My apologies for the light posting this last week. A few other projects have been on my front burner.

I'm back. And in the coming days, I want to talk more about audience identification and such. But today, it's all about me. (Okay, every day this blog is all about me, but at least you've been warned this time.)

In my everyday conversations with folks online and off--you know, those conversations in which I manage to slip in a casual, "By the way, did you know my first novel is coming out this summer?"--I'm finding a bit of confusion about my book's title. I tell folks it's "Waking Lazarus" and give 'em a card. Or, if it's people I'm communicting with via email, they see the name spelled out. Recently, it's communicating with folks who have received an Advance Reading Copy.

And yet, many folks seem to see/hear/think of the book as "Walking Lazarus" rather than "Waking Lazarus." Interesting. And you know what? That's groovy. Call it "Waking Lazarus," call it "Walking Lazarus," just make sure you pre-order it now.

Whoops. Slipped into salesman's mode again there for a moment. Force of habit.

So I've been thinking: why the "walking" tendency? I've come up with a few thoughts. First, "walking" is a more common word than "waking." Well, I guess I don't have any scientific data to back this up, but I'm guessing it's easier, when scanning, for the eye to see the word "walking" because it shows up more in print and everyday communication. A quick trip to Google somewhat proved this to me. Search for waking: about 27 million hits. Search for walking: more than 300 million hits.

Second, I think the term "dead man walking" entered the popular vernacular a few years ago, and when folks hear my book is about a man who keeps dying and returning to life, I'm guessing it's easy--consciously or subconsciously--to tie that together with "dead man walking" and come up with "Walking Lazarus."

And again, this isn't really an issue. If you want to call it "Walking Lazarus," well, it still works. Might be an issue down the road, when people venture into their local bookstores and libraries to ask for a copy of "Walking Lazarus," prompting a search of the inventory or catalog that turns up zero hits.

But bookstore and library folks are a smart bunch. I'm sure they find books with titles farther afield all the time. Think of the people who wander in and say, "I want that book about a woman who falls in love with one of her co-workers. And I think it has a pink cover." Tell me, realistically, how many pink books have such a plot. Dozens? And yet, those friendly booksellers and librarians roll up their sleeves and say, "You bet I can help you find that." God bless 'em.

And so I ask this of you, helpful booksellers and librarians: when folks approach you in search of some book about some guy who dies, and the title has a name from the Bible--maybe Noah or something--please smile and tell those folks you know just what book they're looking for.

David Long's "Ezekiel's Shadow."

Kidding! I'd never suggest you sell or loan any book other than "Waking Lazarus."

Unless it's "Walking Lazarus."