The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
Hello and Welcome to my Blog!
Today I have the honor of being tagged in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop by fellow author, Rowan Shannigan on her blog: http://feeltheawareness.weebly.com/blog.html. The story I’ll be talking about is Whispers From the Past: Vendetta, Book Three of The Actor’s Guild Paranormal Mystery Series, since that’s what I’m currently working on.
I am also passing the tags along to the following author(s), who will post his/their answers on December 19 on their own blog(s):
P. J. Caiden is the author of An Angel Came Down, Taking Up the Runes and a collection of dark poems called From Midnight Until Dawn. His blog is: http://metaphysicalspirit.blogspot.com/
Steven R. Southard is the author of the fun and fine alternative history series, What Man Hath Wrought, with interesting tales that cover subjects ranging from Ancient Greeks to Steampunk. His latest title is The Six Hundred Dollar Man. His blog is: http://stevenrsouthard.com/
Now that I have tagged my willing author(s), I will get on with telling you about my Next Big Thing. . . Whispers From the Past: Vendetta
What is the working title of your book?
Whispers From the Past: Vendetta (Oh, did I already mention that? Hmmm . . . )
Where did the idea come from for the book?
This book is actually the third of The Actor’s Guild Paranormal Mystery Series. The idea for the series came from my love of weird tales of the unexplained. I have developed a few theories in my years of exploring the paranormal, so I started the series to have a place to collect and expand my theories and share them with others.
Book One: McCann’s Manor: Portal
Book Two: The Bakery Murders: Challenge
What genre does your book fall under?
As the title of the series suggests, the books are paranormal mysteries . . . but my work doesn’t easily fall into a single category. I’m pretty experimental and multi-genre, so you’ll also find elements of horror (not heavy duty horror, but tending toward horror), romance, Gothic, time travel and fantasy as well.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
YES! Let’s talk about movies. It would be such fun to see these tales come to life on the big screen. All the special effects available would make them so incredible to watch!
So . . . Let’s start with Liz Carr, the female protagonist I identify with the most. I’d pick Julianne Moore for her. Why? I really enjoy Julianne’s style and the way she comes across in a tight situation . . . and she has red hair. Red hair’s a definite plus for women in my stories.
For John Carter, the strong male protagonist, I think I’d pick Brendan Fraser. He might also be called on to play more than one role, since we have Benjamin McCann, who is John’s past life . . . John is a renowned actor, but also a sincere, honest man and Liz’s romantic interest (an honor he rather begrudgingly shares with Benjamin McCann, who has been dead for almost 200 years, which leads to some very interesting plot developments). Brendan Fraser comes off as the kind of man I see John Carter as being. Interestingly enough as an aside here, when I started this series I had no idea Edgar Rice Burroughs had created a sci-fi/fantasy character of the same name. Not sure how I missed it, but I did. However, since this is my third book in the series and John has been part of the series since day one, it’s a little late to change his name now. My John Carter isn’t such an action hero, though he is a sterling character.
For Liz’s partner in ghost busting and longtime best friend Kim Henson, I’d pick Helena Bonham Carter, partly because she could also play the part of Kim’s supposed past life, the beautiful, enigmatic Moira MacPherson McCann. HBC is a fantastic actress who can handle the demands made of both Kim and Moira, and do it with style and finesse.
Dr. Mark Adams is Kim’s romantic interest and John’s longtime friend. I see someone like Matthew McConnaughey playing Mark. McConnaughey just (usually) has that wholesome, clean look I associate with Mark, and he’s a great actor besides. Mark is an evolving character throughout the series, as is John. We see them both stepping into heroic roles they never dreamed they would be able to pull off, while learning they aren’t limited to the simple lifestyles they once led.
Sondra Jaynes, John’s actress daughter could be played by Helena Mattson . . . even though that might cause problems on the set with two Helenas. She’s just the perfect picture of what I imagine Sondra to be.
Amanda Carr-Franks, Liz’s recently widowed daughter would be played by Hanna Hall. She just looks right, and what a sincere face.
