Genial Joan Reeves tagged me in The Next Big Thing. If you're a writer, you'll want to check out her blog Slingwords. If you LUUURRVV romantic comedy like I do, I highly recommend her books!
Basically, I answer the following questions, then I tag five talented writers about their NEXT BIG THING. So awaaaay we go!
What is the working title of your next book?
Blood Sacrifice
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Eons ago, I tried to write a vampire romance. It's a genre I love, and the experts say write what you know, right? Except I didn't want a trope heroine. You know, the young ingenue falling for the centuries-old hunky vampire. I had this image of a millenia-old woman wanting to file a stalking complaint but couldn't because the guy showed up every fifty years or so, and that didn't qualify as "pervasive" under California law. Except no matter how I worked it, the book for Phillippa and Duncan just wouldn't mesh.
Yeah, that's right. For those of you who've read Zombie Love, Duncan originally started out at Phil's hero and Sam was supposed to be with Alex. Oh, and Sam got Turned in a vampire. In other words, dumb, standard crap.
Then one night, my Subconscious delivered the answer in the form of a dream. The girls needed to switch guys! From there, the Bloodlines series fell into place, and readers have been clamoring for Alex and Phil's story, which thrills me to no end.
What genre does your book fall under?
Primarily urban fantasy with a ton of action and adventure and a teaspoon of old lovers getting back together.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Ooooo, that's a hard one. The hubby and I have been battling over Owen Wilson and Matthew McConaughey as Alex for a few years, but definitely Catherine Zeta-Jones as Phil.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
What if the one person you want most in the world is the one person you have to sacrifice to save it?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Blood Sacrifice will be self-published.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It's takes roughly forty-five days to write the first draft of a Bloodlines novel because I'm having so much fun. Don't kill me though! It takes another three-four months of revisions before I even dream of handing it off to my crit partners/editors/beta readers.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I was aiming for Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter series), but I'm told I'm somewhere between Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), MaryJanice Davidson (The Queen Betsy series) and Quentin Tarantino ("From Dusk 'til Dawn").
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I always wanted to write vampire romances. I just thought this book would be my first, not my fifth! LOL
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Despite their super-fantastic abilities, Phil and Alex are very human. Phil's daddy issues come to the fore. And regular readers of the series will find out the real reason Alex loves being a vampire and doesn't follow the "woe is me" line Duncan and Anne do.
Now, here are five terrific authors you'll want to check out!
Onne Andrews
Robin Badillo
RM Brand
Raven Raye
Teri Thackston
Recommended Reading List: October 2024
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This is the first time in months that I was able to do a lot of reading for
pleasure. Yes, I had other things to read and work on, but my time is
starting ...
15 hours ago
Oooh, very intriguing one-line synopsis. Gotta read this one. Thanks for sharing your process. Yes, I hate you for the 45 days, but I have cranked out NaNo projects and then agonized over the lengthy revisions This sounds like a worthy project, Suzan. Yes, I can see the Quentin Tarentino influence in your writing.
ReplyDelete~J
Love it, Suzan. Can't wait for this one to be released.
ReplyDeleteHmm...Owen vs. Matthew. Tough call. Love them both. Think I'd choose Matthew for the better abs. Shallow, I know. :-)
What a great explanation of how your story came to be. It's always fun to read another writer's 'coming to life' story.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the idea of 'a ton of action and adventure and a teaspoon of old lovers getting back together' stuff. I'm so there. CZ-J and Owen Wilson sounds like quite a fun match, but I'm wondering how we can squeeze Matthew into the fray, too. ::laughs::
ReplyDeleteJune, this was a two-book, two-hero deal when I conceived it. With all the notes I have to keep from all the characters in the Bloodlines series, I have to make a ton of revisions because things changed so much since it was first outlined. In fact, you'd probably laugh and call me a dumbass. LOL
ReplyDeleteI seriously doubt I would ever call you a dumbass. Actually, I think you're quite brilliant. The creative process is such an exciting and evolving organism. Long ago, when I was an undergrad, I took a class with Paul Baker of the Dallas Theater Company called Integration of Abilities. We were challenged to use ALL of our creative abilities to work through art and poetry and many other vehicles, but the outcome was a fully developed three dimensional character, which we then wrote a scene for and performed. I have often thought how great it would be to get some writers together and put them through a similar experience. No more flat, one-dimensional characters, I bet.
DeleteJenn, believe or not, DH's justification for Matthew was that he was better looking. (Not sure if I should be worried or if DH is incredibly secure in his manhood to make a comment like that.)
ReplyDeleteWell, Teri, it's fun and games until Steven Spielberg steals your original plot. LOL
ReplyDeleteOh, Jaye, I can think of lots of things to put Matthew into, or take him out of. *wink*
ReplyDeleteHi, genial Joan Reeves here. *LOL* Was without broadband service today up in the dead zone so had to come home to get online.
ReplyDeleteYikes, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow. I'm thankful for writers like you, Suzan, who keep the good books coming!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks for inviting me, Joan! (Though personally, I would have remained in the dead zone to relax and read. *grin*)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Okay, for some reason Blogger has deceided I'm not allowed to reply directly to another comment.
ReplyDeleteJune, the Integration of Abilities sounds fantastic until the part about acting in front of other people. How about I make cookies for the after-party? That's more my speed!