There are many things for independent authors to do and many are looking for ways to connect with other writers, readers and well, more potential readers. Aspiring authors fit into that category only more so. A couple of my friends contacted me to do this blog share thing, and I put it on the back burner while working on revisions and edits for Red Wine & Roses.
It’s resurfaced once again now that I’ve culled my stack of unfinished business. Here’s how it works: I’ll answer 10 questions about my current work (Red Wine & Roses) which is available now on Amazon and available in just five days!!, and then, I’ll tag five writers at the end to do the same thing next week. If you’re one of them, just follow this format.
On to the good parts:
***
1. What is the working title of your book?
Red Wine & Roses
***
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
This one was originally a flash piece that I shared on Storytime Trysts, that developed into a specific submission call, then was expanded from there. For flash fiction, I use story prompts, pictures, a short phrase, or in the case of Chuck Wendig’s Friday flash contests, his suggested topic. For the original flash my inspiration was a photograph.
Which I’m not certain, but I’m pretty sure is a creek in Smoky Mountain National Forest. A place that we visited a few years ago on a family vacation, hiking up to Grotto Falls.
It was quite a hike up to this fall (Grotto Falls), and on the way I took several pictures of the scenery, the ravines, the family, and more of the falls. My writer mind of course went to a worst case scenario as a pack of donkeys passed us heading to the top. Hmmm, what if . . .
Danger Will Robinson!
***
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Romance, contemporary romance, women’s literature.
***
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Jensen Ackles would play Derek – someone should contact him now when it goes to movie format!
Julia Faye West would play Ashleigh. Because, gorgeous blonde!
Elizabeth Gillies would play Julia.
I would beg borrow and plead to get Salma Hayak to play Gloria! (My husband thinks she is gorg- and he’s right! Besides, Gloria has some chutzpah and needs an actress that can carry that.)
And Scott Bakula as Mr. Jackowski.
The rest of the cast can be sorted out by the casting director with consultation of course.
***
5. What is the one sentence synopsis for your book?
Love conquers all, unless an ex-girlfriend is involved.
***
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It is published through Eclectic Bard Books.
***
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The first draft for this one was a 1000 word flash piece, so it took about an hour. The second revision took me maybe a month, it was 10,000 words. Then it took about seven months for me to develop my outline for the full story. The characters in this one wouldn’t leave me alone. About half of it was handwritten in notebooks while riding in a car, or watching TV, or during a class. Then it took me another full five months to revise and edit, not counting calls from editor and publisher!
***
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I can’t think of any specific book, but Lynn Kurland writes the most amazing love stories. Often the obstacles that are in our way of happiness are our own making. This is a point that Ms. Kurland has brought up in a few of her books, and it is at the heart of Red Wine & Roses.
****
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I’ve already covered this above – the photo prompt inspired my imagination. The special submission call was for weekend getaway which only told a small part of the story.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
There is a short cookbook at the end. With Julia’s love for baking and so much of our family and friend’s gatherings centered around food it seemed a logical fit for me. I have a group of baker’s on Facebook that tried out my cocktail cupcakes which were apparently a big hit. The Red Lion was my favorite!
***
Just a few more rules and then we’re done. If I’ve tagged you below, you should have your post up on Nov. 7, or as close to as you can. Tag me at the beginning, tag your five friends at the end, and make sure you title the whole thing “The Next Big Thing Blog Hop”.
Here’s who’s coming up next week, On September 30th so make sure you check in on them and see what they’re up to. You all rock.
Be sure to check their blogs next Wednesday – September 30th!!
Write on my friends, write on!
quotidiandose 
You must be logged in to post a comment.