Taking the Tarot to Heart

(was?) Putting the _ to Bed

Taking Tarot To Heart:
Fun & Creative Ways to Improve Your Love Life
Mark McElroy
Llewellyn Publications (January 1, 2005)

Book Cover



and so it goes

At least it goes. His "Putting the Tarot to Work" is wonderful.

OakDragon said:

At least it goes. His "Putting the Tarot to Work" is wonderful.

Click to expand...

When Mark's book, Putting the Tarot to Work was in pre-release, we
discussed the artwork on the cover. He told me he was happy with it,
and enthusiastically related his involvement working with its designer,
and from what I've heard and read there is every reason to celebrate.

Mark's been actively developing several projects lately, so I haven't had
a chance to hear him discuss his latest offering, Putting the Tarot to Bed.

I was honest with him about the cigar toting yuppie being rather harsh,
and for this book I would be equally blunt. I really, really don't like it.

______________
edited to include
Oakdragon's sp/fix

You can't judge a book by its cover.

Following the title on the book cover, the British amazon site lists the book under the title _Putting the Tarot to Bed_.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738705365/aeclectictaro-21/

The cover has a unique 50s look to it.

Which of the two titles is going to be the final title for this book?

Some Helpful Info

Hi, folks. Thanks for your interest in this book, which is actually titled, "Taking the Tarot to Heart."

"Putting the Tarot to Bed" was an early working title. The bright pink, 50's era cover you can see on Amazon.com was one of several early cover ideas ... but isn't the cover we selected.

If you like, you can see the actual cover of the book and read the introduction here:

http://www.tarottools.com/tttth/index.htm

I'm always open to your questions and suggestions. Thanks again for your interest!

Mark,

I do not know what cover you liked best, but the first cover in comparison to the new cover allows me to post an totally personal image reaction.

I saw the first cover and felt like this:

The link for Caroline Keene's "The Message in the Hollow Oak".

Intrigued at first by the old style nostalgia...

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...tery+detective+novels&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&sa=N

Then I did a close-up, enlarge image of the Clark Gable-style gentleman with the card, and kind of felt like this:

It's the link for the "Case of the Crumpled Knave". Somehow the Clark Gable figure seemed to imply some sleight-of-hand card game or associations with questionable behavior and cards--at least to me.

At worst, cards in the popular imagination might be presented like one of the covers below.

http://www.vintagepbks.com/belarskicovers.html

Now I see the new cover, and feel more like:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img.../images?q=heart+image&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&sa=N

I think the new cover reflects your work more as a contemporary, fresh look at personal tarot topics. The old title "Putting the Tarot to Bed" and the gentleman with his
A-OK sign reminds me of very period movie posters and the detective novel covers.

Now I'm changing the subject a bit, because I remember the cover art when I saw the first book published, "Putting the Tarot to Work." It had such a nostalgic cover, my first reaction was, "oh, nice to reflect conservative values and something safe." Probably the publisher is presenting a nice, safe and old-style message. And I would pass by the title at the bookstore whenever I saw the cover. Knowing the author name put that title in my order bin through Amazon.com, but I ignored the cover.

Perhaps it's because I saw a recent scan of something like the "Housewives Tarot (?)" which had the air of nostalgia novelty. So in bookstore browses, just wasn't into the cover art...

Regards,

Cerulean

P.S. This was meant to be my silly feeling only. I just feel the last cover posted reflects my feeling of what Mark McElroy's text presents. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings. If you let me know my samples were inappropriate, then I'm a poopyhead and I'll remove the links.

OakDragon said:

At leas it goes. His "Putting the Tarot to Work" is wonderful.

Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree! But I thought it was coming out this October! 2005 seems so much further away.

I need this NOW!

Resposnes to Cover Art

Cerulean wrote: "This was meant to be my silly feeling only. I just feel the last cover posted reflects my feeling of what Mark McElroy's text presents. I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings. If you let me know my samples were inappropriate, then I'm a poopyhead and I'll remove the links."

Mark replies: Wow! I've never received visually encoded feedback before ... and I think what you had to say was great. Thanks so much for taking the time to research and present your opinions in a very creative way!

If this cover projects warmth, caring, and a "contemporary, fresh look at Tarot topics" to others as well, I'll be delighted -- because those perceptions are right on track!

WooMonkey wrote: I need this now!

Mark replies: You made my day!

Actually, the release date was revised from October to January specifically to allow time to develop a cover that better communicated the tone and approach of the book.

I hope it'll be worth the wait! Thanks again for your enthusiasm and feedback. Positive or negative, good or bad, I'm always vitally interested in what readers have to say.

Good wishes,
Mark

Oh! I liked the first title much better. As well as the first cover-page illustration. I think they were really eye-catching!

Oh well, you can't please all the people all the time, I suppose.

Mark: I really think your novel and PRACTICAL approach is wonderful. Your books are obviously based on the Rider Waite deck, so they're not really up my street, but I may still be tempted to buy them one day all the same. I think you rock!

I always find those U.S. style(?) advertising images FUN too - I don't know if it would pursuade me to buy the product though! Then there are those (cruder?) Anglo Saxon ones that have been parodied with renewed captions... "Smith's Beer - Helping ugly folk find 'love' since 1832" etc. (Popular with inmates of higher education establisments?)

Hmmm... Maybe: "TAROT - Helping historians argue since 1415" (give or take)

Pendulums... Never loose anything (small) again... etc. etc.

and the ultimate: http://ookworld.com/img/prod/x-ray_spex_ad.jpg

Macavity

P.S. The only controversial thing on the original image might be the U.S. "O.K." gesture, which (apparently) will not go down TOO well in Brazil...