Blog Meme...
This is my first blog meme. In the
past, I've been hesitant to get involved with blog memes. But here I go. This is basically part
of an ongoing chain of book and author recommendations called “The Next Big
Thing.” The whole idea is that writers get “tagged,”
answer ten quick fire questions on their blog, and then tag five other writers…
Before long you have a whole web of writers answering the same questions, and
linking to one another through social media. It’s a good idea, and a nice way
to drum up interest in your latest work. I was brought into the loop Shawna
K. Williams, and will have sent word to some of my writer friends who names are listed at the end of this post. Their invitation, if they choose to accept it, is to answer these same questions on their blog next
Wednesday. Ready? Set?
1) What is the title of your
next book?
Christmas in Shades of Gray -- yes I'm aware it sounds like another book out about now. But I wrote this a few years ago. Sooo...
2) Where did the idea come from for
the book?
A vast
majority of this novel came from the stories my husband used to tell about his own
father -- a man who led a very colorful life before he passed away at 74. Some of the
storyline is rooted in the truth. Of course, as a writer, I took license and
extended and added areas, but the story and how he spent long years running
fascinated me and I wanted to write a character that mirrored him.
3) What genre does your book fall
under?
Contemporary, speculative fiction.
4) What actors would you choose to
play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Hmm… excellent
question. As the story is a bit of a warped Dickens' Christmas Carol, and spans
several years. Maybe Sam Elliot, Clint Eastwood or Harrison Ford, for the older
part and Hugh Jackman for the middle age. I'm not sure about the younger.
Sam Elliot Clint Eastwood
Hugh Jackman
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis
of your book?
David Pareman is
dying. In life, he felt isolated and alone. He prays he won't feel that way in
death.
6) Will your book be self-published
or represented by an agency?
It will be represented through the
small publisher who has published my other books and is slated for release
around Christmas 2013
7) How long did it take you to
write the first draft of the manuscript?
The first
time around it took me about three months. The story was originally written for
a book of short stories, but I decided to add to it and see if I could get it
published. Which took a couple more months. And then, of course, there were the
rewrites. I still have the other two stories in the anthology to go.
8) What other books would you
compare this story to within your genre?
It's not actually in the same
genre, but this story would be similar to Dickens' Christmas Carol.
9) Who or what inspired you to
write this book?
As I said earlier, my father in law is the inspiration behind this story.
About the time of his death, I begin to wonder what might have passed through
his mind when he lay in his hospital bed. What he thought about his own story.
His life was quite colorful, remarkable even, and I drew from some of his past
and of course, rewrote and added to some areas to expand and make a story.
10) What else about the book might
pique the reader’s interest?
I suppose, if we're honest, many of us, if not all, have a quiet fascination with our own mortality. What happens while we're sick or dying or
after death? Did we leave a legacy worth talking about? Did we tie up all the loose ends of our life? Did we tell everyone
how much they meant to us? Will people miss us when we're gone? Will we see loved
ones again? Is there a heaven or a hell? And so many other questions. This
story takes a look at some of those aspects.
Okay. So there you have it! Now,
for my writer friends and the stories they're working on. Tell us about your "Next Big Thing."
