When I decided to change the way my books are processed (Lulu vs. LSI) I took the opportunity to reflect on what I was really telling the reader. While that prompted me to change from the 254-pages in Blood Brother: Homecoming to 348-pages in Homecoming, the most recognizable change is in the title of this series.
Why did I drop Blood Brother from the title? Besides the fact that it made some people cringe – admit it – I also think it confuses the market. If I were targeting (only) the horror audience, I’d definitely have stuck with the title. But, as a great friend mentioned to me, these books are really “inspirational thrillers” not “horror stories”.
Also, I think it implies that the books are all about the character Eric Kade — who became a blood brother to the character Nickel Warren as a kid. The books are really about both characters and what Eric represents in Nickel’s life. (Sorry, you have to read the book to know what that is.) Both characters are equally important in my opinion and, thus far, Nickel has been one of my favorite characters to develop. She is the reader’s unofficial narrator as she is the newbie in the world Eric has submersed himself in.
So, if you’ve read BB:H and are curious if you have to read it again …. no. But you’ll be missing out on much more than what the abbreviated version covered. While there is a 94-page difference, there were also several pages that were cut out of BB:H before I began building it back up again. I’m entirely pleased with Homecoming and regard it as delivering the story I really wanted to tell. Also, as it stands – and despite being a larger book, it should retail for a cheaper price tag than BB:H. Take that, recession.