Last week I asked for help with a title for my FBI series. Yeah, I know, book titles alone are hard enough! But a series title? I’m cruel, what can I say?
As a reminder, the first book of the series is SUDDEN DEATH: “Burn the book” mercenary Jack Kincaid is forced to team with “by the book” FBI Agent Megan Elliott to stop a killer targeting soldiers with ties to Jack’s mysterious past.
I’m still looking, but here are some of the ideas that came out of that post . . . and some of my own brainstorming.
There were some I loved, like those that revolved around “alpha” and “omega” but those have been used many times, and I didn’t think they *quite* fit my vision of this elite FBI group. My group are the “best of the best”–modeled after the real-life Evidence Response Teams (ERT) run through the ERTU at Headquarters that are currently in all 56 regional FBI offices. They have special training and specialties. A team is generally comprised of eight members. I don’t know about mine yet . . . since SUDDEN DEATH is how they get together in the first place, and not all the team members may be in place. Meg is the field leader, and Rick Stockton (Olivia St. Martin’s boss from THE KILL) is the assistant director in charge of the unit. A little tidbit . . . it’ll be funded through a motion by Senator Jonathon Paxton, who you might remember as the father of Trask’s first victim, Monique, in FEAR NO EVIL.
Okay, here’s where I am:
HCU: High Crimes Unit
Priority Case Unit (PCU); Priority Case Team (PCT); Priority Case Squad (PCS)
I like these names, but it’s the acronyms that I’m not sure about . . . “Unit” works well because a lot of the FBI teams are called units, i.e. Behavioral Science UnitSpecial Response Team (SRT)
Officer Friendly came up with two that I like:
F.I.S.T. – Federal Investigative Strike Team
R.A.I.D. – Rapid Advance Investigation Detail
My only problem is that FIST feels kind of negative to me, and RAID reminds me of Waco and other FBI disasters. Most of my FBI agents are going to be good guys.
I loved Natalie’s suggestion about Ares, but I don’t see the FBI using Greek gods for their acronym 🙂 . . . though if I was writing a paranormal, I would seriously consider it! Or even a private investigative trilogy.
The problem, in my mind, with using FBI as an acronym is that this is what I’m calling the unnamed series now: the FBI Series. And they wouldn’t call themselves FBI if they were in a special unit. Might be a little weird ;0
I love FBI SWAT but they aren’t SWAT per se, though they will all have SWAT training. The problem is that everyone knows what “SWAT” means so it might disappoint readers. (I have a hostage book idea that I’m excited about . . . it’ll be book two or three of the series. SWAT will play a big role there!)
Some acronyms I’m playing around with but can’t come up with good meanings . . .
CORE
STAT
I can call the series something like “FBI STAT” or “FBI CORE” . . . if you check out Amazon, you’ll notice they have been labeling series. Roxanne St. Claire’s FIRST YOU RUN (out yesterday! Buy it!) is subtitled ( The Bullet Catchers Book 4). KILLING FEAR (Prison Break, Book 1). Catherine Coulter has “FBI Thriller” (which I would have loved to use!) JD Robb’s series is known simply as “In Death.” Cindy Gerard had “The Bodyguards” and now is launching “Black Ops”
Trilogies don’t need names, though I usually have a name for mine (#1: Predator; #2 No Evil; #3 Prison Break.) But that was more for my website and to keep them clear for me. But a series? If I had one protagonist in every book, that’s a no brainer (Bobbie Faye, Jack Reacher, Stephanie Plum, Molly Doyle, Elvis Cole.) But I don’t.
See my problem?
Okay, more ideas:
I can look at the origins of the FBI. Theodore Roosevelt was one of the key proponents of the original FBI (not called that) in 1908. (Wow, they’re at 100 years now!) FBI Riders? LOL. Sounds like they should be on horseback!
Maybe something simple like FBI Force.
I thought of National Criminal Unit: NCU, but it’s kind of . . . blah. Though I like the initials 🙂
I’m so desperate that I’m offering ANOTHER chance at an early copy of TEMPTING EVIL. ArkansasCyndi won the random drawing for the copy I gave away last week . . . so comment by next Thursday (even if it’s just “I hate all your ideas but I have nothing better”) for a chance to win. I need to get a list of possibles to my editor next week, so . . . put your thinking caps on!