How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Andrew Bourelle's website.
I think the title 48 Hours to Kill pretty much says it all. It tells you what the protagonist plans to do and how much time he has to do it.
The book is about a prison inmate, Ethan Lockhart, being released for a 48-hour furlough to attend his sister’s funeral, and he decides to use that time to try to find her killer. Every chapter begins with a countdown, letting readers know exactly how much time Ethan has left.
As I was writing the book, I had a different working title in mind, but my agent, the amazing Amy Tannenbaum, suggested I come up with something that would signal to readers how the book is structured as a countdown. I thought 48 Hours to Kill was a nice play on words since “time to kill” usually suggests having spare time—the exact opposite of what Ethan has in the book. The publisher briefly toyed with the idea of changing the title but ended up sticking with 48 Hours to Kill. I’m glad Amy prompted me to come up with the title and I’m glad the publisher stuck with it because I think it tells readers exactly what kind of ride they’re in for.
What's in a name?
The book takes place in Northern Nevada, and there are plenty of real locations, like Lake Tahoe or the Black Rock Desert, but I also...[read on]
Q&A with Andrew Bourelle.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
