Will the Old Covers Ever Return?
Someone asked me this in the comments box below, and this is another question I've occasionally gotten:
I have a question? Will the "old" covers of the Shadow of the Bear and Black as Night ever be available? Just wondering, because I wanted to buy a couple for gifts and I prefer the old covers.
The answer is: very sorry, but no. The old covers (both created by Rose Sharpe, btw) are owned by Bethlehem Books, so I couldn't use them even if I wanted to. I know that some of you preferred the old covers, but I know that many others had complaints about them. We have no plans to go back to the old covers, and we don't even have any of them left to sell in our cache (I *do* have a stash of the original yellow hardcovers, but I'm saving them to give to my grandchildren! They're not for sale!).
So... right now you can still get copies of The Shadow of the Bear from Bethlehem (click here to order). But once they are out of theirs, that means that the Bethlehem covers will be officially collectibles! :)
If you want a copy of the book with the old covers, the good news is that you can find them "new and used" on Amazon.com. I just checked now, and according to Amazon today (click to view and buy):
The Shadow of the Bear is still in stock, with 32 new and used copies available.
Black as Night is out of stock, but there are 3 new and used copies available.
And for real diehards
there are 11 used and new copies available of the original hardcover, Snow White and Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tale.
But when I said the Bethlehem Books were collectibles now, I was serious. Even though this is incredible to me, according to Amazon, the highest price for a used hardcover of the original book is $158.60, with the only new copy going for $75.00.
And someone is selling their used copy of Black as Night for $85.80. Yikes! Better grab those other two copies while you can!
Honestly, I have no idea why some copies have shot up in price this way. I guess I just don't understand the used book market!
But before you buy any high-priced copies of Black as Night, first check out Emmanuel Books, which has the very last copies of Black as Night in stock that we know about. We sold the last box of books to them. You can get them for $11.95, the original price. And it looks as as though there are enough nice new copies of The Shadow of the Bear on Amazon.com for about $7-$8 so those of you who are searching for Christmas presents. (And you know, it might be a good investment for your giftee if that $7 copy starts selling for $80 a few years from now...)
Oh, if any booksellers reading this post have new copies of the old books in stock, let me know and I'll be happy to point readers towards you.
To deal with one final question:
Are you planning on having a drawn cover of Waking Rose that matches the Bethelehm Books covers so I can have a matched set?
... again, sadly, the answer is no. Unless another publisher picks up the book and changes the cover, the cover of Waking Rose that is available now is the only cover we plan to have.
I have a question? Will the "old" covers of the Shadow of the Bear and Black as Night ever be available? Just wondering, because I wanted to buy a couple for gifts and I prefer the old covers.
The answer is: very sorry, but no. The old covers (both created by Rose Sharpe, btw) are owned by Bethlehem Books, so I couldn't use them even if I wanted to. I know that some of you preferred the old covers, but I know that many others had complaints about them. We have no plans to go back to the old covers, and we don't even have any of them left to sell in our cache (I *do* have a stash of the original yellow hardcovers, but I'm saving them to give to my grandchildren! They're not for sale!).
So... right now you can still get copies of The Shadow of the Bear from Bethlehem (click here to order). But once they are out of theirs, that means that the Bethlehem covers will be officially collectibles! :)
If you want a copy of the book with the old covers, the good news is that you can find them "new and used" on Amazon.com. I just checked now, and according to Amazon today (click to view and buy):
The Shadow of the Bear is still in stock, with 32 new and used copies available.
Black as Night is out of stock, but there are 3 new and used copies available.
And for real diehards
there are 11 used and new copies available of the original hardcover, Snow White and Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tale.
But when I said the Bethlehem Books were collectibles now, I was serious. Even though this is incredible to me, according to Amazon, the highest price for a used hardcover of the original book is $158.60, with the only new copy going for $75.00.
And someone is selling their used copy of Black as Night for $85.80. Yikes! Better grab those other two copies while you can!
Honestly, I have no idea why some copies have shot up in price this way. I guess I just don't understand the used book market!
