Category Archives: Covers of the Week

Covers of the Week #96: Steve Assel

Steve Assel, the romance cover artist, is better known by his real name, Steve Assael–the well-known fine artist. He has a distinct, unforgettable style that is hard to mistake for any other.

Artist: Steve Assel

It took some sleuthing to track down the person signing his romance cover illustrations as “S. Assel.” At least I had a name to work with, as many creators never sign their romance related-work. In this case, the artist slightly altered his surname to separate his cover art from his fine artwork.

Steve Assel, some books listed him, is actually Steven Assael, a very talented and well-known portrait painter.

Even if he had left no signature Steve Assel–or Assael–has a particular style that makes his covers fairly easy to distinguish. Most of his clinches–and solo covers–are set at night or in dark tones, so the light of the moon or setting sun surrounds his models with an ethereal glow.

Assel has created some of the most memorable covers in romance, including the three famous Fabio covers for Laura Kinsale and the now highly -prized collector’s edition covers for some early Beverly Jenkins books.

The Covers

For the week of Monday, March 20, 2023, to Sunday, March 26, 2023, our Covers of the Week showcases some covers by the talented Steve Assel (aka Steve Assael).

Theme Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Night Shadow, Catherine Coulter, Avon, 1989
Bride of the Wind, Shannon Drake, Avon, 1992
Night Fire, Cait London, Diamond, 1994
The Prince of Midnight, Laura Kinsale, Avon, 1990

And here’s one stepback–inside cover and outside– to show the style popularized by Assel, showing a solo hero on the front and a clinch for the interior.

Captive Legacy, Theresa Scott, Dorchester, 1996

Your Opinion?

What do you think of this week’s theme of romance covers illustrated by Steve Assel? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite?

Do you have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #94: Couples in Bed

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It’s Daylight Savings Time for many countries worldwide, meaning less sleep than usual. This edition of Covers of the Week focuses on couples in bed–trying to get some much-needed sleep, of course!

Daylight Savings Time, Spring Ahead!

It’s Daylight Savings Time again, and not the good DST in Autumn, where we get an extra hour of sleep. It’s time to Spring ahead and set our clocks forward by one hour– thus losing an hour of sleep. For some, this is a huge source of frustration, as that lost hour of sleep is hard to regain.

Why do we have Daylight Savings time, anyway? It’s to make better use of daylight, particularly concerning matters such as farming, school, and work. In other words, we alter time to work with modern civilization. (Life would be so much easier if we were house cats who sleep 18 hours a day no matter the time or amount of sunlight.)

Theme: Couples in Bed

In honor of that lost hour of sleep, we’re showing off romance covers where the hero and heroines lie together in bed. No, they aren’t telling each other fibs. These covers depict couples on their beds, looking as much in need of a nap as some nookie.

Here’s an interesting side note. Because so many romance covers from the last two decades feature couples in bed, we figured it would be a simple task to find images that fit this theme, taking no longer than a few minutes. It took a bit longer than that!

Certainly, there were many “boudoir” clinches. However, few retro romances feature couples simply lying down. Usually, the pair are in sensual poses: straddling, embracing, et cetera.

The majority of twentieth-century romances have covers that are set outside. If indoors, the couples were rarely prone but upright. Add this to the many contrasting aspects that distinguish old-school romances from modern-day novels.

The Covers

For the week of Monday, March 13, 2023, to Sunday, March 19, 2023, our Covers of the Week theme features couples in their beds, lying down, and about to get down to important business: sleep.

Enchanted-Elizabeth-Lowell-Victor-Gadino-scan

Theme Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

After Hours, Gina Wilkins, Harlequin, 1990, Dan Crouse cover art
Enchanted, Elizabeth Lowell, Avon, 1994, Victor Gadino cover art
Love, Remember Me, Bertrice Small, Ballantine, 1994, Elaine Duillo cover art
Years, LaVyrle Spencer, Jove, 1986, James Griffin cover art

years james griffin — *Years* by LaVyrleSpencer, James Griffin original cover art

Your Opinion

What do you think of this week’s theme of couples in bed? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite?

