Cover Reveal! SMALL TOWN MONSTERS
We are delighted to host the cover reveal for Diana Rodriguez Wallach's first horror novel, Small Town Monsters, which will be published by Underlined Paperbacks/Penguin Random House on September 7, 2021!
.
First, here's a description of the book:
Something's wrong in Roaring Creek. . . .
All Vera Martinez wants is to get out. Out of Roaring Creek and away from her embarrassing demonologist parents. Not to mention the terrifying occult things lurking in their basement.
Maxwell Oliver just wants to fit in. But it's hard to enjoy parties with his friends when his mom is morphing into someone he doesn't recognize. Someone scary. And slowly he begins to suspect that the harmless self-help group she joined might be something more . . . sinister.
Soon Vera and Max are up against dark forces that extend far past their small coastal town-and into the very heart of evil.
The Conjuring meets The Vow in this terrifying paperback original that tells the unputdownable story of a girl, a dark angel, and the cult hellbent on taking over her small, coastal town.
.
Now, here is some information about the author:
.
Diana Rodriguez Wallach has never encountered a demon, or at least, she hopes she hasn't. But she does believe in them. Before dipping into spooky stories, with Small Town Monsters, Diana published several YA novels, including the Anastasia Phoenix Series (Entangled Publishing), a trilogy of female-centered spy thrillers. The first book in the series, Proof of Lies, has been optioned for film and was chosen as a finalist for the 2018 International Thriller Awards. Diana is also the author of the Amor and Summer Secrets series (Kensington Books), a trilogy of contemporary Latinx novels. The first book in the series placed second at the 2009 International Latino Book Awards for Best Young Adult Novel. She is also a Creative Writing Instructor for Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth. Diana holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two children. This is her first horror novel. You can find out more about Diana by checking out her website: www.dianarodriguezwallach.com and by following her on social media: https://linktr.ee/admin
.
And, here's what the author and designer had to say about the process of creating the cover:
.
Diana: It has been so exciting for me to be a part of the cover-design process! It's a luxury I know not all authors get, and one I've never had with my previous books. During our first conversations, my editor, Ali Romig, and I discussed creating a cover vibe reminiscent of 'old school horror movie posters.' It was fun researching and passing around old film-poster images. We also discussed color concepts; given the book is dual point-of-view with male and female teenage protagonists, I didn't want anything that felt too girl-centric. I also preferred not having a face on the cover; this way both protagonists would be equally represented and the cover would focus more on an atmospheric vibe. As soon as Ali told me we would be working with artist Nicholas Moegly, my expectations soared. His work is so hauntingly beautiful with lighting, so exquisite it looks like a photograph. When I got to see the final cover, I was blown away! I also love how Underlined's art department matched the golden lettering with the street lighting. Yellow is an important color in the book, as the creepy cult identifies themselves with canary yellow hats. So this cover really hits on so many levels.
.
Casey Moses, Designer at Penguin Random House: For the cover of Small Town Monsters, we wanted to capture the essence of the novel by showing the small town setting and incorporating different elements to represent the darkness spreading and taking over. Nicholas Moegly was our first choice illustrator since he specializes in eerily beautiful and dark settings. He uses light and shadow in such a unique way that really adds drama and brings this cover to life. We wanted the reader to feel a sense of danger from the subtle demon idle in the sky to the vague silhouettes of cult members encroaching down this quiet street.
.
Start scrolling...*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Keep scrolling...*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Almost there...*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
.
Cover design by Casey Moses
Creepy, right?!
Small Town Monsters is available now for preorder: http://bit.ly/3oSud3j
.