Monday 23 May 2011

A title and some good news


The book I’ve just finished – with Clara, who loved The Sound of Music, and Simon, a buttoned-up economist – now has a release date (January 2012) and a title: We’ll Always Have Paris. 

Hhmmnn. I think I like it.  Sort of.  Maybe. I wrote it as a very light-hearted book, and I wonder if We’ll Always Have Paris makes it sound  a bit intense?  My working title was Looking for Mr Romance, which wasn’t very good, I know, so I’m probably not in a position to complain. 

I do find it very hard to think of  a snappy title and usually resort to Hart Book no. X but the RIVA team have been coming up with some interestingly different titles since the launch of the series: Jackie Braun’s The Road Not Taken, Liz Fielding’s Tempted by Trouble, Kelly Hunter’s With This Fling, Natalie Anderson’s Dating and Other Dangers, Barbara Hannay’s Molly Cooper’s Dream Date … All designed, I think, to reflect a more ‘chicklitty’ feel to these stories. 

Under the circumstances, I’ll admit to being a little disappointed with Ordinary Girl in a Tiara or The Secret Princess, say, which sound rather old-fashioned in comparison.  Still, a change from some of the more laboured titles of the past like Her Boss’s Baby Plan, Her Ready-Made Family or Promoted: To Wife and Mother.

What do you think about titles?  Do you like the new titles, or do you pick up an author that you know you like without even thinking about what the story is called? 



Finally, I was so carried away by my holiday last week that I forgot to include some good news that was waiting for me on my return:  Oh-So-Sensible Secretary has been nominated for a Booksellers’ Best Award sponsored by the Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America - thank you GDRWA!  Fellow Harlequin Romance authors Donna Alward, Myrna Mackenzie and Marion Lennox are also on the shortlist so I’m delighted to be in such great company!

4 comments:

  1. I LOVE your new title and I LOVE most of the new Riva titles but with limited reading time at the moment, I am guilty of picking by author not title. YOU are always on my list :)

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  2. No need to feel guilty about that, Rachael - we authors LOVE readers like you! Very glad to hear you like the new titles, too. I'm feeling better about mine already!

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  3. I like We'll Always Have Paris as a title too. The new titles, the old ones were just sort of mixing together in my brain and nothing was standing out anymore. I don't pick by title either though. It's all about the author and if I don't know the author it's all about the blurb and first few paragraphs =)

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  4. Me too, Lacey. I leap on any book by my favourite authors without even registering a title most of the time. If I'm browsing, a cover will draw me in though - I love thrillers and American crime, preferably with a serial killer on the loose (I know, weird) - and after that I'll read the blurb. Have to confess to reading the last page too - I like to know I'm' going to get a happy ending!

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