As I write this post, believe me when I say, I have Kenny Roger’s Through The Years playing the in background. Sigh. I love that song  and it’s partly because it reminds me of the day I first picked up my first Johanna Lindsey book. Yep, she was my first foray into historical romance and thus introduced me to the world of Avon Books.

If Harlequin reigns supreme in the world of romance then Avon Books has to reign supreme over the historical romance genre. Avon and historical romance go together like chocolate chip cookies and milk. Like t-shirts and jeans. Like…well, you get my drift.

This week as I look back on how historical covers have changed, I’m taking us back through the years of covers with none other than Avon Books/Harper Collins. If you’re wondering why this post seems kind of lengthy, well that’s because it is. Most of my favourite historical authors of all time happen to have been with Avon at some time and it was impossible to cut them short.

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Since I started with Johanna Lindsey, I figured a pretty good place to start would be with the cover of her first release in 1977 Captive Bride. Here Avon is giving us a full scene. If the title didn’t tell us she was captive then the scene certainly attempts to depict a heroine being spirited away on horseback by a sheik in the desert. Note how big the title is compared to Johanna Lindsey’s name, which you almost have to squint to see. Hey she’s new. Her name means not so much right now. Of course, as we know, that will change. All in all, very nice for the time.

Next we have one of my all time favourites from Avon in 1980, Fires of Winter. To me, they hit this one out of the park. It’s such a gorgeous sensuous cover, the background color so warm and neutral with the splash of burgundy for the title and Johanna Lindsey’s name. And the pose, love it! I think one reason it works so well for me is that you never see an overhead angle of a couple embracing. It just works and to this day I find it massively appealing. I think one thing we see right from the start is Avon knows how to do covers!

Now around 1985 Avon started doing something different with Ms. Lindsey’s covers. The hero and heroine’s features are angular, hawkish and sharply pointed. I must say I wasn’t pleased with this new look, this new turn. But do note how Johanna Lindsey’s name has grown in size. Her novels are selling like hotcakes, she’s making a name for herself as a historical romance force to be reckoned with. Hey, soon she’ll be headlining her own books.

At Avon in 1988, there’s a new author in town. I’m not quite sure when I got her on my radar, but get her on it I did.  Look closely at the cover and you can just make out her name. If you can’t read it, her name is Brenda Joyce. LOL. Don’t worry, her name will increase in size, just like Johanna Lindsey’s did. Now Brenda Joyce is writing about the North American West and you can see the difference. Avon gives their authors their own distinct look. Notice, as with most historical covers, even the current ones, how the heroine’s hair is always loose and flowing, very contrary to the way they would have worn their hair back then.  But, I won’t quibble about that as marketing has to contend with readers’ modern sensibilities. Heroines in hairstyles worn precisely the way women did back then would not be as attractive (they had a long love affair with tight curls).

By 1989, Avon has discovered Fabio and you will find him on the cover of every  historical romance novel set in every conceivable historical period. In Johanna Lindsey’s Savage Thunder (one of my FAVES!!!), he’s sporting long dark hair and is  half Native American. On the cover of Brenda Joyce’s 1992 Scandalous Love (one of my absolute FAVES of hers), Fabio is blond, still with the long locks, and is our hero, an English Duke. I don’t recall the hero wearing his hair that long though.  Needless to say, this love affair with Fabio, Avon, and romance covers goes on for awhile. Please note how much Ms. Joyce’s name has increased in size. I believe at this time, she’s a bonafide success.

Okay, now I’m going to have a little fun with the next two. Bear with, me I’m jumping publishing houses and several years (Keep in mind, my love for Harlequin spans decades and is unquestionable). First we have the cover of Brenda Joyce’s Secrets published by Avon in 1993. Her name is prominent and she no longer has the clinch cover. Yes, I believe now she’s that BIG. Readers will buy her books even if it featured a paper bag. *grin* That’s when you know you made it. Beside Secrets is her 2005 cover of Masquerade published by Harlequin/MIRA. Notice any similarities? Boy did I scratch my head about this once her twice imagining the scene with the marketing people and the art department. I think it kind of went like this:

“You want to put a mask on the cover?” art person asked.

“Yep,” says marketing person.

