The Next Big Thing (Blog Hop)

Tag, I’m it!  The wonderful R.A. Gates tagged me for the blog hop – The Next Big Thing.  Her book is available on amazon here.  It’s a fun YA with a doesn’t-take-crap-from-anyone female protagonist.  In other words, you don’t have to hide her book from your daughters. What is the title of your book?

Loose Changeling.  I wanted something snappy and a little bit punny.  Thanks to my husband for the idea!

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Honestly?  We did a five words exercise at one of the writers’ groups I attend – WordForge.  Each writer picked a word, and we were all supposed to incorporate them into a 1500-word piece.  Unfortunately, I was the only one who completed the exercise, which made me very sad.  You hear that, WordForge people?  You made me cry!  Okay, not really, but I went home and complained to my husband.  You can all apologize to him.  Fortunately, those 1500 words became the start of the book.

I incorporated some things I’d been thinking about for a while.  I’d wanted to write an urban fantasy with a snarky, relatable heroine.  Nicole isn’t perfect, but she’d like to be, and the book starts with both the manifestation of her Fae powers and the implosion of her relationship.

What genre does your book fall under?

Urban fantasy.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This was the hardest question!  I haven’t really thought about it.  I actually had to browse random  people’s “hot actors” lists on IMDB to pull some ideas.

Kailen – Matt Bomer

If the actor’s pictures are anything to judge by, this guy may smile too much to actually play Kailen, but he looks the part.

Nicole – Lynn Collins

I saw her in John Carter, and was impressed with both her kick-ass attitude and the size of her biceps.  I kept rooting for her to put Taylor Kitsch in a headlock.  To my chagrin, this only happened in my head.

Owen – Adrian Grenier

I think he could pull off Owen’s cluelessness well.  And he has curly hair.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Errr…A sort-of-young woman must close the doorways between the mortal and Fae worlds while simultaneously dealing with the end of her marriage.

Hm.  That makes it sound way drier than it is.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I haven’t actually sent out any queries yet.  I’m leaning towards self-publishing, unless some amazing agent who is completely enthused about my book wants to sign me…?

*crickets*

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

I’m not actually sure…five, six months?  That’s if you take out the time I wasn’t working on it at all.  I was revising Lestoor’s Chosen at the same time.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Storm Front, Hounded, Moon Called—there are some similarities.  First-person POV, supernatural critters, some politics, and the start of a series.  I’d say Nicole is a little less level-headed than the protagonists in the aforementioned books and gets herself into more hawkward situations.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Technically, those five words from the WordForge people.  Four of them are still in the running!  I had to take out thaumaturgy, though.  It didn’t fit Nicole’s voice.

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

Magic!  Fairies!  Murder!  Snarky comments!  Mysteries!  Secrets!  Love triangles!  Well that last one is only semi-accurate, but you get the idea.  If you like ANY of these things you will enjoy this book!*

*Actual reading experience may vary.

I've tagged Robert Paul Gmelin, Dan Rix, and Steve Yeager.  I know Bob's is up right now, the other two will be coming in the next 1-2 weeks!  Check back!

One Year Later

A year ago, at the beginning of June, I decided that I wanted to be an author.  I mean, I've always wanted to be.  I'd written a completed manuscript in the prior years, and even got a little interest from agents (ended up trunking it).  But this was different.  No more diddling around, no more halfhearted goals.  I wanted to shoot for the moon.  Publication or die trying. A year later, I'm still not published.  But I think I'm a lot closer.

In that time I've: -finished writing the 150K rough draft of Lestoor's Chosen in 3 months -revised Lestoor's Chosen (bringing it down to 140K) -finalized a query letter and synopsis for Lestoor's Chosen -neared completion on the rough draft of Loose Changeling -written multiple short stories, subbed them, and received personal rejections from pro publications -received a full request on Lestoor's Chosen from my dream agency, got rejected, decided to rewrite the first 1/3 -made good headway on rewriting the first 1/3

I fell short on my ultimate goals, but I set the bar so high, I knew that if I got close, I'd still have done something worth being proud of.  I have worked a complex, and at times demanding, full-time job at the same time.  I've traveled.  I've helped my husband maintain our backyard micro-farm.  I still have a social life.  I play a lot fewer video games though, and watch less television.  I don't miss it much (okay, I miss Mass Effect a little).  I mean, if I could do this, so can you, right?  I'm scatterbrained, disorganized, and easily distracted (my husband can attest to this).

I have a good feeling about this next year, June to end of May.  I want to turn those personal rejections into a short story publication.  I want to pick up representation for Lestoor's Chosen.  I want to polish up Loose Changeling and write the rough draft for Windrider.  And then I'm going to dream big.  Really big.  I want to go back to my roots - 3rd person, multiple POV, epic fantasy with intricate, interlacing plots and subplots.  It's percolating right now, so I'll see where I am in a couple years.

Keep dreaming, keep writing, keep trying.  I think success in this business takes a ton of endurance, persistence, and a refusal to give up.

I'll tell you where that gets me in another year ;)