Kat Kennedy: Stephanie Sinclair and I are here with McCormick Templeman to gaze delightedly upon the cover of her new book, The Glass Casket. McCormick, has anyone ever told you that your name is perfect for raiding lost archeological discoveries?
McCormick Templeman: I get that a lot. Also that used to be my main goal when I was a wee thing. Also, thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here!
Kat Kennedy: We’re excited to have you here! Steph and I LOVE fairy tale retellings so we’re super excited!
Stephanie Sinclair: We sure do.
McCormick Templeman: Yay! It’s a very loose retelling, but it’s got a lot of dark Grimm stuff in its heart.
Kat Kennedy: Loose… *snickers*
McCormick Templeman: Tee hee.
Stephanie Sinclair: But we are hoping to convince you to instead go with one of Kat’s covers. She makes art, I tell you!
McCormick Templeman: Ooh! I’ve seen some of these before and I’m very excited to see more.
Kat Kennedy: Yes! I think it’s my duty to try and peddle my back-alley work to every author brave enough to be interviewed by us. Now, for the first one!
McCormick Templeman: Hit me!
Image by: Daughter of the Mist
Kat Kennedy: Now, for this one, I wondered if you didn’t mind dropping the “The” from the title. Fitting it in just wasn’t working for me.
Stephanie Sinclair: Oh an apple!
Kat Kennedy: Also, this way, you’d be able to cash in on all those dozens of people still looking to read something that reminds them of Twilight.
McCormick Templeman: That’s amazing. I think we should go with it. The thing I like about it is that it doesn’t reference anything else at all. Let’s do it.
What’s Twilight?
Stephanie Sinclair: LOL
Kat Kennedy: …
Stephanie Sinclair: What’s Twilight, she says! It’s a cash cow, I say!
Kat Kennedy: Haha, so which of Saturn’s 62 moons have you been living on lately?
McCormick Templeman: I am too weird for this format, aren’t I?
Kat Kennedy: Nope. Weirder the better in my opinion.
McCormick Templeman: I’m joking about Twilight. It’s the one with Billy Burke in it. I see why all the girls swoon. Billy fucking Burke!
Stephanie Sinclair: You scared me for a minute.
Kat Kennedy: You actually just managed to reference the ONLY good thing about Twilight (both books and movie).
So you’re either a) awesome or b) trying to seduce me or c) both
McCormick Templeman: I know! I kind of love him.
Kat Kennedy: I frankly hope it’s C.
McCormick Templeman: Both!
Stephanie Sinclair: So yeah, covers…Awkward moment is awkward
Kat Kennedy: Oh, that’s right. We have a no fondling the interviewees rule now.
Sorry.
🙁
Stephanie Sinclair: I feel like a 3rd wheel here
McCormick Templeman: I could start fondling you as well.
Bad or normal?
Stephanie Sinclair: Why not? Let’s make it a party.
Kat Kennedy: Okay, onto the sexond cover.
Oops. I mean second. MY BAD!
McCormick Templeman: Sexond.
Image by: Bwlight
Kat Kennedy: For this cover, I thought we could cash in on that whole “dead girl” cover trope that ties into misogynistic undertones because, why not?
McCormick Templeman: That’s actually really pretty. It looks like my book except set in a Swedish commune where everyone conditions their hair a lot and does inappropriate touching.
Kat Kennedy: Oh my god! There really are communes like that?!
Stephanie Sinclair: Kat’s ready to join up. You mentioned inappropriate touching.
McCormick Templeman: Um… I don’t know. I make stuff up. So let’s just say yes. Yes there are.
Kat Kennedy: Not really, I hate conditioning my hair.
McCormick Templeman: I don’t know how to condition my hair.
Stephanie Sinclair: Well, make love, not war, right?
McCormick Templeman: It also feels like the 70s.
Kat Kennedy: Yeah, if it doesn’t feel like instagram, the kiddies won’t buy it. They don’t know how to look at pictures without filters anymore.
conditioner is stupid. So is shampoo.
McCormick Templeman: How old are you guys? You’re really young, aren’t you? Like, do you remember the 70s at all?
Kat Kennedy: I’m 21. Steph is 15.