I see Michael Carr (Liz’s son) being played by someone like Kellan Lutz. Michael is strong and a big guy with an even bigger ego. He’s witty, has a great sense of humor and is quite the lady’s man. I don’t know about Kellan’s ego, but if I were a guy and looked like that, I’d probably have a pretty healthy ego!
Carroll O’Connor twenty or so years ago would have been a perfect Sheriff Pete Humphreys, but Carroll left the planet, so I thought it over and came up with Tommy Lee Jones! No one else I can think of would be able to deliver the lines Pete spouts as well as Tommy Lee, even though TLJ isn’t nearly as paunchy as I envision Pete. He’d still make a great Pete! What part can’t TLJ play?
Then we have the parts of Deputy Sheriff Jack Lance (James Marsden, left) and Father Joel Murchison (Henry Cavill, right).
Another new character to the series, but one who will play an important part in the resolution of this book is the inimitable Asrael Draqesh Abibi, better known as Abibi. For him I’d choose someone like Clive Owen, who will have to be a master of changes, since Abibi is a shape-shifter, sent to help protect John and Liz’s kids and to teach John to be a shape-shifter as well.
For the evil wizard Arvashan, not sure; Ryan Gosling, maybe . . . this picture has a wildly intense look that would fit well.
And the new love interest in Pete Humphreys’ life (actually old flame come back to town), Mary Joyce Gordon, I’d choose someone like Ellen Burstyn.
Oh my! I almost forgot . . . Betty Tatum, the owner of McCann’s Manor. Betty is a 96-year-old veteran actress of stage and screen and the widow of actor/director Leonard Tatum. For her I’d choose someone really special, like Ellen Albertini Dow, bless her little heart (oh no . . . two Ellens in the same film. Wasn’t it bad enough to have two Helenas?)!
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
It ain’t over until the evil wizard Arvashan succumbs to his arch enemies, who are charged with the task of freeing the souls he has held captive for millennia and restoring peace to the worlds torn apart by his wicked deeds.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-pubbed in a way, since I am part owner of the publishing company that will be releasing it, Gypsy Shadow Publishing.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I’m still working on the first draft, actually, but I’m closing in on it. The series has taken about 12 years to materialize, but I’ve been working on book three for almost half that time, since I don’t have as much spare time now as I did when I started it.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Sadly, I haven’t had the time to read a lot of other books similar to this one in the past several years, so I’m not sure. The closest storyline to this one that comes to mind is the old Dark Shadows TV soap opera from the 60s. I loved that show!
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
The supernatural has always fascinated me. I talk to spirits (as in have actual conversations with them) and always have, even though many people I know would write it off by saying I am possessed. Most writers are, aren’t they? I spent a number of years doing psychic readings and have done some ghost busting myself. Some of the events mentioned in the books are loosely based on things I have experienced. Of course, I have to admit the absolutely overactive imagination I possess is a lot of the driving force behind turning those experiences into books. I realized early in my life I should be a writer and stop telling whopper stories that always seemed to get me into trouble . . . But that’s a subject for a later blog post.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Dragons . . . there be dragons, witches, magic, miracles, time travel . . . everything you enjoy about fantasy and paranormal novels; combined with haunted houses, ghosts and portals through time and space and seasoned with a dash of murder, malice and mayhem.
The Actor’s Guild Paranormal Mystery Series is set is Bastrop, Texas, where I lived for five years in the 90s, and which is the scene of what many have termed the most catastrophic wildfire in Texas history. The blaze began September 4, 2011 and continued to burn mostly uncontrolled until September 30, though it was not completely extinguished until October 29, 2011. The fire destroyed 1,691 homes, burned 34,330 acres, and killed two people. Whispers From the Past: Vendetta is dedicated to those affected by the Bastrop County Complex Fire.
For more information about The Actor’s Guild Paranormal Mystery Series, check out my website at: http://www.charlotteholley.com
You can watch the series trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nITgq5dktRs