Lost in Reality Part Deux?

So, as many if not all of you know that I am in the process of writing a sequel to my first book titled: "Lost in Reality". Even though I have only reached the rough draft stage of writing the second book. I have been attempting to come up with a title. I like using project titles while I am in the process of writing the book that may have nothing to do with the story. My first book was saved under the file name "Jarod's Dream" because I initially started writing the story as a result of a dream I had about my son Jarod. Well, now, as I work on the second book, I first saved it under the file name "Falling Snow" because the opening scene depicted such an environment. But then I started writing occasionally at the Irish Embassy on Sundays while listening to the live Irish music and sipping on a nice dark beer. So, I renamed the project title of the book to "Irish Snow". However, somewhere along the process, I totally revamped the story line and it no longer involved any snowy scenes at all.

I though of posting a contest on here to my blog readers for a title for the second book that is more creative than "Lost in Reality 2", "Lost in Reality Again", "Found in Reality", or any of those obvious kinds of titles. I suppose that's kind of why I liked calling it "Falling Snow" and most recently, "Irish Snow". The picture at the top of this posting was my planned book cover for the sequel but my son, Jarod has a better picture idea that I will have to put together in photoshop. Since I mention a "contest" to my blog readers for a title, first of all, I don't know what I would even offer as a reward. Secondly, None of you have read any of the content of the sequel and consequently, how could you even begin to come up with a great title? :)

Well, in an effort to contribute something, the characters, Jarod, Sarah, Distra, the eagles, and many more new characters are included in the sequel, including, talking cats, flying cats, mice, large mice that also talk, hermit crabs, lemurs, meer cats, lots of little critters. There is a large battle scene including all of the above as well as traditional church attenders represented as the "big people", who sometimes get in the way of progress, the "invisible children" as defined by the children in Africa who are kidnapped from their families and trained to be military killer children soldiers. There is a spiritual element that is represented in two parallel events occuring simultaneously, the battle with all the aforementioned participants AND a celebration of the "invisible children" as that dark strong hold is broken as a result of the battle that is occurring. There is some angelic presence in this story associated with the great battle. There is some soul searching as Jarod deals with the loss of his father that occurred some time between the first book and the second. There is some soul searching for Sarah as she deals with being raised by her dad, the both of them not knowing what happened to her mother when she was an infant since her mother mysteriously disappeared. There are some interesting discoveries that occur as the children venture into that other world and find their way through it. Lots of analogy and lots of adventures. It's mostly written around the three kids this time without an adult aside from Justus the great eagle.

So, anyway, that's a bit about what is to come. I have three people reviewing the draft to give me some more feedback on missing details and weak sections before I include even a few more critiques before going to the next level of not so rough of a draft. I'm sitting at 96 pages right now with possibly several more to write before I am done. It's a bit longer than the first and I haven't included any imagery yet. Although my fine friend Brad who illustrated the first book is also working on illustrations for the second.

If any of you are willing to be a part of the review team, I'd be glad to forward a text copy of the book to you to get some more input, critique, feedback, ideas as to what needs to be included or excluded at this point in the venture. I do promise to take genuine consideration in all that you have to say but I don't promise to follow it since it is my story. But, I have been very open minded in the past when it comes to good advice.

So, aside from EVERYTHING else that is going on in my life these days. I'm trying to put some emphasis on finishing this book in the first half of this new year.

Have a great day!
James