Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Title Suggestions

A huge Thank You to everyone for the enthusiastic response to my previous post.

I’ve compiled the suggested titles, leaving out only those with words that have already appeared in previous titles, such as die, sleep, sing, fear, and shadows. I’ve also changed a few suggestions that used “where” or “what” to “when” or “why.” I hope I’ve listed them all, but I just made it home after a brutal 24-hr flight from hell, so I’m a little the worse for wear. If anyone has any more suggestions, please feel free to jump in with them.

Here they are. So now tell me, what strikes your fancy?

When Legends Fall
When Legends Rise/Arise
Why Legends Arise
When Legends Wake
When Legends Lie
When Legends Hide
When Legends Weep
When Legends Curse/Are Cursed
Who Legends Chase
When Legends Speak
When Legends Meet
When Legends Breathe
When Legends Collide
When Legends Revile
When Legends Are Lies
When Legends Reign
When Legends Forget
When Legends Cry
When Legends End
When Legends Live
When Legends Dwell/Roam
When Legends Kneel
When Legends Veil
When Legends Echo
When Legends Weave
When Legends Drift/Float
When Legends Speak
Why Legends Rage
When/What Legends Mourn
When Legends Fade



Why Fables Survive

Why Maidens Weep/Cry
When Maidens Rage
When Lily Maidens Lie
Whom Maidens Lament
When Maidens Dream
Whom Maidens Spurn

When a Lady Lies Dead
When Death Lies Hidden
Why/When Morning Never Comes
When Dawn Never Comes


When Knights Weep
When Knights Descend
Why Knights Regret

Why Camelot Wept

When Sirens Call
When Sirens Rise
When Sirens Dwell
Who Speaks for Arthur

Who Speaks For Camelot

When Mirrors Curse
When/Why Mirrors Deceive/Live
When/Why Mirrors Crack

When/Why Whispers Curse

Who Defends the Web
Who Weaves the Web
Who Delights in Webs

When Kings Fall
When Kings Reign

Why Blind the Night
When Ravens Mock


Thoughts, anyone?

28 comments:

Beth said...

Now you need to go write all these books.

Remember to write some C.S. Graham books also -- don't get so busy writing St. Cyr books that you forget your other set of heros (and the Russian guy that isn't a friend of Jax).

After all, if Agatha Christie can write more than 80 books, surely you can too ... :-)

Beth

Barbara Butler McCoy said...

I'm tossing in a vote for "Who Weaves the Web." Storytellers weave, murderers weave, rivers weave, the Lady of Shallot wove ... 'Web' has a bit of a sinister edge to it and murder is definitely sinister ... and I like the rhythm of the phrase .... Whatever is chosen I will read it with alacrity and much enjoyment ;0 Best of luck with your jet-lag.

Rachel Walsh said...

Just going on immediate, "hey, I like that!", reaction, the two that jumped out for me were When Legends Fall and When Sirens Call.

Good luck with the choosing!

Lainey said...

What Beth said! Plenty of title material for an extended Sebastian series. So many great choices.

Who Weaves the Web really grabs me.
Also When Legends Wake.

cs harris said...

Beth, unfortunately I am a VERY SLOW writer. And yes, I have an idea that will bring back Andrei!

Barbara, that is a nice, sinister sounding title. And I'm not so much jet-lagged as exhausted-by-United. It was only supposed to be a five hour flight! Instead, after 12 hours, I was farther away from home than when I'd started the day.

Rachel, a lot of people seem to like When Legends Fall. I suspect I'll send my editor a short list, and let her choose.

Lainey,

cs harris said...

Oops, Lainey, thanks for your vote.

The Commissioner said...

I agree that Who Weaves the Web is fabulous sounding.

Runners up, for me, include When Legends Wake, Why Maidens Weep, When Maidens Rage, and When Sirens Rise.

I'm going to go against the grain, however, and recommend against When Legends Fall because it sounds too close to the movie title Legends of the Fall.

Stewart Sternberg (half of L.P. Styles) said...

Why Blind The Night....just

Susan said...

Had to leave a comment since I have been lurking around waiting for a hint of when Where Shadows Dance will be released. . . don't think I can wait until March 2011! Anyway, I have to admit that I am not a fan of the titles with "Web" in them. When I read "defenders of the Web", I had this image of a bunch of computer geeks clustered around their laptops, waving long plastic rulers and screaming at the top of their lungs! No offense to the person or persons who came up with that title- my mind works in strange and mysterious ways, and none creative. I couldn't come up with a good title though I puzzled over it for a while . I like When Legends Fall , but I see the point about that movie reference. I think When Legends Wake is good - ties in with the young Alfred getting inspiration from childhood experience, grisly as it is. Anyway, keep up the fab work! Any title you choose will be awesome.

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the flight nightmare - I've had those and it is awful. I'm with Susan in not liking the web stuff. I like When Legends Cry and When Knights Weep myself. Can't wait!!!! Sabena

Pax Deux said...

All great titles!

I can see the web/"internets" geek/hick factor, but I still like
"Who Weaves the Web"
I also like
"When Legends Wake"
(as in both wake up and mourn)...Is
"When/What Legends Mourn"
an option? I also liked
"When Legends Fade"
but it did not make it to the list...

Unknown said...

I'm particularly drawn to "When legends wake" and "When legends reign." Those are the two that jump out at me - and probably would if if I were browsing your books for the first time. And if I recall correctly, that's what happened at the bookstore the first time I picked up one of the St. Cyr books....
(Although, in hindsight, those two titles might sound a little too fantasy/sci-fi)

Anonymous said...

