Liz Title, Please
Nov102009
As some of you may remember, we brainstormed a bunch of Liz titles way back when they were just background for another book. I used Lavender’s Dead, Killer, Killer for the first one because I wanted to show that in the beginning, Rosie Malone wasn’t too good at titles. Now that it’s going to be a real book, people are less than enthusiastic about it.
Anybody got a good title for a mystery with “Lavender” in it?
The next three are:
Rest in Pink (from Teble)
Peaches and Screams
Yellow Brick Roadkill (from Tara)
[Which reminds me, Teble and Tara, e-mail me when you get the chance.]
So Lavender anybody? All I’ve got is Lavender’s Blue which isn’t really grabby until you know she was strangled.
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112 Comments to 'Liz Title, Please'
On November 10, 2009 at 1:59 pm Sierra said...
There’s always “Laid Out in Lavender,” which used to mean prepared for burial.
I found the best background of the phrase here – http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/222725.html
On November 10, 2009 at 3:27 pm Carol Anne said...
Oh, that is one of my favourite sites to find out the meanings of phrases. I have a link set up in favourites and on my blog. It is a great information site. I use it often. I like the “Laid Out in Lavender,” once you know the background history. I like the “Lavender Blue” too. There is that “ah, ha” moment to it when you know about the strangulation.
Thanks Mollie for saying “You should write those.” There you are Jenny – more books to write and we are all saying “more please.” May you live long and have fun doing what you do.
On November 10, 2009 at 2:01 pm Theresa said...
What about Lavender Mourning? I’m not sure why I like that, as the words make no sense together, but I do. Or maybe Mourning Lavender?
On November 10, 2009 at 2:12 pm Bill Peschel said...
Have to stop short for lunch, but here’s something to work with:
Lamentations in Lavender
Lie down in Lavender
Loathing in Lavender
Lavender Legacy
On November 10, 2009 at 2:13 pm Ingrid said...
How about a twist on Lavender and Old Lace? Lavender and Lycra maybe?
Who is Rosie Malone?
On November 10, 2009 at 2:40 pm Jenny said...
Rosie Malone is a character in a fun book I’m working on. She’s the writer of the Liz Danger mystery series. Then I did her titles. Then I did the mock-ups of her covers. Then Mollie said, “You should write those.” And here we are.
On November 10, 2009 at 2:41 pm Diane (TT) said...
See, I thought the expression was “Laid up in lavender” – and that it was things set aside to be preserved (as in a wedding veil or christening gown), NOT buried! I see by the link that this is an earlier (and perhaps unrelated) phrase, which is hardly surprising, since I have distinctly 19th century understanding of the world.
I can’t come up with any good Lavender title that fits with the pattern of the others – I like Ingrid’s “Lavender and Lycra”, since it has a similar unexpected combination of words, giving a contemporary and humorous aspect, but it doesn’t have the hint of death in it, unless people are familiar with “Lavender and Old Lace”. “Lynching Lavender”? Not light-hearted at all. Sorry.
On November 10, 2009 at 2:43 pm Heidi Farrell said...
Lingering Lavender
Lavender Alive
Alive in Lavender
Heaven Scent in Lavender
Just brainstorming…..
On November 10, 2009 at 2:54 pm Ginny said...
Fear and Lavender in L.A., Present Lavender,
Lavender’s Last Gasp,
Long Lavender Good-Bye, and Lavender’s Lost Lament.
On November 10, 2009 at 3:36 pm Louis said...
Lavender, Dead lavender
Or
Lavender, Lace and Dead
maybe
Dead Lavender Dead Lace
On November 10, 2009 at 3:48 pm Jenny said...
I think there has to be an obvious play on words, like the other three.
The problem is, I can’t think of an obvious play on words.
On November 10, 2009 at 3:54 pm Allie said...
Is Liz Danger related to Nick Danger?
On November 10, 2009 at 4:02 pm Merry the CB said...
Lavender and Old Arsenic?
Lavender: No Stranger to Danger
(Still chuckling over ‘Present Lavender’ but I don’t know if there are enough Coward fans out there for that one to fly.)
