New Blog – We have a Title! And Two Winners!
And we have a winner!
Okay, technically we have two winners, which is even better!
When my editor, Susan, came up with the idea to ask you, the fans, to help give a title to the next hardback Anita Blake novel, I thought, “Okay, that’ll be fun.” I had no idea how enthusiastic your help would be. *laughs* Eight thousand-two-hundred and fifty-four; wait, lets see that in numeral form: 8,254. Six hundred pages, yes you read that right, 600 pages of entries were received. There was a glitch in the spacing and for a bit it was 1,200 pages; wow! Ah, gremlins. Those numbers were just between 2:40pm on Monday, September 8th and 8am on Friday, September 12th, some of you kept posting ideas after that, but in fairness to those that made the deadline, we considered only those that made the time frame as stated. That amazing number doesn’t count how many people gave multiple ideas per each entry. Media Minion Jess estimates it would be well over nine thousand if every idea was counted separately. Thank you to everyone who participated, you are all awesome! I mean that, I am continually floored about how much you love my writing, my characters, and my worlds; thank you.
I personally went through the lists after Jess weeded out repetitions, or things that were inappropriate (you know who you are). She left some in that were just fun, but couldn’t work as the book title. Some of those made me laugh out loud, for real, and some of you wrote essays about why your entry should win, or just your reasoning behind your choice. There were a lot of repeated ideas and in that case the person who got the title in earliest got to be the one that was considered. Some title ideas just didn’t work for this Anita Blake novel, but will go in a file for possible later use. If I use your idea later, I’ll mention it. Some titles will work better for short stories than novels, you can be longer, or more esoteric, when it’s not smacked across the front of the cover. Who knows maybe one of the saved more short story friendly titles will inspire a brand new story, again, if that happens I’ll let you know who got to play muse for me. đŸ™‚
Without further ado, here are the winners:
Next Anita Blake hardback novel – Dead Ice.
Thanks to Peter Orca for that one.
Jewelry store creating Anita and Jean-Claude’s rings: Étoile du Soir, which is French for Evening Star, or Star of Evening.
Thanks to Isis Maria Hess for the name.
Étoile du Berger is also listed as a synonym, but it translates to guiding star, so I stuck with the original entry of Étoile du Soir. Anyone who is a native French speaker, particularly France as opposed to Canada, if you find anything incorrect in the above, please say something soon. There is still time to make changes to the actual manuscript, but the title is set today; why?
The first two chapters and a partial chapter three of Dead Ice will be in the back of Jason coming December 2, 2014. Jason went to the printers today, and the Dead Ice excerpt is in the back of it. You get a brand new adventure featuring Jason, with more on stage time for Jade than ever before, in time for the holidays, plus the beginning of the next adventure; how cool is that?
Both our winners will get a signed edition of Dead Ice as soon as I have them in my hot little hands. They will also be listed in the acknowledgements of the book. Thanks again to everyone who participated, you guys rock!
29 thoughts on “New Blog – We have a Title! And Two Winners!”
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Yay I’m just exiceted it’s named! Even though I didn’t win! Congrats to the winners
Congratulations to the winners, and thank you, Laurell, for letting your fans be a part of the process. đŸ™‚ I like the title, and the jewelry store name is beautiful!
I cannot wait to read Jason and dead ice. I sincerely appreciate the chance to apart of the naming of the next great novel. Laurell your awesome! I was one of those who chose a funny name “dead lay” but I was kidding. I so hope I was one of the people who gave you some inspiration for your next great book. I wouldn’t care if I was mentioned or not. Your amazing and you are the best author out there. So devoted to your fans I adore you LKH and Anita is my alter ego lol hahahaa thanks for all the HARD ASS work you put into these books. Much love xoxoTabatha
Etoile du Soir for Evening Star is fine for a native french speaker =D Etoile du Berger is the “star” that shines very bright in the sky (actually Venus !) =) So yeah, l’Ă©toile du soir and l’Ă©toile du berger (Shepherd’s Star in exact translation) are both Venus in reality.
Congratulations to the winners! both are very awesome titles/store names
I’m a french canadian, not from France but I can tell that everything is okay with these titles! “Étoile du berger” would be more religious cause it is related to Christmas so you did a good choice ! đŸ™‚
Woohooo. A new Anita novel this year. And I think I just broke the hydraulic lift on my seat while I was chair dancing but I don’t care because their is new Anita this year. Happy Happy Joy Joy and Snoopy Dances all around. Or would that be Sigmund dances? What happened to Sigmund anyways?
You can tell how happy I am because I forgot to proof-read my post. It’s there instead of their. I’d be ashamed but I am not because I’m just to happy right now.
Holidays nothing! I get an early Birthday Present!!! 9 days early. =o)
I never know what to say, cause I am sure you have heard or read it all before with your many other fans….Love your work and I look forward to the next Anita Blake adventure…I missed out on the contest but happy for the two winners….Its nice to know that some authors actually include their fans..Keep up the GREAT work!!!
Love your books I have them all can’t wait for a new one
More Jade! Hooray!
I couldn’t think of a thing, but these two did a marvelous job! Way to go!
