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Happy Thought, Indeed
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I’ve been busy the past week trying to work on page proofs of SURRENDER OF A SIREN and make significant progress on my draft of THE DESIRE OF A DUKE (Stud Club, book one).
I’m not sure about the title for this book, btw. If anyone has ideas, shout them out. I pretty much started with the fact that there’s a duke and then the essential Tessa Dare title element – the word “of” – and went from there.
Anyhow, I went away (sorta) to a nearby hotel and worked all weekend there, and got about 10,000 words written on the new book. That was good, because it’s due in a month. Now I’m still behind on page proofs, though – need to mail those by….uh, was it Thursday? Tomorrow? Crud.
Okay, you’re getting the idea why I’m late getting this blog up, and it’s a rambling mess.
The happy thing is, sometime in the last week (and I cross fingers, toes, and everything here, not to jinx it), I passed a milestone with the DUKE book. With every book I write, I start out loving each individual character. I mean, I have to love them. I created them, right? That doesn’t mean they’re especially lovable at all times. But somewhere in the writing of the book comes the moment when I really fall in love with the couple–the way they interact, and what they can mean to one another. I get that warm, mushy feeling inside, and I really start to believe that these two crazy kids can make it work. I start daydreaming about them far in their future, canoodling by the fire and playing with their cute little children.
So this week, I had my SPENCER+AMELIA 4EVER!! moment. It feels really good.
Now the hard part – making the reader feel it, too. Yeah, I’m gonna get back to work on that. Right after finishing the SURRENDER proofs….
March 31st, 2009 at 6:56 am · Link
Hi Tessa! I like the title, The Desire of a Duke. I also happen to love the word “duke” in a title. I think it helps the book “pop” on the shelves.
Happy Writing!
March 31st, 2009 at 7:56 am · Link
I like the title, too…sounds verra marketable!
I’m envious of your 10,000 word weekend (I think I’d be brain-dead if I wrote that much in two days, though!) and of you’re reaching that sweet, mushy point.
I’m afraid I’m at the point in the WIP where I’m pretty sure the entire thing is trash. I know it’s just a phase and I’ll get over it, but it’s also that phase where other ideas try to seduce me away from finishing. Must. Not. Yield!
March 31st, 2009 at 4:00 pm · Link
I’ll third it and say good working title. But I think there needs to be some tie in with the coins or the horse or racing or breeding or something. Of course, I have no idea how you would do that and keep it sexy, but then that’s why you’re the one with the contracts. LOL!
Woot on the 10K words! I know you’ll get it all done and it’ll be great. The mushy milestone has to be a good sign, rigtht? 🙂
March 31st, 2009 at 7:03 pm · Link
@Sarah Tormey: Thanks, Sarah. I have to admit, I chose to make the first hero a duke partly for that reason – dukes sell, or so I hear. 🙂 But I’m just worried it’s a tad too generic, for that reason. Hm.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:05 pm · Link
@Jackie Barbosa: Jackie, I pretty much WAS braindead after writing that much in 2 days. That’s the bummer for me – a day or two of super productivity is nearly always followed by a day where I get nothing done. Oh well!
And yes, I go through that stage in every manuscript, too! (Sometimes I revisit it.) But you’re right, you just have to have faith and keep going. I think Vagabond Lindsey once blogged about this – all these other ideas in your head start to sound like so much better stories and so much more fun to write – but you can’t be seduced by the glimmer!
March 31st, 2009 at 7:07 pm · Link
@terrio: Ooh, all kinds of HPresents-ish titles are coming to me. The Equestrian Duke’s Virgin Bride? Seduced by the Milionaire Nobleman?
March 31st, 2009 at 7:10 pm · Link
I can bequeath you _Unbridled_. I doubt I’ll ever use it.
Or how about The Unbridled Passion of a Duke? The Unbridled Duke? Duke Unbridled?
Hmmm, I could go on, but I think I’m getting silly.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:00 pm · Link
@Jackie Barbosa: OOH! I’m liking this…
The Duke’s Unbridled Desire?
The Unbridled Desires of a Duke?
But acronyms that include DUD are troublesome. Hm. Must think on this.
April 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pm · Link
I opened that Pandora’s Billionaire’s Secret Baby’s Box didn’t I? LOL!
April 1st, 2009 at 4:09 pm · Link
If you keep The Desire of a Duke and if the Vagabonds repeat their Readers Challenge, then I start out with two points for the title when I read it. If the cover features heaving bosom, bared thigh, mantitty, and headless people, TDOAD may prove to be a champion point-getter read in our challenge. I like it! 🙂
April 1st, 2009 at 8:40 pm · Link
I love the title. I would buy the book based on the title alone because it is all sorts of awesome. I am so glad you reached the 4 ever moment with your characters, but really . . . no clues as to what that moment was. You are just teasing us now!