One of my favorite authors when I was a teen was Lurlene McDaniel. Yep, the overly sentimental, medical dramas* featuring teens who were dying or near death and, of course, in love. I was a teen during her heyday, though she’s far from slowing down. Like Richard Peck, her covers have changed a lot over the years. What always seemed to work for her, though, was that her series books featured very similar cover styles — and boy was she ever the series writer! I loved them.

I though it’d be fun to take that walk down memory lane:

Six Months to Live 1985

Hold Fast the Dream 1985. Nothing speaks 80s romance like the sepia tones, the big hair, and two dashing men, one clearly good and one clearly evil.

Why Did She Have to Die? 1986. Perhaps this is one of the first covers featuring the “things being held” theme that is so popular now.

A Time to Die 1992

If I Should Die Before I Wake 1992. I’m afraid that still wouldn’t apologize for the shorts…

Reach for Tomorrow 1999 (and book #12 in the “One Last Wish” series, still holding onto the similar cover theme)

Angels Watching Over Me 1996 (book #1 in the series featuring an Amish family – my favorite series of hers)

Angels of Mercy 1999

The Girl Death Left Behind 1999

Journey of Hope 2004. This combines two novels, Angel of Mercy and Angel of Hope. This is the first of her books starting to change direction in cover art.

Angels in Pink: Kathleen’s Story 2004

Angels in Pink: Raina’s Story 2005 (the hair in the face!)

Briana’s Gift 2006. Things in hands again.

Prey 2008. I LOVE this cover. It is so creepy and yet so perfectly gives an idea of what the book will be about.

Breathless 2009. Interestingly, my co-booktalker talked this book in the winter. She didn’t know Lurlene McDaniel was a pretty prolific writer for teens prior to reading this. It’s so different looking from her other titles.

Heart to Heart 2010. Reminds me of an adult romance for sure.

What do you think? Are you a Lurlene McDaniel fan? Any cover favorites?

* This doesn’t mean they’re not good books; they’re definitely of a specific drama that has such appeal to teens. I still like her books, since they’re quick reads with at least one strong and memorable character. And some aren’t even medically-related. Those were the ones that I ate up like crazy, though.