On November 10, 2009 at 4:12 pm Lily C said...
You could try Lavender Kill Mob, but it really only works if you know there’s an old movie called The Lavender Hill Mob, and you like really bad puns…
On November 10, 2009 at 4:23 pm marly said...
“Lavender Toil & Trouble”
“Die It Lavender”
On November 10, 2009 at 4:31 pm Donna said...
HMMM
lavender and mace ( play on lavender and lace)
lavender fields forever (strawberry fields forever)
On November 10, 2009 at 5:12 pm Melissa Blue said...
Oh, I love Laid Out In Lavender.
On November 10, 2009 at 5:48 pm morningstar said...
lavender in lime? no, sort of gory, sorry.
On November 10, 2009 at 5:51 pm Emily said...
Drop Dead Lavender
Lavender Harvest
Picking Off Lavender
Dearly Departed Lavender
Dead Like Lavender
I also like the Lavender and Old Lace suggestion (I am a Cary Grant kinda girl) though I do know a few people who mightn’t get the reference
On November 10, 2009 at 5:52 pm Jamie said...
Lavendar Ligatures?
On November 10, 2009 at 5:56 pm robena grant said...
Lavender’s Last Breath
Lingering Scent of Lavender
Lavender’s Dead, Silly, Silly
The Lavender Corpse
Be Still, My Lovely Lavender
On November 10, 2009 at 5:56 pm Jamie said...
Only kidding about that last one…
Perhaps:
Listless Lavender
Chamokill & Lavender
On November 10, 2009 at 6:08 pm Jana said...
Lavender is a tough play on words. I could think of only two:
“Truthdare, Lavender”
“The Lavender Affair”
On November 10, 2009 at 6:18 pm Diane L. said...
Lavender & Lost
On November 10, 2009 at 6:19 pm Julia said...
What about: Last Breath of Lavender, Lavender’s Last Breath?
On November 10, 2009 at 6:19 pm Gail said...
Little Lavender Lost
Losing Lavender
Shades of Lavender
On November 10, 2009 at 6:20 pm Diane L. said...
I just noticed “Chamokill & Lavender” above. I love that one!
On November 10, 2009 at 6:29 pm Kelly said...
I liked the Lavendar and Mace one, since Arsenic and Old Lace is the only reference I got.
Smother Lavendar or Smothering Lavendar
Smoking Lavendar has its own meaning and not gun use
On November 10, 2009 at 6:34 pm robena grant said...
Toes Up, Lavender
Lavender Laughs No More
Lavender Takes a Dirt Nap
On November 10, 2009 at 6:44 pm helen said...
Well, if I’m playing hookey from NaNo for this . . .
I always brainstorm in song lyrics. Preferably garbled ones. Hence, “Lavender, Gee I Think You Smell”
I know, I know. Banished back to NaNo.
On November 10, 2009 at 6:53 pm helen said...
Lavender Sashay
On November 10, 2009 at 6:57 pm Christine said...
This old ditty has stayed in my head forever, what about anybody else? So…
Lavender’s blue, killer, killer
Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green,
When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen.
Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?
‘Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.
Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work
Some with a rake, dilly, dilly, some with a fork.
Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to thresh corn.
While you and I, dilly, dilly, keep ourselves warm.
Lavender’s green, dilly, dilly, Lavender’s blue,
If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.
Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play;
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm’s way.
I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing;
When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You’ll be my king.
Who told me so, dilly, dilly, Who told me so?
I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so.
On November 11, 2009 at 1:17 pm Megs said...
There is a Nora Roberts series, In the Garden, that has a ghost that sings this song. Or really, just a line or two of the song.
On November 10, 2009 at 7:44 pm Kyra said...
You know, since Lavender is strangled … I have to say I like the title Lavender’s Blue. Because after that Lavender’s green. Sick. But that’s how we roll with it here.
On November 10, 2009 at 8:30 pm Kate George said...
All I can think of are horrible titles – but I can’t stop myself from sharing anyway:
Who Lynched Lavender
Someone Lynched Lavender Now she’s blue.