But before you buy any high-priced copies of Black as Night, first check out Emmanuel Books, which has the very last copies of Black as Night in stock that we know about. We sold the last box of books to them. You can get them for $11.95, the original price. And it looks as as though there are enough nice new copies of The Shadow of the Bear on Amazon.com for about $7-$8 so those of you who are searching for Christmas presents. (And you know, it might be a good investment for your giftee if that $7 copy starts selling for $80 a few years from now...)
Oh, if any booksellers reading this post have new copies of the old books in stock, let me know and I'll be happy to point readers towards you.
To deal with one final question:
Are you planning on having a drawn cover of Waking Rose that matches the Bethelehm Books covers so I can have a matched set?
... again, sadly, the answer is no. Unless another publisher picks up the book and changes the cover, the cover of Waking Rose that is available now is the only cover we plan to have.
We also can't get the book printed in the original sizes either (that was another question). Now Lulu offers a slightly smaller size, but it's not the same as the original covers. Our only choices are the 6x9 Novel size (which we are using), a 5.75 x 8.7" size, and pocket paperback size (which ironically is more expensive because it's more pages!).
But we do plan to publish the upcoming books (The Midnight Dancers, Alex and K's book, Fish's other book) in the same size and with the same format as the first three books. I know this is very important to readers! So, eventually, you *will* have a matching set -- if you start collecting the self-published versions!
Comments
Too bad my sister doesn't believe in furniture. ;)
By the way, Regina, this sister of mine and I are working on a fan site for your books. :) This is our first time attempting such a thing, and we're very new to HTML. So it could take us a while to get it onto the internet. But as soon as we do get it on the internet, we'll show you! I just thought you might like to know. :)
(I can't remember why matching sets of books reminded me of fan sites...)
~Delaney
I would totally love to see it when you have it finished! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank's Regina for posting about this topic, I was wondering the same thing. Okay, so my set will be unmatching, but if I give it to anyone else, which I definatly will (I wish my cousins were just a little bit older!) they will have a matching set. I think I will do some bedroom planning too, LOTR over here, Redwall over there, Fairy Tale novel series over here... (Delaney,I am truly sorry your sister doesn't believe in furniture. Is she older than you?)
You know, I think I know who asked the question about the covers... (Miss Fish, was that you?) (Don't ask how she got that name!)
God Bless!
Ps. If you REALLY want to know, I'll tell you.
PPs. And if you REALLY want to know how I got mine, I'll tell you that too.
Anyway, I personally like the larger size of the new editions of the books. They sit nicely in the lap and stand out invitingly on the bookshelf. The old covers were nice, but the new cover of Black as Night is so much better than the old one! I like Bear's outline on the back of the book and the bullet hole in the mirror. :) I'm saving up for the hardcover copies. For me, they're worth the investment. :) ~Mae
P.S. I don't know about everyone else, but Lady Rose, I REALLY want to know how you and "Miss Fish" got your nicknames!
Yeah, i would like to know how "Miss Fish" and "Lady Rose" got their nicknames too!!
I do like the old covers a bit better, but regarding our families' set, we have the first version of each of the books! :)
I will let Lady Rose tell the story of the nicknames, though there isn't much to it...
Thanks for the tip about the covers. ;o)
I would love to see a drawn cover for Waking Rose. Can you consider it?
However, I plan to hold onto my old copies because I like to see the subtle variations that you made from the old hardcover to Shadow of the Bear and from Black as Night to the new soft-cover.
"Truth is beauty, and beauty is truth; that is all you know on earth and all you need to know."
ONCE APON A TIME...
Our real names are Amanda and Veronica, and we e-mail each other a lot, so after I read Waking Rose, I started to sign my name as "Rose". (Also my confirmation name.)
I then decided that V needed a nickname too, so I started suggesting a bunch of different ones. There is a Sister Veronica in the book, but since all she does is answer the phone once, we ditched that idea.
Than we hit on "Fish". Everyone knows that Fish's real name is Benedict, or, Ben. Well, in play that we both were in the past spring, Veronica was a boy who's name just happened to be Ben. (side note, some people still call her that, and she doesn't like it.)
So after a while of going back and forth, she finally decided to be Fish, and I tacked on the "Miss" to make it sound a bit more feminine.
