Monday, March 9, 2009

A Rose by Any Other Name


The good news: Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David will be published in May.

The bad news: Murder Takes the Cake by somebody else was published in September 2008 and Death Takes the Cake by yet another author was published in February 2009. Oy!

Book titles can’t be copyrighted.

The collective Evelyn David chose the title of our second book before it was ever written. We submitted synopses and titles for two other Sullivan Investigation mysteries back in 2006. And in case anyone is interested, we’ve got dibs (which is about as much legal protection as we can get) on An Outlet for Murder.

But I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Maybe we ought to consider some already established titles for forthcoming books. Would it increase our readership? For example:

Gone With the Wind
After a tornado touches down in Washington, DC, Mac Sullivan and Rachel Brenner investigate the case of a missing corpse. Whiskey searches for a box of missing dog biscuits. Are the two mysteries related?

A Tale of Two Cities
Mac Sullivan is from Washington, DC, but doesn’t know the birthplace of his Irish wolfhound, Whiskey. Will a cross-country tour of kennels unearth the mystery of Whiskey’s humble beginnings? And who is the corpse in the doghouse?

The Catcher in the Rye
Mac Sullivan has been hired by the Washington Nationals to find the star catcher of the team who was last spotted at a deli ordering a ham on…

Charlotte’s Web
Rachel Brenner’s best friend Charlotte has spun a web of deceit that's already left two people dead. Mac and Whiskey race to unravel a intricately woven network of lies, while battling an infestation of black widow spiders.

Other suggestions?

Evelyn David


P.S. Sniff. Barbie shouldn't make me cry, but this story, told by the Southern half of Evelyn David, made me reach for the box of tissues. Check it out for yourself, http://www.woofersclub.blogspot.com

1 comment:

  1. Your book and title will TAKE THE CAKE! (although I do love your alternative titles, especially Charlotte's Web!)

    Mary

    http://www.woofersclub.blogspot.com
    http://www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com

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