Do you have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #93: Irish Roses

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Irish Roses–wild or not–are the focus of this edition of Covers of the Week. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up soon, so Erin go Bragh!

Theme: Irish Roses

The rose is the flower most often associated with romance. Regarding book titles, it’s the go-to blossom for the genre, followed by jasmine, lily, and heather. (Personally, I prefer tulips. But I can see how that might make for awkward-sounding titles.)

Because St. Patrick’s Day is quickly approaching, we thought displaying romances with Irish Rose covers would be fitting.

Having no idea what an actual Irish rose looked like, I was surprised to discover that “the official Irish Rose” (L. Aeonium arboreum) is a succulent. Succulents are hearty plants that, like cacti, should be easy for anyone to maintain. (Not me; every cactus and succulent to have been under my brown thumb came to a bad, sad end).

Originally native to North Africa and the Canary Islands, the rosette succulent forms branches that grow little bushes of bright yellow blossoms with star-shaped petals, which soon dies after the flowers bloom.

As for the wild Irish rose, Ireland is home to a wide variety of these floral beauties, including many hybrid forms. Each county boasts that their native–and naturalized–roses that climb hedgerows, hug rocky shores, or dot sandy land, are the most stunning to be found.

Most of these wildflowers bloom in June and July, their white, pink, and purple blossoms adding bright bursts of color to the Emerald Isle.

wild-irish-roses-at-sunrise-in-the-county-clare-countryside-james-truett — *Wild Irish Roses at Sunrise County Clare Countryside, Photo: James Truett*

“My Wild Irish Rose… the sweetest flower that grows…”
“My Wild Irish Rose, Chancellor “Chauncey” Olcott. 1899

A Note

Around this time last year, Covers of the Week #49 also had an Irish theme. Since we already used Nora Roberts‘ Irish Rose for that edition, one of the four titles here is not like the others. Even so, the book’s Irish setting and the cover’s loveliness make up for the slight inconsistency.

The Covers

For the week of Monday, March 6, 2023, to Sunday, March 12, 2023, our Covers of the Week theme is the Irish Roses.

Irish Rose Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

The Irish Rose, Jessica Wulf, Zebra, 1994, “Asif” cover art
Wild Irish Rose, Lisa Ann Verge, Zebra, 1997, Pino cover art
Rose of the Mists, Laura Parker, Warner Books, 1985, Robert McGinnis cover art
Irish Rose, Jacqueline Marten, Pocket Books, 1984, Elaine Gignilliat cover art

original artwork gignilliat cover — *Irish Rose, original artwork by Elaine Gignilliat*

Your Opinion

What do you think of this week’s theme of Irish Roses? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite?

Do you have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #92: Robert McGinnis Covers

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Legendary artist Robert McGinnis created so many dazzling romance covers here’s a Covers of the Week to highlight a more of his artwork.

Artist: Robert McGinnis

We’ve shown off many Robert McGinnis covers in past book reviews and previous Covers of the Week posts. However, somewhow we’ve overlooked dedicating a Covers of the Week for his artwork alone. So we’re rectifying that with these stunning romance illustrations.

For over five decades, McGinnis has been creating some of the most distinguished paperback book covers. He got his big start with pulpy detective fiction like Perry Mason and Mike Shayne mysteries. He also helped to establish the femme fatale look for Saturday Evening Post. And of course, his romance covers made him a premier artist of the genre .

At almost 100 years old, McGinnis is a living legend–not just in romance, but in numerous fields of art. His work has ranged from iconic movie posters, such as James Bond films, Barbarella and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, book covers, which include many memorable ones for pulp fiction in addition to romance, and gorgeous fine art paintings.

McGinnis’ artwork has been extremely influential and has helped to shape the paperback art scene from the 1950s to the present.

The Covers

From his sexy Avon Johanna Lindsey covers to his later stepbacks for Diamond publishers, he was an innovative pioneer for romance illustrations. For the week of Monday, February 27, 2023, to Sunday, March 5, 2023, our Covers of the Week showcases some amazing Robert McGinnis romance covers.

