How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?The Page 69 Test: The Russian Pink.
The title evokes a world both glamorous and dark, and in that way plunges the reader immediately into the matter of the book. The plot revolves around a colossally huge pink diamond. Pinks, as they’re called in the jewel trade, are among the most valuable objects on Earth, and this one is almost immeasurably valuable and rare. The reader witnesses the discovery of the diamond in the opening lines, and a few pages later, understand that Russians are involved. The action is set during a presidential election, so in that context the word “Russian” carries a special whiff of subterfuge and crime.
What's in a name?
Characters name themselves. That’s one of the truths I grasped quickly. You can’t just fasten any name you like onto a character. You find...[read on]
Q&A with Matthew Hart.
--Marshal Zeringue
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