A Revamped Title and a Release Date

Over beers the other night Mr. H and I got down to business on the cover for my upcoming book release. He asked me to summarize the damn thing in the middle of our favorite tavern so he could gain the necessary inspiration to create one of his cover masterpieces.

Writers, I’m sure you can agree, that explaining your entire book to anyone can be challenging. Naturally the first verbal explanation sounded like a hot mess, but we got through it.

After that, something unexpected came up…a title change.

The Bra Game just wasn’t working. The title popped into my head over a year ago during the first draft phase. Now that the work is completed (yippee!), a change was imperative to encompass the true feel of the story.

The new title is…

…drum roll, please…

NOLA FRAN EVIE

I wrote three strong, incredible main characters for this book. These women are the heart and soul of the story, and they deserve to be celebrated.

Another cool thing is that you guys out there—my lovely readers—helped name Fran and Evie last February when I asked you all to vote for your favorite character names. So, I love the way this all came together.

I’ve never changed a working title before, so this was an interesting laughable process. Silly, stubborn me cried at first (that’s right, in a freaking bar) since I had become attached to the title after such a long time. I worried that I would have to change the entire book—or bits and pieces, or the ending.

Luckily, Mr. H was there to bring me out of my theatrics. And another round of beers sealed the deal.

Now the cover is in the shop and I FINALLY nailed down an important date.

The big release for Nola Fran Evie is…

…drum roll again, please…

JULY 22!!!

Stay tuned for more details, including some behind the scenes posts in the coming weeks.

A big thanks to Roy McCarthy for giving me some valuable/awesome/honest feedback on my description. I’ve made some solid tweaks since my first description reveal.

Here is the new and improved version with the temp cover…

NOLA FRAN EVIE

They were unladylike rebels, three young women abandoning rolling pins for baseball bats to join the All-American Girls Baseball League. They changed history and that changed them. After the league folds in 1954 Nola, Fran, and Evie meet by chance on a popcorn-scented summer day where it all began…Wrigley Field, Chicago. They team up once again to fight for a pivotal cause these dames can only win by uniting as one.

Inside these ball players lies a fierce beauty, an unconventional destiny beyond the kitchen. Foregoing the American dream of sparkling cars and pastel suburbia, together they face up to the reality of nuclear drills and civil rights. Their story is uncovered nearly forty years later when Jacks Demonte discovers a trail of clues tucked away in a vintage handbag. The extraordinary lives of these women intersect with Demonte’s as she falls deeper into a heroic past.

Ta-da! Hope you’re all having a stellar week!