THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP

What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way for readers to discover authors new to them. I hope you’ll find new-to-you authors whose works you enjoy. On this stop on the blog hop, you’ll find a bit of information on me and one of my books and links to four other authors you can explore! My gratitude to fellow author John DeDakis for inviting me to participate in this event. You can click the following link to learn more about John and his work. Website: http://www.johndedakis.com/. In this blog hop, I and my fellow authors, in their respective blogs, have answered ten questions about our book or work-in–progress (giving you a sneak peek). We’ve also included some behind-the-scenes information about how and why we write what we write–the characters, inspirations, plotting and other choices we make. I hope you enjoy it!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

1: What is the title of your book?
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY

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

I used to live in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, many years ago, and I loved that it was so rural. I found that the people who are from that area are very provincial, yet they possess the wonderful Southern charm and culture that can only be learned and passed on through the generations. I chose that area as the setting for my story, but Prissy and all of the other characters are right out of my imagination.

3. What genre does your book come under?

It is a contemporary adult novel that will appeal to readers of suspense and mystery, inspirational, and romance.

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

There is such a wonderfully diverse group of characters in this book, all of various ages, from an elderly snuff-dipping grandmother to little four-year-old Prissy. But there are two strong female roles in particular: Miriam Temple, the controversial warden of a prison for women, and Lara Kruger, a younger woman who eventually becomes Prissy’s adoptive mother. I would love to see Meryl Streep play the warden, and Julia Roberts play Lara.

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

Three Army veteran misfits, a college dropout, an unmotivated high school graduate accused of murder, a controversial warden of a women’s prison, and a little girl with the gift of prophesy – these are the people 31-year-old Lara Kruger invites into her life after suffering a miscarriage, a divorce from an abusive husband, and unemployment.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Since I am a literary agent, I represent myself. Strategic Media Books, a fast-growing independent publisher, is publishing The Gospel According to Prissy. I was fortunate to have placed the work of three of my clients with Strategic Media Books, so I was thrilled when I received their offer of a contract for my own book. Ron Chepesiak, the publisher, has been a joy to work with. And, in addition to my book being available through the traditional outlets like Ingram’s and Baker and Taylor, and Internet sites such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, Strategic Media Books also works with an international distribution company that will help me promote my book. We have been working on marketing strategies since I first signed the contract.

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

Usually I develop the idea for a book in my mind, laying out the beginning, the ending, and several key points in between before I ever actually start to write it all down. For that reason, it doesn’t take me long to actually do the writing. The first draft of Prissy took me about two months; the final draft was ready in about eight months.

8: What other books have you written?

The first two books I ever wrote were middle-grade/young adult novels, Leilani Zan and Grandma Jock and Christabelle, and they were both nominated for awards of excellence by the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, the National Association of University Women Literary Award and the Sir Walter Raleigh Literary Award.  After that I started writing adult fiction. Shyla’s Initiative, a contemporary adult novel (occult romance/mystery), received a 2003 Independent Publisher’s Book Award and also an award of special literary recognition by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council.  The Coach’s Wife, also a novel for adults (contemporary/mystery), was semi-finalist for the 2005 Dana Award for Outstanding Novel and listed on the Publisher’s Best Seller List.  The House of Kane, released in 2007, was considered for a Pulitzer nomination.  Another contemporary novel for adults, Just Like Family, was released at Christmas 2009 when it received “Special Recognition from the 7-Eleven Corporation.”  Most recently, another young adult novel, The Cadence of Gypsies, was released in March 2011 and reviewed by the Smithsonian for its List of Most Notable Books.  All of my books deal with mystery and romance, but also things that can’t be easily explained and yet are part of life. The Gospel According to Prissy is unique in that it deals with so many different societal and cultural elements, and yet readers will be able to identify with the characters.  It offers a strong dose of reality, yet it appeals to anyone who likes the “unexplained.”  

 9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As a writer, I love to create stories…I love the process.  Once I start with an idea—sometimes it is triggered by a line of poetry, or a newspaper article, or a song lyric—then I just let my imagination run with it. With Prissy, it started with a painting I saw in an art gallery of a little girl dressed in faded coveralls.

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

The publisher’s release date is set for March 1, 2013.  If anyone is interested, they can buy it directly from Strategic Media Books (www.strategicmediabooks.com) at a discounted price.  It is also now available for pre-order through Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Also, and this is a biggy, Warner Bros. Studios has expressed interest in it.

11: Why are you so much better-looking in person than in your photo?

Did my husband tell you to ask that?

Who’s next on the NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP?
So glad you asked!
Below you will find three gifted authors who will be joining me by blog, next Wednesday. Do be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on Works in Progress and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!

p.m. terrell’s blog: [http://pmterrell.blogspot.com/]
Karen Dove Barr’s blog: [www.karendovebarr.com]
Patricia Daly-Lipe’s blog:[www.literarylady.com]