The Next Big Thing
My very good friend, the extraordinary Barry King, has invited me to be a part of The Next Big Thing game/writing promotion/chain letter.... Barry had been tagged by Sherwood Smith http://sartorias.livejournal.com/ who had been tagged by Tom Simon, http://superversive.livejournal.com/, and so forth back into the mists of blogging. I was giddy to be at the fringe of this company and all I had to do was agree to be tagged in Barry’s blog, http://barry-king.livejournal.com/, answer a set of 10 questions and tag 5 other writers to answer the questions for the following week.
Easy enough. How could I refuse?
Except, I've never really used this journal other than to post links to keep it from being deleted from inactivity. I don't blog, facebook or tweet. So, it's a bit of a leap into the deep end for me. But, as I've always been a leaper (and I've had the concussions to prove it), here goes:
My next big thing!
What is the working title of your next book?
The Isle of Waiting
Where did the idea come from for the book?
A prism hanging in the window by my desk caught the afternoon sun and cast a rainbow across the body of my golden German shepherd, Keltie. I said, “Princess! You’re a rainbow catcher!” and as I'd adopted Keltie at the age of 7 from a life in a kennel, I started imagining a story where a fairy tale princess might inherit a power to save herself from the metaphorical tower--a power that made her body like a crystal capable of the transduction of energy.
What genre does your book fall under?
The Isle of Waiting is definitely high fantasy.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I’ve never imagined actors playing the characters in my work, although I've hiked lots of amazing locations on Cape Breton Island where I imagined scenes could be set.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Born heir to a cruel, intolerant society, gentle seventeen-year-old Princess Anie begins a journey with her two brothers and best friend that will shape her into the hero of her world; a quest where she must find the courage to bring down an empire--or see her world destroyed.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I would love to see The Isle of Waiting picked up by an agent.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
It took about three months to draft the original version, but it's had many revisions over the years.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I would definitely compare it to SERAPHINA as another high fantasy with a girl struggling with self-acceptance. But it has similarities to CINDER and UNDER THE NEVER SKY as well, with Cinder’s outcast status similar to Anie’s, and the romantic tension between Aria and Perry similar to the friction between Anie and Miteran.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My inspiration to keep at this story comes from all the women I’ve met who were abused as little girls. They break my heart and enlighten me. I wanted to try to capture their quiet determination, but at the same time to evolve my protagonist from a girl who would unquestioningly sacrifice herself for those she loved, to a warrior who would fight for them instead. And so I took a baroque fairy-tale princess and sent her off on a hero’s journey that will turn her into a rebel leader and the savior of her world.
What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
There’s lots of adventure (I do love adventure), family drama and political intrigue, but I hope there are a few surprise chuckles in there for readers as well (I love to laugh more than anything).
For more detail, please visit my website http://www.therainbowcatcher.com/
Thanks very much to Barry for inviting me to play along and for getting my map prepped for the website.
Now it’s my turn to invite some amazing writers. I have three links to share with you. I’d love for you to discover Erick Melton’s fantastic works (I’m curious to see which piece he chooses to highlight) at http://bifrosttrumpet.blogspot.ca/; Kathleen Kelly’s inspirational middle grade, surfing adventure at http://playwithkktoday.livejournal.com/; and Kevin Miller’s very intriguing new science fiction at http://kindusurper.blogspot.ca/.
Easy enough. How could I refuse?
Except, I've never really used this journal other than to post links to keep it from being deleted from inactivity. I don't blog, facebook or tweet. So, it's a bit of a leap into the deep end for me. But, as I've always been a leaper (and I've had the concussions to prove it), here goes:
My next big thing!
What is the working title of your next book?
The Isle of Waiting
Where did the idea come from for the book?
A prism hanging in the window by my desk caught the afternoon sun and cast a rainbow across the body of my golden German shepherd, Keltie. I said, “Princess! You’re a rainbow catcher!” and as I'd adopted Keltie at the age of 7 from a life in a kennel, I started imagining a story where a fairy tale princess might inherit a power to save herself from the metaphorical tower--a power that made her body like a crystal capable of the transduction of energy.
What genre does your book fall under?
The Isle of Waiting is definitely high fantasy.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I’ve never imagined actors playing the characters in my work, although I've hiked lots of amazing locations on Cape Breton Island where I imagined scenes could be set.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Born heir to a cruel, intolerant society, gentle seventeen-year-old Princess Anie begins a journey with her two brothers and best friend that will shape her into the hero of her world; a quest where she must find the courage to bring down an empire--or see her world destroyed.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I would love to see The Isle of Waiting picked up by an agent.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
It took about three months to draft the original version, but it's had many revisions over the years.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I would definitely compare it to SERAPHINA as another high fantasy with a girl struggling with self-acceptance. But it has similarities to CINDER and UNDER THE NEVER SKY as well, with Cinder’s outcast status similar to Anie’s, and the romantic tension between Aria and Perry similar to the friction between Anie and Miteran.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My inspiration to keep at this story comes from all the women I’ve met who were abused as little girls. They break my heart and enlighten me. I wanted to try to capture their quiet determination, but at the same time to evolve my protagonist from a girl who would unquestioningly sacrifice herself for those she loved, to a warrior who would fight for them instead. And so I took a baroque fairy-tale princess and sent her off on a hero’s journey that will turn her into a rebel leader and the savior of her world.
What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
There’s lots of adventure (I do love adventure), family drama and political intrigue, but I hope there are a few surprise chuckles in there for readers as well (I love to laugh more than anything).
For more detail, please visit my website http://www.therainbowcatcher.com/
Thanks very much to Barry for inviting me to play along and for getting my map prepped for the website.
Now it’s my turn to invite some amazing writers. I have three links to share with you. I’d love for you to discover Erick Melton’s fantastic works (I’m curious to see which piece he chooses to highlight) at http://bifrosttrumpet.blogspot.ca/; Kathleen Kelly’s inspirational middle grade, surfing adventure at http://playwithkktoday.livejournal.com/; and Kevin Miller’s very intriguing new science fiction at http://kindusurper.blogspot.ca/.