book

Help Me Title My Book

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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What’s harder than writing a book? For me, it’s choosing a title!

I’m having difficulty choosing a title for my latest book. It is a story about three families who live in a fictitious town, Sunset Pointe. Readers will experience a full range of emotions caused by the decisions these people make. Realistic dialogue and flawed characters are “trademarks” of my page-turning novels.

I am hoping to choose a title that intrigues, yet doesn’t “give away” too much.

Here are some titles I am considering. Would you please read these and then offer your opinion? Which one would you most likely “buy” on the basis of title?

Either explain your reasoning, or simply share the number of the title. If the choice is hard, perhaps rank your top three.

Thank you for your help!

    1. Miracles in Sunset Pointe

    2) Finding Love in Sunset Pointe

    3) Miracles in Sunset Pointe: A Story of Love and Forgiveness

    4) Finding Love in Sunset Pointe: Unexpected Blessings

    5) Sunset Pointe: The Miracle of Finding True Love

    6) Sunset Pointe: BOUND BY FAITH, REDEEMED BY LOVE

    The Browser Bar and the Rule of Three

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    Sometimes a good subtitles can be the difference between your book selling and it being ignored in the marketplace. 

    A title may get all of the attention, but a subtitle hooks the reader because it gives added information, such as whether the book will be humorous, scholarly, etc. It helps readers decide whether to purchase your book—or not. But, most importantly, it should contain KEYWORDS that potential readers type into their browser bars to FIND YOUR BOOK. 

    TITLES ARE OFTEN VAGUE.

    KEYWORDS ARE SPECIFIC.

    Since brain research tells us that humans best remember things in groups of threes, experts suggest subtitles use the “Groups of Three” rule. For example: Finding Happiness: List here three ways that are covered in your book.

    Sound easy? It’s not. Especially for fiction writers. There are often not three recognizable keywords. That’s the nature of the beast. So, for us fiction writers we need concentrate on those keywords.

    I’m going to purchase a vanity light for my bathroom today. The browser bar is my friend. I type in the size (23-25 inches), the number of lights (2-3), and color (matte black). Once I do that, I end up with photos of lights that should be similar to what I want. Then, I can whittle down my list further by price, manufacturer, and style.

    Remember: Readers are first shoppers. And this is what shoppers do every day. 

    Make the browser bar your best friend by feeding it KEYWORDS.

    Runaways: The Long Journey Home

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    It’s unbelievable, but this is the 10-Year Anniversary of the publishing of my first novel, Runaways: The Long Journey Home. 

    I wrote the book as a promise to myself to do so when I retired from elementary school counseling/ teaching. 

    I had long “suffered” from a recurring dream in which a boy ran away from his abusive father. My book uses that dream as a springboard for a story which takes the reader inside the mind and emotions of both the abused and the abuser.

    I’ve found that readers’ tastes haven’t changed that much in a decade. They still want to be taken into the depths of the human psyche… inspired by the struggle of identifiable characters who confront their fears… and ultimately win over the forces of evil.

    If you’ve read and enjoyed A Child Called It, and The Lost Boy by David Pelzer, you will find my story equally compelling. With its underlying message of forgiveness, it is sure to inspire and encourage readers to become overcomers in their own lives.

    As a a way of celebrating my anniversary as an published author, please enjoy the Runaways e-book free this week, October 6-10,2025.

    Here’s the URL:  amazon.com/dp/B01A5X5LZK Be sure to choose the e-book!

    More on Creating That “Book Buzz”

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    Be sure to start talking early—months ahead of time—via social media: Facebook, X (Twitter), Pinterest (Yes, it’s not just for hairstyles, recipes, and decor), Goodreads, and so on.

    Post/Blog: Whether you have a book coming out or not, you should be connecting at least weekly. Besides writing a blurb, you can include RELEVANT images, quotes, excerpts, etc.

    Cover Reveal: Reveals aren’t just for baby announcements! You can narrow your cover choices down to two or three, and ask for opinions on Facebook, for example. (I couldn’t resist the opportunity to show off my romance novel’s cover, above.)