Robert McGinnis Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Forbidden Dawn, Sonya T. Pelton, Zebra, 1985
The Time Returns, Alexandra Ripley, Avon, 1985
Wildflower, Theresa Di Benedetto, Pageant, 1989
Blossom, Constance Bennet, Diamond, 1991
Wild Is the NIght, Colleen Quinn, Diamond, 1991
Dakota Dream, Sharon MacIver, Diamond, 1991

An Apology to Our Readers

First, an apology. We’re sorry that this post was published at 10:30 a.m. today with no images. We’ve been experiencing some technical difficulties this past week due to a plug-in incompatibility with our coding capabilities (or lack thereof).

To make up for our goof, we’ve highlighted 6 covers rather than the usual 4.

Your Opinion?

So, what do you think of this week’s theme of Robert McGinnis’s covers? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite?

Do you have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #91: Beverly Jenkins

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We’re highlighting these stunning covers of Beverly Jenkins’ historical romances from the 1990s for Black History Month.

Theme: Beverly Jenkins Early Historicals

Beverly Jenkins’ historical romance covers always get the five-star treatment. They’re not stepbacks, which is unusual for one of Avon’s preeminent authors. Especially one who’s been with the publishers for 30 years.

But they’re so darn pretty; hiding them behind a plain exterior cover wouldn’t be right, anyway.

A Trip Back to 1994

I remember picking up her first book, Night Song, in 1994 at the old Genovese Drug Store. While I had little time to read for pleasure as a high school student, it was now Summer. Plus, I had a job, so I had time and money to spend for once.

I’d already read Johanna Lindsey‘s Surrender My Love, which I’d purchased the month before. Scanning the shelves for something new, I stopped, surprised at seeing Beverly Jenkins’ book, as I’d never seen a black couple on the cover of a romance before.

In the many romance books I read, I’d encountered numerous Latino heroes and heroines, not to mention in the Biancas (Spanish Harlequins) I gifted my mother to read (she never did).

There were many Native American characters, too, as there was a whole subgenre about them. Ditto, North African & Middle Eastern Sheiks. And occasionally South & East Asian protagonists, but never Black or African-American ones.

I enjoyed Night Song, although I’m fuzzy on some details. (It has been three decades!) I’ve thought it over the years, though, lamenting what a rare collector’s item a 1st edition copy of Beverly Jenkins’ first romance would have been.

To my misfortune, it was one of the 100s of casualties lost in The Great Book Purge after I left High School to go to College. But that’s another story.

The Covers

(Apologies for uploading this post two days late!)

For Monday, February 20, 2023, to Sunday, February 26, 2023, we’re selecting these beautiful Beverly Jenkins historical romance covers from the 1990s for this Covers of the Week theme. Enjoy!

beverly jenkins books taming of jessi rose

Beverly Jenkins Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Vivid, Beverly Jenkins, Avon, 1995, artist unknown
The Taming of Jessi Rose, Beverly Jenkins, Avon, 1999, artist unknown
Indigo, Beverly Jenkins, Avon, 1996, artist unknown
A Chance at Love, Beverly Jenkins, Avon, 2000, artist unknown

Your Opinion?

What do you think of this week’s theme of Beverly Jenkin’s early romances? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite? Mine is in Indigo. The roses and the purple gown are charming.

Have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #90: Valentine’s Day Regency

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Check Sweet Savage Flame’s picks of these lovely Regency romance covers for Valentine’s Day!

The Theme: Valentine’s Day Regency Romances

Love is always in the air around Sweet Savage Flame. This week is significant as it is Valentine’s Day in just a few days!

One romantic genre sure to make your heart flutter is Regency romance.

So, to make things even better, we’ve picked a selection of amazing Regency romance covers to share with you! They are seductive, sweet, and so inviting that you might want to pick these books up and take a gander at the sweetness that is hidden inside the covers.

The Covers

For the week of Monday, February 13, 2023, to Sunday, February 19, 2023, our Covers of the Week theme features Regency romance covers for Valentine’s Day!

The Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

The Valentine’s Day Ball, Susan Carroll, Fawcett-Crest, 1993
Cupid and the Vicar, Judith Stafford, Harlequin, 1991
Captain Cupid Calls the Shots, Elizabeth Fairchild, Signet, 2000
A Valentine’s Day Delight, Karla Hocker, et al., Zebra, 1994

Your Opinion

What do you think of this week’s theme of Regency romance covers for Valentine’s Day?

Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite? Have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #89: Ron Lesser

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Ron Lesser painted covers for various romance imprints and subgenres, and my favorites are his Harlequin and Silhouette designs.

Artist: Ron Lesser

No, Ron Lesser never painted over photographs to create his ultra-realistic covers! But one could be forgiven for thinking so.

The master artist was a prolific book illustrator from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Lesser designed commissions for the top publishing houses of the day, including action-adventure, westerns, and romance.

Ron Lesser was born in New York City and studied at the Pratt Institute and then Art Students League of New York. He has won many awards from prestigious institutions such as the Society of Illustrators.

In the 1970s, Lesser made a name for himself by creating fabulous movie posters. He worked as a cover artist for about 25 years. He utilized white casein early on in his career before settling on oil. When digital art was introduced around 1992, it pushed him out of the field. Lesser maintained a commercial and fine art career, focusing on the American Civil War and portrait painting. He returned to the publishing world in the 2010s.

Ron Lesser painted covers for various romance imprints and subgenres, and my favorites are his Harlequin and Silhouette designs. The modern style of his art juxtaposed with vibrant images of couples in intimate embraces fit perfectly with contemporary romance.

Look out for a book on Ron Lesser’s artwork to be released in late 2023.

The Covers

For the week of Monday, February 6, 2023, to Sunday, February 12, 2023, our Covers of the Week focuses on some stunning romance covers in the photo-realistic stylings of Ron Lesser.

The Covers from Left to Right, Top to Bottom

Camelot Jones, Mayo Lucas, Avon, 1989
Stranger in the Mist, Lee Karr, Silhouette, 1993
Diamond Spur, Susan Kyle, Popular Library, 1988
Wildcat Summer, Lynda Ward, Harlequin, 1986

ron lesser art Stranger in the Mist — Original Artwork for *Stranger in the Mist*

ron lesser camelot jones — Original Artwork for *Camelot Jones*.
(She’s a blood-sucking vampire, here. I wonder what the story behind this change in the cover was!)

Your Opinion

What do you think of these covers illustrated by Ron Lesser? Have you read any of these books? Which of our picks do you like the best, if any?

Do you have suggestions or requests for future Covers of the Week themes you’d like to see on Sweet Savage Flame? Let us know, and we’ll do our best to create a gallery of stunning art!

Please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #88: The Moon and Lunar New Year

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Theme: Moon On Covers (In Honor of the Lunar New Year)

This week’s covers feature moons glowing in the night, in honor of the Lunar New Year.

The Lunar New Year, known also as the Spring Festival and Chinese New Year, begins today Sunday, January 22, 2023. It is a traditional holiday celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian nations and cultures that marks the beginning of a new lunar calendar.

The name Spring Festival is due to the lunar calendar’s association with the Spring planting season. Farmers gave thanks for the harvest of the past year and to looked forward to the new agricultural season. The festival would involve cleaning homes, offerings to ancestors and gods, making new clothes and other preparations for the new year.

Today in Mongolia, China, Korea, Vietnam, and other East and Southeast Asian countries, citizens celebrate Lunar New Year. In nations such as the United States and Canada, people also observe the holiday.

The holiday is a time for families to come together and reflect upon the end of the old year and to wish for good luck and prosperity in the year to come. Festivities typically include exchanging gifts, parades, cultural performances including lion and dragon dances, and traditional foods.

The celebrations last for 15 days, and the most important day is New Year’s Eve.

The Lunar New Year and Phases of the Moon

The Lunar New Year is determined by the lunar calendar, which is based on the moon’s cycles. Specifically, it is based on the first new moon of the lunar calendar year. For that reason, the lunar calendar is different from the solar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the sun and is used in most Western countries.

The lunar calendar is divided into 12 months, each with 29 or 30 days. So to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the solar calendar, an extra month is added every 2 or 3 years. This means that the Lunar New Year can fall anywhere between late January and mid-February of the solar calendar.

