I thought readers might be interested in tracking the evolution of my brand new
series.
I’d been happily writing the Caribou Crossing
Romances, set in the interior of British Columbia, but after eight
titles I was ready for a change of scene. Where better than my favorite spot for
boating, the Gulf Islands near Victoria, British Columbia?
I developed a series concept, with synopses for the first two books. Then, to
give my pitch punch, I created a “one-sheet,” even including photos of the
locale. Here’s what it looks like.
My pitch centered on a fictional island that I called Destiny—Where finding
love is a matter of destiny!
Here’s what I said about the setting. Destiny, a tiny island in the Pacific
Northwest, is blessed with craggy bluffs, forested hills, secret coves, and
meadows dotted with wildflowers. The locals are individuals—make that
eccentrics!—reflecting the island’s history of aboriginal people, loggers and
fishermen, African-American and Japanese immigrants, hippies, artists, boaters,
and escapees from the city. The picturesque town of Blue Moon Harbor provides
the necessities of life for residents as well as attractions for tourists. When
you meet your love on Destiny, life will never be the same.
Well, my editor at Kensington Books loved the concept and my proposal went
through the mysterious process that happens when a publisher is deciding whether
to contract for a book. And the upshot was: The island remains exactly as I
conceived it, and it’s called Destiny. But my proposed series title, Destiny
Island, got changed to Blue Moon Harbor. It seems that for some people the name
“Destiny” has religious/inspirational connotations, and this contemporary
romance series is moderately spicy one with no religious theme. And the last
thing an author or publisher wants to do is mislead readers.
Here’s what I said about book 1in the one-sheet:
Destiny Calls
When Ottawa lawyer Eden Blaine’s mother sends her to a tiny Pacific
Northwest island on a quest to find her long-lost aunt, little does she imagine
that destiny—in the shape of Blue Moon Air pilot Aaron Gabriel—is calling.
After breaking up with her boyfriend of four years, Eden’s priorities are
clear: first and always, her family; second, her career with a charitable
foundation. Though perhaps she could squeeze in a rebound fling with a sexy,
charismatic seaplane pilot . . .
A fling is all that the rugged, self-contained Aaron ever offers a woman.
Having never lived in a loving home, he knows better than to pin his hopes, or
his heart, on love. The only people in the world who truly matter to him are his
sister and her baby. And yet, there’s something about Eden that cracks the
protective shell around his heart….
Eden can’t help but be drawn to the lover who introduces her to new
adventures and ideas. Still, the fact remains that he’s as tied to his life on
Destiny Island and to his tiny family as she is to her own family and her career
in Ottawa.
Can Eden risk her heart again? Can Aaron risk his for the first time? Will
it end in disaster—or is love their destiny?
Well, guess what? Again, my concept survived intact. If you look at the final
back cover blurb for the book, created by the Kensington team with my input,
you’ll find it’s remarkably similar to what’s above.
What’s different is the title. I’d planned to use “Destiny” in all the titles,
but since Kensington wasn’t keen on that word, we had to find something else.
Sometimes, it can take forever to find the right title, and this one was a
collaborative effort between my editor, my agent, and me. In fact, it was my
agent, Emily Sylvan Kim (Prospect Agency), who hit on FLY AWAY WITH ME.
And it’s exactly right! (Thank you, Emily!)
By the way, the second novel in the series, which I had titled Return to
Destiny in the one-sheet, became COME HOME WITH ME.
We’re using “with me” in each title, hoping for a bit of resonance.
If you’d been making the decisions, would you have chosen Blue Moon Harbor for
the series name? What title would you have given the first book?
The second title in the series is the novella “Blue Moon Harbor Christmas” in WINTER WISHES, a holiday
anthology (October 2017) that also contains novellas by Fern Michaels, Jules
Bennett, and Leah Marie Brown. Then COME HOME WITH ME will be
out in late December, and SAIL AWAY WITH ME in the fall of 2018.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, and any comments you have on the island setting
and the story concept.
Giveaway
Tell Susan in the comments what you
think about "Destiny
Island" and the new series and you'll be entered to win an
autographed print copy of FLY AWAY WITH ME. It is
open internationally.
Also, I hope you’ll visit my website (where you can subscribe to my newsletter,
find all sorts of info about all my books, and get in touch with me) and my Facebook
page. I’m also on Amazon, Pinterest, Goodreads and BookBub.
International bestselling author Susan Fox, who also writes as Susan Lyons
and Savanna Fox, “knows what women want in a contemporary romance”
(Publishers Weekly). Her books have won numerous awards and Love
Somebody Like You was a RITA® finalist.
Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British
Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of
careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor.
Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her
belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor.
Blue Moon Harbor
#1
Known for its rugged beauty and eccentric residents, tiny Blue Moon
Harbor is big on love . . .
For busy lawyer Eden Blaine, a trip to a Pacific Northwest island she’s never
even heard of is far from a vacation. Eden’s ailing mother has tasked her with
finding her long-lost aunt, who once had ties to a commune on the island. Still
reeling from a breakup with her longtime boyfriend, romance is the last thing
Eden is looking for. But her gorgeous seaplane pilot has her wondering if a
carefree rebound fling is exactly what she needs. . .
Aaron Gabriel has no illusions about happily ever after. His troubled
childhood made sure of that. But he does appreciate a pretty woman’s company,
and Eden is the exact combination of smart and sexy that turns him on. Still, as
he helps her search for her missing aunt, the casual relationship he imagined
quickly becomes something much more passionate— and much harder to give up. Can
two people determined to ignore romance recognize that their heated connection
is the kind of love destined to last?
Romance Contemporary
[Zebra, On Sale: July 25, 2017, Mass Market
Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781420143249 / eISBN: 9781420143256]
This sounds like another great series from this author... have enjoyed other books written by her! :)
(Colleen Conklin 12:49pm August 1, 2017)
You're exactly right, Tanja. I love reading emotional, romantic books, so that's what I write.
(Susan Lyons 8:03pm August 1, 2017)
Sounds like a great series, like the name a lot and the first books sounds interesting
(Kristy Imig 9:05am August 2, 2017)
I also like "Destiny" but can understand why it isn't used in the series. Still, a wonderful concept, Ms. Fox!
(Ela Raymundo 5:56pm August 2, 2017)
Your books sound like the kind I enjoy reading. i like reading a series if there are
no more than 4 in the series.
(Joy Isley 4:34pm August 3, 2017)
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