The Book
Ice Blue
by Susan Rae
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published: March 15th 2013
Publisher: MusaPublishing.com
Book Description
When lives are on the line, sometimes the wrong thing is the right thing to do.
Born into a Chicago cop family, Angela DeLuca gets her rush from saving lives while her brothers get theirs from catching the bad guys. A tough beauty with a heart perhaps too big, she champions the underdog because, as the youngest of six siblings, she often felt like one.
ICE Special Agent Troy Deavers became a cop to prove he wasn’t like his father—a southern politician who brought his family down with greed and corruption. He doesn’t suffer victims well. At first intrigued by Angela’s passion, he soon fears that the fire in Angela’s heart will be her undoing.
What happens when Troy falls in love with the lovely but infuriating Angela, the Chicago paramedic who insists on protecting a young witness and her unborn baby—a witness who could break his case wide open?
You met the DeLuca family in heartbeats, now come to know them even better in ICE blue.
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Guest Post
by Susan Rae
What is in a title? A book by any other name would be as good…
Yes, but would anyone read it?
Ah, titles. I am often asked, do I choose my own titles for my books, or does the publisher choose them for me? And, if I choose the title, is it the same one I started with when I began writing the book?
The funny thing is, I often have the title of the book in my mind when I start conceptualizing it. The title is usually a source of inspiration as I write. In most cases, it speaks to the theme of the novel. By the time I reach the final draft stage, though, and I am thinking about publication, I realize I need to come up with a more powerful title. It is at that point that I start brainstorming, often pulling in the aid of my critique partners and friends and family to explore title ideas.
For example, the working title for my first published novel and the first book in the DeLuca series, heartbeats, was The Fire Within. I felt it spoke to the heroine’s passion for her job as a cardiologist, the passion she felt for her young daughter and her desire to make a good life for her, and the passion that still smoldered deep within her for the man she once loved many years ago and who has now come back into her life. However, The Fire Within sounded too much like a title for an historical romance novel than a contemporary suspense novel. While brainstorming one day in preparation for sending the manuscript out, I suddenly came up with what I felt was the perfect title, heartbeats. Short and succinct, it spoke to Elizabeth’s passions as well as the suspense plot line and the tenuous hold we all have on life. The editor liked heartbeats, too, and thus, it wasn’t changed.
The working title for my second novel was On Silver Wings. That became freefall as I decided I wanted to keep my titles, at least for now, short and succinct like heartbeats, and sounding more like suspense rather than pure romance. The title freefall is tied to the hero’s feelings when he realizes he is falling for the heroine… He felt as if he was falling—freefalling through 15,000 feet—without a parachute. It was exciting, thrilling—and deadly. It also ties in well with the suspense storyline.
For ICE blue, the second novel in the DeLuca series, the working title was Hearts of Fire. Hearts of Fire continued the idea of the passions of the heart. In ICE blue, the heroine’s, Chicago Fire Paramedic Angela DeLuca’s, heart is perhaps too big and the hero, ICE Special Agent Troy Deavers, feels it might very well be her undoing. But again, Hearts of Fire sounded more like an historical romance title than one for contemporary suspense. After much brainstorming, my daughter came up with ICE blue and I knew immediately it was the correct title for the book. The story takes place in Chicago and begins in an ice storm. The plot involves ICE Agent Deavers as he attempts to unearth a human trafficking scheme. The blue in the title brings in the idea of the DeLuca cop family and also the tiny newborn baby of Chinese descent that is left on Angela’s doorstep in the dead of winter. Moments after I decided on ICE blue, I knew my next book, the third and final book in the DeLuca series would be called TRUE blue. Due out next year, TRUE blue continues the story of the DeLucas, exploring what happens when Detective Joey DeLuca tries to remain true to his beliefs and his family when they are thrown into turmoil by a visit from a woman from Joey’s past. (FYI, I came up with the ideas for ICE blue and TRUE blue before the TV series Blue Bloods and Chicago Fire hit the air. However, if you like those, you’ll be sure to enjoy the DeLuca novels as well. )
So you see, a title is very important. The title, along with the cover art, should give a reader an idea instantly of what kind of story they can expect to find inside the book. The old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” just doesn’t work anymore. In today’s on-line marketplace, you have maybe two seconds to catch a browsing reader’s eye before they move on to the next book. And if you fool them once into buying a book that promises one thing but delivers another, I guarantee you, you won’t fool them a second time.
I hope you enjoyed this insight into my title selection. Thank you for spending this time with me. For more information about me and my books, please visit me at www.susanrae.com.
Happy Reading!
Susan Rae
About the Author
Susan Rae
Freefall, my second novel, takes place in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine Forest and beautiful Door County. ICE blue returns to the busy streets of Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan to continue the story of the DeLuca family which began in my award winning first novel, heartbeats. I am currently working on the third book in the DeLuca series, TRUE blue, due out in 2014, where it seems my characters must take a trip to Montana’s majestic Glacier National Park.
When I’m not sketching characters or working out plot problems, you might find me on the golf course working on my handicap. I also enjoy traveling around the country seeking out new settings for my novels with my husband and my empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute.
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