I’m in the midst of planning and scheming my next book series. In fact that’s what I spent time on yesterday and will spend more hours on this weekend.

There is so much that goes into that process. I create characters. Heroes. Heroines. Supporting characters. Pets. Churches. Jobs. Places they work. And towns.

Sometimes I use real places. Other times I’ve used fictional. Both work and can be fun. But for this new series I want to create a new small, bedroom community outside Washington, D.C. Think of it as a commuter community. That means I need a name, and a couple weeks ago on Facebook I got my readers involved in generating ideas. It was so much fun reading their 80+ ideas. Now I wanted to give you a chance to join the fun! I wanted to invite you to be part of my brainstorming process on this series. 

Below you can vote for your favorite of my eight favorite names. I’d also love to know what businesses you think should be in this community. Feel free to elaborate on what it should be called. I’m imagining a picturesque small town courthouse square that has its own flair that attracts outsiders (anyone not from around there). Want to play along?

I’ll be mailing some books to randomly selected folks, and your vote is your entry. I’d love to have you join in the fun!

I’d also love to know: what’s one thing you love to see in new series? What draws you to opening the first book?