What's in a name?

So what's in a name?

Well just about everything really.

You have written this fantastic book with plenty of action and a whole load of sex that oozes out from every page.

It's got great characters, an alpha male that is every girl's dream. An alpha female that would have any man crying on his knees with undying love for her, if she so much as glanced at him – and you haven't sold a single copy.

Frustrated and near despair you wonder where you went wrong.

Girl meets guy, guy falls in love with girl, they have hot, passionate , animalistic sexual bliss as soon as they hit the sheets.

She falls (or thinks she does) for someone else. Guy plans to win her back....succeeds because his rival is a jerk and nowhere nearly as good looking or rich as our hero....not that the girl cared. She cares only for true love.

The making up scene is awesome....and you're not the only one who thinks so, your husband agrees, so does your mother and the rest of your family. The buying public has a different attitude.

So what's wrong with the book – the title is CRAP.

I guess to a lot of writers 'I'm preachin' to the choir' and I'm sure most of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

This understanding - I have just found out about.

I've been lucky in choosing good titles. I like to believe that I had help from my Spiritual guides but I'm not going to push that idea onto anyone. It's my belief.

My first novel The Warlock's Woman has been well received, helped by a great publisher and the most amazing book bloggers.

However – it's my second book that has really surprised me. It's just got published and hasn't had the promotional effort that The Warlock's Woman has.

But here it is – Half Blood is running alongside in the buying stakes with The Warlock's Woman.

I was inspired to call the book - Half Blood - because the story-line has an anti racial prejudice theme to it. And it would appear I wasn't the only writer who thought Half Blood was a good title.... having your book in-between copies of J K Rowling's Half Blood Prince on Amazon has proven to be very beneficial.

As I've said, I didn't choose Half Blood because other's had, I chose it because of the message in the book - but it has helped.

Sure the blurb for a book is very important - and I have to admit it – I'm no great blurb writer and don't get me started on the hoops I go through when writing a synopsis, so I'm thinking basically, it comes down to a great snappy title.

Mystery, suspense, sex, intrigue and adventure, get it all in the title and you've got a winning formula.

The sequel to The Warlock's Woman is called - The Black Ether, I chose the title before I had my epiphany about titles – bummer.

I think the title does manage to give a sense of mystery, with perhaps a bit of intrigue – words like Black and Ether, hopefully conjure up in a potential reader's imagination some of those concepts.

Should have got the sex in though, as there is a lot of that. The suspense and adventure, well......I'll have to get better with the blurb.

I have already started the marketing process, so, The Black Ether - part 1, it is – yeah and I've already got The Black Ether – part 2 as the sequel. That said, maybe I'll change it to The Bonking Psychic does the Black Ether, somehow, I don't think so.

I am however, going to make sure the sequel to Half Blood, grabs the attention of whoever reads it.

I have had one or two suggestions already from friends as to the sequel title, my answer to that is – when I want to write porn – I will - and I don't think even vampires are that double jointed.