Now Lavender’s Blue
Why’s Lavender Blue
Lavender Blue’s Not Living
Lavender’s Prey
Prey of Lavender (you know, like Spray of Lavender)
Lavender Foiled
Sketches on Lavender
Pocket full of Lavender
Loaded for Lavender
Lock stock and Lavender
Lavender and Lime
Lavender in the well
Rat’s I really wanted to come up with something GOOD! Oh well.
On November 10, 2009 at 9:00 pm Charlene Teglia said...
You could always do a play on the Travis McGee mysteries, which all had colors in the titles. I.e, “The Long Lavender Look” could substitute a noun that relates to your story. “A Nightmare in Pink” becomes “A (noun) in Pink”; I can’t make better suggestions without knowing more about the stories, but there you go.
On November 10, 2009 at 9:04 pm robena grant said...
If it doesn’t HAVE to be lavender, but in that family of colors, how about
Violet Crime (Violent Crime with a head cold, ha ha.)
On November 10, 2009 at 9:07 pm Sharon M said...
I don’t know if it’s a big whoop, since it came out in 2002, but G. A. McKevett wrote a Peaches and Screams (mystery, humorous, not bad).
For the current title? Maybe Lavender Surrender?
On November 10, 2009 at 9:17 pm jenifer said...
Lavender Cadaver
On November 10, 2009 at 10:13 pm Jennifer said...
It Tolls for Lavender
Lavender to Ashes, Lavender to Dust
This is hard.
On November 10, 2009 at 10:15 pm JulieB said...
OK, let’s refresh for the brain-dead Nanoers please. You’re writing a fun fook. We don’t know anything about that, except that Rosie Malone is the protagonist of the fun book who is also the author of the Liz Danger stories, which you are writing now for Nano. Rosie and you need a bad title for Lavender’s story, whic is Liz’s friend? and dead? Right? Maybe?
How about “Love’s Lavender’s Lost,” which really doesn’t mean anything, but it’s a bad-ish title for Rosie to write. (although I don’t know if it would be good enough to sell.)
If Liz’s book sells, how are you and Rosie going to split the profits? I’d hate to see that ghost-writing contract.
@ Jenifer — I like Lavendar Cadaver.
On November 10, 2009 at 10:30 pm Jenny said...
I’m writing a fun book in collaboration with another writer I haven’t collaborated with before. We each chose a character. Mine is Rosie Malone. She writes the Liz Danger mysteries. I was brainstorming the fun book and mocked up the covers. Mollie said, “You should write those.” We’re in no hurry to finish the fun book (that’s why it’s fun, also I love the other author and we’re having a great time) but now I’m all caught up in this new idea for the Liz Danger books. Which will be by Crusie.
Later on next year we’ll probably finish the book with Rosie. Then I can decide whether to give her the Liz Dangers or mock up a new set of books for her.
On November 11, 2009 at 8:06 pm JulieB said...
So cool and glad you could read past my typos. Nano is encouraging very bad habits.
Thanks for clariying. Do you care to share the name of the other author yet or is this author very shy?
On November 10, 2009 at 10:18 pm Office Wench Cherry said...
Lately Lavender?
Late Lavender?
Little Late Lavender?
On November 20, 2009 at 11:40 am Nancy said...
Lately Lavendar. I like that.
Also, from JulieB:
Love’s Lavendar Lost. Yes, meaningless and yet, somehow, apt.
I’m a week late and only halfway down the comments, but had to pitch these 2.
On November 10, 2009 at 10:36 pm McB said...
I really like Lavendar and Old Lace
how about Lavendar Leaves
and I have lavendar sachets on the brain but can’t think what to do with it. Lavendar Sashay? Lavendar Sent?
On November 10, 2009 at 10:42 pm McB said...
Swing Low, Sweet Lavendar
Bye, Bye Lavendar
Red Roses for a Lavendar Lady
On November 10, 2009 at 11:22 pm PG said...
I like Lavender’s Blue for subtlety; Laid Out Lavender or Lavender Cadaver if it needs to be more obvious.
On November 10, 2009 at 11:25 pm Brandy said...
. .. I’m stuck on Lavender and Present Danger
On November 10, 2009 at 11:25 pm jessie said...
