‘The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival’

There it is, the name of my first published novel, due in January 2010. My agent, my editor and I met for drinks last night to discuss the title and other book-related things. It was the first time I met my editor, so it was all quite exciting.

I’m not going to bore you with how we decided on that particular title and what the other contender were. And maybe some other time, perhap over on Ad Age, I’ll discuss the marketing considerations that go into the title, into the blurbs, into the cover art, etc. I’ll say this much: To date, I’m pleased that Kensington Books in general and my editor in particular aren’t married to traditional marketing approaches that don’t necessarily work. Print ads? What a waste.

But enough about boring marketing things. The book is set in Grand Prairie, Louisiana, and does involve the creation of something called “The Rabbit Festival.” I’ll dribble out more information closer to January 2010.

Interesting side note. As we sat there drinking and discussing the book, the relatively empty restaurant/bar we were in — Aspen on 22nd St. — began to fill up with over-dressed folks that would be classified by certain New Yorkers as Bridge & Tunnel. Let’s just say there was a lot of spiked hair and spiked heel action going on.  At some point, it was standing room only in the joint with a line 50 people deep paying to get in. Finally I asked what the hell was going on.

“A single’s party,” I was told by a woman who smile and immediately checked out my ring finger. Poor thing. She’d have to do without me and try her luck with the guy I’d overheard at the bar earlier telling a woman, “That’s why I’m really picky with girls. Like I don’t date anyone over 100 pounds” … and … “Dudes will tell a chick anything to get laid.”

Awesomeness all around.