My good friend and fellow writer Mara Jacobs has tagged me in a Blog Hop! The Next Big Thing for me is the book I'm currently working on - Out of the Shadows. Thanks for the tag, Mara!
What is the working title of your next book?
My next book is titled Out of the Shadows. It should be available in March of 2013.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Have you ever seen Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight? Samantha (the Geena Davis character) has amnesia and is happily married with a young daughter. She’s just a regular mom, dealing with everyday sorts of problems, like the mean-girl mom in her daughter’s school. Her life is blown apart when men with guns invade her home. Her memory gradually returns and she discovers she is a stone cold agent/assassin. How does she meld these two very different personalities into one person?
That whole idea fascinates me. My heroine, Rachel Sherwood, is a kick-ass, stone-cold FBI agent. She doesn’t lose her memory, but she does go undercover in a small community. A recurring theme in my books is people discovering that they’re more than what they think they are. That’s part of Rachel’s story – when she’s not saving the country from a domestic terrorist cult with a horrific plan of destruction.
What genre does your book fall under?
This is a romantic suspense (see above comment about saving the country!).
Okay, that covers the suspense, but what’s the romantic part?
Joe Hawkins definitely provides the romance. He’s an ex-FBI agent turned psychologist who’s an expert at defusing the country’s trained lethal warriors when they’re out of control or no longer needed. He was sent to assess Rachel after her team thinks she’s gone rogue. Minutes after meeting her, Hawk knows he won’t take on Rachel as a client. He’s got other plans for her!
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in the movie rendition?
Rachel Sherwood: Scarlett Johansson. Her portrayal of the Black Widow in the Avengers was a good warm-up for the role of Rachel. Jennifer Lawrence is another possibility. In the Hunger Games, she was focused and lethal – a survivor who never lost her humanity.
Joe Hawkins: Hugh Jackman, He’d portray the humor, intelligence and physical prowess of Joe. Plus, I’d probably have to have a few script consults with him, right?
What’s the connection between this book and your short story in Countdown To A Kiss, that really fun collection of New Year’s Eve stories?
My story in Countdown To A Kiss is a light contemporary romance that follows Grace Devine and Leo Ramos, two members of the Special Task Force assigned to hunt down a domestic terrorist group called the Isaac Cult. You’ll see them again in Out of the Shadows.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It usually takes me about six months to write a first draft. I revise as I write, so when I write the end, I’ve got the majority of the story the way that I want it. This book was written a while ago, so I’m in the process of updating it.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This manuscript won the Romance Writer’s of America Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense under the title Dancing in the Dark
Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any questions about the book or the writing process!
What is the working title of your next book?
My next book is titled Out of the Shadows. It should be available in March of 2013.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Have you ever seen Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight? Samantha (the Geena Davis character) has amnesia and is happily married with a young daughter. She’s just a regular mom, dealing with everyday sorts of problems, like the mean-girl mom in her daughter’s school. Her life is blown apart when men with guns invade her home. Her memory gradually returns and she discovers she is a stone cold agent/assassin. How does she meld these two very different personalities into one person?
That whole idea fascinates me. My heroine, Rachel Sherwood, is a kick-ass, stone-cold FBI agent. She doesn’t lose her memory, but she does go undercover in a small community. A recurring theme in my books is people discovering that they’re more than what they think they are. That’s part of Rachel’s story – when she’s not saving the country from a domestic terrorist cult with a horrific plan of destruction.
What genre does your book fall under?
This is a romantic suspense (see above comment about saving the country!).
Okay, that covers the suspense, but what’s the romantic part?
Joe Hawkins definitely provides the romance. He’s an ex-FBI agent turned psychologist who’s an expert at defusing the country’s trained lethal warriors when they’re out of control or no longer needed. He was sent to assess Rachel after her team thinks she’s gone rogue. Minutes after meeting her, Hawk knows he won’t take on Rachel as a client. He’s got other plans for her!
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in the movie rendition?
Rachel Sherwood: Scarlett Johansson. Her portrayal of the Black Widow in the Avengers was a good warm-up for the role of Rachel. Jennifer Lawrence is another possibility. In the Hunger Games, she was focused and lethal – a survivor who never lost her humanity.
Joe Hawkins: Hugh Jackman, He’d portray the humor, intelligence and physical prowess of Joe. Plus, I’d probably have to have a few script consults with him, right?
What’s the connection between this book and your short story in Countdown To A Kiss, that really fun collection of New Year’s Eve stories?
My story in Countdown To A Kiss is a light contemporary romance that follows Grace Devine and Leo Ramos, two members of the Special Task Force assigned to hunt down a domestic terrorist group called the Isaac Cult. You’ll see them again in Out of the Shadows.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It usually takes me about six months to write a first draft. I revise as I write, so when I write the end, I’ve got the majority of the story the way that I want it. This book was written a while ago, so I’m in the process of updating it.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This manuscript won the Romance Writer’s of America Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense under the title Dancing in the Dark
Thanks for stopping by and let me know if you have any questions about the book or the writing process!