THE END.
Epilouge: I think that name is going to stick for a long time. I have slightly modified it to "Miss Fishy".
And as to how I knew it was Miss Fish, we had a conversation about the book topic and she wondered aloud almost exactly what she wrote in the comment to Regina. Doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figures that one out!
I think I will buy the new covers of SotB and BaN, along with WR, but I definately plan on keeping my old copies.
I hope everyone who was wondering about the nicknames is satisfied!
God Bless Y'all!
(Lol) I just realized something. In the play mentioned above, (called "Remember Me"), the main character's name was (drum roll please...) Rose! (No, I did not play her.) That is soooo funny! (Sorry, but I am really cracking up about that one!) And Miss Fish is probably wondering why it took me so long to realize that, (unlesss she hasn't either!) :)
~Mae
That's a shame about the cover's, I really liked the Bethlehem cover of Shadow of the Bear, i thought that was a really cool cover.
The Shadow of the Bear on the radio sounds great, I wish I could here it! unfortunately, I can't..I'm from Australia!
Is there anywhere else we can possible hear them??
One thing about the new covers, I think that they (especially the first one) will make the books look more 'appealing' to say, kids who only read not very good books. (Like, my cousins.) I can't wait to start giving them copies!
God Bless!
Thanks "Lady Rose" for explaining about your nicknames. I am quite satisfied. I also like the "modification" of Miss Fishy!
Joanna F.
the anonymous from Australia!
God Bless Y'all!
I remember dying to read the second book to figure out what was on the cover...
I was a *little* disappointed when I saw that Waking Rose had a different cover...not that I don't like it!
I have three questions,
Was Dr. Prosser the one at the christening in WR? I don't think it ever clarified that in the book.
and
Did Rose have naturally wavey/curly hair? I always imagined her with large, loose, "wavy-ish", red curls...just wondering.
There were one or two confusing spots in WR, that my sisters and I couldn't figure out. (they are too long to explain here.) Should I e-mail you, Mrs. Doman to get them clarified?
There are new hardcovers for all three books, and you can find them here:
Shadow of the Bear:
http://www.lulu.com/content/1031476
Black as Night: http://www.lulu.com/content/1149738
Waking Rose:
http://www.lulu.com/content/1107938
They take longer to print than the paperbacks (sometimes three weeks!) but I think they've turned out quite nicely. :)
You wrote:
Was Dr. Prosser the one at the christening in WR? I don't think it ever clarified that in the book.
No, it was Dr. Murray. But the two doctors look enough alike superficially to confuse anyone, inclulding the reader.
and
Did Rose have naturally wavey/curly hair? I always imagined her with large, loose, "wavy-ish", red curls...just wondering.
I never actually say much about Rose's hair, except that it's red. I left the texture up to the imagination of the reader.
But Rose on the front cover of the original hardcover and on the back cover of the paperback *did* have wavy hair, so it would make sense that you thought that.
I do know that one artist used my best friend, who has wavier hair, as a model for Rose.
In my mind, Rose has straight red hair, but apparently the artists for both books saw it differently!
There were one or two confusing spots in WR, that my sisters and I couldn't figure out. (they are too long to explain here.) Should I e-mail you, Mrs. Doman to get them clarified?
Go ahead and email, and if I think that the problems are ones that other readers will find interesting, I'll post them! The rest of you, you're free to do this as well. It might be fun to post another "questions" topic on the blog.
------
BTW Delaney, if you are reading this, I never got your artwork! Try sending again!
I'll try sending them again. Do you mind if I also send you some of my sister's graphics? :) She made a few wallpapers using quotes from the books and I think they look amazing. :D
Question, so if it wasn't Dr. Prosser who threatened Mr. Brier, why did she than try to kill Rose? How exactly was she involved than, other than being the main doctor at the hospital? I always thought that it was Dr. Prosser who threatened Mr. Brier, especially after she attempted to poison Rose. Dr. Murray just didn't seem like the kind of person who would threaten someone like that, especially since later she wanted to keep Rose alive.
