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Help Me Find a Title for My Next Book

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A couple weeks ago, my editor gave me the head’s up that it’s time to start putting together ideas for cover art, blurbs, and titles for my current work in progress.

And since I know our readers have some of the most creative minds in the business, I figured this would be a great place to tap into a well of creativity.

So here you go . . .

I’ll give you the back cover blurb, a few of my title ideas, then let you go hog wild with ideas.

Story

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler travels to Pecan Gap, Texas to confront Zacharias Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father’s death. Only instead of finding a ruthless gambler alone in his den, he finds a man with a family. And when the youngest Hamilton sibling, a cheerful sprite of a woman with mismatched eyes and a kind heart insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds it increasingly difficult to focus on his quest for vengeance.

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at the age of three; losing her last blood relative, a brother, at the age of four; and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes—one bright blue, the other dark brown—Eva has had to fight to make a place for herself in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet, if even one person loves you, the world and its judgments can be overcome, and Eva has two—Seth and Zach. She would do anything to protect them. So, when a neighbor with a suspicious agenda sets up camp on the border of their properties, she takes it upon herself to ferret out his intentions.

Ignore the jewelry and just look at the eyes. That kind of vivid contrast is what I’m giving Eva.

The more time Eva spends with Logan, the more she glimpses hints of a devoted soul. Yet secrets linger. Torn between the man she loves like a brother and the man she’s coming to love in a very unbrotherly way, Eva is stuck in the middle. How can she follow her heart when it tugs in two opposite directions?

Title Ideas

Since my heroine’s most unique feature is her mismatched eyes, I’m hoping to get a cover that highlights this with a close up on her eyes. Because of that, most of my title ideas center around phrases that use eyes.

My current working title is:

Eyes of the Beholder

Other ideas I’ve had include:

Through Her Eyes

More Than Meets the Eye

Eyes Only for You

And here are some that look at the revenge side of the story:

Secrets of the Heart

Love with a Vengeance

Beneath/Beyond the Surface

  • What ideas do you have?

In the meantime . . . There is a sale going on right now for my first Ladies of Harper’s Station novel, No Other Will Do. You can download a copy for only $2.99 at any online retailer. Amazon currently has it listed as low as $1.99. Yay! Just in time to get caught up before Book 2 comes out next month.

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Karen Witemeyer

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and gospel hymn singer who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she's on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.
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Comments

  1. The two titles that stood out to me were “Through Her Eyes” and “Beneath the Surface”. Then again, I love just about anything. Can’t wait to read it.
    Funny thing, I have a friend named Logan Fowler. It’s a great name! 😊

  2. Through her eyes seems just about perfect. .The world is different through her eyes than through any normal person because of the things that have happened to her..

  3. Karen, I love the storyline and the girl is beautiful. The Eyes of Love is my suggestion. Others might be My Eyes Are For You, I Give My Love.

  4. Eyes of the Beholder and More Than Meets the Eye stood out to me the most. 🙂 Or maybe In Her Eyes?

  6. I think that “More Than Meets the Eye” is simple and appropriate. Covers the main female character, and can also reflect what the other characters learn about each other, and discover!

    Your other titles all seem to be that length in words, so it definitely would be consistent!

  8. I like Eyes of the Beholder and More Than Meets the Eye. They seem to fit with the back blurb. Very interesting premise !

  9. I like More Than Meets the Eye. Also Eye of the Storm as a reader suggested.

  10. “More Than Meets the Eye” sounds the title of a book that you would write. Sounds like a great story!

  12. I like the title ideas. Re the BCC your opening sentences are quite long. Can you break them up into shorter ones? When people glance at the back, they want briefer sentences, which are easy to read. Also need a comma after Texas. Love your books!

  13. I do like More Than Meets the Eye–it’s fitting on multiple levels.

    My mom has a horse with eyes just like that; the one blue eye looks kind of wild on the horse (looks better on a human!).

  15. Your new story sounds awesome! Can’t wait to read it!
    The title that stood out to me was “More Than Meets The Eye”

    I love the fact that the heroine has 2 different colored eyes. This reminded me of actress Jane Seymour(might be dating myself, but I was recently re-watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman & I’ve still got a crush on Sully)…I think she has 2 different colored eyes, but not quite the vivid contrast as your heroine. 😁

  16. “More Than Meets the Eye” is my favorite. Can’t wait to read this one! 😀

  17. I think “More Than Meets the Eye” is my favorite, but something to do with vision like “A Fresh Vision” could work.

  18. More than Meets the Eye is what stood out to me, it seems to fit the story and mesh nicely with your already published works. Best wishes!

  19. This sounds like a wonderful book! I cannot wait to indulge myself in its pages.
    I like all of the titles you have above, but I also have a few suggestions:

    The More I See
    (Talking about how Logan thinks he’s going to find one thing, the gambler, and instead finds a family man and falls in love with who I’m supposing is his adopted daughter. He realizes not everything is how you imagine it to be.)