I used to read the John MacDonald Travis McGee stuff. For those of us who were die-hard fans of that type of mystery genre, you could do a play on one of his titles.
“The long lavender look” > The short lavender look
“The touquoise lament” > The lavender lament
“A Purple place for dying” > A lavender place for dying
The only problem would be that almost no one of the current generation would recognize the play on titles.
On November 10, 2009 at 11:32 pm Merrie Haskell said...
“Lavender is for Killers True” would be my suggestion, though I think there are many better ones above, like “Laid Out in Lavender” (which I didn’t know, but it’s evocative, and made perfect sense at first sight) and “Lavender and Lycra.”
Otherwise, the suggestion of going with a different color wouldn’t be bad, either… changing the order of the books as they appear in the first book if that’s possible so as not to run into this lavender conundrum, or how about lilac? Lilac seems so much more menacing. I think it’s the hard C at the end.
Why “Lavender is for Killers True”:
Handefull of Pleasant Delites, 1584
Lavender is for lovers true,
Which evermore be faine;
Desiring always for to have
Some pleasure for their paine:
And when that they obtained have
The love that they require,
Then have they all their perfect joie,
And quenched is the fire.
On November 10, 2009 at 11:34 pm jessie said...
Sorry, Charlene. I hadn’t read your comment and realized that you had already suggested my idea. Jeez someone else who remembers Travis McGee.
On November 11, 2009 at 1:02 am glee said...
me, too, me, too! I loved those stories.
On November 11, 2009 at 12:23 pm Charlene Teglia said...
I’m absolutely certain if I went to a certain pier, the Busted Flush would be there. Shhh, don’t tell me I’m delusional.
On November 10, 2009 at 11:52 pm magdiego said...
Pushing up Lavender?
On November 11, 2009 at 8:07 pm JulieB said...
Oooh. One vote here.
On November 10, 2009 at 11:55 pm Danielle said...
Long Lost Lavender
On November 11, 2009 at 12:07 am Thea said...
Lavender Chill
Smothered in Lavender
Lavender Lost
Cover Her in Lavender
On November 11, 2009 at 12:30 am marly said...
back again with the only play on words I can come up with and that’s just a variation on color dying or just plain color theme – Died Lavender, Lavender Dies, Body in Lavender, Body of Lavender, Buried in Lavender, Lavender Shadow, Shades of Lavender.
On November 11, 2009 at 2:25 am Amy B. said...
Lavender’s Rue
Lavender Blue and Rosemary Green (one early version of the song)
Lavender for Luck
Lavender Roil or Lavender Royal (bad puns)
La Vendeur Bleu (worse pun)
Many excellent suggestions above. I like Lavender’s Blue, too. A state of mind/emotion, followed by a sick pun. Hard to beat that.
On November 11, 2009 at 3:38 pm Meredith B. said...
Oh, I like Lavender’s Rue– it isn’t too obscure a pub, it puts me a bit in the mind of titles by both James Patterson and Susan Wittig Albert without insisting too much on the connection, and it rings my bookseller chime. That one could work.
On November 11, 2009 at 3:42 pm Meredith B. said...
Sorry, I meant pun, not pub.
On November 11, 2009 at 2:34 am Thea said...
Lavender-y Thrombosis
On November 11, 2009 at 2:52 am Corinne said...
Better Late than Lavender
Deadly Lavender
Hold your Breath, Turn Lavender
On November 11, 2009 at 3:16 am Lois said...
Lavender, Heather & Mace
Awash in Aubergine
On November 11, 2009 at 5:19 am Reb said...
I like magdiego’s Pushing up Lavender.
Lavender Harm
Lavender Incensed
Lavender Die
Wild Lavender
On November 11, 2009 at 5:29 am Marta said...
Lavender’s De-Scent
Deadheading Lavender
Foil of Lavender
On November 11, 2009 at 6:02 am Debitha said...
I like someone’s suggestion of “Lavender’s Blue”. It’s simple, it refers to the song, and it ties in to the strangulation thing.
On November 11, 2009 at 6:58 am Marta said...
Lavender Gone Bye-Bye
Weeping Lavender
On November 11, 2009 at 9:56 am Tara L said...
