Titles. They’re kind of an important part of a book, don’t you think? Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby…all classics. Of course, this might be why their titles are so memorable. Although, in my humble (and maybe biased opinion), who wouldn’t wonder about To Kill a Mockingbird? It fires up the imagination, draws the reader in, and is an essential message within the story. That’s a challenge.
If you know me at all, you’ve heard me proclaim that coming up with a title for my book is harder than actually writing it. Exaggeration? Yes. But still, it’s a real struggle with me. Back when I first started writing (which was ten years before I first landed a book contract) I assumed the publisher would change my titles anyway, so it didn’t really matter. That’s what I was told by everyone who’d gotten a traditional contract. However, with Celebrate Lit, that’s not the case. That means the pressure is on, friends.
I was given inspiration for Night Songs when a lonely mockingbird woke me at 2:00 am for three nights in a row. I wrestled with a title for Shadow Dancing—at first, I thought it would be Shadow Boxing, because main characters Bekah and Mitch Casey were kind of duking it out (emotionally). But then the current title came to me in the wee hours of the morning—like most of my good ideas do. I think it’s because God needs to get me quiet and still before I can hear Him speak.
But here’s just one of the small things I love about our Lord: even when we’re dealing with something as seemingly insignificant as a book title, He is faithful to confirm it.
I’d titled the book, and as I came to the last couple of chapters, one of my main characters (I have two in most of my books), spoke the words that brought it all together. You might be thinking, Jennifer wrote the book, so how can she give credit to the character? Sounds kind of cuckoo, right? Actually, I don’t give Mitch the credit (come on, he’s not real people, and even I know that), but I give it to God. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m just the typist; the true author is the Lord. I’m not just saying this because it sounds “spiritual,” it’s the truth.
One week from today, Shadow Dancing releases. I love how God wove so many scriptural truths throughout it, making it richer, and hopefully, giving hope to those who’ve experienced trials similar to Bekah and Mitch Casey. Every time I plan out a book, it ends up different than what I’d originally intended, and this one is no different. I hope you enjoy reading this novel as much as I did writing it.
You can still preorder Shadow Dancing and receive the bonus of a free story I wrote. It’s called Heart Shadows, and it’s a prequel to Bekah and Mitch’s story set in 1977 Nashville. Click the link here, and choose whether you want the ebook (for $2.99) or the paperback for 30% off and free shipping. Heart Shadows is included in the paperback version, but if you choose the ebook version, you need to fill out the form so my publisher can send it to you. Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage and follow the links. Easy peasy!
