*** New Cover Reveal *** Painted Blind by Michelle A. Hansen

Michelle Hansen decided it was time to do a cover re-do on her Painted Blind book. Here is the old cover

After much searching and deciding this is the new cover for Painted Blind

Seventeen years old and agoraphobic, Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown. Now everyone—especially her dad—can see it. And yet, somehow, those are the mundane things in her life because she is about to fall unexpectedly, head-over-heels in love with Erik, a mysterious young man who rescues her from a crowd of admirers, and who she’s never actually seen because…he can make himself invisible.

As strange as this may seem, it’s about to get even stranger. Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Overtaken, intrigued, and still not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche is going to have to decide if she can love him blindly; because if she can’t, she may lose him forever.

MY REVIEW

5 OF 5 PAINTED BLIND

Painted Blind took me by surprise. I am so excited to be a part of this tour put on by AToMR. At first when I started reading Painted Blind I thought the story sounded familiar that was when I realized it is a retelling of Psyche and Eros. I was so excited because I LOVE Greek Mythology and so of course as most of you know when I love a book I stayed up to 3am in the morning reading this book until I finished. I love the way Michelle put her own spin on it and created a loveable cast of characters.

Painted Blind starts out with Psyche spending the summer in Italy and doing some modeling. When Psyche comes home for her senior year in high school she is excited. That is until she comes out of her local ice cream shop and looks up at the billboard and sees herself there in a not so nice picture. Freaked out because has no idea how that billboard picture came to be and worried about her father she is rescued from the crowd by Erik. Psyche slowly falls in love with Erik and she longs to see what he looks like. She tries to see what he looks like and Erik leaves her wanting nothing to do with her. What will Psyche do? Will her heart break in two? Will she see Erik again? What will her senior in high school look like?

Erik is a quiet guy who saves Psyche from the people talking about her. He is gentle and kind and he is sure he has found his true love. Only there is someone determined to see them do bad and destroy what they are trying to build. Erik will soon find out how far true love will go to be with the one they want. God I can't say anything more about Erik because it will spoil it for you.

What happens when two people fall in love and someone else tries to destroy it? What happens when you mess up and do the opposite of what you are told to do? Will Psyche and Erik get there Happily Ever After? Read on to see. If you LOVE Greek Mythology like I do you will enjoy Painted Blind!

After receiving an e-mail from Michelle with the cover update I decide to ask her some questions about her cover change and why she decided it was time for it to change.

Today I would like to welcome Michelle Hansen author of Painted Blind. If you have not read this book you need to drop everything you are doing and go out and get it! It is a MUST READ for all YA readers. I have Michelle here today to share some great news of her own. The cover of Painted Blind has had a makeover and man oh man it is HAWT!!!!!!!!! Hawt like fire and HOLY HADES did I do a double take when I saw it. So I had to ask Michelle a few questions about her book covers makeover. 

What made you decide to change the cover of Painted Blind? 

The cover was the single most criticize part of the book. Not the plot, not the characters—the cover. It surprised me, and I realized I was probably losing readers because of the cover. If a reader doesn’t like the cover going into the book, you have to work doubly hard to win her over in the text. 

The original cover was very different from other books in the market today. I thought that would be a good thing, but it seemed to work against the novel. 

Who helped you pick the first cover? 

I chose the first cover concept and I was there when Ashley shot the photo. I loved the way it was framed, and I thought the overall design was very good. However, readers thought the emphasis on the contemporary element was misleading. There were several reviews that said something to the effect of, “This book isn’t what I thought it would be.” 

I realized that what readers loved in the book was the mythology element, and that didn’t show in the packaging. 

Did you have any say in choosing this new cover? 

That is the beauty of going with a publisher like mine. You have a say in everything. 

I was in a quandary. The old cover was getting trashed in review, but the book had just come out. I didn’t know what to do, so I waited and worried. 

I’d met author and cover designer Emma Michaels through a Facebook release party, and she posted one day that she was having a cover art sale on her website. I clicked the link and scrolled through her photos. The moment I saw this new cover photo I said, “That is Psyche!” That photo just belonged on my book. I contacted Emma and bought the cover. She did the front cover, back cover and some amazing banners. 

Who is the cover designer?

 Emma Michaels. You can find her at www.emmamichaels.com

How do you feel about the new cover? 

I liked the old cover, but this one fits the novel perfectly. It will sell better. That, really, is what the cover is all about. If one person reads this book solely because she likes the cover, it has done its job. 

Did you get a lot of negative feed back about the first cover and decided to change it? 

I have to say I love the first cover as well but dang this new cover will have your book flying off of the shelves! 

Do you have any other books in the works right now? 

My next book is a contemporary YA thriller. 

When a bomb goes off in his locker, Rebecca’s best friend Ryan is accused of being a terrorist. Rebecca vows to clear him before the cops figure out where he’s hiding, but when she realizes the bombing is tied to a crime she witnessed eight years ago, uncovering the truth may mean losing her best friend and her heart along with him. 

As a side note, the back cover text is also being updated. Here is the new description: 

Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown, where everyone—especially her dad—can see it. That becomes the least of her worries when she meets Erik, a mysterious guy who rescues her from a mob and who she’s never actually seen because he can make himself invisible. 

Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Enchanted, intrigued, and not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche can’t bring herself to love him blindly. When she betrays his trust for a glimpse of his face, Psyche ends up at the mercy of Erik’s controlling mother, who demands that Psyche prove herself in order to be reunited with him. Psyche knows love is never easy, but this is ridiculous. She agrees to complete three impossible tasks to prove her devotion to Erik—or die trying. 

This modern retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche is a fantastical journey filled with laughter, danger, and the indomitable power of love.

Michelle A. Hansen Biography

The official, boring Biography:

Michelle Hansen was born in Kennewick, Washington. She was raised on a farm on the outskirts of Pasco, Washington. After her graduation from Pasco High School, she attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, then transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching from BYU in 1997 and taught high school English for six years. She and her husband have four children.

FOLLOW ON

http://www.michelleahansen.com/