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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The Next Big Thing

 That's right, today's the day.  The "Next Big Thing" Blog Hop. Which is a really cool way to get to know other writers and their work. Such as...Evelyn Byrne who tagged me and is writing paranormal books you'll really love.

This "hop" consists of 10 questions.  

And away we go.....

1. What is the working title of your book?
 Now that is a loaded question. I have several things going right now.  Dark Descent and Dragons of Jade are both in the editorial phase. I'm hoping to have release dates on them soon.  I'm also working on two serials, I Wish... and Where the Heart is.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
Dark Descent began as a prompt idea for a writer's group newsletter but it had to be short. Only thing, there was so much more to the story so it became a novel.  Dragons of Jade...I'm not sure where the idea came from. I just like dragons and wanted to do them differently.  I challenged myself to write a different genre and that's how I started on Where the Heart is.  I Wish... my brother challenged me to write. It started as a short story, just enough to win the bet with him but has grown also.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Dark Descent - mystery/suspense
Dragons of Jade - fantasy
I Wish... western fantasy
Where the Heart is - contemporary romance 

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
There's no way I could even begin to figure this out. I watch so little televison I don't keep up with the actors.

 
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Dark Descent - Hannibal Lector meets Mayberry - There's a serial killer living among them, can Cande figure out who it is before it's too late for his next victim?

Dragons of Jade - Who's killing the dragons and what can a girl from Earth do about it? 

Where the Heart is - Can Marcus prove to Samantha they were meant to be together before she leaves again?

I Wish... - Wes gets his wish to live in the old west but will it be what he expected and will he be able to get back home in one piece or at all?

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
They will be published through White Bird Publications. It's a small press and I'm really enjoying working with them.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Dark Descent took probably 3 months to write, but those 3 months were spread over quite a long time.  Dragons of Jade was written as a NaNoWriMo project so only took 1 month. Naturally, revising has taken longer.  Where the Heart is and I Wish... have taken several months also.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Gee...another loaded question. I think anyone who enjoys Sue Grafton or Janet Evanovich will like Dark Descent when it comes out.  Those who like dragons should enjoy Dragons of Jade. Romance lovers will enjoy them all since each book has a thread of romance.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I really like playing in different genres. It's a way to learn new writing techniques and challenging oneself.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

 I think the characters. I sometimes have to remind myself they aren't real people and I believe the reader will love them as much as I do. Plus, I like to add an unexpected twist or two whenever I can.


Well, that was fun. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my WIPs.  Next week, check out these great authors and their blogs for more answers.

Mitch Haynes

Dawn Demarco 

Ken Farmer

Jaleta Clegg  

Simon Lang

You can download episodes(.99 each) of Where the Heart is and I Wish...  from Amazon.  Also, my short story collection, Six Pack of Murder has the first chapter of Dark Descent included.  

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Going Awry...

Poet Robert Burns once wrote "The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry." Actually, that is the English paraphrase of his actual quote.  (Go look it up and enjoy.) And it seems life is determined to have me become very familiar with that phrase.

It seems no matter how well I plan a project, something always goes awry.  Not always in a bad way, just not planned. Am I the only one this happens to?

For example, this blog.  No matter how often I say I'm going to post here on a regular basis, something comes along and derails my good intentions. The blog gets ignored for a bit until I get back to it.  And...since it's been in the ignore phase for a short time, we're back to posting.

Here's some things to look forward to.

Wed. Oct. 31 - blog hop.  I'll answer some questions and send y'all to several other great blogs.

Nov. 26 - Dec. 11  - Blog tour - I'll be posting excerpts from 16 different authors who write mystery. Plus, I'll include links to where I'll be on their blogs. There will be give aways and lots of fun so don't miss this.

December will bring a BIG announcement.  I'm not sure of all the details yet but it will be big. :-)

So, I say thanks to those of you who have stuck around through the "lean posts" times and welcome those new to the blog.