Stephanie Sinclair: Yup, that is totally my real age. I get carded and everything.
Kat Kennedy: And with two kids already? Steph, you’re not setting a good example here.
McCormick Templeman: Well I can’t tell if you’re joking or not because so many people in YA are like 12.
Stephanie Sinclair: Young Adult is such a broad term, don’t you think?
McCormick Templeman: I seriously just forgot about conditioner, and then I grew out my hair and now I have this weird snarl and I’m confused.
Kat Kennedy: If you want, McCormick, I could lovingly brush out your hair!
McCormick Templeman: Oh please do. But I was in the 70s for 3 years and it was horrifying.
Kat Kennedy: I can only imagine!
Stephanie Sinclair: Only 3 years? Time travel with the Doctor?!
McCormick Templeman: Oh, I guess it was 4. The last 4, but it was all shag carpet and weird mustaches, and brown wallpaper and it was super gross.
Kat Kennedy: I’m pretty sure we still had all that in the 80’s here in Australia. *Shudders*
Anyway ONTO THE THIRD COVER!
Now, a little bit of an explanation here – kissing covers are ALL the rage.
McCormick Templeman: What’s kissing?
Image by: My World is Electric
Stephanie Sinclair: This way you hit the NA and YA audience.
Kat Kennedy: Well you see, McCormick, when a mommy/daddy loves a mommy/daddy they put their lips together…
McCormick Templeman: I like how it looks like God is coming out of his nose.
Kat Kennedy: This kiss is SO GOOD that god is coming out of his nose.
McCormick Templeman: That way we can try to hit the religious market as well.
Stephanie Sinclair: I’m not sure what this cover has to do with a Glass Casket, but… i think I like it!
Kat Kennedy: Well, it doesn’t have ANYTHING to do with your book.
BUT it has kissing. People will buy it anyway.
Don’t you see the brilliance?
McCormick Templeman: I do too. It’s like steamy rain sex in the 20s.
Kat Kennedy: Steamy rain sex is the best.
McCormick Templeman: Which… I’m doing my first pass pages now. Maybe I should just change everything to match this cover.
Kat Kennedy: Oh! Yes! Please do!
Stephanie Sinclair: Maybe we can pretend the rain is making a glass casket?
Kat Kennedy: Steph… that doesn’t even make sense.
Stephanie Sinclair: Who said it had to make sense?
McCormick Templeman: Ooh, and there’s a hint of twinkling chest hair.
Kat Kennedy: I added extra sparkle to the chest hair.
Okay, maybe we should go ahead and show the cover to all the folks watching at home.
McCormick Templeman: Or maybe it’s raining glass and it’s the backstory of a dystopian. And then the glass rains came and everyone died except for me and my pet robot wombat…
Stephanie Sinclair: YES!
Kat Kennedy: I want a pet Wombat!
Stephanie Sinclair: See, Kat. McCormick sees my vision perfectly.
McCormick Templeman: Like these are the last few seconds of the good years.
Kat Kennedy: Although, disclaimer, robot wombats make horrible pets.
McCormick Templeman: Wombats are pretty cute. Steph, did you say you had kids?
Because Diary of A Wombat is an excellent book. I think that’s why I’m talking about wombats.
Wombats on the brain.
Which is actually a new kind of STD. Don’t try this at home, kids!
Stephanie Sinclair: Excellent. Just when I was thinking our family just wouldn’t be complete without a robot wombat in our life.
Kat Kennedy: Okay, let’s look at this cover!
McCormick Templeman: K. I’ll shut it.
Kat Kennedy: I love the nail polish and the lips.
And also that she’s not dead.
Dead girls on covers make me cry.
Stephanie Sinclair: I love the hand placement too.
Very mysterious.
McCormick Templeman: The cover totally blew me away. When they showed it to me, I couldn’t stop staring at it.
Kat Kennedy: It’s textured and lovely. I just want to look at it all day.
Then I want to tell it to get on my shelf already!
I have to say, the font is gorgeous.
McCormick Templeman: Thank you so much. I can’t take any credit for it. It was designed by Angela Carlino, and the cover art is by Leslie Ann O’Dell. It’s crazy to me that people can to this.
