Why The Title “Worlds Collide”?

Its time to do a little more blatant publicising of my latest release “Worlds Collide”. I usually struggle with my book titles, struggle badly in some cases – just ask my editor – but with this story the title came to me very early. I wanted to ensure readers would realise this story was connected with my first book “Worlds Apart” but I was initially uncertain how I could achieve this. When I hit upon the idea of two cultures colliding and making the romance seemingly impossible, there was my title. It was as simple as that. I’ve never considered how important narrowing down a title can be while writing a story. As I said, I struggle with titles and usually don’t have one until well into the editing process. But with Worlds Collide, having the title early in the writing process meant I was able to use it as my premise and this definitely helped keep me on track with how I wanted the story to unfold.

For those who have read my first book “Worlds Apart” you’ve already met Justin Titirangi, the hero of “Worlds Collide”. He was the heroine’s Kiwi friend who helped Raven straighten out her feelings about Greg. “Worlds Collide” is Justin’s story. It’s a story I long anticipated writing but it took me some years to figure out where Justin wanted to be and what he wanted to say. My first priority was to dispel the possibility of him being gay, an assumption made by many of my readers. I guess this happened because there was a random comment in “Worlds Apart” of him ‘discovering his feminine side’ while he was helping Raven decide her fate. There had never been any thought of Justin being gay, as I knew one day I would find his story to tell.

In “Worlds Collide” Justin is an ordinary, hard working bloke. He runs maintenance at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC and enjoys hanging out at a local youth centre mentoring teens. He’s yet to encounter social snobbery. But a visit to Connecticut soon shows him how the other ‘half’ live. Shocked to discover his unassuming housemate comes from a mega wealthy background, Justin bemoans spending Thanksgiving with the family who do little to welcome his presence. But the presence of the daughter of the house makes the weekend bearable.

Soon it becomes obvious these two are from different worlds. Not only are they from different countries with different cultures, they are also millions apart financially. This means little to Justin until he mistakenly assumes Nicole believes she is a cut above him. But as Justin and Nicole get to know each other better, gradually they realise their differences need not keep them apart. Perhaps there is a chance for them to become a couple.

But a taniwha will change that. Nicole cannot understand or accept the hold this spiritual entity has over Justin. She cannot believe an unknown cultural phenomenon has the power to destroy everything she has dreamed of. Their different cultures, different worlds, suddenly collide.

I have been remiss in not acknowledging in the dedication page of this book, the assistance of my friend Aroha, a lovely Maori Kuia (venerable older lady) who helped me understand the impact the presence of a taniwha could hold. Without her guidance as I scribed the black moment for “Worlds Collide” I doubt I could have successfully shared its cause.

While many countries share what they consider a common language – although slang idioms can highlight some differences – there are often other cultural distinctions which might slip by unnoticed. This is what happens to Nicole. She refuses to believe money is of any consequence to their chance of a lasting relationship and sees little other difference between herself and Justin. The arrival of the taniwha shows her just how wrong she can be.

I trust my readers will enjoy reading “Worlds Collide” as they have enjoyed my other stories. Please consider placing a short review onto Amazon and Goodreads in particular (and any other review sites you might be aware of) if you have enjoyed any of my stories. Reviews are a writers life blood and I appreciate the time given by my readers very much.