Although, I suppose you would have to find a fairy tale where the prince and princess were married. In the only one I ever read that was close to that (I don't remember what it was called)the king was going to burn the queen because he thought she was a witch. (Something Fish would NEVER do to Rose... I hope!)
Amd than of course, there is the one whith the greedy wife and the poor husband, and the magical fish (ha ha), that gives them whatever they want, and the wife becomes richer and more powerful, until she asks to be God, and than the fish gets really mad and they are just poor peasents again.
(Big sigh). Okay, so if there are ANY fairy tales that would work, I think the whole honeymoon thing would make a really neat story.
God Bless Y'all!
(Regina, I tried replying to your reply about my graphics, but I can't be sure that it actually got to you. You certainly may post them! :) Thank you for the kind words. And I shall feel foolish for posting this if the email got to you. ;) )
And lastly, there is this Once Upon a Time series, which I actually dislike, but their premise is that each one retells a fairytale, sometimes in a very different way. So, if you did choose a fairytale, would you have to follow it as closely as you have?
Or could you simply just write more about Rose and Fish because we all love them so much that their lives could be an entirely new fairytale in their own right? For what are fairytales but ordinary people doing extraordinary things? The world is a place of mystery, amazement and wonder, which the Catholic faith opens our eyes to with such clarity and vividness.
Arianna C.
(Can you tell that I just really don't want to believe that their story is over...)
A: Right now I can say that I'm working on trying to give a glimpse of Rose and Fish's wedding in The Midnight Dancers. (Because of course Paul is in the wedding party - but I can warn you, he probably won't notice anything much about Rose's dress, except that it's white. :) )
Q: Would another story about Rose and Fish have to be a fairytale?
A: Not necessarily, although I would probably try to retell *some* kind of tale or find some sort of framework to work off of. And I assure you, I'm definitely looking at some pretty multicultural stories to get ideas.
Q: Or could you simply just write more about Rose and Fish because we all love them so much that their lives could be an entirely new fairytale in their own right? For what are fairytales but ordinary people doing extraordinary things?
A: Point well taken! Who knows, I might consider it... right now, though, I don't have any ideas even for a "stand alone" story with Fish and Rose. We'll just have to see what happens... pray that the Holy Spirit inspires me!
~~Theresa ~~
Theresa, I think that would be a really cool book! (Not to mention suspensful!) I LOVE your idea!
Oh, and I think that if another book was written about Rose and Fish, it should be based on a fairy tale, otherwise it just wouldn't seem the same as the rest, you get what I mean? I don't think it would... well, feel the same. If I don't make sense, I apologize.
Happy All Saints Day!
Arianna
We're one of those bookstores who have some stock remaining of the old Bethlehem covers--9 copies of Shadow of the Bear and 15 copies of Black as Night (as of today, November 5th). If you'd like to refer people to us, we certainly won't complain! We are Exodus Provisions, website: www.exodusbooks.com, and phone (503)655-1951. Thanks!
Eli Evans, owner
A: I do love that story, but so many great authors have already done rewrites of that tale (including modern ones) that I'm not anxious to tackle it. I'm not sure what I could add to it. But I've definitely considered doing some of the other "animal husband" tales, and maybe someday I will!
Me: Oh, really? What are some of the names?
Any chance of this happening soon?
Margaret redmeg1990@hotmail.com
No, Waking Rose won't be available on Amazon any time soon, definitely not for this Christmas season. I'm sorry! In order for that to happen, a regular publisher would have to pick it up, and Sophia Press probably won't take it over until late 2008.
You can ask your local bookstore to order it from me if you want (though they might have to charge you more for it). One way or another, you're going to end up paying about $24.00 for the book.
That *is* the downside of self-publishing.
Check "Beauty and the Beast" under www.surlalunefairytales.com for more titles of modern retellings.
BTW I had no idea *anyone* was selling Waking Rose on Amazon. Very funny! Thanks for the heads up!
Well, if I know a goodish chunk of the sales price is going into the bank account of a Catholic mom of a large brood, I'll just offer up the inconvenience... ;-)
My daughter has asked, specifically, by name, for Waking Rose for either her December birthday or for Christmas, and I cannot disappoint.
Margaret
Joanna F.