Oh! And I’ve seen a proof of the final jacket, and the letters look like they’re carved into glass. You can pet them. It’s so cool.
Kat Kennedy: That is so awesome!
Stephanie Sinclair: Did you have any input on the cover at all?
McCormick Templeman: My editor showed it to me in November and asked if I was into it, and I freaked out. I believe my response was, “I want to lick it!” And then they just did everything.
Kat Kennedy: Hahaha! That’s the best kind of response!
Stephanie Sinclair: An appropriate response.
Kat Kennedy: What was the process like getting your cover?
Did you just sit back and receive it with adulation?
or were there a series of proofs?
McCormick Templeman: I didn’t see anything after that until the final proofs, but I made it clear that I was excited about the design and I also knew that my input would probably mess it up. Like, I could never ever come up with something this cool. So yeah, just lots of clapping from me.
Kat Kennedy: I feel like I would be the same.
McCormick Templeman: No, but even though your covers are jokey, you clearly have an eye.
Kat Kennedy: Like if someone were designing a cover for me, my input would make it worse.
Stephanie Sinclair: I doubt that, Kat.
McCormick Templeman: Yeah, I think authors who are visual can add stuff. Like, wasn’t Jay Kristoff (bless his soul for the introduction to you lovelies) pretty involved in the process?
Kat Kennedy: Yeah, but he seems to be really into design stuff.
Like an unusual case of being freakishly capable in these things.
McCormick Templeman: Totally. Yeah, Jay’s a talented freak.
Kat Kennedy: Or just a freak… 😉
Now, that your cover is out, the count down is on to release day. Are you nervous this time around or are you more relaxed about it?
McCormick Templeman: I have no idea. I’m dissociating. I’m just starting revisions on my third book, so that should keep me occupied. I am super shy, so I can get way too nervous. I need to stay focused on other thing.
Kat Kennedy: Wow! Revisions on the third book? Amazing!
Stephanie Sinclair: Third book already? I’m just imagining Jay’s face as he reads this chat. *Grin*
McCormick Templeman: Btw, have you had a look at Kinslayer yet? Am I allowed to talk about other people’s books?
Kat Kennedy: Oh yeah sure. We did the cover reveal for Kinslayer a few weeks ago. Amazing, right?
McCormick Templeman: No, I know. I totally saw that. I meant the insides? Because I got to see an early version, and I can’t even. It’s CRAZY GOOD.
Kat Kennedy: Oh, jelly! God, I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
McCormick Templeman: Oh, and third book. It’s not actually fast because everything’s so slow. It just seems fast to the outside world.
It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever read, and I haven’t even read the final version yet. Society is gonna lose its shit. It’s going to crumble. He’s going to destroy society.
Kat Kennedy: Tell me about your novel though, too okay. Cause I’m super curious!
The synopsis is a bit vague.
McCormick Templeman: Hmm. It’s kind of tricksy. I’m not sure what’s a spoiler. Okay, I’m going to try. Just a second.
Kat Kennedy: *Holds onto special bits in excitement*
McCormick Templeman: Well, it’s about a pair of best friends (a boy and a girl) who live a quiet life in this remote fairy tale village. Two things happen at the beginning of the book that catalyze a lot of crazy shit. 1. A group of soldiers are found slaughtered up on this mountain pass, and no one can figure out what happened to them, but the girl gets caught up in trying to find out, and 2. A beautiful girl with black hair and ruby red lips comes to town, and the boy falls in love with her. The two events are not related, but they intersect in a crazy way, and eventually all hell breaks loose and bodies start piling up, and there’s romance too, but it’s kind of complicated because of some things I can’t say. By the way, this is literally the first time I’ve done this. I might be totally messing something up.
Kat Kennedy: Awesome! Okay, I super duper want to read your book! What would you say your protagonist is like?
McCormick Templeman: My main protagonist is named Rowan, and she’s kind of quiet and scholarly. She spends a lot of time translating ancient texts. She has a taste for adventure, and wants to get out of her village and see the world, but that’s kind of difficult for a female in this society. Like, she can’t ever marry, or she’s basically trapped. Tom is kind of the opposite. He’s pretty solid and simple he loves the village and never wants to leave. He gets involved with the newcomer to the village and gets swept up in some stuff he’s not ready to deal with.