    Once you’ve chosen a cover, post it. Thank participants by offering them “freebies” in exchange for their email addresses.

    Get That “BUZZ”

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    Authors, you can use book reviews to build credibility and buzz about your book BEFORE IT IS PUBLISHED.

    Here’s how:

    1- Identify reviewers who read in your genre. (In other words, if you write mysteries, target people who read mysteries—or, better yet, other mystery authors who are willing to review your book for you.)

    2- Offer to review their work, in exchange for their review of yours. (If they are not an author, offer them a free, signed copy of yours AND let them know their review will be published on the back cover of your book or inside page following the title page).

    3- If you don’t have contacts of your own, you can use platforms, such as BookSirens or Net Galley, but they require a fee and the sending of free copies to their reviewers.

    On those platforms, you are able to read reviews written in the past, and choose one or more reviewers (based on what kind of job you think they did) to review your book.

    **Stay tuned. More information in next week’s blog.

    Should I Blame AI?

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    I read a book this week that had a torture scene in it that kept me from sleeping one night.

    It was by an author I hadn’t read before. One that the internet had said was an author of Christian Fiction. I was more than surprised when it turned out to be anything but.

    I don’t think the description was purposeful, so I wonder if there might be some glitches in AI- assisted writing. 

    Nothing is perfect. Could it be possible that AI can misunderstand?

    And, if so, can AI “think” and make mistakes?

    If that is true, then AI is scarier to me than any story a fellow author might write.

    It Was a Nice Trip, But…

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    We just returned from a vacation up north, where we experienced a reprieve from the summer heat. It was a nice trip, but I agreed with my husband when he said he was “ready to go home.”

    I thought about his remark this morning as I  completed another chapter of my book. I’m winding down. Writing it has been a good experience, but I’m ready to finish this latest book.

    Although title, cover, publishing, marketing all lie ahead, I always feel I’m “home” once the writing is done.

    If you’ve been looking forward to reading Sunset Pointe, you won’t have to wait much longer. It could be out by the first of the year, or perhaps it will find its “home” in the midst of this year’s Christmas releases.

    Patience and Character Development

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    As an author, one of the skills I have learned is character development. In planning for my next book, I realized that the entire process of writing has helped in the development of my own character—specifically in the area of patience.

    When ideas don’t come readily, I need the patience required to change directions, to write—and re-write, to let the characters evolve. 

    Things like research, title selection, cover choice, and marketing take up a good deal of time.

    All require patience. And patience is basically about time—about waiting—about pacing.

    The more I exercise patience, the easier it is for me to concentrate and enjoy this time-consuming craft.

    How about you? As an author, what character traits have you learned/developed that have made a difference in your writing?

    Just A Few Words

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    I’ve been writing my blogs for more than ten years. When I first started them, I spent hours cranking out several pages.

    But I soon learned that what people really wanted was just of few words of: encouragement 

    suggestions

    information

    clever sayings

     jokes

    A little blip on the screen… just a few words so readers can get onto the next blog, article, text, and so on.

    So, if you’re an author considering starting a blog, it’s not as daunting as you might think.

    Start with just a few words.

    Misunderstood and Misused

    Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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    One of the misunderstood and misused words by authors is myriad. You’ll see it used differently—and interchangeably—in many books.

    It can be confusing because myriad can be used both as a noun and an adjective. 

    As a noun, myriad usually means “great in number.” (Use the word, “of” in the sentence).

    As an adjective, it means “many.” (Do not use the word “of” in the sentence).

    Correct: She listed a myriad of reasons to divorce Melvin. (Meaning a great number).

    Correct: There were myriad reasons to divorce Melvin. (Meaning many).

    Confusing, huh? Since it is such a tricky word, why don’t writers simply avoid using it?

    I think its because even though so many words/phrases can be substituted for myriad, none are quite as beautiful on paper and none sound quite as poetic when read aloud.

    Myriad is simply one of the coolest words in a writer’s toolbox.