It’s officially official. And I finally found someone with Publishers Marketplace access to send me the announcement that appeared there about Reckonings (which is being published under my pseudonym K.C. Tansley)!
On to a cool bit of news, my editor (I will never tire of saying those two words) reached out to me and asked me to brainstorm new titles for Reckonings, my YA time travel murder mystery.
They sent me a worksheet that I’ve been working on all weekend–I’m such a nerd. Anyway, I’ve got some possibilities, but I’d really love your help so I’m going to post my hook here and see what you guys think.
I need lots of possibilities to submit to the publisher. If they like a title you suggested, I will make sure you receive a free signed copy of the book and author goodies. And I’ll do a Skype chat with you and anyone you want to invite.
So here’s the hook:
Forget what you’ve seen on Ghost Whisperer. Ghosts aren’t spirits waiting to cross over. If only it worked like that. Never heard a thank you from them. Ever. Because they aren’t like us. They are broken remnants of a human being. And they seek one thing: reckonings.
Kat Preston stopped believing in ghosts. Not because they weren’t real, but because they overran her reality. She learned to deny their existence every day. It was her only shot at a normal life. Until her junior year at McTernan Academy when a summer project investigating a 127-year-old wedding night murder mystery calls into question all the unbelievables—ghosts, spirits, time travel, curses, spells.
Evan Kingsley, the research partner she nicknamed Satan’s disciple, takes a scientific approach to everything, which doesn’t allow for the unbelievables. But that doesn’t stop Kat from being yanked through a portal. Or Evan from following her. Or them from awakening a week before the murder with their souls trapped inside the bodies of two wedding guests. As if sharing a body with a New England Victorian lady isn’t hard enough, now Kat must rely on Evan to help piece together what happened on the wedding night before it happens again. Caught between trying to prevent the senseless tragedy and needing to get back home, can Kat do both?
Any thoughts on possible titles? Toss anything you’ve got at me.
My brain is mush–currently working on a title for the first CBC book myself. The hook sounds fantastic and HUGE congrats on the deal. You deserve it. 🙂
Totally understand. 🙂 Thanks! I’m so excited to be moving forward with this novel! 🙂
Titles are always a struggle! Good luck with it, sorry I can’t help.
I’ve run through 5 titles while I was querying the book too. A great title is tough. 🙂
Caught Between The Veils? Lol…. Wedding Veils 🙂 that is , lol .. I really have no idea… But like the sound of this book .. Good luck with a New Title Kourtney 🙂 xxx Hugs Sue
I like the play on wedding veil and veil of time. Thanks Sue!
Really!… :-D… well you are most welcome…. 🙂 xxxx
It’s funny because some words I never thought to use and yet they sound pretty awesome. The power of brainstorming with buddies! 🙂
Brilliant….. You know what the say Kourtney… Two Heads are better than one.. Well maybe WordPress Heads! may well provide you with the Many heads… 🙂 Wishing you luck with your brainstorming ideas… Big Hugs xxxx
I agree. I know the story really well, but my mind only works the way it works. So the titles I generate will not be as varied as what my amazing blog buddies can toss out! A WordPress community is better than a lone wolf on this one. 🙂
🙂 most definitely 🙂 Hoooowwwwls away! …. 🙂
🙂
127 Years Dead
The Soul Hosts
Soul Switchers
Something Old, Something Dead
The Body Sharers
The Time Trap Murder
Wedded Death
The Haunting of the Vows
Vanessa–thanks so much! Wow, there’s so many good possibilities here! You rock! 🙂
How about something simple but promising Kourtney like ‘Through The Portal’.
xxx Huge Hugs and loads of luck xxx
Oh very cool David. Thanks! 🙂
Titles are not my forte. Some come to me easily; others I belabor for hours. I don’t have anything offhand, but I’ll keep it in mind. Sounds like a great premise!
It’s weird because Six Train and DM’s came really easily to me. Reckonings went through several as I queried and pitched and I really liked the last one so it’s even harder to come up with new ones that feel better! Thanks! 🙂
Nope, been pondering while I made a coffee with no luck. I have a short story called Reckoning, so thought that one was pretty good 🙂 Congratulations though!
Thanks for pondering! Appreciate the effort. Got some time to brainstorm. Thanks! 🙂
Character names, I have plenty, but titles, unless I’ve read the story, it’s more difficult for me. Sounds like a lot of good suggestions so far. Good luck, Kourtney!
Understandable. Some people are great at titles. I thought Reckonings was good but I’m enjoying the challenge of a new title. 🙂
A Race Against Death
GhosTly Curse At Creighton Castle
An Untimely Ruby
Death Befalls The Radcliffe bride
Thanks Sandra! Great suggestions there!
I like the idea! I’m not usually good at deciding titles, but I will mull it over and get to you if anything strikes me 🙂
Thanks. Titles are really hard. For some reason this book was the hardest for me too. Appreciate you mulling it over!
