Current Project: Untitled RS Adventure ProposalStatus: Chapter One
Okay, I'm in need of some help. Who do I turn to? My friends, of course. ;)
I need ideas for an umbrella title for my new paranormal series, and a title for the first book in the series.
Here's the Publisher's Marketplace blurb for the first book:
To stave off a war with the demons of the underworld and protect his people from extinction, an Argonaut hero must find the woman who unknowingly fulfills an ancient prophesy, only to fall for her even knowing she is marked for sacrifice.
And now a little about the book and series...
The first book in the series, originally titled Marked, is the story of a mythological warrior - a descendant of Heracles (Hercules) - one of seven warriors who protect his race. A vengeful god is out to destroy their world, and one lone woman in the human realm is their only hope. She, linked to both worlds though blood and history though she does not know it yet, is marked to complete the prophecy that will end the god’s immortal reign. When the god sends his demons to destroy her so the prophecy cannot be fulfilled, she realizes in order to survive, she must put her faith in the mysterious warrior suddenly in her life. She's not sure she can trust him, however, and when she discovers the secret he harbors - that his taking her to his world to fulfill the prophecy will not only save his people but also ensure her certain death - the unexplainable spark that ignited between them at first meeting becomes the least of her worries.
So book one in the series follows the strongest hero and the leader of my warriors - the Argonauts. His name is Theron. There are six other warriors, all chosen because they come from the lines of the strongest original 7 heroes - Heracles, Achilles, Theseus, Odysseus, Perseus, Jason, Bellerophon. Each one has their own special power and weakness. Theron's power is great strength (because of his link to Heracles) and his weakness is lack of emotion and loss of his humanity. For those of you who don't know the history of the great heroes, in Greek mythology they were the offspring of both a god and mortal. In my world, they are still mortal, with long lifespans (up to 700 years), but can be killed like any other mortal.
The heroine in book one has a mark on her lower back, much like a tattoo, that she's had since birth, which marks her as the one to fulfil the prophecy. Hence, the title Marked. The problem, however, is that that title has been used quite a bit in the last few years and I need to come up with some other ideas to give my publisher.
So...here's what I need:
(1) An overall title for the series. (If it goes well it could go so far as seven books. Right now the first two are under contract. The first is set to release in March 2010, the second soon after.)
(2) A title for book one. Ideally I'd like a title I can then link to all the other titles.
As a prize, for everyone who comments, I'll stick your name in a drawing for a copy of Kresley Cole's Dark Needs at Night's End. So throw those ideas out there!!!
And totally off topic...Beth Kery interviewed me today at her blog. Head over and check it out.
Also, my Fortune & Glory Contest is in it's LAST TWO DAYS!!! If you haven't entered...go do so! (You can enter more than once. See rules for details.)
9 comments:
I feel your pain. Unfortunately, that's all I feel. No ideas. Blank. The fact is my editor is asking me for a title to the book I am writing and I have sent her -- well, nothing. Nada. Zip.
Let's see. I can see where Marked alludes to a different kind of book than a paranormal, and I can also see where you'd like to use a word that ties the books together like you did with the Stolen books, but that umbrella term might not work out the same way (I'm thinking of the Lord of the Ring books that had wildly divergent titles as did the Star Wars stories.)
Is there a way to make an alliteration to the marked idea? I like it. Let's see. If the birthmark was in the shape of a harp (this is just an example off the top of my head) then perhaps harp could be in the title. The Tilted Harp. The Burning Harp. Harp Song. You'll think of something better but maybe you get my drift? If it was a chalice, if it was a star, whatever, that's what you could build a title around. I hope that made sense.
Back to work, good luck.
Sorry, Eli! I'm not going to be much help either. I really have to work at titles and then I usually waffle back and forth a couple dozen times before time runs out and I close my eyes and pick one.
Could you do something with the word "warrior"? Or seven or mythical or god? And then use a subtitle like "Marked for Love" or Marked for whatever?
Where are all those ladies (and gentlemen) who are so good at titles? :)
I'd like to help but I'm drained of ideas at the moment. I had trouble figuring out what to do with my Pinkerton series.
But I like Alice's idea of both the shape of the mark or perhaps using the word warrior in each book.
What about "Marked for Sacrifice"? The next book could either be "Marked for ??? ????Sacrifice Depending on what the book is about. Or not- Just throwing things out. But I liked that line in the blurb.
I like Paty's suggestion. I suck at this sort of thing, but I'll think about it.
Damn, girl. You are appearing all over the Internet.
Instead of Marked you could go with Splotched. Or how about Speckled, Smeared, Flecked? ROFL Just kiddin'
Sorry, I have no ideas. I hate titles. I suck at titles. Like when Barbie says, "Math is hard." I say, "Titles are hard." Yep, that's me. Ms. Uncreative.
But I think the ideas that Alice, Genene and Paty gave were great. I don't know how people get to be so smart. Good luck!
And like Kendra said, you are all over the place girly! That's sooooo coooool!!
Any numbers on book sales yet?
Ooh, I sort of like Genene's title - MARKED FOR LOVE, given that's the way you wanted the titles to go. OR DESTINY's MARK. Or MARKED BY THE GODS? Or maybe even THE CHOSEN ? THE CHOSEN ONE?
EEK. Good luck.
You will dedicate this book to the winning title creator right? ha.
Cheers-
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
"Barbie & the Beast - April 09 - Dorchester
Blackout - January 09 - Silhouette Nocturne Bites
Ah...titles that tie together. I say get out ye olde thesaurus. Here are some generalized thoughts.
Play on the sailing theme in each title as Argonaut really meant Argo's sailors
Voyage of the Marked
Sweep of the X
Anchor of the
etc.
Another possibility is to play off the updated concept of Argonaut as flyers (sailors who disappeared).
Flight of the Marked
Flight of the Damned
Flight of the Leopard
You could also include the word Argonaut in each title to really draw the series together.
Marked for the Argonauts
Damned by the Argonauts
Finally, you can always use a subtitle with whatever you choose (i.e., An Argonaut Adventure)
A seven book series sounds divine. I hope it works out for you.
Joy and the Argonauts (Just rename Heroine Joy)
Each book would have an "and" in the title. I.e. "Moira and the Demon" "Pela and the Prophecy" etc.
OR
You could still do Joy and the Arognauts and then do more parody titles such as
Achilles Heart
OR go the route of taking titles from the Mythology i.e. Burnt by the Sun, Stength of the Gods, etc.
Other ideas:
Marked by Hercules
Fated to Die
The Death Prophesy
The Argonaut Prophesy
Helpful?
I purposefully didn't read the other suggestions first, but I'm digging the Marked By . . . idea
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