is the way they are looking AT each other, just feeling and “breathing” in each other. There is a closeness, an intimacy, that this pose reveals that goes far beyond just sensuality or romance, it has the essence of true connection with another – really being in the moment and cherishing one another. The main reason I love this cover is that it is so familiar to me. The first time I knew I was head over heels in love with my husband we had this same pose and to this day, I still get “hold” onto his lapel or collar and we close eyes and rest our foreheads on each other. So, I am biased on this one because I feel like it really shows the tenderness of a special moment in love where one is saying “I’m yours.”
March 27th, 2012 at 7:46 am · Link
I really like the Brazen Heiress cover. It looks romantic and gives off a shy feeling. I think all of them are beautifully done though.
🙂
March 27th, 2012 at 8:04 am · Link
I am partial to the “Brazen Heiress” cover. It symbolizes, to me anyway, that one special moment between a man and a women when they realize they can no longer fight what is right there in front of them, and are ready to grab it – LOVE!
March 27th, 2012 at 8:28 am · Link
Her Gentleman Thief. I dont know why. The protective way he leans in to her, 🙂 holding her neck. Just does it for me! haha
March 27th, 2012 at 9:51 am · Link
That cover literally took my breath away when I saw it and I emailed Robyn immediately and asked her who had done it and when she said, Earthly Charms, I wasn’t surprised in the least. Su is a wonderful designer.
March 27th, 2012 at 8:44 am · Link
I agree with you, the pose in the cover of Brazen Heiress has the feel of tenderness in it. I love how they look at each other. <3
March 27th, 2012 at 10:53 am · Link
I like the brazen temptation cover — captures that moment just before they give into their desire and kiss
March 27th, 2012 at 12:30 pm · Link
Well, my favorite cover is the Green cover but if I were walking down the book store aisle the blue one would stop me first (though I couldn’t tell you exactly why). *happy sigh* I do like all three very much…
March 27th, 2012 at 6:07 pm · Link
I like The Heiress cover best. The way he looks at her conveys his love.
March 28th, 2012 at 11:14 am · Link
I like the Brazen Heiress cover the best. The way he is looking at her makes me melt.
March 31st, 2012 at 3:06 pm · Link
I agree!
March 28th, 2012 at 8:48 pm · Link
I think I like the Brazen Temptress now that I’ve read the bit of the back story. It makes that tenderness all the better.
March 29th, 2012 at 8:59 pm · Link
All the covers look great! I like the Brazen Temptress cover.
March 31st, 2012 at 2:51 pm · Link
Love the new covers!!!! I’m going with Brazen Angel. Looks more like a hot historical read cover.
March 31st, 2012 at 2:52 pm · Link
Brazen Angel is my favorite, probably because it looks like the man has just swung the woman into a dip following the end of a song, and I appreciate that as a dancer.
March 31st, 2012 at 2:52 pm · Link
I like the brazen angel cover 😀
March 31st, 2012 at 2:56 pm · Link
I tweeted this as well. My Twitter is AutumnDismay.
March 31st, 2012 at 3:04 pm · Link
Brazen Heiress has to be my favorite! ( I also twitted your link!)
March 31st, 2012 at 3:12 pm · Link
I like all three of the redesigned covers but Brazen Heiress has a slight lead 🙂
March 31st, 2012 at 3:12 pm · Link
My favorite story was the Brazen Angel. I love sibling series but the first one has to draw you in, well, first! I think the new cover is the most brazen and makes you wonder who is in charge of the embrace, making want to open the book and read it right away. Love it! 🙂
March 31st, 2012 at 3:25 pm · Link
Brazen Temptress. I like the way they look each other. It is as if they can’t keep their hands on each other. There’s emotional raw from the way they hold each other.
i’ve already tweeted: @julianaekin
March 31st, 2012 at 3:32 pm · Link
I had already been a bookseller for a few years in 1996 , so I thought I had seen it all. Until I pulled that first copy of BRAZEN ANGEL out of the box. Holey Moley! I remember it like it was yesterday. I ran one of the 3 (yes, only 3) copies that we had received to the cash register, thrust it at my Asst. Mgr and said “Don’t sell this! It’s mine!” Still have that very well read copy. So yes, BRAZEN ANGEL is one of my alltime favorites.
March 31st, 2012 at 3:34 pm · Link
I’m picking Brazen Heiress because I just love the jacket he’s wearing
March 31st, 2012 at 3:52 pm · Link
Brazen Heiress – I think it best portrays the characters and time.
March 31st, 2012 at 4:25 pm · Link
Brazen temptress love the intensity of passion between the two models:)
March 31st, 2012 at 4:42 pm · Link
I got all three as e-books so didn’t get the benefit of the beautiful (“brazen”) covers. I love all three covers, but “Brazen Temptress” is the most expressive of the story.
Keep those brazen covers coming!
March 31st, 2012 at 4:57 pm · Link
I love the new cover for Brazen Angel!
March 31st, 2012 at 4:58 pm · Link
My favorite is the new Brazen Heiress cover. I like the Regency-gentleman look of him. It’s been quite a few years since I read these books. I need to do a re-read of this great series!!
March 31st, 2012 at 5:16 pm · Link
Brazen Angel – just love the red dress. All of them are beautiful though!
March 31st, 2012 at 6:48 pm · Link
The old covers were very brazen and I love all the covers. It’s been a while since I’ve read them, but the new Heiress cover is the best of the new ones.
March 31st, 2012 at 8:53 pm · Link
I loved all three stories and the original covers but these new covers are beautiful too. I think of the new ones, I like the Brazen Heiress cover best.
March 31st, 2012 at 10:39 pm · Link
I love the new Brazen Angel cover. It’s hot. 🙂 The Brazen Temptress one is great too since you’re right, it does show love more than passion. I can’t believe I hadn’t read those yet, I can’t wait until I can. Hopefully I’ll get to win it to read them soon.
March 31st, 2012 at 10:44 pm · Link
I tweeted about it too. 🙂
https://twitter.com/#!/ThisBlondeReads/status/186325628113530880
April 2nd, 2012 at 7:39 am · Link
I originally read the Brazen series 10 years ago in Feb and Mar 2002 so I would have to re-read the series to reacquaint myself. I will say it was the first books by Elizabeth I had read and they put her on my must buy list for each new book of hers. I would have to also say that Brazen Heiress would probably be my favorite being it was my first read…that always starts it all. Keep up the good work!
April 2nd, 2012 at 11:22 am · Link
i would love to read