The ground rules for the hop are as follows:
*** Post the rules. Done!
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog – Done! See below
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. — Done! Err..sort of. See below
***Link back to the person who tagged you. — Done! See above.
Simple enough. Now on to the questions and answers.
What is the working title of your book?
WANING MOON, Book One in THE CHRONICLES OF LILY CARMICHAEL, due out September 28, 2012. I also have a companion short story called SOUL REDEMPTION, the prequel to Book One, which will be part of the WG2E (Writers Guide to E-publishing) October Anthology.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Living out in the sticks, I have very few neighbors, but we depend on each other a lot. My husband and I often get together with our neighbors across the street (our only neighbors for three quarters of a mile in any direction), have supper and play cards. Conversation inevitably turns to “what would we do if society as we know it collapsed.” I know…morbid, right? But we’ve had some fascinating discussions about this topic over the years and my husband and my neighbor go into great detail about how they would survive. Let me say, my husband, being a brilliant engineer, would be a handy guy to have around. The story evolved out of those conversations and my neighbors were a great resource for my research.
What genre does your book fall under?
Young adult literature has several subcategories these days, one being dystopian fiction, made famous by Suzanne Collins’ the Hunger Games trilogy, and books like Lois Lowry’s The Giver.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I always have trouble with this question because there are so many great young actors out there and I’m terrible with names. I think Chord Overstreet from Glee would make a great Will, Emma Watson for Lily, and John Stamos for Sam. Zeph would definitely be the wild card—some unknown thirteen-year-old who would steal the show.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
In the year 2057, a genetically altered teen travels to the city to find a cure for her uncle's cancer, but the young drifter she meets puts them both in danger.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m sticking to the indie-publishing route for now. I love the control I have over my product and you can’t beat the royalty percentages. It’s a ton of work, but so far I’m satisfied with how it’s going. If a fabulous agent or a large publishing house approached me with a stellar offer, I’d consider changing my mind.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
This one took me six months to write the first draft. I’ve done others in three months, but that was before I was published. I hadn’t figured in the amount of time that marketing and promoting the books would require. It really made it challenging to buckle down and get the first draft done. I’ll definitely figure in that time for the next one.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Other than the dystopian feel of it, the story is really different from the Hunger Games. Not quite as dark and gritty, I think. With the genetic alteration aspect, it’s more like James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series, but has more of a real life feel like that of The Giver by Lois Lowry.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
One of the central story lines that will develop through the three books is the budding romance between Lily and Will as they embark on their adventures. I love a good teen romance! Oh, and there are wolves!
Tagged for next week – you’re it! Since I only tag authors and writers willing to be tagged, these are my two takers for next week:-)
Casey Wyatt
Marian Lannouette
