Week 27: THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP

There are the books everyone has heard about: Twilight, Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Gray. But what about all those books written by people you’ve never heard of? Some of them are treasures, just waiting to be found, and that’s what this blog hop is all about: the books you might not have heard about, but that you might end up loving.

This blog hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and tags five other authors who link back to their website the next week and tag five new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the next big thing.

I was tagged by Jane Sevier. You can learn more about her latest release, A Billy Sunday Kind of Love, (and her Psychic Socialite 1930s Memphis mysteries) on her website www.janesevier.com.

This blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:

1: What is the working title of your book?
Capricorn’s Collapse – it follows several of the characters that appeared in Aquarius Falling, which I published in June 2012, and continues the zodiac reference as one of the important characters, Misty Vail, is a predictive astrologer.

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2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
As I was writing the final chapters of Aquarius Falling I knew I wanted to give the two main characters an additional life and see them mature. I also wanted them to be caught up in a historical event. I pushed the timeline for Capricorn’s Collapse out eight years and dropped my protagonist, Tom Delaney, into the Watergate Burglary scene. The Watergate Complex, Washington, D.C.

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3: What genre does your book fall under?
My characters are always involved in crime; they get into threatening situations and as well as romance.
In the case of Capricorn’s Collapse, it is a blend of Crime, Thriller, Romance, and Historical Fiction genres. There is something for everybody.

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

Mila Kunis or Olivia Wilde would be great choices for the role of Misty Vail. Mila shares a Russian Jewish heritage with Misty Vail. Olivia was raised in Washington, D.C., where Capricorn’s Collapse takes place. Both have the exotic look and captivating eyes that are attributes of the character. I can see Ryan Kwanten of True Blood playing the Tom Delaney role. He’s 5’10” and 180 pounds, he’s handsome without being a pretty boy and he can look good in a suit and tie. The Delaney character is a clotheshorse.

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5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Tom Delaney fights to find true love while trying to escape his entanglement with the political maelstrom of the Watergate investigation, money laundering, the IRA and the Mafia.

6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I will self-publish. I can get the story in print faster and the royalties are better.

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7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I started writing Capricorn’s Collapse in November 2011 and I expect to have it completed in January 2013.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I am not aware of any book that would remotely compare to Capricorn’s Collapse.

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

I drew on Patricia Highsmith for inspiration. She wrote five novels involving her protagonist, Tom Ripley. He is a character who does terrible things and is probably a sociopath. But with Ms. Highsmith’s incredible talent you find yourself invested in Ripley and rooting for him to get away with the most heinous of crimes. Unlike Ripley, my character, Delaney, does not want to be involved in criminal activities but is pulled into them by association. The story is about Delaney’s efforts to break away from a life of crime.

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

Important actual events and places are woven into the story that starts in 1971 and concludes in 1974. Examples are the Watergate burglary, the PLO’s assault on the Munich Olympic games, IRA bombings in Northern Ireland and London. The novel takes place in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore and real locations are presented, from opulent residences at the Watergate, to monuments and bridges in D.C. In Baltimore there is Little Italy, Irish pubs in Fells Point and the historic Fort McHenry.

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Here is a list of authors who will be joining the hop for week 27 on December 26th. I hope you’ll visit their blogs next week and learn more about their books. Maybe one of them will become your new favorite author!

I’ve tagged three other authors who will be joining the hop for the week of January 2nd. Bestselling author, A. J. Scudiere, (www.AJScudiere.com) has published four thriller novels. The author writes about a world where texture reigns supreme and the possibilities that keep us awake at night.

John Neely Davis, ( Coming Soon! ) is a Tennessee native and author of, The Sixth William. John writes a multi-generational story of the families of the Smoky Mountains in a lyrical style reminiscent of James Dickey.

Dr. Parnell Donahue, (www.messengersindenim.org) shares his forty years of pediatric experience with readers in his guide book for parents and teens, Messengers in Denim. In his book he shares his medical insight as well as poignant and often humorous discussions that challenges parents’ perceptions of their teenagers.