I’ve just been tagged. Now, I did wonder if this was similar to being Punk’d and I’ve been waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out of my laptop and screech the famous words. It didn’t happen. Or was I willing it too much? Meh. So, a couple of days ago, I was tagged onto The Next Big Thing blog hop by the gorgeous Chynna Blue Scott. Go read her work, she’s awesome. So this blog hop is about letting you guys know about up coming authors, and offering a tantalizing insight into their latest work. So here is my contribution (hoping for The Next Big Thing):

What is the working title of your book?
TREMBLEATH, which is a Cornish word meaning Farm of the Wolf. However, it started life as Before Dawn but my editor thought it needed to distance itself and stand out.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
As with all my work, they are born from an overactive imagination and a paranormal obsession. Some say unhealthily so. I first began writing because my dreams were so intense, and once I started writing the stories started to unfold. For TREMBLEATH  the first image was a young woman sat on a bench looking out to the sea, her mobile phone blinking a text message from her boyfriend who just dumped her. There was something raw about her expression that really made me feel for her, so I climbed into the mind of Amelia and that’s where it all started.

What genre does your book fall under?
Adult Paranormal (though I hate the thought of labelling). There are many genre cross overs that are now widely accepted and constantly evolving. New Adult has hit the press lately and come under a lot of criticism, so whilst my writing is Adult, I would say upper YA also.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is the question people ask all the time, and I’d be ecstatic to have my work translated onto the screen (which author wouldn’t). Because TREMBLEATH is set in Southern England, and we have some excellent talent, it would be preferable to have British actors portray these characters. The wish list would include Alison Brie, Henry Cavill, Ben Barnes, Kit Harington, Thomas Duvall.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Starting a fresh life was going to be an adventure, but when news of a young girl found dead and another goes missing, Amelia quickly begins to learn there is more to Creek Bay than she could ever imagine; a village hiding a dark secret, two families at war, newcomer Amelia Scott gets caught up in a murder investigation with dire consequences.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Represented. TREMBLEATH is currently out for query.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
As a guestimate, around four months – then came the edits, and more edits, then a professional edit with more edits.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
That is a difficult one because TREMBLEATH is a lot more than just the girl meets boy paranormal romance type you’d come to expect in the wake of (dare I say it) Twilight. Amelia is a very opinionated protagonist who doesn’t mince her words, but is vulnerable at the same time. We can all relate to her, she’s a normal woman trying to cope with a new world thrust upon her. What makes TREMBLEATH different from others is that its a supernatural ‘whodunit’ with a twist, full of suspense and horror, sexual tension and a dollop of mystery and intrigue, revealing a place steeped in pagan history riddled with a chequered ancient past. So if I was going to compare I would have to say that anyone who enjoys the Grave Sight, Night Huntress, Women of the Otherworld, and Vampire Argeneau series etc., will not be disappointed (hopefully-feel free to comment).

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I was chatting to an author about my dreams and that I couldn’t get any rest because they were pretty intense. That’s when they suggested I should write them down, to which I laughed and explained I wasn’t a writer, but it encouraged me nonetheless and it has been very therapeutic.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I’ve been lucky enough to have some pretty cool comments about TREMBLEATH. Here are a couple that made me smile (a lot):
“you write scenes of horror and tension with great skill, and the prologue immediately involves the reader in the story – it’s gripping, scary, and just right for this genre”
“a nice blend of romantic desire and sinister events. You have written your characters very well, and your dialogue is spot on”
… so if you’re looking for something a little different in the Paranormal genre with lots of twists and turns, horror and a smack of sexual tension, then TREMBLEATH is right up your street.

Tagging…
Pretty much everyone that I know has already done the blog, so I’m going to put them on here anyway because they are all super cool cats. Chynna Blue Scott, J Elizabeth Hill, Deadly Ever After, Kristen Jett, Kat Ellis, Cassandra Page, Mari Wells.

COMING SOON – we’re a crafty lot us authors, and when we get together there is a mind melt and good things happen (though a little messy). There’s a compilation bubbling away in the background with some of the aforementioned, which I’m super excited about 😉