The book that dare not speak its name

February 2, 2012

In another of my series of examples on ‘what not to do’ I’ve written a book that can’t be titled or described.

Not really.  I’m sure we’ll come up with something eventually.  But my editor says in the acceptance letter , “…this story is quite simply mad if you try and explain the plot to anyone (I know because I have tried!) “

She also says it is “fabulously, amazingly brilliant!”  Figured I’d better add that on there, so you didn’t think I’d gone totally off the rails.

But neither one of us has any ideas for a title.  I am seldom any damn good at them.  My working titles have been

“The actor book”   (like ‘The blind guy book”.  But, you know, with an actor!)

“The Actor and the Lady” (because the finished manuscript needed a header.  But someone should erase that immediately.  Ugh.)

And

“Jack and Cyn”  (Because the character’s names are less offensive to the eye than any of my other attempts.)

So, I am turning the project over to anyone who is reading this blog.  To sweeten this deal, I will give a signed copy of the “Ladies in Distress” trilogy (as soon as I have all three books myself) to the person who can come up with a keeper.  If we don’t use anything, I’ll throw the names in a hat and give away some free books.  But I could sure use some help.

Here is what I can tell you, to get you started.  And believe me, if I try to give you the whole plot, we will be here all day.  It is incredibly complicated.

The hero is an actor named Jack Briggs, who has been hired by an earl to play his heir.

So Jack is pretending to be John, Viscount Kenton.

The heroine is named Cynthia.  Her family calls her Thea, but Jack thinks of her as Cyn.  She is a girl of upstanding moral character and impeccable manners, except for… well… tons of things.  But she wants to be impeccable, and is trying very hard.

This is a marriage of convenience, with trickery on both sides.  She thinks she’s marrying money.  So does he.  They are both wrong.  The villain has all the money.  And they swindle it out of him.  Set an episode of “Leverage” in the Regency.  This is my book.

There is more to it than that, of course.  But we can’t put it all on the cover.  We have to save something for the inside.

So:  Any good ideas?

Any bad ideas?

5 responses to “The book that dare not speak its name”

  1. Susan the Irreverent says:

    Bad ideas I got… to wit:
    The Cynful Thespian?
    Thea-theatre?
    Briggs-a-doon?
    Viscount Me Out?
    Jacking Is a Cyn?
    If You Don’t Stop Doing that, You’ll Get Hair on Your Palms?

  2. Holly Gault says:

    The Ersatz Heir just doesn’t have a ring to it, does it?

    Thick as Thieves is my only thought at the moment.

  3. Cristina C. says:

    A take off the Leverage idea … The Acting Job 🙂

  4. Dori says:

    hm, similar to Cristina C.’s idea, i’ve started thinking of this book as The Viscount Caper. starring Audrey Hepburn, of course. 🙂

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