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LUNCH was inspired by - what else? - a lunchtime meeting with a friend at Joe Allen's restaurant in London. While she and I were engrossed in conversation, I became aware that someone was staring at me. Not just staring - literally devouring me with his eyes. It was creepy and unnerving to feel as if I were being stalked in such a public place, until my friend told me the man was a fellow actor, and she invited him over for a coffee. He turned out to be a nice guy who'd been a professional boxer, with a very specific physicality in an extremely coiled package.
But the unease I'd felt that day struck me as an ideal way to begin a novel, one I'd been thinking about writing while I was working flat-out as an entertainment journalist. I was traveling constantly on assignment, profiling the rich and infamous (and being kicked around by their publicists), and lots of people didn't believe me when I told them that many of these celebrities may have had undeniable talent but very little coherent or interesting things to say about it (yes, I am being circumspect). But one thing those famous faces did have in common was that they got what they wanted, when they wanted it, and they knew they would get it. Being thwarted in their desires-of-the-moment was not an option. Knowing this, I wanted to explore what would happen when a woman who was emotionally centered was chased by a sexually driven superstar to whom no one ever said no anymore. Creating the characters in LUNCH helped me ignore the egomaniacal stars I was interviewing; I was able to fuel my frustration into a productive outlet that resonated with readers around the world. What could be more universal that Sex + Hollywood + More Sex?
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COVERS OF ALL THE US AND INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS OF LUNCH: |
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UK DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
This is the Bello formatted cover, and it fits the theme of the book perfectly. |
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US HARDCOVER
This US hardcover design was a terrible disappointment. I'd actually gone to a bookstore with the designer, and had told her what I didn't want: pastel, soft, indistinct, etc - because the novel is blunt, X-rated, and, well, in your face. What she ended up doing was precisely the opposite. Not only does it completely miss the feel of the book, but it didn't scan properly when used in newspaper reviews, as the overlay is semi-transparent. Instead, it read as black. And there was nothing I could do about it. |
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US PAPERBACK - ORIGINAL
Avon redeemed themselves with this cover, which is not only sensationally dramatic, but perfectly captures the content of the book. One glance and you know what it's about. That the hardcover publisher couldn't have bothered to do something like this was devastating. |
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UK HARDCOVER/ PAPERBACK
This cover was incredibly dynamic and I was extremely happy with it, especially as it came out before the dreadful sanitized pastel US rip-off cover. At first glance it's hard to decipher as the photograph was deliberately distorted, but then the woman's figure becomes clear - sort of what happened to Olivia in the novel itself. It also looked great on bookstore shelves unlike the heinous US cover. I was glad they used this image for the hardcover, trade paperback, and paperback editions. |
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BULGARIA
A lovely naked butt. |
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CZECHOSLOVAKIA
I love my new last name! |
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DENMARK
At first I went, Huh? But then the painting grew on me. The colors work. |
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GERMANY #1
Two covers: One lurid pink (which I think is hilarious) for bookstores and one a lower priced edition, complete with a thong that looks mighty uncomfortable. That poor model has all my sympathy. |
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GERMANY #2 |
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GREECE
When I first saw this, I thought the man's torso at the top was a roasted turkey leg. I still can't figure it out! |
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ITALY #1
The cover using the stunning Bill Brandt photo is indescribably beautiful, and now a rare collector's item. Unfortunately for me, Bompiani, the Italian publisher, hadn't gotten the proper permission to use this image pre-publication, and the Brandt estate made their displeasure known (as was well within their rights). |
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ITALY #2
As a result, the books had to be yanked off the shelves and the covers destroyed. That was a heartbreaker, particularly as the replacement cover isn't quite as gorgeously sophisticated (okay, so it's a little cheesy, but the models sure have great hair)... |
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ITALY #3
... and the paperback edition features a sweaty lady with some sort of metal coil around her neck (did they find it lying around the set of Alien?). |
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HOLLAND
Of all the book covers, this one most closely follows the storyline of the book, and is both sexual and violent. I only wish the image had been bigger as that would have made an even more potent statement (sorry, bad pun, couldn't help myself!). |
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JAPAN
Have zilch idea what this is - but it's as aesthetically gorgeous as the Japanese version of Belladonna, so I'm not complaining. |
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PORTUGAL / BRAZIL
This eye-grabber would never work in Wal-Mart LOL. |
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ROMANIA
The woman doesn't look at all like Olivia, the heroine, but I guess the guy lurking over her shoulder can pass for a debauched Hollywood superstar. |
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SWEDEN
Clever use of sexually suggestive flowers. |
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