"A river cruise down the Seine with a group of octogenarians could be magical for Emily's tour group. Or it could mean murder for one of the passengers. Don't miss the ninth trip (after Bonnie of Evidence) in this always entertaining series." - Library Journal
The Day She Died A Novel By: Catriona McPherson "McPherson’s second stand-alone is a tour de force, a creepy psychological thriller that will leave you breathless." —Kikus Reviews (starred review)
We authors try to believe it's the quality of our prose, the unforgettable nature of our characters, the verve of our plotting, and the freshness of our voice that really count in winning over readers. Maybe. But to win them over in the first place, we have to get them to pick up -- or look online at -- what we've written. That makes the title and the cover of our books critical to their success.
It's a little early to worry about the cover of my work-in-progress. As Jessie noted in her post yesterday, some writers need a title to start writing. Not me. But since I have a draft done, I think it is time to start working on a title.
I came up with the title of my last book in online discussions with blog-friends (here and here) and I'm hoping for a little help from my friends this time, too.
How much do you have to know about the book to come up with the right title? Not much, I think, because the whole point is to attract readers even before they know anything about the book. Okay then. I'm looking for something compelling. So far I've been calling it Two Octobers which doesn't exactly cry out, "Read me." Here are some alternatives I've been mulling over.
1. Brinksmanship 2. Two Times on the Brink 3. War and Love, Won and Lost 4. Twice at the Edge 5. Two Octobers on the Edge of War 6. Two Octobers on the Brink
Now that you've seen some potential titles, should I tell you a little more about the book? Maybe one of you will have an inspiration that trumps any of mine. The book opens at Stanford U in 1940 and then skips ahead to Washington, DC in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. JFK, of course, plays a role. The idea, of course, is to prevent the world from being blown up.
Please leave a comment, opinion, suggestion, or preference.
I get by with a little help from my friends, Mmm, get high with a little help from my friends, Mmm, gonna to try with a little help from my friends
Don't worry; I'm not drinking and driving! But I am driving a very long way. Or so it seems. I'm on the road from the Land of the Great Lakes, where my fictional protagonist Whiskey Mattimoe lives and I've been visiting, to south Florida, where this writer will put the finishing touches on the fourth book in the series, Whiskey and Water. In a highly un-Whiskey-like move, I've lined up a two-week house- and dog-sitting gig on the beach. Okay, so the beach part is like Whiskey Mattimoe, but dog-sitting? Never on purpose...though often by accident. And that's usually where Whiskey's troubles start.
I'm heading for Naples on the southwest coast of the Sunshine state, traveling by way of St. Augustine, up in the northeast. The detour is not for sightseeing purposes only. And it's not Whiskey-related (although I may have a cocktail while I'm there). My stop in the Nation's Oldest City is connected to other books I write for Llewellyn, the parent publisher of Midnight Ink. You can find out more about those here.
But back to Whiskey: Each book in the series takes us through an adventure during the next tourist season on the calendar. In the fourth mystery Whiskey and Abra, her felonious Afghan hound, are up to their proverbial necks in Lake Michigan during water sports season. And the cast of canine characters is larger and more diverse than ever--including Norman the Golden (retriever) and a shitzapoo with the ominous name of Velcro.
I'm thrilled to report that the third Whiskey Mattimoe mystery, Whiskey and Tonic, will be in stores soon. It's about a jinxed property and a mysterious century-old curse that may have the power to ruin Mattimoe Realty. More about all that in another post....
In the meantime, stop by my website and Whiskey Mattimoe blog. Happy reading--and happy travels--to you. Welcome to Inkspot!
"McPherson’s second stand-alone is a tour de force, a creepy 
