Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Next Big Thing

Dianne Salerni over at In High Spirits invited me to partake in a little blog hop today--The Next Big Thing. You can stop over at her blog and see what she's got going there.

We're all answering ten question relating to our WIPs. So, here's The Next Best Thing:


What is the working title of your book?

A Change of Plans

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It started as a dream with a guy and girl stranded on an island. There was a treehouse. When I decided to write it, I had to figure out how to get them there and chose a Pacific cruise.

What genre does your book fall under?

Adventure romance, although there are some who call it women's lit.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

You know, my oldest son asked me that same question. I don't even think about this kind of thing.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Really? A one-sentence synopsis of a 92,000 word book? How about a one-line pitch?

Pacific cruise, intriguing guy, and pirates.

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

A Change of Plans comes out on June 1, 2013 through Rhemalda Publishing.

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

Thirty days. I did my own NaNoWriMo, since I'd learned about it too late to participate. Wrote 80,000 words.

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

I'm not much into the comparison thing as it makes me feel presumptuous. It's a story about love and loss and finding out there are different kinds of strength--including some that aren't good for your long-term happiness.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Years ago I started writing my personal history but set it aside. Nearly three years ago I thought it was time to pull it out again, but I decided it might be nice to learn a bit about writing so it wasn't a cure for my descendants' insomnia. I've always had stories running in my mind, but when I was younger I could only do short stories. I had to see if I could write a full-length novel.

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

One of the secondary characters wasn't in the first draft. I decided I needed to add another person because of something I wanted to have happen in the book (trying not to spoil here). His character didn't do what I wanted him to do for the book, so I had to consider whether or not to cut him out. 

However, I discovered the little turkey had wheedled his way into my heart. Not only could I not cut him, but I needed to tell his story, too. I'm writing a companion novel with him as the main character. It will be my NaNo project next month. Here's a link to an excerpt where the main character Lyn meets this guy.

All right. You've heard about my book. Now it's time for me to tag five people (yeah, I know there are six names below). They have graciously accepted the tag, and you can click on their links and read about their WIPs--and I encourage you to follow them, too.

Luke Peterson
Rachel Hert
Rachelle Christensen
Kristy Tate
Tamara Heiner
Valerie J. Steimle

Have you read anything good lately?

27 comments:

  1. I've enjoyed checking out the various responses to The Next Big Thing meme. Getting a sort of inside scoop on what writers are doing is helpful, especially when trying to make sure you aren't working on the exact same story line lol!

    Very excited that this will be published soon. Wishing you the very best :-)

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  2. Sounds pretty interesting, Donna. Funny how those characters don't always bend to our will, isn't it?

    Regarding the last question, I finished Bent Road, by Lori Roy, last week, and The Wind Through The Keyhole, by Stephen King, this week. Enjoyed them both.

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  3. Loved hearing more about your book. And excited for you as you move toward publication date.

    I just finished Island of Silence by Lisa McMann and The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima. Both were really good.

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  4. I love the story of the character who not only wouldn't leave your book, but demanded his own. Good for him!

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  5. The book sounds great! Will be adding to my TBR pile for sure.

    Don't you love those characters that pop in and demand their own stories? I have one, too, that I can't wait to share with everyone.

    Returning your follow!

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  6. Wowzer, 80,000 words in a month is incredible. Must have just poured out of you.

    And don't you love it when characters get under your skin and you can't get rid of them. I'm fighting with myself over what to do with a character I kind of want to stick around, but also know he probably should go for dramatic effect. I'm so torn!

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  7. Very awesome! Thanks for tagging! This was fun!

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  8. It's been fun reading this meme as it's traveled around. I did it to.

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  9. what's not to love about romance and pirates?! Congrats on your book and let me know if I can interview you when it gets closer to publication :)

    Recently read SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD. Loved it.

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  10. Sometimes characters you never knew really can take on a life of their own.

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  11. I can't wait for your book, it sounds so fun!

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  12. Thanks for tagging me. These were really fun questions. Your book sounds awesome! I'm gearing up for NaNo to do this again!

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  13. Loooooooved reading more about your book, Donna. I think it's interesting we all know each other and our blogs, but I don't know much about what we're writing! So this was way fun. :D

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  14. And pirates!
    I have no idea who'd play my characters either.

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  15. You WROTE 80 K in 30 days???? Are you even human, Donna???? :D

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  16. Enjoyed reading about your WIP. Sounds like in a perfect world it would be next to mine at the library.

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  17. Good luck with A Change Of Plans! And that cat is great! I used a different version for my FB image once.

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  18. Awesome! I love hearing NaNo success stories!

    I also don't consider actors for movies of my books. That's just so foreign for me.

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  19. Sounds like a great story! You had me with pirates. And this is a fun bloghop! Thanks for sharing.

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  20. I look forward to reading this.

    I've enjoyed reading posts for this meme. I sort of did my own NaNo this summer by writing the bulk of 2 drafts this summer, falling short with one of them. It's awesome that you drafted in a month. I'd like to try that.

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  21. I always read about great blog hops AFTER the fact. It's almost like I need a schedule to keep up with everyone's great posts.

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  22. Thank you for your NaNo encouragement! I really appreciate hearing from people who've tried it. Nice web page!

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