Have you ever picked up a book to see what it was about? Maybe you were waiting in line at the grocery store or killing time at an airport newsstand.
Why did you pick up that book and turn the cover? Was it was a famous author or someone you’d read before. The title, a subject of interest or the cover design—something triggered your action.
As a new author I hadn’t given questions of that type much thought. We’d come up with the perfect cover—champagne, chocolates, a rose and a fireplace. What better way to say romance?
I soon learned I had to do more. Looking at my prize manuscript—Signature Affair—lying on the table I asked myself, what’s the book really about? Maybe people might think it’s a mystery, like The Thomas Crown Affair. Perhaps a true love story; shoot I thought a person could even think it was about a wedding planner’s signature event. Clearly, I had to do more.
For most authors, questions like this usually occur when they’re having a brainstorm. Some jot and scribble well into the night. And then, in the morning when they start again—bingo there it is.
But for me there was no brainstorm and no bingo. Lin and I had met our friends, the Scanlon’s, at a timeshare in the Smokies. A time to veg out and catch up on the year’s happening. And of course, to have good food and plenty of wine.
It happened one afternoon between a marathon series of “Sequence” (a card game). Jim and I needed a break, after getting our butts beat for the third straight time. A little wine and cheese would be the cure. For some reason I mentioned my dilemma with the title of the book. I need to say no more.
Jim, the “doctor of words,” who was preparing the loot (cutting the cheese) was already tossing out the terms. It didn’t take long to agree on love and lies. The main character, Steve Schilling, did plenty of that—loving five women then lying to each to cover it up.
Lauren, who is always a hoot, called my guy a louse. “He’s not a louse,” I said, coming to the rescue of my leading man. “He loves each woman the same.” “Sounds like a louse,” Lauren said, under her breath.
After more wine, Lin was acting loose. “He’s having five affairs; I agree with Lauren, he’s a louse,” she insisted. “It gives us three ‘L’s,’” Jim said. “We need three ‘L’s,’” he repeated for the third time.
“Steve doesn’t think he’s a louse,” I said. “He doesn’t see them as affairs. He thinks he’s in love with each; we can’t call him a louse.”
“It gives us three ‘L’s,’” the “doctor of words” reminded us. “We have to have three ‘L’s,’”
“Fine,” I said. “Find another ‘L’ and I’ll be happy. “Dr. Words” looked at me. “Liaisons, it means affairs.”
“And so it was, we’d created a subtitle—LOVE, LIES and LIAISONS.”
Lin, now a silly duck, said, “We’ve done more than that.” We all looked at her, wondering what Miss AFLAC would say next. “We’ve described what you write about. It’s more than a subtitle, it portrays who you are.” And of course, she was right.
LOVE, LIES and LIAISONS is not only the sub-title for my trilogy; it also defines the genre in which I write. In the future when you are discussing love, lies and/or liaisons – – think of me, but don’t mention to your friends that I used to be a university president. Sh . . .