The date of the New Lunar Year varies depending on the moon’s phases, but typically falls between January 21st and February 20th.

**January 22**
Waxing Crescent
Illumination: 1%

On this Lunar New Year, the Luna will be in its first phase after the new moon. The moon is close to the sun in the sky and should be mostly dark, except for the right edge.

The Phase of the Moon, January 22

Phase: Waxing Crescent; Illumination: 1%; Moon Age: 0.74 days
Moon Distance: 363,541.36 km Sun Distance: 147,238,179.62 km

The Lunar New Year is time to start anew, both symbolically and literally.

The Covers

For this edition of Covers of the Week for Monday, January 23, 2023, to Sunday, January 29 we’re showing off some of our favorite romance covers with moons in the night sky in honor of the Lunar New Year.

The Covers from Left to Right, (Clockwise)

Comanche Moon, Catherine Anderson, Harper Collins, 1991, Robert A. Maguire cover art
Beloved Honor, Mallory Burgess, Zebra, 1995, Franco cover art
Midnight Moon, Mildred Riley, Pinnacle, 1995, cover artist TBD
Waiting for the Moon, Kristin Hannah, Fawcett, 1995, James Griffin cover art

Your Opinion

What do you think of this week’s theme? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite? Have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #87: Don Case

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Artist: Donald Case

Don Case is an artist whose works I have seen on the cover of historical and regency romances since I began reading the genre 33 years ago.

Lamentably, I have never been able to uncover any information about this talented illustrator. In fact, the only hits I got on him during a web search directed me to my Pinterest page of Case’s covers.

His presence in the industry goes back to the mid-1980s. Publishers such as Warner Books, Simon & Schuster‘s Pocket Books Division, Berkeley/ Jove’s Charter imprint, and Kensington’s Zebra imprint have displayed Case’s cover illustrations.

His style is bright and colorful. It appears Case used a spray technique in some of his early covers (similar to George A. Bush). By the 1990s, like many of his Zebra colleagues, such as Franco Accornero and Jon Paul Ferrara, he incorporated digital methods to create romance covers.

The Covers

Don Case the artist remains a mystery, but his lovely artwork isn’t forgotten. For the week of Monday, January 16, 2023, to Sunday, January 22, 2023, this Covers of the Week shows off four covers designed by Donald Case.

Don Case Colleen-Shannon-Wild-Heart-Tamed

Don Case Covers from Left to Right, Top to Bottom

Blazing Passion, Barbara Cummins, Zebra, 1991
Wild Heart Tamed, Colleen Shannon, Charter, 1986
The Scotsman Bride, Linda Madl, Zebra, 1999
Summer Eyes, Joan Lancaster, Charter, 1988

Your Opinion

What do you think of this week’s theme? Do any of the Don Case covers stand out to you as a favorite? Have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.

Covers of the Week #86: Women on Top

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Theme: Women on Top

With all the variety of poses for romance covers, the rarest to spot is the woman on top of the hero. Clinch covers show couples embracing in various positions. Standing up, laying down, in bed, on the floor, on the seashore… Every situation imaginable has been pictured on the covers of romance books.

But seeing the heroine in a dominant position or laying on top of the hero is hard to find. Believe us, we searched and searched.

And indeed, we were fortunate to come upon a selection of covers where the exception is the rule.

The Covers

The heroines in these romances are running the show! For the week of Monday, January 9, 2023, to Sunday, January 15, 2023, this Covers of the Week displays an assortment of covers featuring the women laying on top of their heroes.

Women on Top Covers (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom)

Always, Jo Morrison, Harlequin, 1990, cover artist TBD
This Ravished Rose, Anne Carsley, Pocket Books, 1980, Harry Bennett cover art
Rhapsody, Jessica Dare, Gallen/Pocket Books, 1981, George H. Jones cover art
The Captive, Parris Afton Bonds, Dorchester, 1993, Pino cover art

Your Opinion?

What do you think of this week’s theme of women on top? Do any of the covers stand out to you as a favorite? Have a recommendation for a future Covers of the Week theme? Let us know, and we’ll try it out.

As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.