What's in a Name?

Last month, I re-released a favourite mystery/romance of mine called FREEMAN. It's a bit of a mysterious title in itself, isn't it?  Why didn't I call it "Tense Suspense in London's Seedy Clubland" or "Romance Blossoms Between Two Very Different Men While Foiling Dastardly Plots"? Many fabulous titles are published in the Romantic Suspense/Mystery genre, which grab a potential reader's attention with an immediate snapshot of the book's content, in just a few words.

Well, Freeman is the name of my main character. And he's mysterious in his own way, throughout the book. One name, one purpose, one narration. But - Confession time! - that's not the only reason I chose the title.

The easy answer is that it was a working title that stuck. Authors, have you ever found that to be the case? A title isn’t immediately obvious when you start writing, so you decide to file the work in progress as "book XXX", "FinishByXmasOrElse", "The Mystery One", or just "That B****y Book". Then, as time goes by and the novel takes shape, the working title can’t be shaken off.

And for the character himself? The same thing happened with him. I can’t even remember where I got his name from, but one day it was there, and it stayed. Determinedly. Relentlessly. Doggedly. Dear me, that’s just like Freeman himself!

And why only one name? No one ever mentions Freeman’s first name in the book, not even the man himself. Maybe it’s like Inspector Morse, who doesn’t reveal his first name until the end of the series. Or like many a star in the public eye who’s known only as a single name. Is that behaviour kitsch? Coy? Paranoid? There are probably a variety of reasons for it, and to be honest, I can’t presume to know Freeman’s motivation.

He just is.

Names of books and characters are important to me. Sometimes the names declare themselves very firmly to me, right from the start. Even if I try to change them later on, it just won’t work! (like Freeman)

And sometimes I have to seek for a while to find the right names. As an author, I’ll often look for inspiration in a poem or a popular saying. Or search lists of baby names of all ethnicities and sources, looking for the right sound and meaning. For example, Maen in my fantasy novel Branded came from the Welsh word for “rock”, because that’s what he is to Dax and the other soldiers under his command. Niall in my suspense thriller 72 hours means “champion”: Red in my romance Flying Colors is a nickname for Richard, meaning “powerful leader”. I like to play with the names, you can see!

What do you think about names? Do you like seeing unusual ones? Readers, do they turn you on or off in a book?

Thanks for visiting today!

Clare

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FREEMAN BLURB: 

Freeman’s return to the city is quiet, without fuss. Another client: another case. He’ll source what they need and be on his way. But he’s been missed by more people than he thought: his ex-wife, his ex-lover, and his ex-business partner. And at least one of them wants him the hell gone again. 

Freeman — private, controlled – just does his job. But when he strikes up an unusual friendship with the young runaway Kit, trouble comes looking for both men, ready to expose secrets that can destroy their fragile trust. Yet, for Kit, Freeman’s more than ready for the challenge.

BUY Freeman today at Amazon | in other formats plus excerpt.

~~www.clarelondon.com~~
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Dead End, Dead End, Dead End...

Way back in 2012, I signed a contract with Carina Press for books 6, 7 and 8 in my Dylan Scott series. The books were called Deadly Shadows, Fatal Vengeance and Dead Simple and, as I’ve never yet had a title queried, I considered these titles and not working titles.

So I began 2013 by knowing I had to finish Deadly Shadows (deadline, deadline, deadline … mutter, mutter, mutter) and knowing that I then had to write Fatal Vengeance and Dead Simple. 

Deadly Shadows was duly done and dusted - or written and edited - and hit the shelves in October. Meanwhile, I wrote Fatal Vengeance. It went through the usual development edits and lines edits, was scheduled for publication in July 2014, and all I was waiting for was the final copy-edits. I began writing Dead Simple.

And then - shock, horror. At the last minute, I was asked to change the title of Fatal Vengeance.

Some of the more savvy Carina authors will wonder what possessed me to even consider calling a book Fatal Vengeance. But that’s beside the point. I did. I lived with that title in my head for 18 months. And suddenly I had to dream up another title for it. I sent off several suggestions and it was finally agreed that the book will be called Dead End.

Dead End. And my brain has hit a dead end because I can’t grasp it at all. I firmly believe that, till the day I shuffle off this mortal coil, this book, to me, will be Fatal Vengeance.

Any suggestions as to how I might clear this mental block? Should I lie in a darkened room and chant "Dead End" as my personal mantra? Should I buy a nice shiny notepad and write out "Dead End" ten thousand times? And I have a favour to ask … in July, when I tell the world that it’s release day for Fatal Vengeance, would you please kick me where it hurts and remind me that I actually mean Dead End? Thank you.

Naming Your Baby

...Or your book. To writers, it is nearly the same. (Okay, it’s exactly the same—at least to me.) Just as I couldn’t wait to see each of my three kids’ faces when they were born, I was so excited to see the covers of my other babies…my published books. And just as I have to live with our choice of kids’ names for the rest of my life (I’m still happy with them all, by the way), I have to live with my books’ names for the rest of their shelf-lives.

I’ve been lucky to have kept the original titles for my first three Mindhunters books. They are: Only Fear, Avenging Angel, and Deadly Bonds. So when the fourth book came along and, despite reader enthusiasm for the name I gave it (Vicious Circle), the publisher requested alternate options, and despite the tie-ins with both “vicious” and “circle” throughout the book, I had to dig deep for some additional choices that would still suit my baby. I knew right away that I wanted a two-word pairing, like the first three books. It had to have a suspenseful feel, too. And, of course, it had to fit the theme of my “baby.” Over several rounds of email exchanges, my editor and I came up with about four dozen alternatives.

