In Others’ Words: Behind the Title & Spine Poetry Challenge Contest

In Others’ Words: Playing It Safe In Others’ Words: Trading If Only for...

In Others’ Words: Behind the Title & Spine Poetry Challenge Contest

I often have the title of my novel before I write the opening line of chapter one, scene one. With just a few words, titles capture the essence of a novel. By the time I begin writing, I know enough of my story to encaspulate it in a title — even if that title before the book goes to press.

For my destination wedding series, I decided to research song titles for potential book titles, thanks to the advice of one of my wise mentors best-selling author Susan May Warren. There are approximately a gazillion song titles to research — yes, I counted — but even with so many choices, it wasn’t easy to find just the right song title for my upcoming novel.

Things I consider when choosing a book title:

Main characters – In Crazy Little Thing Called Love, my hero and heroine met in high school. Eloped during spring break during senior year. Divorced. And meet up again eight years later.
Genre – I write contemporary romances, so I browsed love songs. I Googled lists like “top 100 love songs” and “classic love songs” and “movie long songs.”
Overall plot – It’s crazy for two teens to elope. It’s crazy to run into your first love when you’re planning your destination wedding for your second marriage. It’s crazy to deal with a hurricane at the same time you’re dealing with mixed up emotions.

Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love — the title of the first novel in my destination wedding series. It works. And it doesn’t hurt that when people hear the title they also hear the song in their heads too. I like the Michael Bublé version.

*Spine Poetry Challenge*

The task:

Simple.

Grab your favorite books and create a “poem” or loose “limerick” from the titles. Something as simple as:

All your favorite authors in one stack
Similar titles
Similar spine colors for a lovely mosaic
Titles that when placed in a stack tell a simple story or rhyme
All of one author’s books in one stack

IMPORTANT: Be sure to post a link to your spine poetry in the PromoSimple form for your entry to be counted!

Ready for step two?

Take a picture and post it on social media, tagging one or all of our authors: @PepperBasham, @KCambronAuthor, @CarlaLaureano, @BethVogt, @CathWest

Want extra credit?

Visit each of the blogs (listed here: ) Pepper Basham, Kristy Cambron, Carla Laureano, and Catherine West and build a spine poetry entry for each author. You can enter as many times as you’d like!

The prizes:

You didn’t want to do this just for the fun of it? Well, okay then. :- ))

Each spine poem is entered to win a prize basket with a copy of each of our author’s books:

The Thorn Bearer by Pepper Basham

A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

London Tides by Carla Laureano

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

Bridge of Faith by Catherine West

If you create a Spine Poem with any of our authors in one collection, you’ll be entered to win this mother lode:

Hand-crafted journal

Hand-crafted Swarovski crystal bracelet

Pride & Prejudice DVD