Wednesday 8 July 2009

Appellation Angst

 

meddler.3

Still on the subject of book titles – previous post – I’ve got a challenge for you! See, the thing is I’ve written a novel. It’s all ready to be submitted, but I just can’t for the life of me think of a suitable title. Please may I ruffle your brain feathers just for a moment, dear bloggy friends, because mine are all damp and bedraggled. What do you think would be a suitable title for this book based on the synopsis below?

“David Cobbington's high profile job with the Jockey Club of South Africa draws him into a web of deceit and complicity, pitting him against a man who will induce the ultimate destruction of his comfortable life and his marriage to the spoilt, beautiful Catherine. Anton Medli is the man who becomes David's perfidious and relentless nemesis. The unctuous Corsican is a man for whom thoroughbred racing is both a business and a pleasure and whose only philosophy is money. Known in racing circles as The Meddler, he engineers not only the demolition of David's quiet gentlemanly existence, but eventually the lives of both his brother Kit and their influential and wealthy father.

With his marriage destroyed and the fast, spurious life of South African white society no longer attractive, David secures a senior position with The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club and en route visits Kit who is in a similar role in racing in Kenya. David finds Medli has already insinuated himself into the racing circles of Nairobi and continues to manipulate one of his corrupt racing cohorts to intrude on Kit's life and that of his partner, the exotic and self-serving Princess Adina Tabor - or Didi as she is known to her friends and lover.

When the action shifts from the dusty high veldt of Johannesburg to the wild savannah of Kenya, it is in Nairobi where events escalate out of control. Intruders break into the house while David is alone one evening and he fires blindly into the night. Subsequently, the choices that the two brothers make, whether recklessly or judiciously, are irrevocable. David becomes trapped in a moral maze when both he and his brother step beyond the boundaries of the law because of the provocations of Anton Medli and his cohorts.

Finally, the narrative moves to the pulsating neon smeared high-rise bustle of Hong Kong. It is here, in the high stake speculative world of racing, that David and Medli warily circle each other while David tries desperately to protect his brother and father.”

The winning title (chosen by my editor, Charlotte Conley) gets his or her choice of book from the list in my previous post here.  G’on, give it a bash!

 

36 comments:

Beth Kephart said...

Wait a darn minute here, Miss Tessa.

The thing of it is, You've written a novel!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????

CONGRATULATIONS. A million times over.

Now.

I have to get this in my head, and give this my best shot.

I want to hug you!!

Lori ann said...

First, YOU WROTE A BOOK?????!!!!

WOW.

I need some time to think, i'll be back here later, don't choose without me ok? and I want your book if I win.

This is so exciting. WOW.

Rosaria Williams said...

Great news! You're ready to publish and you need a title? How about a phrase that hints at the story, some phrase from the Jockey Club vocabulary, such as "Favorite to die at the end", or the "Running Around", or "Racing the Rotten."

Sorry, Tessa. I can't help you because I have no talent in this area. Titles are usually picked by an editor/marketer, who would have an illustration to go with it.

Silke Powers said...

I cannot believe you've written a novel! An from the synopsis of it, I'd love to read it!! I am in awe!!!!!

As to a title, right now, I can only think of the obvious:

"Race to the Finish Line"
"Race to the Wire"
"The Longest Race"
"Racing to Win"
"Racing to Live"
"Racing Against the Odds"
"High-Stakes Race"

I wish I could think of something more clever. I'll give it some more thought...

Wow! Congrats!! :) Silke

Linda Sue said...

WHOA! What anambitious novel! It is so packed full that all I can think is -Just another day, so it goes,...the title I don't know- how does one title something so incredibly complex and loaded? Perhaps a S.A. word that encompasses complexity of life lived fully.

Holly said...

Your book is entitled:
"On Track With The Devil"

Enjoy! And, Tessa I am so very, very impressed! Congrats.

Teri said...

First, congratulations!! I will be looking for it on the shelves.

I thought of "Hong Kong Jocks" but I really like HOlly's "On Track With the Devil".

Good Luck!!!!

Anonymous said...

Goodness me, you closet novelist you! Well done indeed. Thinking of a title.....hmmm....get back to you on that one.

david mcmahon said...

Delighted, absolutely delighted to hear about the novel. Wonderful news.

Some suggestions for a title ....

The Ride Stuff

Saddled With The Responsibility

Bridle Party

High Stakes

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Tessa!!!! I am so happy! For you, the fact that you wrote a novel, that it is ready to be published and that you are the author of a very compelling piece of literature!!!

Brava, I'm so proud of you, my multi-talented muse!

Hey, how about "Thoroughbred" for the title?

I'm having a bash on vacation, but I can't stay away from reading my friend's blogs for too long...

:)
Lola xx

Alexandra MacVean said...

Wow! Congrats on writing a novel!! Hey...I am going to read this a few times and see if I can come up with a suggestion for you. Impressive!! :)

Anonymous said...

Your site has won a Blog of the Day Award (BOTDA)


Your award will go live sometime on July 9, 2009


Award Code

Thank you,


Bill Austin

Yoli said...

You are so amazing, I am so PROUD of you!! OK here it goes:

Terra

Mercury

Commotion Strange

Kathleen said...