Kat Kennedy: Quiet and scholarly, like you?
McCormick Templeman: Um… no. She’s way more composed than I am. She’s someone I’d be friends with, though. She’s a cool cat.
Kat Kennedy: I was kidding 😉
McCormick Templeman: Burn!
Kat Kennedy: Well, thank you so much for coming and chatting with us today, McCormick! We loved having you and looking at your beautiful cover!
McCormick Templeman: Thank you guys so much for having me. I loved all the covers you made. Thanks so much for taking the time to deal with all my crazy and to make those for me!
Stephanie Sinclair: Bye! Thanks for chatting!!
Kat Kennedy: We loved it!
McCormick Templeman: Bye! Thank you!
[about-author]
Goodreads | BookDepository | Indiebound
Death hasn’t visited Rowan Rose since it took her mother when Rowan was only a little girl. But that changes one bleak morning, when five horses and their riders thunder into her village and through the forest, disappearing into the hills. Days later, the riders’ bodies are found, and though no one can say for certain what happened in their final hours, their remains prove that whatever it was must have been brutal.
Rowan’s village was once a tranquil place, but now things have changed. Something has followed the path those riders made and has come down from the hills, through the forest, and into the village. Beast or man, it has brought death to Rowan’s door once again.
Only this time, its appetite is insatiable.
Giveaway
To share the love, Random House is giving away a copy of The Glass Casket to one lucky Cuddlebuggery reader!
Contest Rules:
- To enter, please fill out the Raffelcopter form below.
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- Please enter your email address in the Rafflecopter form and not the comments!
- Also, please understand that we reserve the right to disqualify any entries we find gaming the system. Cheaters never prosper!
deadtossedwaves
The covers are fabulous!! The real cover is absolutely stunning!!!!
lucyyreads
The covers are great! Except for the first one – I kind of flinched when I saw that apple…
kacimari
The cover is so beautiful. I kept staring at it, trying to figure out if her nails were just read or if she had red oozing out her mouth, which would’ve been creepy and totally okay with me, too. CAN’T WAIT TO READ. So amazing.
rocapri
sounds amazing and tnx for the fun interview
Alyssa Susanna
Well… I like the last one! The official one, I suppose. But the one with the image from My World is Electric wouldn’t have been too bad as well 😉
Thank you for the interview and giveaway!
kaethefierce
As much as I enjoy Kat’s covers, I have to agree that the actual cover is gorgeous. I love the pop of the nails.
Patricia Lady with Books
Is it bad that I like Kat’s ‘dead girl’ cover? It’s all floaty and sparkly, like a trip to glitter-land. I’d be sneezing my head off because of allergies but it’s still a really pretty cover. And I like the spotty font for the title, like it’s slowly dissolving. I’m having too many feels about a fake book cover, aren’t I?
Amber Lough
Oh man I was giggling throughout this whole post! Love the final cover, but am tempted to find this Swedish commune.
desiree1612
Kat, you always blow me away with your covers but I like the real one the best! I’ve never hears of this book til right now and I am excited to read it! Thanks guys.
Angela C
I love them! I always do! Ah, if only I were able to do something like that… You guys are hilarious. Make more posts like these! Though I’m not sure my family likes hearing my laugh every two seconds. 😉
JustMeLuliF
hahahah Loved this post! Just discovered the blog, but one of my favorites already! Loved all the covers btw 😉
Kara_M
I love Kat’s covers better! 😉 But I also adore the font on the actual cover. That is sheer brilliance. I WANT THIS BOOK!
Tammy
I like the last one, something about the red nail polish and the very pale skin.
aboesen_29
So this cover looks amazeballs.I must have this book.
christinareadsya
These posts and your X BOOK in ten lines are my favorites. Your conversations make cover reveals even more exciting than they already are. I’m a huge fan of the twinkling chest hair, god coming out of his nose, and the latent sexual tension. And yet, by far the best part was the joke about Twilight and Billy Burke. Apple cover FTW 🙂
And now, time to stare at that cover…
Neyra
I love the Twilight COVER, if you really want sales, go with the Twi-Like cover! 😉
I hadn’t heard of this book, but it sounds great. And the actual cover is beautiful. Lobe the interview ladies!
arosefromdead
All the covers are great but the actual cover is beautiful 🙂 love it!
