Paperback writer
by P.S. Gifford
There’s a blog chain going around called “The Next Big Thing.” The idea is, each writer answers some questions about their next big project… and lines up five more authors to do the same, encouraging people to discover other authors’ books and blogs. My good friend John Everson did one of these last week, and tagged me. I’ve tagged five more authors (see the bottom of this blog). So here are my answers: What is your working title of your book?CRASH. The title of it may change before it is released- although I am pretty comfortable with it. Where did the idea come from for the book? I have long since been a fan of Victorian ghost stories. I wanted to write a modern story with many carryover nuances from those who have inspired me over the years. Although, as I began to write it I appreciate that Peter Straub also must have impacted me- which I do not consider a bad thing as I would love to have ten per cent of his talent. What genre does your book fall under? Classic horror and mystery. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? My main character I can readily imagine being portrayed by Izzy Meikle-Small. She has a delightfully haunting quality to her than seems to fit my image in her head. And as that character is high school age- she would be the perfect fit. If anyone reading this has any connections…let me know! As for the key villain to the plot? James Spader would be sleazy deliciousness in the role. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? As the pages unfold discover what or who would cause three vehicles to collide and smash at the dead of night on an otherwise deserted highway. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? CRASH will be published by Barking Rain Press.www.barkingrainpress.org/ How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? I earnestly began the project a touch over four years ago with the aim of finishing the first draft in six months. Alas my life lead me down a diverted path and I am only now returning to it. The first draft shall be completed by March 2013 with, hopefully, a late summer release. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Once more I feel I should cite “Ghost Story,” by Peter Straub. Who or what inspired you to write this book? I have long since harbored a fascination for extraordinary ghost stories. Of late this seems to have become a dying art form- (excuse the pun). Although I am sure that there are many amazing novels of recent years I have yet to discover that put a fresh spin on the traditional ghost story. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? The style of this is much darker and mature than most of what I have written previous and I am enjoying this new side of me. Swearing and sex needed to be included to give this book a better grounding in reality. Plus there are some twists along the journey that should keep the reader guessing up until the final pages. I hope you’ll keep an eye out next fall for CRASH. In the meantime, check out the blogs of the other incredible authors I’ve tagged as part of “The Next Big Thing.” Their blogs should go live around December 10th: Alexandra Anthony www.alexandraanthony.wordpress.com The Amazon link to Fated: http://amzn.to/LTSP8p The Smashwords link to Fated: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/165459 Steven P. Ungerhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/In-the-Footsteps-of-Dracula/277002625663289?ref=hl http://www.facebook.com/pages/Before-the-Paparazzi-50-Years-of-Extraordinary-Photographs/289736681039552?ref=hl http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dancing-in-the-Streets-A-Novel-by-Steven-P-Unger/221577921263505?ref=hl Cynthia Hepner http://www.cynthiahepner.com http://facebook.com/cynthiahepner S Frankie Blooding http://www.smblooding.com ________________________________________http://facebook.com/smblooding Jennifer Caress http://facebook.com/jennifer.caress http://www.jennifercaress.net http://www.jennifersghost.com And let us not forget my invitee- John Everson:• http://www.johneverson.com • • http://www.myspace.com/johneverson • • http://www.darkartsbooks.com http://facebook.com/johneverson • ________________________________________