The Shadow of Safety


Must feel wonderful to have finished a manuscript! Congrats!!!

How long has it been in the works?

Ces Adorio said...

Why am I not surprised that you have written a novel? Of course! You are a writer and I bet it will be worth a read for me! And I promise I will read it. I have only read one other blogger's book(s) - Caroline Smailes but, wait, you have no title? I am very bad at titles and I am so not creative, so how about "David Cobbington and His Dishes"?

Ces Adorio said...

And by the way, CONGRATULATIONS! And another thing, if I am to draw a portrait of you, what would you you like to wear and in what setting, say African jungle, with an animal or an aerial armadillo the way I interpret it? Do you have long hair now?

Delwyn said...

Hello Tessa

What a wonderful achievement- well done and good luck with the title...


Happy days

Chris Eldin said...

Congratulations for this very awesome milestone!!!!

I like the word "Corsican" It sounds exotic, to me. So a title with this word in it?

Good luck!!
:-)

Reya Mellicker said...

How incredible that you wrote a book! Well done, you. It sounds exciting and action-packed, too.

I would call the book "Jockey" and have some cool African continent graphics on the cover.

Can't wait to hear what you come up with as the real title. VERY COOL.

Congratulations!!

Woman in a Window said...

Holy holy!
Did I say holy yet?
Wow.
I like Lola's pick, alhtough it might have already been used.
I'll think on it and come back if I come up with anything. You must be so excited! You should be.

soulbrush said...

fantastic,you clever girl, will you self publish? can't wait to read it...south africa...wow....

pink dogwood said...

I can't believe this - the other day I was reading something you wrote and I was going to mention in the comment that you write really well and if you have ever thought abuot writing a book?

Like others, I also want to think of something very clever - will get back. And like Lori, I would also want your book if I won :)

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Devil's Race

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

What a delightful problem to have. Congratulations!

How about:

Quinella

Renee said...

Woot Woot. Clap clap clap.

Way to go Tessa, how fantastic.

Okay, I'm still thinking......

Keeping Clean Amongst Mud Dwellers

I'm still going to keep thinking.

Love Renee xoxoxo

kendalee said...

How fabulous!!! What exciting news and a GREAT achievement. I hardly know you and yet I feel like doing a little dance to celebrate.

"Crossing the Line" occurred to me almost immediately... winning lines, moral lines, legal lines, the equator... but it's not necessarily the snappiest or most poetic and may have been used before? "Crossing Over", "Crossing Lines"?

I'm going to give it some more thought too...

And btw, CONGRATULATIONS!

kendalee said...

p.s. is that the cover art? Great cover if it is!

♥ Braja said...

Oh at last! Am finally I'm able to comment after 3 wks of not being able to!

Actually now that I think of it, there are many who won't be happy about that....
:)

Congrats on the book, Tessa :)

Caroline said...

How exciting Tessa! Congratulations on finishing your novel Tessa - what an astounding achievement! I've been thinking about a title and see your dilema so, I'll be joining you in the damp and bedraggled look!! So far, all I've got is :
'Bending in the force of the wind' borrowed from Aesop's 'Little reed' and probably not snappy enough (oops, no pun intended!)

Tessa said...

Guys, you are angels! Thank you so much for all your brilliant suggestions. I really was SO reluctant to post this because I thought you'd think I was bellowing on my own trumpet and that thought absolutely horrified me! But everyone of you have been so heart warmingly encouraging and the titles you've come up with are brilliant. I'll close this on Monday and send your ideas on to Charlotte. When she has decided which she likes best - god, I'm glad I don't have to judge! - I'll let you know.

Again, a thousand, thousand thank yous.

xxoo

Grace Albaugh said...

Oh Tessa, how exciting for you! I know the amount of work and sweat it takes to finish a manuscript. Big sigh!

I'll throw in this suggestion for title-

"A Race To Ruin"

All the best to you!

Grace Albaugh said...

Or "A Race To Ruin and Back"

If things pull out at the end. (shrug)

Tessa said...

You guys rock my world! Thank you all so much for the VERY clever titles and for taking the time to comment as well. It is truly appreciated.

Charlotte decided that Holly's 'On Track with the Devil' was the winner of this particular race. Big jet-propelled hug to you, Holly, please chose which book you'd like from the titles in the previous post!

Holly said...

Oh, Goodness, Tessa!

I'm really excited. I've done editing, writing, and copy writing for so long off and on...but to have been chosen to title your book, and I say your book because if feel that it's absolutely destined to be more than a completed manuscript...I can see it as a book.

See myself picking it up and being able to say with a great deal of satisfaction, "I helped this wonderful woman because I titled her book!"

So, I will be wanting your book for certain. And, in the meantime, it took me longer to pick than I thought, I believe I'd like to read Ms. Moorehead's Dancing To The Precipice.

This is a real honor. Thanks, Tessa!

kj said...

i know i'm way late for this, and i don't have suggestions, but i can't help thinking about it.

i keep asking myself, "what is the stillpoint?" i can't say why but maybe it may mean something to you, tessa.

xoxo

Maithri said...

How on earth did I miss this?!!!

Please put me on the pre-order list...

What wonderful news... I am busting at the seams to read it!!!...

Much love my friend, Much love,

M