Okay, I got nothing…. but I did like Pushing Up Lavender. And I guess it’s going to be one of those days because I immediately thought, “Yes! And have her die wearing a WonderBra!”
On November 11, 2009 at 11:57 am robena grant said...
Pretty Lavender, Snip, Snap
Lavender Plucked
On November 11, 2009 at 2:22 pm Deborah Blake said...
Always leave Them Lavender (A play on always leave them laughing)
Lavender Leaves Them Weeping (paraphrased from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale)
Lavender is the Best Medicine
Lavender Water Tinged With Pink (Edward Lear, “The Pobble Who Has No Toes”)
He Who Lavenders Last
Sigh. I can see why you’re having problems with this one..
Lavender and Shirley?
On November 11, 2009 at 2:25 pm Deborah Blake said...
Okay–just one more
Lavender and Leave Them
On November 11, 2009 at 3:48 pm SeleneNY said...
How about a variation on the old English movie title, Lavender Hill Mob? (Alec Guinness and all that) You could do Lavender Kill Mob.
On November 11, 2009 at 4:38 pm D. said...
All I could think when you said “Lavender’s Blue” was “Roses are Red, Lavender’s Blue.” And now I just can’t get past it.
On November 11, 2009 at 5:45 pm dirtywhitecandy said...
Let’s be Less Lavender!
On November 11, 2009 at 6:48 pm Marta said...
Lavender’s a Lovely Shade of Dead
On November 11, 2009 at 8:09 pm JulieB said...
Marta, I’m afraid you’ve been disqualified. That is too good.
On November 12, 2009 at 1:57 pm Marta said...
Thanks.
Too bad it doesn’t match the cadence of the other three titles. That’s the hang up, finding a play on words that’s short and snappy for a 3-syllable word.
On November 11, 2009 at 6:55 pm RfP said...
“I wanted to show that in the beginning, Rosie Malone wasn’t too good at titles.”
All righty, then how about
Lavender’s Clue
Though it’s no better than Lavender’s Dead, Killer Killer. Or should the criterion be that it’s worse?
On November 11, 2009 at 6:56 pm RfP said...
Riffing off D. above,
Roses Are Dead, Lavender’s Blue
On November 11, 2009 at 8:10 pm JulieB said...
OK, the only creative thought I’ve had today: Lavender Labyrinth.
On November 11, 2009 at 9:34 pm Jade said...
Have a few suggestions:
With Lavendar as first word–Lavendar Legacy, …….Connection, ………Jeopardy, …….Project, ……Escalation, Confrontation, Factor, Deception, Reckoning, Rising, Justice, Cursed, Malice, Betrayal, Darkness , Pursuit
With Lavendar as second word: Case of …., Trace of…., Deadly …., Silent…., Shadow of…, Pursuit of…., Search for Lavendar, Blood & Lavendar.
On November 11, 2009 at 9:47 pm Jade said...
Also like Bloody Lavendar, and Lavendar Be Damned, Lavendar Reclaimed, Lavendar Deadline, Guarded Lavendar, Lavendar So Foul
On November 11, 2009 at 10:36 pm McB said...
I like Pushing Up Lavender.
Unlucky in Lavender
Lying in Lavender
Lavender’s Last Stand
A Bed of Lavender
Lavender Lost
Lavender’s Blue, Silly Silly
On November 11, 2009 at 10:38 pm McB said...
I suppose Planting Lavender is too ick, huh?
On November 12, 2009 at 10:30 am Kate George said...
I like Planting Lavender!
On November 12, 2009 at 1:56 pm JulieB said...
Har! I like it too.
On November 11, 2009 at 11:21 pm McB said...
Lavender Hue, Dilly Dilly
On November 12, 2009 at 12:47 am marly said...
Fade to Lavender, Long Gone Lavender, Lavender All Over, The Lavender Hearse
On November 12, 2009 at 3:31 am SnarkMaiden said...
Lavender in the mourning
On November 12, 2009 at 9:52 am Samantha said...
Lavender’s A Pale Shade of Violence
On November 12, 2009 at 10:09 am me said...
