• Still on the title hunt …

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    So my agent, editor, and I are still on the hunt for a perfect title for the first Assassin book. Even though the book isn’t coming out until February 2010, the title stuff needs to be nailed down by the end of March. That’s how far ahead the world of publishing works.

    We’ve pretty much ruled out the “Gin” titles — Gin on the Rocks, Bitter Gin, etc. I like them, but my agent pointed out that they make the books sound like they take place in a bar and that they’re not that paranormal or urban fantasy-sounding.

    So now, we’re leaning toward either one-word “kill” titles or using the word “Assassin” in the titles. Some of the ones we’re considering now are:

    Iced

    Buried

    Shattered

    Assassin, Interrupted

    The Good, the Bad, and the Assassin

    My idea with the one-word titles is that the title of each book would relate in some way to how my character, Gin Blanco, kills the big bad. I really like Iced for the first book because, well, there’s an ice dagger involved at the end. 😉

    I think Buried would work well for book 2 and Shattered would be good for book 3.

    But it’s hard to go wrong taking a good movie or book title and making it your own, like Assassin, Interrupted, which I really like for book 1. The Good, the Bad, and the Assassin would work for book 2, especially since my main villain has a cowboy vibe about him. I haven’t come up with another Assassin title that fits for book 3 just yet, though.

    Anyway, I’ll keep you guys posted and let you know what we decide. Great titles take time!

    What about you guys? What do you think of these titles? Share in the comments.

  • Two hot messes …

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    I was actually enjoying last night’s episode of Heroes — until the very end when it was revealed that yet another city (Washington, D.C. this time) is on the brink of explosive destruction.

    So this makes what – three? four? – times that a city/the world at large has either been threatened with destruction or actually blown up since the show started. Any writer will tell you that you can’t keep doing the same things over and over again. There has to be some variation (or advancing of the overall story) or readers will get bored. Which brings me to this:

    Dear Heroes writer dudes,

    Get a new plot device.

    Sincerely,

    Jennifer

    In other TV news, I also watched the first episode of Dollhouse. Now, I love me some Joss Whedon. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my favorite characters of all time, and I loved Buffy. Overall, Angel was good too — until they killed off Cordy and turned Fred into that weird goddess chick. 

    But Dollhouse? I thought it was just a big hot mess. And this version was supposed to be easier to understand than Whedon’s original? Okaaay. Basically, Dollhouse strikes me as a cross between The Matrix and La Femme Nikita — and not in a good way. I think I would have liked it better if Eliza (Echo) knew that she was being reprogrammed all the time. But the blank look she walks around with and that childlike innocence she projects was grating, rather than endearing.

    I might give Dollhouse a few more episodes, but unless it gets a lot better, I’ll be watching Friday Night Lights instead.

    What about you guys? What TV shows are you loving right now? Share in the comments.

  • 928 and counting …

    Finished Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. This is the second book in her contemporary romance series about the lives and loves of the Travis family.

    Sugar Daddy, the first book in this series, was my favorite read in 2008, so I had high, high hopes for BED — and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed.

    This book is about Haven Travis, the sister in the super-rich Travis family. Haven meets the rough, rugged, wealthy oilman Hardy Cates at her brother Gage’s wedding to Hardy’s childhood love, Liberty. Haven and Hardy share a steamy kiss at the wedding but go their seperate ways. Haven eventually marries her college boyfriend Nick, despite her family’s disapproval.

    Things are fine for a while, but Nick shows his true colors and becomes more and more abusive toward Haven – beating and raping her before she finally summons up the courage to leave him. With the help of her family, Haven divorces Nick and starts a new life. And who does she run into at a bar one night but Hardy, who still sparks something deep inside Haven that she thought she’d lost after Nick’s abuse …

    This book is classified as contemporary romance, but it has heavy themes of domestic abuse and is basically about Haven’s journey to become strong and independent. Normally, I don’t like books where women are victimized, but I thought Kleypas handled the subject with dignity and grace. Nothing was gratuitous, and Haven didn’t miraculously recover overnight from what Nick did to her. Everything was realistic (if painful).

    I also thought the romance between Haven and Hardy was at turns sweet, poignant, and hot. Hardy helped Haven heal, and she did the same for him and his issues. They were both independent people who found something more together, which is what I think a romance should be.

    My only real quibble was the ending with Vanessa, Haven’s bitchy boss. Vanessa basically gives Nick the keys to Haven’s apartment and almost gets her killed when Nick holds Haven at gunpoint. I would have liked Vanessa to do some jail time right along with Nick for that stunt.

    Also, I would have liked to know a little bit more about Hardy’s family, since they’re the root of his issues and problems. But this was Haven’s story, and she really shined in it.

    Blue-Eyed Devil wasn’t quite as good as Sugar Daddy, but it’s easily the best book I’ve read so far this year. I loved it and hope the next book in the series, Smooth-Talking Stranger, is just as good. Big thumbs up.

    Up next: Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

    Books in my TBR pile: About 25.

  • ·

    Problem solved … or not …

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    So I think I’ve finally got a handle on how I want to start Quiver, the young adult fantasy that I’m writing. I’m going to make my main character a Robin Hood, outlaw-type and then go from there. Sword fights! Adventures! Magic! Etc.!

    This is about the sixth time that I’ve rewritten the beginning at this point. Seriously. Six times. I think I have a really cool idea here, but the beginning is kicking my ass. Which is strange since I usually don’t have any problems starting out a book. It’s when I get 20,000 or 30,000 words into something that I feel like slacking off.

    But you know what? Even now, I’m having doubts about the beginning — again. Argh! At this point, I feel like Charlie Brown. And this book is my own personal Lucy with her stupid football.

    Ah, well. Wheezley has told me to shut up, quit whining, and just write the darn thing. Which I’m going to do. I hope … :rolleyes:

  • Book quest …

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    I’m looking for a book. I saw it recently, although I don’t remember on what Web site or blog (Fantasy Debut? The Good, the Bad, and the Unread?). I don’t remember the title or the author. I meant to bookmark it so I could go back to it later, but, well, it just didn’t happen.

    What I do remember is that the book was an epic-type fantasy about a thief who steals something that he shouldn’t and gets caught up in some kind of conspiracy. The other major character is some sort of wizard who may or may not be going crazy. But their two stories collide, and stuff happens.

    I think it’s the first book in a series because I vaguely remember looking at the second book on Amazon, and it was revealed that the thief and the wizard are brothers or something.

    Anyway, not being able to find this book (even just to look at it on Amazon) has been driving me crazy! Does this sound familiar to anyone? Can anyone help? If so, please leave me a comment. Thanks! :ww: