The Next Big Thing

The truly talented Becky Wallace tagged me to participate in a WIP related blog-hop called The Next Big Thing.  It is a chance for you to learn a little about what I am writing while I, in turn, learn more about my amazing fellow authors.

 
So, here goes nothing!  Meet my newest YA Contemporary project BURYING MYSELF.  I am midway through writing it, and with every word I put down, every scene that plays out, my love for writing YA Contemporary is rekindled.

 

What is the working title of your book?  

BURYING MYSELF  (and this was the only time I haven’t struggled with finding a title.  In fact, the title was set before the first chapter was even complete.)

Where did the idea come from for this book?

Hmm . . . usually my manuscripts start off as a dream, or more appropriately a nightmare.  I wake up scared shitless and a bit confused, furiously right down what I can remember through the haze of sleep, then drift away, intent on sorting it all out in the morning.  This one, however, was not a dream!

The idea for this story came from a conversation with a new friend, Katie  She had just moved into the area, and I was staring at her (yes staring) because she looked eerily like an old childhood friend of mine.  When she caught me staring, she came over to introduce herself.  I apologized for my rudeness, of course, and explained that she looked EXACTLY like my friend, Tracey.  We started talking, and that’s when things got really weird; not only do they look alike, but they have eerily similar lives.   

That got me thinking, how easy would it be for someone with a similar background and startlingly similar looks to assume someone else’s life?  From that thought and that brief conversation BURYING MYSELF was born.

What genre does your book fall under?
Ahh . . . an easy one. YA Contemporary.  

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Oh . . . crap, I have no idea.  This is a hard one for me for a couple of reasons.  First, I don’t write super glamorous looking characters; my mc's tend to be gritty, emotionally-driven headcases :).  Second, although I do describe the physical attributes of my characters in my manuscripts, I tend to think of them more as fluid characters with personalities, and quirks, and a crapload of history that defines them. 

But I will play along and toss out somebody who may fit the bill for my MC.  Her name is Jennie Abrahamson, who incidentally many of you have probably never heard of, but is one amazing singer/ songwriter.  (One a side-note, her song Why Did I leave Home was the song I had on repeat when I wrote LEAVING EDEN with my YA horror, co-author Lindsay Currie)


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Maddy Lawton spent her entire life living in the shadows of her sister’s popularity. She always dreamed of having her life, but never once did she actually think it was possible. When a freak accident leaves her sister dead, Maddy assumes her life.  But her sister's life is full of secrets . . . lies that have her kept popularity intact while slowly destroying her from the inside.  With no escape in sight, Maddy is faced with two options – confess her rouse and risk the hatred and betrayal of those around her, or continue down the destructive path her sister’s life has mapped out for her.  

Okay, so that was more then one sentence, but hey, now at least you have the full picture of what the book is about, right?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm so lucky to be represented by the amazing Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It takes me about four months to hammer out a readable draft, then it is on to critique and revision land.

And now, I shall tag writers for The Next Big Thing!


The crazy talented Mary Waibel
Miranda Hardy who introduced me to the Writer's Dojo 
Laura Marcella the zig-zagging journal queen!