Covers that make you cry (and not in a good way)

On the whole, we ex-Avalon authors have been very happy with our covers. Many of them were stunning, and our hearts skipped a beat with pride and happiness when we finally held the glossy hardcovers in our hands.

However, there were also a few that went spectacularly wrong, and we silently shed tears about them. When we recently had a good yarn together about the ups and downs of being a writer, ugly covers were a major topic (next to hurtful rejections and non-appearing royalty checks). We shared them, shrieked out loud in horror, and finally, we were able to laugh about them, which is obviously the best we can do when we have no other option.

Now, we have pre-selected the five worst covers (and the author's reasons why) so you can join the fun. Please vote the worst cover and tell us why you think it's so bad. On Valentine's Day, we'll select five random winners from those who comment, and you'll get one of the featured novels for free.

That doesn't sound like much of an incentive? 
Don't worry.
We promise you, the content is much better than it seems!

 1. Nobody's Darling by Gina Ardito 

What I wanted was a lone Adirondack chair against a backdrop of an autumnal mountain scene. This is what I got instead. To me, this cover screams 1950's "I Love Lucy." Between the cartoon television (complete with rabbit ears!) to the pumpkin striped wallpaper, it's all wrong, all old-fashioned, and just plain goofy. Nothing about it reflects the story inside, which is about two people at odds who discover they've allowed themselves to become victims of their circumstances. My characters in Nobody's Darling are spending thirty days in a "Big Brother" style cabin in the Adirondack mountains as part of a talk show's experiment. The title comes from my heroine's feelings of inadequacy. She has one sister who was her father's darling, the other sister was her mother's. And there isn't a chocolate conveyor belt or grape-stomping scene anywhere.

 2. The Gift by Mona Ingram

I was devastated when I saw this cover! Although it's difficult to tell, this is a romance. It takes place in a beautiful area of British Columbia, and the heroine runs a houseboat company. I had visualized sparkling water, setting sun, sandy coves; anything other than what you see here. Such a disappointment, because it's a delightful story. Sigh.
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3. Put Out the Light by Sandra Carey Cody

I hated the cover for PUT OUT THE LIGHT the first time I saw it. The bright red color and the silhouetted figure suggested pornography. I was afraid it would be misleading to potential readers, disappointing those looking for a sexy read and off-putting to those who enjoy a light, traditional mystery. The silhouetted figure is obviously a woman; the actor in my book is an 84-year-old man and is not the main character, though he is one of my favorites. The main character is Jennie Connors, who works in a retirement community and champions the residents. When one of them is murdered and another falsely accused, Jennie puts her life on the line to find out out what really happened. I'm not sure what I pictured. That may be the problem. I didn't really give the designer anything to go on. I thought he or she was the professional designer and trusted them to get it right. This was my first book and I've since learned that no one else cares about my book like I do. I still don't like the cover, but have to admit, when I look at my author page on Amazon, this cover is the one that pops. 

4. The Twisted Trail by L.W. Rogers

The Twisted Trail was my first published novel. Not only is the cover overly orange, but the "stick figure" cowboys are wearing pith helments instead of Stetsons and riding mules instead of horses. My disappointment was esculated when, at my very first booksigning, a woman picked up the book and declared it was the ugliest book cover she had ever seen. Not only was I embarrassed, I also wanted to cry.
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5. The Blond leading the Blond by Jayne Ormerod

 I feel funny complaining because I love my cover to look at, but I hate that it has nothing to do with the story!  First off, the "beach" where my story takes place is not in tropical Florida but by a lake in Ohio, with nary a palm tree to be found!  And second, the protagonist is a large woman with bad knees.  Look at those shoes--they are those a tall, lithe, athletic woman would wear.  But on the bright side, the colors are awesome and I get a lot of compliments on it.

So, now it's up to you - do you agree with us or are we being too critical of our babies?