Read my short story that follows Boise Montague, the protagonist in my upcoming book Dark Paradise, on Medium. Originally published in Beyond Imagination Digital Literary Magazine, this quick read will give you a taste of what is to come when Dark Paradise hits shelves on June 25th.
Stacey seeks her place.
What’s harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?
For sure the book title is harder. It’s so immediate, so vital as a first impression, akin to the book cover. You can draw a reader in or shoo them away. The names of characters, while important are rarely deal-breakers as far as someone picking up the book or even continuing to read. Interesting and meaningful character names do not necessarily matter in many cases and analyzing why an author named a character yields few results except in obvious cases like Voldemort.
In fact, obscure or everyday names are chosen more often than not to no ill effect. I sometimes
choose names from the credits of a movie or by combining first and last names I’ve heard. Human names are easy to come by and many are unique and interesting or common and easy to remember. Titles that tell you something about the story are rare and give so much of a feel to the entire text, especially before you have a completed cover. It’s hard to overstate the pressure I feel when choosing a book title.
All good stories have strong characters that are the driving force in the narrative. Without well-rounded characters who possess their own agendas, a story lacks the gravitational pull that pulls the reader in for more. My beta-readers for Dark Paradise all comment on the powerful, independent nature of the book’s female characters. Some men seem…
Dark Paradise by Gene Desrochers | My rating: 5 of 5 stars Very exciting look into the world of the Caribbean and the darkness beneath the cruise ships and surfers. This thriller explores a man’s search for himself in his homeland, when that homeland has moved on and becomes almost unrecognizable. Boise brings us into the…
Livia Lone by Barry Eisler This book kicked butt! Livia is a truly powerful character. I loved the way Barry Eisler switched between her origin story, training, and the present mission she’s engaged in. The first chapter is one of the best I’ve read in a long time – immediately drawing me into the world of…
I’ve received my first edits back from my amazing editor. Now the real work begins! Dark Paradise begins being reborn today.