Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Name That Book!

As I mentioned on Monday, I have been struggling forever with finding a good title for my first manuscript. It began life with the title Living in Sin, but the feedback I got from contests and other sources was that it was both misleading and a little cliched. After a lot of discussion with the Mavens, I retitled it A Scandalous Liaison earlier this year, but even though I liked the idea behind it, I wasn't sure it completely described my book, and when I pitched it to Elaine Spencer of the Knight Agency at National, the first words out of her mouth were, "Well, it is a little cliche."

/Sigh

So, since National, I've reworked the hero and heroine's underlying motivations and pieces of the story a bit and written a new hook for the book which I hope is sexier and catchier than what I had before. Here it is:
After a disastrous near-marriage to the man who took her virginity but wanted only her fortune, Lady Rosalind Brighton has sworn off men, money, and matrimony. She plans to secure her future by managing her thoroughbred breeding estate. Unfortunately, Society doesn’t approve of a woman running such a business and the former estate manager has absconded with most of her operating capital. Rosalind could gain access to her dowry by wedding one of the impoverished lordlings who regularly pop up on her doorstep, but she prays for a miracle instead.

Her miracle comes in the form of England’s most renowned—and most dashing—racehorse trainer. Determined to uncover a scheme to run horses under false pedigrees, Patrick O’Brien makes Lady Rosalind a tantalizing offer: he’ll lend her his credibility and training skills in exchange for complete control over her horses and half the profits. His plan progresses splendidly but for one complication—the passion that simmers beneath the surface of his every encounter with the delectable Lady Rosalind.

After weeks of smoldering glances and increasingly intimate caresses, Lady Rosalind makes a tantalizing offer of her own: she’ll take him as her lover for the duration of their contract. But Patrick’s an old hand at such indiscretions and he won’t be another aristocratic lady’s plaything. He’ll have Rosalind as his wife or not at all. So begins a battle of wits and sensual temptation, with surrender the greatest prize.
So, now it's your turn. What title would you give this book? What would make you pick it up off a bookstore shelf and turn it over to read the back cover copy? Help! Remember, there's a signed copy of Barbara Pierce's Wicked Under the Covers in it for the poster with the best entry!

17 comments:

Unknown said...

The Thoroughbred
To Tame a Thoroughbred
The Greatest Prize (that's yours, really)
High Stakes
To the Finish
The Bride's Bargain
The Race to Romance
Heart's Race
The Winner's Circle
To Win a Bride
The Bridal Path ( I really like this one!)


I'm stopping now...as you can see I'm going with horse/racing stuff. I've obviously read too much Dick Francis. Good luck; the book sounds great.

Tessa Dare said...

First off, that blurb is awesome! I'm dying to read that book.

Great suggestions, Maggie!

I named a FanLit entry this:

Unbridled Passion

But you could have so many good plays on words: Bride/Bridle/Groom/Reins; Mount/Ride/Breeding; Win/Victory/Race, etc. The possibilities are endless!

A Lady of Good Breeding
Kiss the Groom
Reins of Desire
Passion's Prize
Racing Toward Destiny
The Ride of Her Life
Neck and Neck
Neck and Nekkid
A Stable Relationship

J/k on the last few. :) I could come up with more, but I probably shouldn't.

Kelly Krysten said...

Ok, I really liked Tessa's: Passion's Prize and MAggie's: The Bridal Path. I loved your blurb, it instantly got my attention and is different enough to make it interesting.
I've got nothing better, but here's a try:
Lady of Scandal
Sin's Reward
An Unusual Courtship(That's my play on The Usual Suspects*g*)
Sorry I couldn't be more help!

Isabel said...

Jacq, I'd go buy this book right now, make that several books to pass along to my friends. :) I'm xxx my fingers that you'll sell this story, soon! I want a copy! :)


A Tantalizing Offer (from your blurb)
An Offer Most Scandalous
Sensual Surrender
A Lover's Seduction or
A Lover's Surrender
Dangerous and Sinful
Dangerous Seductress
His Sensual Surrender
Surrender To Temptation
His Passionate Temptress
Dangerous To Love
For Your Love Only (ok, I'm getting desperate)
Desperate Passion(s)
Intimate and Sinful
Smoldering Passion

Erica Ridley said...

Here Comes The Groom
Hell For Leather
Stable of Scandal
Mounting Pleasure
Pony Up for Passion
For Better Or Horse
Breeding the Bride
Riding Rosalind
Can She or Canter She?
Smoky Mountain Reins
Kiss the Bridle
Rode Hard & Put Away Wet
Trots of Passion

(No?)

Erica Ridley said...

Or even...

I've Got The Trots For You

(do I win yet? *g)

Kelly Krysten said...

FWIW, I vote for Erica's Rode Hard and Put Away Wet.lol. And um...I totally misread her title Trots of Passion. Who knew the word 'Trot' sounded so much like...um...something else...

Darcy Burke said...

OMG, Erica I am DYING. Steve thinks I've gone insane. Mounting Pleasure is just, gawd, they're all fabulous. Isabel, I have to say For Your Love Only is a GREAT title. Lots of current books take off movie and song names. That's really good, IMO.

Trots of Passion...bwa!

Bill Clark said...

"Unbridled Filly"

Erica, as usual you leave us all in your dust! But I thought I'd give it a whirl anyhow.

lainey bancroft said...

"Mounting Pleasure" *snort* Good thing I was only drinking water. And I'm with Kelly and Darcy, anything with 'trot' is just...wrong.

Tempting the Trainer
Taming the Trainer
A Man of Good Breeding
Bredded and Bedded ('cept don't really think 'bredded' is a word) :)
Dowry, Deal or Dalliance
Well Bred & Unwed
A Bargain With the Breeder

Hmm...I'll keep thinking

caramaena said...

I'm just killing myself giggling at "I've got the trots for you". So much so that I had to explain the premise of the book and what you were doing. He also laughed.

Personally I liked "The Bridal Path" or "Unbridled Filly".

caramaena said...

Make that "So much so that I had to explain the premise of the book and what you were doing _to my partner_."

Laughing too much to proof read before I hit publish!

Beverley Kendall said...

I can compete with the ones I read.


Mine is cliched but I still like it.

Scandal's Offer

Jackie Barbosa said...

I've been watching these come in and I'm half dying from laughter and half agog with awe for the titling prowess on display here.

So, for today's post, I'm going to weed out the silly ones (Erica!) and list the ones I think are reasonable plus a couple of my own you all have sparked with your suggestions. Then, we'll vote.

I'm not sure I'll end up USING the title that wins the vote, but whoever's title gets selected will win the contest and the book.

lacey kaye said...

This list had me laughing out loud. Not sure that was the point, but you ladies are really, really creative!

For what it's worth, I vote for anything on Isabel's list. I pretty much think they're all great.

Beverley Kendall said...

I meant I can't compete. They should allow you to modify these posts.

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

I think you should keep a list of all these titles so that when your publisher says "Oh, we don't like this one, give me a list" you're ready!

Jody