The Next Big Thing Blog Hop - Week 13

As progress trudges forward on our current work in progress, I decided to participate in "The Next Big Thing."  The way it works is, authors are answering ten questions about the story they are currently working on, then ends the posts with links to other authors' blog(s).  Then the next week, the next blogger in the chain posts about theirs.  So it gives you a chance to hear what is being worked on and discover new authors in the progress!  We hope you enjoy your stop here on the tour!

1.      What is the working title of your book?

The Infinity Chronicles: Heart of the Mermaid by Aaron Speca and Patricia Laffoon

2.      Where did the idea come from for the book?

Patricia and I started writing together through a role play group.  One of our group members created a “pirates” group and we took our characters there and started their story all over again in the Golden Age of Pirates.  It took off from there, into two published short stories.  Now we are working on expanding their story into a novel and potentially a series.

3.      What genre does your book fall under?

It’s certainly an adventure/romance.  There are many other elements that we’ve brought into it, including a little paranormal and fantasy, and a couple of very surprising twists at the end that open up all kinds of possibilities for future stories.

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

Well, the “models” we’ve always used for our characters are Adam Baldwin and Yvonne Strahovski (“Chuck”), so it would be tough for me to see anyone else playing them.  Of course, we also love Philip and Serena from “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”.

5.      What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A former pirate and an immortal mermaid fall in love but must overcome not only their own differences, but also the competing interests of their people and their people’s enemies, without realizing they are both part of a much bigger story.

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

Our first two shorts were published by XOXO Publishing, so I anticipate working with them again on this as well.

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

Oh wow … still not quite finished (but we are close), it’s been over a year in the making.  I am challenged with a full-time job and three school-age children.  We have just started editing the draft while we are completing it.

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

I’m not sure I can.  There are bits and pieces here and there that were undoubtedly influenced by many different sources.  Swashbuckling romance is just plain fun to write.  But this becomes, became, more than that, and I hope it will appeal to various readers.

9.      Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Patricia’s character of Trish is the main inspiration for me.  We developed these characters separately before we even met, but after a time, they sort of demanded to be together.  So we listened, and then when we had them enter a new world (the “pirates” world instead of the present day), it was a perfect fit especially for Trish since she was a mermaid already.  Rediscovering their relationship again in this new setting (for us) was … is …  a grand adventure.

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

It turns out there is more at stake in this story than just Rudy and Trish’s love.  Much more.   

Please check out our friends next week!

Stephen L. Wilson:
 http://stephenlwilson.blogspot.com/

Ashley Nemer:
 http://ashleynemer.blogspot.com/

If you want to start working your way backwards to see who you missed, I was tagged by L. B. Clark, her blog post is here and contains links to where she was tagged from ...

http://lbwrites.tumblr.com/post/30923765707/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop-week-12