Lavender? I Don’t Even Know Her!
Ba dum dum
On November 12, 2009 at 11:26 am Victoria said...
Of all the ones I read so far I liked, “Lavender and Lost” best. Ya got your alliteration and a little bit of mystery.
The only title I can come up with is “Lavender Corps” and that’s not very good, since the pun depends on mispronouning “Corps” Maybe just “Lavendar’s Corpse”.
On November 12, 2009 at 1:26 pm Lori J. said...
Since Lavendar is a character in the book, I do like Laid out in Lavendar. But that sorta implies to me that she’s going to be the dead body, so maybe not.
On November 12, 2009 at 1:39 pm Lori J. said...
Lavender + strangulation = hmmm
Strung up in Lavender
Bound in Lavender
Hanging by a Lavender Thread
Lavender Undone
Killer Lavender
Kiss Lavender Lips
Deadly Lavender
Murder Lavender
Devil in a Lavender Dress
Laced up in Lavender
On November 12, 2009 at 1:47 pm Marta said...
I’m starting to think Jenny picked such a hard color to keep us busy and out of her hair. And, it’s working.
Lavender Code Blue
On November 12, 2009 at 2:02 pm Marta said...
Oops. Forgot to add Code Blue Lavender
On November 12, 2009 at 2:07 pm Marta said...
OMG! I just thought of a really good bad title. Like the puns I tell my SIL to make him groan.
LavEnder Blue
On November 12, 2009 at 2:58 pm LolaMac said...
Better Late than Lavender — love that one!
On November 12, 2009 at 3:42 pm McB said...
A Breath of Lavendar
And I keep thinking of old ladies and lavender water, but can’t think how to work it.
On November 12, 2009 at 4:19 pm McB said...
Coming Up Lavender
On November 12, 2009 at 5:00 pm Mary Stella said...
I’m a big fan of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series with the colors. Love the idea of using them in your titles.
Longing for Lavender
Longing in Lavender
Leave Me in Lavender
Lavender Longings
Without knowing the source of the mystery — Would Lavender Larceny suit?
Missing persons case? Lost in Lavender
Dipsomaniac villain — Lavender Lush
Got a lot of suspects — The Lavender Line-Up
On November 12, 2009 at 7:15 pm marly said...
Lavender Line-Up is great, Mary Stella. Here are our group suggestions: “Lavender and Violence” (play on violets), and “Guns and Lavender”.
On November 12, 2009 at 11:30 pm misspiggy don'twannabe said...
I wish you were looking for violet or periwinkle instead of lavender.
On November 13, 2009 at 1:28 pm marly said...
It’s been pointed out to me that I made an error or that I just don’t know my Guns n’ Roses. The suggestion is supposed to be Guns n’ Lavender.
On November 13, 2009 at 2:44 pm Jenny said...
I don’t know my Guns n’ Roses, either, so that’s two of us.
I think we’re going to go with Lavender’s Blue. It’s pretty tame, but she does get strangled so there’s that. As misspiggy pointed out, I should have gone with something besides Lavender. Which is still a possibility. Violet is Lavender’s niece, but I could call her something else and use Violet for Lavender and then use Shrieking Violet which at least has snark which Lavender’s Blue doesn’t on the face of it.
But thank you all very much for playing.
“Periwinkle? Really? I’d think that would be harder than Lavender.”
On November 13, 2009 at 6:38 pm Jim said...
How about “The Lavender Garotte”, if you want colorful strangling?
On November 13, 2009 at 11:58 pm Mary Stella said...
Perilwinkle.
Shrieking Violet has now ruined all other titles for me. That one gets my vote.
On November 14, 2009 at 1:00 am Jenny said...
My favorite is still One in Vermillion (that was RfP’s), but that one and Shrieking Violet will have to come in the second set of four, if I do a second set. Thank God we brainstormed all those titles so long ago.
On November 14, 2009 at 2:19 am SueG said...
A Choker for Lavender
or
Lavender’s Blue, NO Lavender’s Dead
On November 19, 2009 at 1:47 am Shangrila said...
I know you’re done, but…Hanging Lavender to Die (dry)?