Last week, the wonderful Sapphire Star Publishing writer of the family series called The Marlow Intrigues, Jane Lark tagged me in her post My Next Big Thing, when she wrote about her new book 'Illicit Love'. So this week I’m going to tell you all about my next big thing and share my answers to ten questions about my current work in progress (my Next Big Thing!) and tag other writers to tell you about their latest work next week!
What is the title of your book?
‘BITTER ROOTS’ - The second edition.
How did you come by the idea?
I’d been on holiday to Corfu, and explored all sorts of out of the way places, which I then combined with an idea I had about a young woman travelling there to discover secrets about her past – things that had happened to her family while she was a teenager. I find it fascinating that we’re often oblivious to the lives of those around us in our teens, and often we only get to know our parents in our middle years – but what if they’re no longer around?
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s a contemporary love story, so it fits into the Romance genre, but it doesn’t fit neatly into any exact sub genre. It’s partly a ghost story but wouldn’t really fit into the paranormal category as everything that happens in the book is explainable and hopefully believable. I call it modern Gothic as it’s heavily influenced by classics such as Jane Eyre.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
This is a difficult one to answer as I don’t watch telly or get to the cinema very often, but I was at a friend’s house and saw an episode of Merlin. The young actor who plays Arthur would suit the lead male character, Matt perfectly. He needs to be early 30s, dark and moody, with a wild impulsive streak, and a hint of pain in his earnest green eyes. The main character, Beth is perhaps harder to cast. She needs to be English, in her late 20s and gorgeously curvy, which not too many actresses are these days. She also has to have a haunted look combined with a strong, determined streak – someone like Rachel Weisz would be perfect.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Beth Skye travels to Corfu after the death of her estranged mother hoping to finally lay her ghosts to rest, but finds herself being pulled back to the past whilst trying to move forwards with a love she thought forever lost.
Will your book be self-published or traditional?
This has been epublished and is also available as a print on demand paperback. It had high praise heaped on it by the RNA readers, and the first agent who read it also liked it, but asked me to do a huge rewrite then decided not to go with it after all. I epublished the version the agent liked, but wasn’t really happy with it, so this is the second version, which is written the way I think this story should be told, and is also the structure that several readers of the first version thought would work best.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I suppose about a year, but that was writing off and on in gaps around my other writing commitments.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A few people have said it’s like Victoria Hislop’s ‘The Island’, but I think there’s a hint of influence from the Victoria Holt books I used to read in my teens, and of course ‘Jane Eyre’ is in the mix also.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
An absolute need to tell a long story that a reader could get lost in.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
If you want gut wrenching passion and an intense, Byronic hero who helps Beth to return from the depths of darkness to the glorious sunshine of the Greek isles then this book is for you. Oh and I’m told the sex is quite good too! Feedback from the Romantic Novelist’s Association was : This is one of the best, if not the best manuscripts I’ve appraised!
Sounds interesting I am definitely going to have a read :-)
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