The Next Big Thing

Last Wednesday I was tagged for "The Next Big Thing" by Lincoln Crisler. Here are my answers:

1) What is the working title of your next book?

Last of the Soul Eaters.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

Earlier this year I wrote a short story called "Last of the Soul Eaters," and submitted it to the ArmadilloCon Writers' Workshop in Austin, TX. I received some very useful feedback from the writing group participants as well as our group leaders: Scott A. Johnson and Joe McKinney. Both Scott and Joe suggested I expand the short story, and I'm a little ashamed to admit that it hadn't even occurred to me until they said something.

You can read the short story in the e-book anthology Fresh Blood, Old Bones.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Young adult horror.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I have no idea.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

After a young woman is murdered her ghost takes justice into its own hands.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I'm still in the process of writing the book, but I wouldn't rule anything out.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I wrote the short story in about a month and that was around 4,000 words. I'll let you know how long it took to write the novel when it's finished.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I'm going to squirm around this question by saying I grew up reading Christopher Pike, Richie Tankersley Cusick, and L.J. Smith's "The Secret Circle" series. These are the authors who have influenced everything I've ever written.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I've always been fascinated with the subject of where we go after we die. Probably we just close our eyes and that's it, but wouldn't it be more exciting if we woke up in another world with its own rules?

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Do you like ancient Egypt? Ancient Egyptian views of the dead figure heavily in my story.

Next Wednesday, visit the following writers’ blogs. I’ve passed the Next Big Thing buck to:

Angel Leigh McCoy

Nathan Crowder

Eliza Hirsch