The final choice? Dark Deeds. (To be released March 17, 2014. *shameless plug*)

I can live with that title since it fits my “baby” and has a sufficiently gritty romantic suspense vibe. I'm still working on getting used to it, though.

What’s in a name? If you’re lucky, the mood, a sense of tension and pacing, and a reflection of the theme.

What are some recent books you read where the title struck you with its power? What titles matched the “personalities” of the books, and which ones were misleading or duds?

Anne Marie is the author of the Mindhunters series. She has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling.  As a games hostess at Sea World, tutor, waitress, personal and family counselor, and high school counselor, she indulged her curiosity through sanctioned professions.  Now, as a stay-at-home mom of three young children, her passion for understanding the human race is satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and writer.  

She writes to reclaim her sanity.

Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at www.AnneMarieBecker.com.

MY SECRET READING STASH by Kathy Ivan

Pssst! I'm going to let you in on a little secret.

Are you ready? It's a big one.

Writers—are also—readers!

Long before we put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, we read. And read. And read. At some point along the way, I'm sure most of us said . . . It can't be that hard, I think I'll write a book. (Or we read a book that didn't end the way we felt it should and decided we could do it better!)

No, this blog post isn't about writing. Today it's all about reading.

I've been trying to do more reading recently. For one thing, it stimulates the creative process. Plus there are just so many doggone good books out there right now; it's like a smorgasbord of reader goodness. Nirvana of the written word. Now some on this list aren't new releases. They were when I got them, but I'm just now getting them read. My to-be-read list is gargantuan and I just keep adding more and more. 

So I thought I'd tell you, my Not Your Usual Suspect blog aficionados what I've been reading recently. I've tried to provide an eclectic blend of all genres, not just mysteries. I have very diverse tastes.

GHOST STORY by JIM BUTCHER. I've had this one on the Kindle for a long time (obviously) and finally got a chance to read it. I've read every single book in the Dresden Files series, including those in the anthologies. The stories center about a wizard in Chicago who helps solve crimes. They are urban fantasy at its best and these stories just keep getting better and better. If you haven't tried reading about Harry Dresden yet, I highly recommend this series.

TEMPT ME IF YOU CAN by JANET CHAPMAN. I love all Janet Chapman's Highlander time travel books so I thought I'd give this one a try. This is a contemporary romance by this well-known author, the second in a trilogy (although I didn’t realize that at the time). The story centers about a man who gets an anonymous letter informing him he has a teenage son he never knew about. He tracks down the woman who raised him and all sorts of complications ensue. Delightful and filled with just the right amount of laughter and tears. I went back and got the first in the series to read, too.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS by Geri Foster. This was an action packed adventure that has it all, thrills, suspense, and a sexy-as-all hero (not to mention the kick-ass heroine). From the beginning you're drawn into the story. I liked book one a lot, but this (book 2) I think was even better. I hated to see it end, and can't wait for book three to come out.

FORGED IN STEEL by Maya Banks. I love the KGI series by this author. They're a group of ex-military brothers who run an elite security agency. They are all action packed thrillers with lots of suspense thrown into the mix. Plus the romance is smokin' hot (by you can't expect anything less than hot, hot, hot from this author).

These are just a few of the books I've been reading recently. So tell me, what have YOU been reading?

NOTE: This blog is not intended as reviews of the above-titled books. I just want to know what you've read recently that you liked. (I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting authors I may not have heard about and I'm sure my fellow blog followers want to know, too.)

What's in a Title?

Okay, I'll admit it. I love titles. In fact, I'm a title junkie. I enjoy choosing the titles for my novels while having abundant hope the publisher will like them, too.

Unfortunately, I don't always get what I want. I've written eleven novels. The first three books I wrote all had their titles changed leaving me to wonder about my particular skill in this area. When I got to keep my fourth and fifth titles, I was elated. Maybe this title thing wasn't so hard after all. Then...CRASH. The sixth and seventh titles were changed. Still I kept the faith. To my delight, I was permitted to keep the titles for my eighth through eleventh books. Hooray! (For the time being, anyway)

I especially like it when a title fits a novel. I mean, really fits it. When I'm reading along and I come across a passage that makes the book title make sense, it gives me a thrill. For my latest mystery release, NO ONE LIVES TWICE (Carina Press/August 2010), I tried to play upon my love for titles by choosing one that specifically fit this book. Since my story is a high-tech spy caper, I chose a twist on a James' Bond movie title, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. The theme and style seemed to play well with my novel. But if you read the book, you'll discover that the title is actually an important clue to the plot of the story. I must say I was tickled pink when I later read a positive review that mentioned how well the title fit the book. Yeah! Mission accomplished!

Here are some of my all-time favorite titles: "Something Wicked This Way Come" by Ray Bradbury, "The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things," by Carolyn Mackler, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," by Milan Kundera, and "The Sound of Building Coffins" by Louis Maistros. There are a dozen more examples I could cite, but these are a few that I like the best.

So... do titles attract you to a book and are you a title junkie like me? What are some of your all-time favorite titles?