Thursday, 15 September 2011

One Year Ago

'One Year Ago' is the topic of the week for the Group Blogging Experience on Facebook (GBE2).

So, one year ago, what was I doing? 

Revising/editing my novel 'Fragrance of Violets' which is set mainly in England's Lake District before moving to London and Paris.  I think, by September 2010, I had decided on the title, which comes from a quotation by Mark Twain:  Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.

The story is about two people who need to forgive each other and also deal with other issues in their lives:

Abbey Seton distrusts men, especially Jack Tremayne who destroyed their friendship when they were teenagers.  Ten years later, they meet again.  Can they put the past behind them?
Abbey has to forgive not only Jack, but also her father who deserted his family when she was young.  Jack holds himself responsible for his fiancée’s death.  He’s also hiding another secret which threatens the fragile resumption of his relationship with Abbey.
Will Abbey ever forgive him when she finds out the truth?

('Fragrance of Violets' was accepted by Whiskey Creek Press and will be published next February.)

While I was revising it, I ws already thinking about another novel which was written but which still needed a lot of work.  What I didn't know (a year ago) was that the following month I would get an idea for a completely new novel.  I went to Egypt, did a Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan and visited some amazing places that I never thought I would ever see.  I KNEW I had to set a novel there, and now, almost a year later, I'm in the process of revising and editing that story.  It took a very different course from the very vague outline I had in my mind while I relaxed on the sundeck of the Nile cruise ship.  The characters took over, leaving me with some headaches at times as I tried to sort out the intrigue which crept in!

But here's my current problem - I need a title!  I abandonned my original title of 'Romance on the Nile' (too reminsicent of Agatha Christie and Poirot!) so it's had the working title of 'A Nile Romance'.  Now I want something less bland.  There's an archaeologist exploring a tunnel leading from one of the Pharaoh's tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and there's also a long-standing feud between his ex-fiancee's father (who withdrew his funding of the excavation) and the current fund-provider.  That enmity drives a wedge between the hero and heroine.  

So - any ideas for a title?   

8 comments:

  1. I do have an idea! Maybe you could call your new book "word-nerd-speaks.com." Catchy, right? ;O)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can never think of interesting titles :-(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the quote and title of your Violets novel, Paula - and I'm definitely waiting for the Nile one! I like choosing titles, but I can't think of a good one yet, sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm surprised at the dearth of titles here ladies! I have too MANY ideas:
    Tunnel of Love is the obvious throw-away one.
    Love's Treasure.
    The Nile at Love Stage.
    Tomb of Love.
    Treasure of Romance.
    Curse of Romance.

    I'll stop now, but ALL of these bad ideas are almost better than "word-nerd-speaks.com"!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mike, thank you so much. Tunnel of Love is the one I thought of, but it reminds me too much of an old fairground ride! I like Love's Treasure and Treasure of Romance, but I also wanted something to indicate the conflict (not a curse!) - maybe 'Love and Lies' or 'Valley of Secrets' (since the tomb is in the Valley of the Kings)

    ReplyDelete
  6. No big commission for me then?
    Is there more than one romance? How about 'Loves and Lies'?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this meme!

    Thanks for stopping by Paula - wow I can't believe you get so much spam. You must be writing content very popularly searched for or something! :D

    ReplyDelete