Today folks, I’m
“it.” That’s right, when you get tagged,
you’re “it”, right? Well, Wendy
Sotis tagged me, and I’m game, so here we go!
This is a blog
game called “The Next Big Thing”,
and it’s a mechanism for authors to shamelessly plug their work share
valuable insights and amusing anecdotes about what’s up and coming in their writing pipeline.
The format is Q
& A, like an interview.
~~*~~
What is the working title
of your book?
I’m currently working
on two books:
Constant as the Sun: The
Courtship of Mr. Darcy – it
is a WIP with the draft posting on several JAFF forums.
Dancing with the Rose
– This one is on its
seventh edit. Only twenty-two more edits
to go. J The title might not make the next edit…
Where did the idea come from for the
book?
Constant as the Sun
is the sequel to my
debut novel, One Thread Pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy. It is an extension of that story, so
the idea came when I realized that I could not do proper justice to their engagement
without a sequel.
Dancing with the Rose
was certainly
Austen-inspired, but it is an original novel with spiritual themes as well as those
of class and culture.
What genre does your book fall under?
Both are romance. Constant as the Sun is a Jane
Austen FanFiction (JAFF) Regency, and Dancing with the Rose would be
classified as religious, (LDS) possibly even venturing into the paranormal.
Which actors would you choose to play
your characters in a movie rendition?
Oh, now we are
into the realms of fantasy! I have
always thought that a young Hugh Jackman would have made a spectacular Mr.
Darcy, but he’s probably too old for it now.
I would happily write a mature Mr. Darcy story if Mr. Jackman were lined
up as the lead! Since that isn’t possible, any Colin Firth or Hugh Jackman
look-alike will do!
I think that if
there was going to be a movie, I would just have to insist and sitting in on
the casting sessions – I’d know my leads when I saw them! (Dream on, I know –
but like I said … realms of fantasy!) As long as we’re in that realm, let’s say
it’s a much anticipated blockbuster … I think it would be really wonderful to
have a film be an actor/actress who has paid their dues and not hit it big yet
have the adaptation of one of my books serve as a breakthrough role.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your
book?
This is where we see the devious side of the framers of this game. They all know that things like a one-sentence limit can serve as the undoing of a writer unaccustomed to sparing words. I refuse to be defeated by this.
Constant as the Sun: Before they may marry, Darcy and
Elizabeth are forced to endure a six-month engagement that takes them through
the London Season; unfortunately, the matrons of society are the least of their
problems.
Dancing with the Rose: When Allison Rafferty, a struggling
artist in a small town, meets Michael Conley, heir to a business empire, the
chemistry is there, but he must overcome both her skepticism and the
machinations of conspiring adversaries and relations to win her.
Will your book be self-published or
represented by an agency?
Self-published. Give me a decade or so and then ask me if I
made the right decision on that. Only
time will tell.
How long did it take you to write the
first draft of your manuscript?
Constant as the Sun is
a work in progress, so I can’t say, but I’m shooting for 6-8 months.
Dancing with the Rose was
written in about a year and a half.
What other books would you compare this
story to within your genre?
Would it be presumptuous to compare my
story with Pride and Prejudice? Of course it would, but you can’t blame a girl
for trying.
Actually, although I have
read a great number of books in the same genre, I would have a hard time
comparing, since I worked very hard not to repeat what others were doing. The one time I had the audacity to tell
another writer in my genre that I thought our styles were similar, I was
slapped down—hard. I won’t be doing that
again.
Who or What inspired you to write this
book?
Dancing with the Rose was
written after a fairly obsessive marathon of watching the A&E Pride and Prejudice
series, but the point of my effort was to try to inspire the same sort of
feelings, not to tell the same sort of story.
Constant as the Sun was inspired by dozens of readers who
begged me not to end One Thread Pulled. So
although I gave it a proper Regency ending with an engagement and a kiss, I
didn’t wrap it up neatly – There may have only been one thread pulled at the beginning of the story, but there is a whole lot of “threads” dangling at the end. I believe that's called a set-up for the
sequel.
What else about your book might pique the
reader’s interest?
Constant as the Sun
explores the dire predictions
that Lady Catherine de Bourgh makes in the original Pride and Prejudice, about
how Elizabeth Bennet will be regarded in the first circles of society and among
the aristocracy. Jane Austen never
addressed this question. Elizabeth
Bennet’s season in London has high stakes, although she does not know it. If she is not happy, Mr. Bennet will rescind
his consent.
Include the link of who tagged you and
this explanation for the people you have tagged.
This is the hard
part – I have no idea who has previously been tagged, since I’ve been doing
more writing than reading lately.
Sincere apologies if this is a duplicate (and if it is, I think you’re
off the hook.) When you get the notice that you're tagged, let me know if you'd like to see the link point to a different URL or have your name displayed differently. Send me a note at: diana.j.oaks@gmail.com.
~~*~~
Rules of The Next Big Thing:
***Use
this format for your post
***Answer
the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress)
***Tag
five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and
meet them.
Ten Interview Questions for The
Next Big Thing:
What
is the working title of your book?
Where
did the idea come from for the book?
What
genre does your book fall under?
Which
actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What
is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will
your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How
long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What
other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who
or What inspired you to write this book?
What
else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Include
the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.