Congrats and good luck with the title, Kourt’!! I just posted a new painting and explained its title and why I thought I had a “flash of genius” but I don’t think you should follow my path and let Candy Crush inspire you. Nope, bad idea. Ahah
xx
Thanks Cha! LOL. Inspiration can come in the most amazing ways from the weirdest place. 🙂 Not sure Candy Crush would help but my publisher gave me some tips to try. 🙂
Titles are hard! Especially when someone asks you straight up to think of one. lol! 😀 I love the suggestions that have been offered so far, especially Vanessa’s “Something Old, Something Dead” and “The Haunting of the Vows.”
I honestly think that if I ever finish a book and try to go traditional with it, I should hire her to write my hook and synopsis!
Especially with a series–I need to have continuity in titles. Vanessa really hit on some great ones. I really appreciate people tossing ideas around. I’ve enlisted, friends, family, and bloggers to just toss names at me. I figure something will hit me or trigger a moment of brilliance. I hope so anyways. 🙂
I concur–she is a title generating guru!
Only one word came to me when I read your hook – ‘Reckoning’
The story sounds fantastic, best of luck 😉
LOL. Dianne, it felt genius when I came up with that title a couple years back. Hoping genius can strike multiple times. Thanks so much! 🙂
Way to go, Kourtney! Excellent news!
Thanks Simon!
Let me give this some thought, Kourtney. Have you considered doing a poll here on your blog?
Thanks Gwen. I’ve got to submit a list of possible names so I’m looking for new ideas. I’ve come up with some on my own, but I wanted some fresh new blood in the mix. 🙂
By the way — keep forgetting to mention this to you. I put your bookmarks out at our local public library branch. There is a container of bookmarks that sits near the computer pods, so I put the stack in there. Last time I checked, they were all gone!
Thank you so much! Woohoo! 🙂
Ohhh it sounds like a fascinating read, Kourtney! Here are some titles, just off the top of my head:
127 Years
Murder Transported
The Wedding Guests
Thanks Christy. It’s a very ambitious mashup so that makes the title so hard too. Thanks for the cool suggestions–really appreciate it!
I don’t know how you do this writer stuff, it makes my brain hurt.. but anyway for what they’re worth…
Till death do us part
To love and to cherish
A day of happiness and sadness
In times of light and darkness.
EllaDee the writing stuff is somehow easier than the marketing stuff. So write a book-sure, come up with a title–ugh my brain hurts. 🙂
These are great suggestions, I really like the first one a ton too!
This is a great idea. I’m having trouble titling my first novel. I may ask for suggestions on my blog when I’m ready.
I have a twist on one of the titles someone else suggested. Maybe, “Haunted Vows.”
Was there a reason why “Reckonings” didn’t work?
Thanks. I’ve seen authors do it on FB a lot. So I figured I’d give it a shot on my blog. 🙂
I like it!
No, I wish they had given me an idea of what was not working with Reckonings. I’m going to follow up with the editor and see if I can get more info on it this week. 🙂
A time-traveling, wedding night murder mystery sounds like grand fun! I have to say, I like Vanessa’s suggestion of, “Something Old, Something Dead.” That offers a lot of potential for mystery, scares, as well as some humor. (I don’t know why, but I get a Nick and Nora vibe from Kat and Evan.)
You could twist it a little, too, to be “Something Borrowed, Something Dead,” to pull in the possession and death pieces. But, that might require too much free association.
Good luck!
Thanks Mayumi. It was a blast to write, but a ginormous pain to categorize and sell. I really like that suggestion too. I really like your twist too. 🙂 Hugs!
Hi Kourt … You have said
“Toss anything you’ve got at me”.
So here you have a couple of suggestions
>”leakage spectra”
>”vanishing ghosts”
>”unexpected shadows”
>”misty appearances”
By the way , I think that the classical brief formula meaning : Adjective plus noun is almost infallible..
Best wishes & hugs, Aquileana 😛
Thanks Aquileana. Appreciate the suggestions! Cool formula. I’ll have to play with it with my keywords and see what it generates too.:)
I am terrible with titles, even blog post titles! But I really like some of the suggestions everyone has come up with so far. Vanessa’s suggestion of “Something Old, Something Dead” is great.
Congrats on the book!!
It’s weird because the next two books, the titles came so easy and so certain. This one was my first and I guess I was still figuring out how to be a writer. 😉 Thanks! I really like Vanessa’s suggestion too!
Congrats. My editor always changes my book title so I won’t offer any suggestions and save you the pain and embarrassment.
Hopefully, I will hit on something she likes in my list of new titles. 🙂
I really liked Reckonings. I’ll try to think of some more but for now all I can think of is The Uninvited. Congratulations – sounds like another great one!
LOL. Me too. I really felt like it was the title. But I like your suggestion a lot too! Thanks! 🙂 I’ve got a couple weeks to come up with them. The book crosses genres and it’s really hard to get a title to encompass all that.
Wow, there are some great title suggestions in these comments. The only thing that’s come to me is, Broken Remnants of a Human Being. That’s what struck me when I read the blurb! Your book sounds fantastic!
Lynn, I completely agree! Oh, that sounds very cool. Great suggestion. Aw thank you. It’s an idea my best friend and I had as kids. I ended up writing it and it was pretty cool to see it come to life. 🙂