Hey Leigh, whatcha workin' on these days?
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that question...I'd have a few bucks to buy some coffee!
Last week, the amazingly talented Claire LaZebnik tagged me in her Next Big Thing Blog Hop post. Claire writes super fun YA and adult fiction. Lots of romance and humor in her books which I totally appreciate. Because seriously, you need some love and light when life gets you down, you know? When that happens to you, I hope you'll grab a copy of Claire's Epic Fail and get all feel-good-y. I can remember very distinctly how I happened to meet Claire. I had read one of her adult novels and absolutely FELL IN LOVE with it! I found her on on Goodreads, connected with her there and as luck would have it, she was about to read at a bookstore near me so I got to meet her in person!
So thanks to Claire, I'm about to answer some questions about my next big thing...
1. What is the title of your work-in-progress?
"The Mystic Chords of Memory."
2. Where did the idea come from?
I am a ballet instructor and dancer and I wanted to write something with a ballerina protagonist. I also love speculative fiction!
3. What genre does your book come under?
Steampunk.
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?
For Asya, the ballerina, I would love to see Taissa Farmiga. For Jay, her soldier, I think Evan Peters. Both are actors from "American Horror Story" and they would be perfect!
5. One sentence synopsis for your book?
A ballerina from a Russian circus meets and falls in love with a Confederate soldier during the Civil War.
6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
I am represented but the book has not been sold yet.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Well, I'm still working on it! Hence the phrase, "work-in-progress"! I finished the 30K word novella in about 3 months but I'm still working on making it a full-length novel.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hmmm...if you like Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, I think you'd like this. Or Gail Carriger! I love both Cherie and Gail!
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Good writers like Cherie and Gail, actually. I love the chances they took with their stories and I wanted to do the same with mine. It's a big risky thing, writing a book that is in a different genre than the one you are known for, but I love it! Bring on the new and different!
10.What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Romance and Civil War. Automaton ballerinas. Horses with steam engines. A soldier who has lost everyone and everything. And dirigibles! Lots of dirigibles.
And now, who's next? First is my friend, Mina Javaherbin, the author of award-winning picture books (a brand new one is coming soon but that's hush-hush! shh....!). She's also a lover of dance, which is how we connected, as well as a screenwriter and a YA writer. What can't this woman do? She is very funny too and super smart and a genius at sizing up a situation and making the most of it. Love that in a person. Check out her blog here!
I'd also like to introduce you to Rachel Olivier, a wonderful writer and friend whom I met when my second novel All About Vee came out. Like me, Rachel loves funny cat videos and "Doctor Who" and unusual fiction but she also loves, well, love! Romance figures very prominently in her stories which is one reason they resonate so strongly with me and her many readers. One of my very favorite pieces of her fiction is her Christmas-themed novella, The Holly and the Ivan. Her blog is here!
Thanks again for the tag, Claire and now, Mina and Rachel, you're it! Happy reading, everyone~