In no particular order, I like:
When Sirens Call
Why Maidens Weep
Whom Maidens Lament
When Legends Speak/Live/Forget/Collide/Lie/Arise

It depends on exactly what nuance you want to give, and you the author know that best (at least I hope so).

Can't wait to read it (and Where Shadows Dance first of course).

Lesley

cs harris said...

Project Cat, thanks. Anyone who has a reason for NOT liking a title, please feel free to speak up. It's important! I'm always amazed at the different connotations the same word/title can have to different people.

Stewart, that's a great title, even if it doesn't fit the book!

Susan, now that I'm no longer my mother's full-time caretaker, my writing output should pick up again. And oh dear, I hadn't thought about the Internet associations of "web"; thanks for pointing that out!

Sabena, I have twice sworn I'll never fly United again and then caved, only to regret it; hopefully there will be no third time! Thanks for you input on the title.

Pax Deux, did I leave something off? I'm not surpised; sorry! And yes, I'm still taking title suggestions. Thanks.

cs harris said...

Molly, thanks; it's interesting to know that it was a title that attracted you to the series in the first place.

Lesley, thanks for your input. I honestly haven't decided what I like best.

Kim said...

I don't care for the word legends in the titles and I wasn't sure why. I think I've figured it out.

Sometimes we say, "he is a legend," but for the most part, a better definition is: "A legend is a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical." In other words, these titles suppose that the legend was a man, when in fact a legend is more of a story. So it doesn't feel right that a legend would cry or rage. An exception to this is the title, When Legends Speaks. Here, we are saying that a legend does indeed comprise a story.

My favorite titles:

Why Maiden's Weep
When Maidens Rage
When Sirens Rage/Rise/Dwell
When Knights Descend
When Legends Speak

Steve Malley said...

My top two: When Legends Fall and When Dawn Never Comes.

That's just how I roll... :-)

Pax Deux said...

I forgot to say thank you for inviting us to participate in the making of the 7th book. It has been so much fun! It also helps to minimize our "jonesing" for Sebastian to manageable levels ;-)

When is the pub date for Babylonian Codex, btw?

cs harris said...

Kim, that's an interesting take on the word "legends," and I do think you have a point. I would really like to use the word "maiden' or "lady" somehow.

Steve, thanks for the input!

Pax Deux, thank YOU. I added the missing titles into the list. And The Babylonian Codex is due to be released November 30th.

Katie said...

It was a title that started me on the series too; I was browsing the mystery section, saw What Angels Fear and was intrigued. My top title picks from the list are "When Legends Speak" (I think part of that is that this one strikes me as meshing well with the other titles) and "When Maidens Weep." The latter gives the same, I guess I want to say haunting, impression I got from the cover and title of What Angels Fear, which is why I gave it a second look and read the cover blurb. Also that title evokes "The Lady of Shallott" for me.

BTW, can't wait for Babylonian Codex. Also I laughed harder every time Jax repeated Andrei was not his buddy.

Allison said...

I like:

When Legends Speak
When Legends Meet
When Legends Awake

And what about:

Who Weaveth the Web as a reference to the poem Lady of Shallot.

I also came up with:

When Idols/Idylls Deceive
When Avalon Weeps
Whom Avalon Seeks
Why the Flame Burns
Who Drowns Sorrow

This is too much fun! I love the Arthurian legend element.

Allison

Kacie B. said...

This is probably late, but what about Where Legends Rise.


Out of the list compiled, When Maidens Dream and When Legends Lie are my favorites.

Anonymous said...

I like When Legends Fail although I'm not sure now that it is on the list.
So looking forward to the next book. I know I will enjoy it as much as I did the others.
Diane

nana said...

For the continuity I would say "when Legends speak" effective, simple and speaking.
I like very much too "why Maidens cry"

good luck for the writing of your next book!!!

cs harris said...

Thanks, Katie; those both seem to be popular.

Allison, those are some great suggestions; thank you.

Kacie B, thank you. I'll add your suggestions to my own list.

Diane, I'd have to look myself. I'm starting to get confused, too.

Nana, I like When/Why Maidens Cry, too. Reminds me of the line from that old song, "When the doves cry".

Susan/DC said...

What about using the word "How" as a lead. It fits the rule of "who, what, when, where, why and how" that the previous titles did. For example, I think that "How Legends Die" works as well if not better than "When Legends Die". The core of the mystery is the who, why, and how, so unless the book is about what happens after the legends die (after the "when"), the word how is more appropriate.

Liked "Who Weaves the Web", despite its nerdy, Silicon Valley connotations. The image of someone (or a group of someones) weaving the web of murder and mystery that Sebastian must untangle is quite powerful. also like the word maiden, but I wonder if that is a turnoff for male readers (don't know, just asking the question), as it may imply women's fiction to them.

orannia said...

Now you need to go write all these books.

LOL!

I still like When Legends Fade. And I agree that When Legends Fall is too close to Legends of the Fall.

cs harris said...

Susan, my friend Pam Ahearn (an agent) is always pestering me to use "how." I may go that route. And I love "Who Weaves the Web" too; if only it didn't have the Internet connotation! As for guys and the word "maiden," I may have to ask that in a future post.

Sounds like When Legends Fall is going to get the ax; too many negative reactions to it.

Queen Liz, I still like that one, too.