The Next Big Thing is a meme where authors share information about the book they’re currently working on (or one that’s about to be released).
I was tagged for this meme by Kerry Schafer, the author of Between and Wakeworld. I met Kerry at the Romantic Times Convention 2012 in Chicago. My big thing while there was to go to all these events and panels by myself and introduce myself to those in line with me or to people who sat beside me. And one of those people just happened to be Kerry. We definitely share the same sense of humor, which is why we’ve been email/Twitter pals ever since. I’m so grateful to have met her.
So now let’s talk about what I’m currently working on:
What is the working title of your next book?
The Acid Method
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I struggled with ideas for The Acid Method for about two months before I settled on an over-all plot. My first thoughts were to write an edgy YA, but then I worried that it might be too edgy and should be changed to Adult Fiction. But hey, The Hunger Games is full of bloody violence and revolution, and more and more YA books are coming out with brutality that we haven’t seen before. So instead of caring about the industry, I decided to write what I want. Once I picked the direction of the book, I convinced my story editor (aka I got my story editor drunk and bribed her with coffee ice cream), Lisa Langdale, to actually jump on board and co-write this book with me.
What genre does your book fall under?
The genre would fall under YA Science Fiction/Fantasy, though it would definitely be a part of the new and emerging sub-genre of Dystopia.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
The two main characters are Red Phoenix and Shay Orion. My co-author and I would probably have Zac Efron to play Red and Lucy Hale to play Shay.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
No pressure or anything. Hmm . . . let’s see if I can come up with something off the top of my head.
Red is faced with the ultimate decision when he falls for the girl he’s contract-bound to frame for murder, ultimately sentencing her to death on Silver Island where he will be the executioner.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
When the book is finished, we will be going through an agency.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
We’re still writing it, but we’re already halfway through. We started this project in April, but I had to take a break during the summer and up until November due to the 4th book in my Timeless Series, Fallen Legion, being written and released. We hope to have The Acid Method written and sent to an agent as soon as possible.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It definitely has a Hunger Games and Divergent feel with more of a Matched-type of world.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Inspiration is subjective. There are people and places and books and moments in time that become inspirational at any given time. My big thing was to write a book that would make people think; mainly, though, it was to make my reader understand the bad guy. There aren’t enough books written from the POV of the guy (or gal) who would normally be the villain. What’s really going on inside their head? My first idea was to create a character the people in the book would hate, but to also create a character the reader would love to hate. My muse, best friend, and co-author was brought in to help relieve the darker parts. Or that was the idea. Sometimes I can write some pretty deep stuff, and I needed Lisa to be the one to help me find levity in this world.
What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
See the above answer. My goal when writing is to do something I’ve never seen or read before. The world of The Acid Method, the characters, the plot(s) behind the book are all things I’ve never personally read or seen before. The experience, I hope, will be for the reader to put the book down when it’s over, take a deep breath, and start back at chapter one because they don’t want the story to end.
Now onto five authors I tagged for The Next Big Thing. The authors I asked to be apart of this were ones who are my friends or have inspired me in some way. Please support them and their wonderful books. In no particular order:
1) Nancy Holder: I met her at the Romantic Times Convention in Chicago. She was kind enough to give me an audiobook copy of one of her books after I asked if she’d be doing a giveaway for one. She’s smart, friendly, and is a passionate writer.
2) Brenda Pandos: She is the reason I’ve gotten this far in my career. She is an inspiration, a friend, and my business partner. I adore her and all that she’s accomplished.
3) Shannon Delany: She’s an author I met on Facebook. She’s a prolific writer who often times has many thought-provoking posts. She was kind enough to do a Google Hangout with me for a concert that I couldn’t go to because I live so far away. I’ve been stalking her ever since. I mean following her. 
4) Cesya MaRae Cuono: She was my friend before she ever wrote a book; we actually met through the Twilight fandom. She’s passionate, brilliant, and kind-hearted.
5) Jennifer Estep: She’s yet another author I met at the Romantic Times Convention in Chicago. We were at this YA party we were supposed to attend since we were authors who signed in YA Alley, and we were standing there all awkward as these teens came flooding in. We struck up a conversation and ended up actually enjoying the party.
Next week, these authors will be posting information on their next project. I’ll post links on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and Linkedin as soon as they go live.
Onward, march!
