The Quest for a Title and More

Becoming Jane - http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/aug/11/week

I haven't been quite on top of blogging these past few weeks. I was posting at an almost frantic pace in January, and the early part of this month was kept very busy between finishing my entry, entitled "Henry and Maria", for the Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest and putting together my post for the Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Celebration at My Jane Austen Book Club (read about S&S on film and enter to win a copy of the 1995 DVD here). Now that things have calmed a bit, I am now trying to focus on all that has been recently neglected. Unfortunately, that has kind of puts blogging on the back burner. I have lots of posts in mind, and here is some of what you can look forward. I have a pile of Heyer that I want to review (yes, the hubby and I are still reading and rereading these delightful novels), including one of my very favorites, Friday's Child, and The Convenient Marriage, which we just read for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed. I also need to get rolling on Northanger Abbey Janeicillin, which I hope to start posting at the beginning of March. Furthermore, I am almost finished reading Jane's Fame by Claire Harman, the review for which will include a giveaway of this fascinating book. Unfortunately, I put it aside before finishing it in order to read all the JAMMDI entries (which are fabulous!) so I can vote before the February 28th deadline. As I embark for Texas tomorrow, I hope to finish all this backlog of reading in flight. However, journeying out of town (I am off to see my grandparents before I am too large to travel comfortably) will necessarily postpone any hopes of blogging until I return next week. There is also a partially completed character profile of Edward Ferrars to finish and more of Amy Vanderbilt's etiquette to share.  

As I have now almost made it to the third trimester, my thoughts have necessarily turned towards baby furniture and other necessities, which has proven rather distracting, but I am trying to get as much work completed on my second novel, the continuation of First Impressions, that I can before delivering. This brings me to a request for assistance from you, my lovely readers, as I am rather stumped as to what to call this book. I have been using the working title of Second Chances, which feels rather lackluster, and would love it if some of you would throw out your ideas. I have not yet written a formal blurb for the story (hard to do when the narrative isn't complete) but here is a brief summary of the plot. Any and all suggestions for a title are highly welcome, but if you haven't read the first book, be warned that the following will act as a spoiler:

A year has past since the Darcy were married. Kitty, having made great progress at her school in Bath, has been invited to join Darcy, Elizabeth, and Georgiana in London for the season. It is there that the two young ladies become acquainted with two eligible bachelors, Mr. Simon Brooks and his friend, Sir James Stratton. All seems in order for promising romances to bloom between Kitty and Mr. Brooks and Georgiana and Sir James, much to the Darcys satisfaction, until Mr. and Mrs. Wickham become involved, angered at their failed attempts to leverage the familial connection with the Darcys as a means of furthering their social position. The situation is further complicated when Lydia, who is restless at school, resolves to liberate herself in the manner that comes most natural to her.

Please send me your thoughts, good and bad. I am looking to brainstorm so all notions are helpful. If I really love a few, I think I might post a survey to see which the readers most prefer, and if you suggest the title I end up using, I will credit you in my acknowledgments and send you a free copy of the book when it becomes available! 

Enjoy the remainder of this all too short month!