Jonathan Goldhirsch
Great cover!
JeepinJaime
I don’t even know what the book is about yet, and it doesn’t matter because I am going to have this book on my shelf. With that beautiful, amazing, stunning cover that is nothing short of perfection facing OUT for all the world (at least, my hubby and me) to see. Seriously, this cover is going at the very top of my favorites list. Blown. Away! Now, I am going to go read the synopsis and enter the giveaway! Oh, thank all 3 of you for making me laugh my tush off. I needed that tonight!
Zarah
Wow. Loved reading this. Or hated, maybe? I have a cold and your little discussions made me laugh until I coughed and then it hurt but I was still happy because: laughs. And pretty covers. And geekery. Good stuff!
Love the covers – especially the one where he has God coming out of his nose… (LOL!!)
…or maybe I loved the actual one most. I’ll never tell! 😉
Thanks for the laughs – and for hosting this internationally so that geeks like me have a chance of winning as well! YAY for you!
SnSarreal
I personally think that the covers are wonderful, especially the one with the girl washed out in blue with dark red nailpolish. I think it accurately represents the somewhat ethereal and dark plot.
erinf1
the cover is… interesting?! Not my fav but I really like the review and synopsis 🙂
Proudhorse Books
I do so love these posts!
I admit, at first I thought she was eating her hand, but I actually like this a lot!
TheBookRat
THAT COVER.
Pretty good covers across the board, actually, but THAT COVER. *_*
Great East Road
Weird, but I know a model who looks so similar to the girl on the cover.
Bananas
Love the cover she chose! It looks amazing.
Though I did not like the cover with the apple. Too Twilight. & the cover with the rain — just didn’t like it. No reason. Haha! 🙂
Tandie
I love the cover she chose, the bright red pops of her lips & nails against b&w background. Mysterious & romantic. My second choice is the Swedish commune 70s cover. I’m a sucker for sleeping princesses! – Tandie
heartJESS
The cover she chose is phenomenal! I wanted to read the book before I ever even read the synopsis! I LOVE this post, it is neat to see the process a cover goes through.
omgn
Ooh, very intriguing cover! It leaves me with questions that need answering!
beatejano
I really like the one with the red nail polish 😀
FlyleafHeather
I LOVE the final pick (the last one.) I featured in a cover reveal today as well:)
I keep thinking of that New Politics song “Harlem” :
“Just like you, like I, like fingers in your mouth.”
And that song will be stuck in my head ALL day now:)
Ames1
I love this interview! You guys are so amusing 🙂 I can’t wait to read The Glass Casket!
Mel @ thedailyprophecy
Haha, great interview and what a pretty cover! I like how the girl seem to fade away towards the right side of the cover. And boy does this book sound good or what 😀 I love fairytales.
a_tiffyfit
lol I love the discussion of the different covers! The comment about how “God looks like he’s coming out of his nose” made me choke on my water! lol
Kamla L,
I love the cover! It has such an ethereal mesmerizing appeal. The red nails is just the perfect punch of color. The Glass Casket like a great riveting and suspense read. Definitely one I want to read. Thanks for the entertaining interview and giveaway!
Shannelle C
“God is coming out of his nose.” *snickers* I think you should bring her in more often for interviewing.
debediah
Love the cover!
Aida
I like the Swedish commune cover XD And the real one is beautiful but also kind of creepy
wearedevilcow
I like the Swedish cover best – mostly because I hate the dead girl pose too.
Kayla_DeGroote
It’s so cool how you guys discussed all the covers like that! My favorite has got to be the final one 🙂 Though the kissing (and God coming out of his nose *giggle*) is a close second!
Sarah
Love the cover! But I love the commentary even more! Haha
bookscoffeecat
Haha this is hilarious! I had tons of fun reading it! I like the sparkly chest hair one 😉 so funny! Gorgeous cover! Sounds amazing!