Beauty, Books and Babble: Guest Post: The Book Title of My Dreams by Kai Strand

Today I have a guest post from the lovely Kai Strand, all about how she decided on the title of her book, Finding Thor. I hope you enjoy it, and keep on reading to find out all about Finding Thor and where you can buy it!

The Book Title of My Dreams
By Kai Strand

“I’ve got to figure out what to name this book! I can’t keep calling it Cara & Nik.”

The entire time I wrote the first draft of Finding Thor, as well as through a majority of edits, I called it Cara & Nik. Sometimes I referred to it as Nik & Cara. I just could not figure out what to call it.

Then in the early hours one morning, I had a dream. An epic Saturday morning cartoon-worthy illustration of Thor, with flowing white hair, a shiny silver Viking helmet, and a thick metal breastplate, crashed to earth. He landed on one knee and drove his hammer into the ground. A starburst of light erupted behind him. I felt the percussion thrum in my chest. His gaze was intent. I knew the moment was crucial. Important. Resounding. Life changing. Then a voiceover said,

"Cara always envisioned love as Thor, slamming his hammer into the earth, and the vibration resonating within her for a lifetime. She never expected love would be a thousand tiny actions from a normal boy."

I woke fast and sudden. Wide awake in bed with the image of Thor (an image—a Thor—I don’t ever remember seeing before) fresh in my mind’s eye. I knew I had to name my book Finding Thor.

One problem. It had absolutely nothing to do with the story. I couldn’t understand why this dream seemed so meaningful. I mean, sure I’ve always loved Thor, but it had nothing to do with my contemporary story. Thor was never even mentioned in the book. But that voiceover. That paragraph. It meant something.

I felt sure that Cara and Nik’s relationship had to culminate into that paragraph. But for that to happen I had to add Thor to the book. So I decided Cara needed to be obsessed with comic book characters. It was time to revise – again. As I wove that thread throughout the story, it took on an importance of its own beyond Thor being Cara’s favorite hero. It allowed me to show more of Cara’s history and deepen her loss, giving the reader another way to sympathize with her.

So I guess you could say Finding Thor is the title of my dreams. I hope it becomes a book of your dreams.

Finding Thor
By Kai Strand

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date.

Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.