Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Tina Pinson -- The Next Big Thing


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."