Giver of Lame Names/Quotes

"Q: Elaine, some of the book titles sound alike, and I’m having some trouble keeping track of which ones are which (limited cranial capacity). (I understand that it's the publishers that pick the titles, but Elf this, Shadow that, and in various combinations, I know I’ll wind up buying one of these books twice.)(Oh, now I see!)

A: Yes, there is an "elf" and "shadow" theme going on in Songs & Swords. I can see how it might be confusing. If you seek clarity, there's a list of my published stuff on the Bookshelf page of my website, www.elainecunningham.com.

A: And yes, the publishers usually pick the titles. In my case, that's probably just as well. The working title for The Floodgate was "Watergate" for several weeks before I figured out why that just didn't sound right. Similarly, I wanted "Moonshadow" for my first book (Elfshadow). The way my editor tells it, for several days after I suggested that title, the TSR staff went around humming Cat Stevens songs and cursing my name. I've learned since then that, generally speaking, it's a good idea to avoid "moon" in a fantasy title: there are probably more moons in a row of fantasy novels than in a busload of drunken frat boys."

- Elaine Cunningham on the official fan site of Forgotten Realms.