Thursday Think Tank: The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing

Alright, babies, here it is… I’m answering 10 questions about my latest WIP just for you. Don't forget to go check out the lovely author who roped me into this as well, after you check out what I have to say, okay? Here's how it works. Read my post. Laugh really hard. Wipe eyes. Go to Kayla Jameth's  blog, lather, rinse and repeat. Are you ready? Yeah? Okie-dokie then...
 Ready, steady, go, go, go!

1)      What is the working title of your book?  The story I’m working on right now is called 1000 CRANES, and is the first story in a four part series called THE FLIGHT OF A THOUSAND CRANES…

 2)      Where did the idea come from for the book? Well… let me think for a second. Oh, that’s right, the idea originated in the M/M Romance group’s free summer story extravaganza of 2011… that event was called HOT SUMMER DAYS. I ended up writing an entirely different story for that event. When my friend Jambrea Jo Jones heard my story idea, about a trouple comprised of  the ghost of a gifted tattoo artist, a half-Japanese soldier in the US Army and a sweet, slightly shy mechanical engineer, she told me that I needed to put that idea into a full length story and come up with another idea for my short story for the HOT SUMMER DAYS event. As usual, Jambie was right. I put the story, then under the title THE FLIGHT OF A THOUSAND CRANES on the back burner and left it to simmer while I got to work on my short, Kiss & Tell. 

3)      What genre does your book fall under?  Well, 1000 Cranes is most definitely a Paranormal. There are elements of romance and the book definitely deals with some hot button LGBTQ issues… and it is largely a look at the life of one fictional gay man struggling with love, loss, and the dangerous spectre of hope in the mid-eighties in the United States of America.

4)      What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? LOL. Someone does one sentence synopsizes? Okay, seriously… here is the realio, trulio dealio regarding the one sentence synopsis. I’m a wee bit long winded. Er, best shot is… 1000 Cranes is a fantastical story of love, loss, hope and redemption set against the terrifying spectre of death and the grinding reality of life as a gay soldier in the mid-eighties.

5)      Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? This one is being subbed to Riptide, one of the hottest new pub houses out there... and I hope like hell they take it. I know they put out high quality work with stunning covers. I know that their editing process is reputed to be simply brutal, but I’m hopeful both that they will accept the book, and that I’ll be able to live through the edits… J Yeah, not entirely joking about the toughness of the edits there. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie though, so I’ll most likely get a big thrill out of the process.

6)      How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Dude. I’m still writing the first draft, so, over a year. It’s slated for completion this week. J

7)      What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? I wouldn’t.

8)      Who or What inspired you to write this book? Heather C. She rocks in inexplicable ways. This must be considered a good thing, on the level of the laughing Buddha. No, really. She is just that cool, and inspiring.

9)      What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? Well… it is a love story involving a ghost, possession, miracles and the coming to life of a charming bit of Japanese folklore via the incredible art form of tattoo. Plus there are zombies… no, just kidding about the zombies! There are gorgeous men, realio, trulio historical sites, and it’s a total thrill to read *er, if I do say so myself*. 

10)What actors would you have play your characters? Seriously? This is a question? Er, mah gawd, I have no clue. Why don't you guys answer that one for me after you read the book? Once it get's contracted I'll put up some posts about it complete with excerpts... and prizes. And zombies... damn. Just kidding about the zombies again.