Death's Gift

My adored beta readers are starting to return crits to me on my extremely long manuscript for the story formerly known as The Corn Maiden.

At first, the discovery of fatal flaws in my baby drove me to despair. I planned to hack the whole thing in pieces and start all over. Further thought -- and sobriety -- offered an alternative solution, involving changes to key scenes. Hopefully this will save the whole thing from the scrape heap.

I'm impatient to gnaw on to fresh meat, so I want to get this book cooked and out of the oven.

In honor of the revisions, I toyed with a new title -- which, of course, required new cover art.

Whatdaya all think of the latest title? Is it intriguing? Think it stinks? Prefer the other one? Like the title in theory, but for some completely other book besides the one I've written?

I have two variations:

Death's Gift

Lady Death's Gift







I like the starkness of the first one, but the second sounds more like a fantasy to me.

Any thoughts?

* * *

P.S. I have covers for the Secret Novel too, but I can't show them yet! Damn!

Comments

PurpleClover said…
Ooh I have to agree. The first is very drawing, but the second one seems to hold a bigger secret.

Love it!
Personally, I preferred the title without the Lady. I think the personification does not need to help of the honorific.
SandyG said…
I think it begins to sound more like a romance novel with a hint of macabre in it. Though I like the picture of the girl on the cover, she does not seem to be analogous to the title. Perhaps I need to understand the story though to comment on a title. I feel just a little out of the loop...
Tara Maya said…
Sophie, I'm going to send you the mss with the latest revisions. I think I have your email. Or are you on a different email than the one I have? You have mine.
Natalie Whipple said…
I like the new title. Glad you didn't hack the MS to bits. Been there, heh.
Ban said…
I see what you mean about the second title being more 'fantasy' but I'm leaning towards the first one. The cover is great but, even though I never read more than the few exerpts you posted ... I'm really attached to the original corn maiden cover :(
Tara Maya said…
Thanks, ban. :)

The original cover shows more of the elements in the story.

Of course the matter is academic, since I won't be doing the cover even if it's published! There probably ought to be an Aesop's fable about not making covers before you sell the book. ;) I love doing it anyway.

And it is interesting to me to know which covers people prefer.
lisa and laura said…
I like the first version, but take that with a grain of salt because I read very little fantasy.

Glad that you were able to salvage most of the MS, major revisions always freak me out a little bit.
Sara Raasch said…
The second title does sound more fantasy, but the first sounds more mysterious. However, since your book seems to be pretty hard-core fantasy, I'd go with numero uno.
Dal Jeanis said…
Can't speak to the appropriateness to the text and the theme, but "[Lady] Death's Gift", to me, is more generic than "The Corn Maiden".

It also speaks to a dark tone, which I didn't really feel from the excerpts posted.
I like the first one the best. Making covers helps you focus on the hook of your story. I think it's great!
writtenwyrdd said…
The first one is better. Adding Lady doesn't work for me with the cover art shown.
Danyelle L. said…
Good job for not giving up on the story. :) I love your covers. I think I like the first one better because it feels like it's to the point, if that makes sense.
I haven't read the story but I like the Corn Maiden title the best. But if I had to choose between the other two, I would go with the first. I think the image on the cover looks more romantic and adding Lady in the title would really make me think it's a romance book. But that's just me :^)
I like the first one better. More mysterious to me. :)
Traci said…
Sheesh...I would be the only one who like the "Lady" part. It must be my love of the past. Erm... beautiful covers!
lotusgirl said…
I think for the title choice you need to decide what you want to convey. Death's Choice sounds more serious and feels like it is based in reality or at least could be. I would think there would be a lot of sadness in it. The picture goes well with this title.

Lady Death's Choice immediately set me up thinking of a female grim reaper type. I don't think the picture goes with this title, but the title is good. I would think a book with that title would have a bit of humor in it. Possibly dark humor. and could be sad or not depending.

There you have how the new ones strike me. I like them both better than the corn maiden.
Tara Maya said…
Hm. From what people are saying, it's beginning to sound to me like, "This is a great title, but not for this book," situation.

The connotations of "macabre" "solumn" and "historical romance" aren't what I really mean to convey.
Traci said…
Historical romance is what I was thinking and since I love, love, LOVE historical romance, I picked the Lady title! LOL