“Hmm, you do realize that Ms. Joyce had a mask on the cover of her book with Avon several years back?”

“Yeah, but our mask is gold with ribbons to tie it in place. And our cover will have the yellow band across the top that states she’s a New York Times Bestselling Author. It doesn’t look the same at all!”

So said, so done. Discussion over.

Okay, back on track and we’re in 1995 with a little known first time author by the name of Julia Quinn and her book Splendid. Notice the high placement of her name and how large it is. Oh yes, Avon has learned over the years that making their authors names too small does little to keep their names in readers’ memory. My doesn’t the hero look swarthy and tanned.

Five years later in 2000, Avon’s Julia Quinn is launching what is to become one of the bestselling historical romance series in romance history with the release of The Duke and I; The Bridgertons. Seven books would follow The Duke and I. We see in those 5 (five) years, Ms. Quinn’s covers have gone from the clinch to this–decorous, sweet, pretty. No one could take umbrage with this. This is the kind of cover that needn’t be hidden under a book cover or lowered when you’re reading in public (hey, that’s not me doing that, but it is our reality). It doesn’t necessarily say it’s historical but then Julia Quinn fans know and historical readers KNOW, which is what’s important. Julia Quinn is now an Avon force–a historical romance force–and her covers reflect that.

If you’re wondering why When He Was Wicked (2004) is featured when it appears I’m not going to necessarily talk about that cover per se? Because I sooooo loved this book!!!! And I could NOT not pimp it just a little. I don’t know what I expected when I read this book but it wasn’t this! It was darkier, sexier, more tension fraught than any of her other books and I LOVED IT! If you’re one of those readers who think Ms. Quinn’s books are just a little to light-hearted and tame for your tastes, do pick this one up. You will be delightfully surprised. Okay, I got that out. We move on.

Now for me, a pattern has developed with these covers. As I noted with Julia Quinn’s covers as an new unknown author to mega-star success, Johanna Lindsey and Lisa Kleypas gives credence to what I’m saying. Take a look at Ms. Kleypas’s cover from her first book with Avon Books, Then Came You and then her last book, Scandal in Spring. And by the time Johanna Lindsey departed Avon Books her covers had been quite sparse for a good while as we see from You Belong to Me. How were they satisfying the readers needful of a tasteful yet lusty hero and heroine clinch? As you may very well know, that picture was moved to the stepback.

What is a stepback? A stepback is essentially the inside cover (second cover). It usually features the hero and heroine clinch with a front cover less prone to draw a response of ‘Oh you read those” from someone not inclined to romance novel reading.  As far as I can see (which means I raided my extensive collection of Avon historicals), Avon started using stepback covers around 1989-1990.

However, I still could be wrong. I start digging, looking for consistent Avon New York Times top selling authors who still have the clinch front cover. What do I find? I find these lovely, elegant covers from Eloisa James, Teresa Medeiros and Christina Dodd. Not a man to be seen, not a clinch to be had. But all the covers are gorgeous and unique in the way Avon seems to fingerprint each of their authors.

Which brings up to present day Avon covers which are striking, elegant, beautiful and eye catching. Those qualities are the constancy between them as the covers vary from author to author, series to series, book to book. Some of my favourite covers this year and the upcoming year (so far) are Laura Lee Guhrke’s With Seduction In Mind, Lavinia Kent’s A Talent for Sin and her upcoming February 2010 release Bound By Temptation. I love the sensuality of the women’s expression. And on the cover of A Talent for Sin, I love the touch of the heroine holding an apple behind her back. So very classic Adam and Eve.

As you can see from Avon’s past, current and future covers, they continue to be trendsetters and innovators with their style, class, and creativity. They’ve taken us through the years with books by some of the best to write in the genre of historical romance and I imagine they will continue to do so for many, many years to come. Thank you Avon.

To celebrate Avon’s prolific history of gorgeous covers, I’m giving away Lorraine Heath’s Midnight Pleasures With A Scoundrel, Kathryn Caskie’s The Most Wicked Of Sins, and Kathryn Smith’s When Seducing A Duke, just comment to win.

What is your favourite Avon cover?

**And don’t forget to vote in The Season’s Cover Contest.  Sunday, November 15th is the final day to vote.