How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Susan Elia MacNeal's website.
Love, love, love the title The Hollywood Spy— because it tells the reader exactly what they’re going to find—a spy story set in Los Angeles. And then the cover—the font, the design, the amazing painting by artist Mic Wiggins—lets us know it’s set in the 40s with a strong female lead. And then, as the reader goes through the novel, I hope that he/she/they will see that there are actually many spies in Hollywood—and the title may refer to more spies than just Maggie.
What's in a name?
Maggie Hope is the protagonist of The Hollywood Spy and also the entire series. I chose the first name after going to the British census for popular names in England in 1915 (Maggie’s birth year). Margaret was right at the top. I remember loving it because it’s definitely a name of that period, but it’s also a classic name. And then shortening to the nickname “Maggie” makes her more approachable.
Hope is interesting, too. Again...[read on]
My Book, The Movie: The Prisoner in the Castle.
Writers Read: Susan Elia MacNeal (August 2018).
Q&A with Susan Elia MacNeal.
--Marshal Zeringue
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