Literally in Parisian french the name for the store comes out in English as “Star of the Evening” It is better translated into idiomatic English as Evening Star. It is perfectly suitable as the name of a jewelry store and better than a whole lot of actual store names that I’ve seen. You might look up a 15 or 16’th century equivalent if you want to be really P.C. but I wouldn’t bother. It’s great as it is.
Forgot Etoile du Berger only ranslates to guiding star in the most fanciful way Un berger is a shepherd so yes he guides his flock. Berger wih a capital letter is often used as a synonym for Christ so I rather doubt Jean Claude would use it.
I’d keep reading if I didn’t like you as a person, but the fact that I think we’d be friends if I knew you in real life is the icing on the cake! I love how you include your fans in the creative process! And I completely understand the need for a media minion, especially if it allows you better communication with your muse. (Hi, my name is Rachel and I’m a bookaholic lol) Love the new title, and the jewelry store name is perfect!
Happy for the winners but don’t understand the French names that no one can pronounce except the French, Dead Ice didn’t really make sense to me either
It was so cool for you to have offered this opportunity to your fans! Yet another reason for me to purchase the next Anita Blake! Very excited! Oh, and you ROCK!
I am absolutely inspired by your work and wide variety of different ideas you put into all of your books. The female empowerment you show over adversity is exactly what I needed to read at the time in my life when I started reading your books and I have been hooked ever since. Thank you for writing such powerful and enrapturing characters that have more depth than some real people do in the real world. It is wonderful to be able to open a book and lose myself in the wonderful vampire and fairie world you have created.
Love your worlds! Thank you very much for all your writing!
It is Evening Star or Star of Evening- however you interpret it. Both work fine. I am taking College level French in high school, and my teacher, who has a doctrine in French, says it’s fine.
I would like to say, Laurell, that Asher and Jean-Claude are the reason I took French freshmen year of high school. I loved the little French inserts, and wanted to translate them for real, not just through google translator.
Now, I am a Junior in high school, and will be taking the AP French Exam to earn credits for college through my scores in French class. I am fascinated with the language and culture, and I cannot wait to go on my class’s spring break trip to France in 2016.
And it was really all thanks to you- for introducing me to such a beautiful language! Merci beaucoup!
Awesome!!! I just love Anita! Wish I had her spunk!!! and of course Richard or Jean-Claude or any of the others! LOL
I love Jason and absolutely cannot wait for his book. . . Or the next book. I think I need to reread them all again. . . to reduce the anxiety of the wait.
I can’t believe I missed a contest like this… *bangs head against wall*
I’m sure I could have come up with something really ‘twisted!’
Maybe someday you’ll do a book signing Little Rock, AR.
Love your work!!
Yay, so happy you have a new name for the new Anita book. So looking foreword to reading both Jason and the new one. I know I didn’t give a name because I really have no imagination for this kine of stuff. Again I can’t wait to read them and hope that eventually Anita will get pregnant and have a baby just like my daughter is. Maybe someday you will get rid of the characters that are so useless in the stories. There have been a lot of characters that are in a couple of books and then they disappear and are never heard from again, like Sampson I would love to see him come back and also Jacob who is Nicky’s old rex.
I was introduced to your books in about 2002 by some friends At a renfaire in Texas. I became enamoured of them, then you came to Tulsa, Ok for a reading and a signing that my husband brought me to. We waited in line for over three hours to get a reasonable seat. it was a surprise to me as he was a CPA, and generally not interested in the book I read or authors I came to adore. him bringing me to that was a life altering experience for me, in that I wrote poetry and ever had the nerve to submit any of them. I started submitting my poems and some have been accepted. I mostly write for myself and for me that is enough. Thank you for allowing me to enter the contest, I can not even remember the names I submitted(a drawback of age). however, I found I was three books behind and we went and purchased them the day after and I am once again caught up. My husband died in 2010, that accounts for part of the reason in getting behind, then life just got crappy. BUT through these books I can imagine and become empowered once again. So for that, I wish to wholeheartedly thank you. The other reason I got behind was when my son was blown off a mountain in Afganistan and got his neck broken in three places, he is very much better now, and has regained full function to be able to be in the wounded warrior games in Ocrober.This is another reason I need to stay caught up with my reading—- to take me out of the real world where the one’s I love Re endangered and dying. thank you for those escapes, even if they are in small phases.
Sorry for the typos this site is VERY sensitive to touch..I also normally trust my typing enough to not proof-read. How cock sure of myself does that sound? So once again sorry for the typos as the site doesn’t allow editing.
I would love to see one where Anita becomes the queen of the shifters. And maybe some more time with Victor. She could tame their beast like her and Richards ( I really don’t like him or Asher they need doctor Phil, sorry ) beast fought when she was trying to save Gregory. I would love to see a short story about the personal time with Haven. I know he didn’t share but I liked him. And maybe ( this is from all us girls here that talk about your books all the time ) some dp action with like Nathaniel and Jason or Nicky. And maybe he can overcome being a bride because of the real love he has for Anita. What ever happened to Primo? And what about Olof? Can’t wait to find out all of this and more. We love love Edward too he is like the brother she never had. Does that Van government guy ever catch up to Anita? Hope to find out soon. Love to ya
So much is going on. Exciting!