What's in a Title?

My friend, the amazing Donis Casey, will be celebrating the release of another Alafair Tucker book next month.  Just the cover art alone is enough to pull even the most reluctant reader into it, but the title  is something else:  'Hell With the Lid Blown Off'.  I don't know about you, but I'm intrigued!

Have you ever wondered how your favorite novels got their names?  I do, and as I've got a fairly decent imagination, I'll give it the ol' college try.

1. 'Old Man and the Sea': Since Hemingway filled this slim volume with almost nothing except an old man - he with the sea-hardened hands- and a feisty fish, I'd say this was a good title.  In fact, given the vast amount of description, the only thing he should have added were a few adjectives- 'turbulent', 'tenacious', and 'tedious' come to mind.
2. 'Something Wicked This Way Comes':  Sometimes a writer gets stumped when it comes time to name a book so they look to the classics for help.  Thank goodness for Will Shakespeare!  'Macbeth' lent the title to Ray Bradbury's quirky book, first published in 1962.   Luckily he didn't depend on Ernest Hemingway for inspiration or it might have been called 'Two Boys and Lots of Eerie Stuff'.  Just doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
3. 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone':  Let's face it.  Sometimes the Olde Worlde is the best, but not when it comes to naming books.  Thank goodness we Americans insisted on something more dramatic when it came time to introduce The Boy Who Lived to this side of the pond.  Yeah- a sorcerer is definitely more exciting than a philosopher.
4. Finally, 'Legend':  Yes, this blog is a shameless advert for my newest book, available early June.  Why did I choose this title?  You'll have to visit www.danemccaslin.co and read the synopsis to find out.