Dream up a romance novel for author Helena Fairfax - and win a lovely prize!

I am delighted to welcome my good friend and fellow romance author Helena Fairfax to talk about her new project and a brilliant idea...but I will let her tell you all about it herself...

Hello Marie, and thanks for having me on your blog!

I’m hoping you and your readers can help me. Earlier this year I released two romantic suspense novellas and I’d like to combine them in one edition, along with a short story to finish the series off and bring all the stories to a nice close (and a nice romantic ending!)

Here’s is my dilemma. Although the novellas feature the same characters, they are very different in feel, and so I’m struggling to find a title that will capture the spirit of the series.

The first novella, Palace of Deception, is set in the fictional country of Montverrier – a beautifully hot, bright, sunny country by the Mediterranean sea.

Here is the blurb: When a Mediterranean princess disappears on the eve of her coronation, Lizzie Smith takes on the acting role of her life as her stand-in. But the Royal Palace of Montverrier is full of mystery and whispers of danger. Why does the sinister housekeeper insist Lizzie remains in her rooms? And what has become of the princess?

As Lizzie learns her role, her only confidant is her quiet bodyguard. Lizzie begins to fall for Léon…but what secrets is he keeping from her?

The second novella, The Scottish Diamond is set in Edinburgh, Scotland – an equally beautiful place, but now it’s getting on for autumn and the weather (and the feel of the novella) is much colder and darker and full of evenings by the fire.

Here is the blurb to The Scottish Diamond:

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair…”

What do you do when it seems you can’t trust anyone…even the man you love?
When Lizzie Smith begins rehearsals for Macbeth, she’s convinced the witches’ spells are the cause of a run of terrible luck. Lizzie’s bodyguard boyfriend, Léon, is mysteriously turned down for every job he applies for, until he’s finally offered the job of guarding “The Scottish Diamond,” a fabulous jewel from the country of Montverrier.
But the diamond’s previous guard has disappeared in mysterious circumstances. The Scottish Diamond has a history of intrigue and bloody murder, and Lizzie is plagued by nightmares in which Macbeth’s witches are warning her of danger.
Then Lizzie discovers she’s being followed through the streets of Edinburgh, and it seems her worst fears are about to be realised…

My final short story, A Question by Torchlight, is also set in Edinburgh, during Hogmanay, when the ground is icy and there is frost in the air.

So, here’s where I need some help. What title could I give the combined print edition / boxed set? The Bodyguard Mysteries? Leon and Lizzie? My Year of Danger? I’ve been wracking my brain for ages and haven’t been able to hit on anything I really like!

So, I’ve decided to run a competition to ask for suggestions for a title that will tie these two novellas and short story together.

The WINNER of the Dream up a Title for Helena competition will win the following:

1.     Their TITLE on the cover of the print edition / boxed set

2.     An ACKNOWLEDGEMENT inside the novel

3.     A SIGNED COPY of the finished print version

4.     This beautiful bracelet :)

If any of you have any ideas at all, please let me know your suggestion here in the comments, or on Twitter, or by leaving a comment on my Facebook page, or you can email me at helena.fairfax@gmail.com . I’d be very grateful!

I’m keeping the competition open until Friday 21^st October and will announce the winning title on my blog (www.helenafairfax.com) on Saturday 22^nd October. So please do put your thinking caps on - and I hope you can help me out!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Marie. It’s been fun to be here and I’ll be back next week to let you know my title!

I can't wait, Helena. What a great idea! I am sure you will get lots of fabulous titles, and the one that is just right for Lizzie's and Leon's love story. I really enjoyed PALACE OF DECEPTION and THE SCOTTISH DIAMOND, and I am very much intrigued by your short story (I wonder if I can guess what the question might be...)

Good luck to all entrants in the competition!