    Through Eyes of Love
    (She can’t decide between brotherly love or the love she feels for Logan)

  20. My favorite title out of the choices is Eyes of the Beholder. My second choice is Through her Eyes. I can’t wait to read this book. It sounds like a very deep and interesting book.

    • Thanks, Steph. I’m a little nervous about the reception for a book that has so much gambling in the storyline, but it is never glorified and usually causes trouble and brings about despair, so I think there will be a strong redemptive message there. Plus – It’s just such a staple of the old west, it seemed right for a book about hard-luck cowboys.

  21. A Dilemma of Love/Between Two Loves/The Cockeyed Optimist/Seeing Love Through Two Different Eyes/or Through Two Eyes/One Story Blue & The Other Green

  22. Best wishes on your title choice & success with your writing!
    Blessings,
    Pamela Proudfoot

  23. I love your working title “Eyes of the Beholder” because she’s had to live her whole life based on the reaction of others to her. Yet, there is beauty in it and the hero sees that. <3 Love it. Can't wait to read.

  25. Out of the ones you listed, I like Eyes of the Beholder or Through Her Eyes the most. (Or, maybe Through Another’s Eyes…because it encompasses the idea of each of them looking at things through the other’s eyes).
    I don’t like More Than Meets the Eyes as much…I like the idea it encompasses, but the actual wording just makes me think of the Transformers!
    Through the Eyes of Love, as someone else suggested, is another one I like.

    • Ha! Transformers? That made me laugh.
      I like your idea about Through Another’s Eyes – Maybe even something like Through Each Other’s Eyes.
      Thanks for the ideas!

    • Yes! Through the Eyes of Love was the theme song from Ice Castles. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as it would certainly stick in the head of someone, like me, who loved that movie & the song.

      “What’s the name of Karen Witemeyer’s new book?”

      Starts singing, “Please don’t let this feeling end …” 😀 And boom, it’s an earworm in both of their heads & at least one remembers to look it up. . . .

  28. I’m torn between your current title and “Through her eyes”…they both would land the sale. Can’t wait to see what you decide. 🙂

  30. Love this new story Karen.It sounds wonderful!! Can’t wait to read it! It has the kind of romance,inspiration,and adventure that has always drawn me to your stories. As far as the title goes my vote would be for More Than Meets the Eye or Eyes of Love . (Love the how you made her eyes a detail of the story. ) Look forward to seeing which title wins. (Sending up prayers for another successful story for you! 🙂 )

  31. I like your working title, Eye of the Beholder.. Because not everything is as we see it. Just because someone else sees it one way, doesn’t mean that another person sees it that way. However, I also like More than Meets the Eye because there is so much going on with that story than just what you gave us. Lol. I can NOT wait! I have your newest book on preorder and will do the same with this one as soon as it comes out!

    • Love you, Shiphra – you pre-order gal, you. 🙂 And your name is fabulous. Is it based on Shiphrah from Exodus 1? One of those brave Hebrew midwives who stood up to Pharaoh? I wrote a short story years ago as part of a Bible study book about Shiphrah and Puah. It’s never been published, but maybe someday it will find a place.

      • It is based on the midwife from Exodus! My family members are incredibly big on pro life and the named me after Shiphrah. Who was, in their minds, the first pro life advocate! I hope that story is publish someday so that I may read it! <3

  35. “Mirror of the Soul”
    “Mismatched”
    “Blessed, Through Her Father’s Eyes”
    “Through Her Father’s Eyes”
    “Stuck in the Middle”

  36. No matter the title, I will be buying it. 😊
    My suggestion…The Colors of Love. I do like Eyes of the Beholder too.

  37. I think “More Than Meets the Eye” goes well with your other titles. Can’t wait for it to come out!

  38. What about “Through the Eye of a Needle”? Because their love seems impossible?

  39. Her eyes are total different colors and hear heart is tearing in two very different directions….. looking forward to this book!♡♡

  42. I like Through Her Eyes and someone said Through the Eyes of Love and I like that too. 😀

  43. I like Eye of the Beholder and More Than Meets the Eye from the list. A couple of ideas, maybe Love Behind the Eyes or Love at Second Glance? Can’t wait to read it!

  44. I think ‘More than Meets the Eye’ is a perfect fit based off the synopsis! It describes both Eva and Logan. And can I just say that I’m already dying to read this book?!

  46. Fun!!!

    I really like More Than Meets the Eye and Eyes of the Beholder!

    A few more ideas:
    – An Eye for Revenge
    – Eyeing the Enemy
    – Eye for An Eye
    – Eye to Eye
    – Her Heart In Her Eyes
    – In the Eyes of a Stranger (Okay the Walker theme just ran through my head) 😀

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