The Next Big Thing Blog

A good friend and fantastic author, Cindy Christiansen, asked me to participate in this blog hop, and I'm thrilled to join her.

My newest story is still a work in progress, but here's a few fun facts about it.

What is the working title of your book?  A Perfect Catch

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Early this spring, I was driving with my hubby and when we drove past Pineview Dam (up Ogden Canyon), there were a bunch of ice fishermen, and I thought it might be fun to have a heroine who loves fishing.  At that time, the story was going to be a light romance, but my characters seem to have a life of their own and the story has become a bit of a mystery.

What genre does your book fall under? Contemporary Romance

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

Reece Witherspoon would be great as my heroine, Erin.  She’s sassy, determined, and all woman. 

 I can picture Matthew McConaughey as Justin.  He’s loveable, but when he suddenly disappears, Erin learns he hasn’t been totally honest. 

 K.C is searching for Justin and the last thing he wants is to fall in love.  I think John Lucas would be perfect as K.C.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When Erin goes fishing for the love of her life, she’s going to have to sift through the lies, look closely into her heart, and be willing to accept love before she finds her perfect catch.
 
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’ll probably publish through an e-publisher like Bookstrand Publishing or The Wild Rose Press.  They design my covers, provide knowledgeable editors, and format my stories into both e-books as well as print books. I love working with them.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  It’s still a work in progress.  It’s nearing completion, but it keeps growing, and the characters keep doing things I hadn’t planned for them.  So far it’s taken me about six weeks.  Hopefully, I’ll find the time to get those characters doing what I’d planned so I can get my manuscript finished in the next few weeks.  Cross your fingers for me!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? There’s so many wonderful authors out there that it’s hard to compare myself to them.  I'd love to be included in the same class as authors like RaeAnn Thayne, Nora Roberts, and LaVeryl Spencer.
 

Who or What inspired you to write this book?  I’m married into a fishing family.  I like fishing, but they won't get me out on the ice.  My husband used to ice fish, my son and grandson still love going ice fishing.  It’s not the cold that bothers me, it’s the cracking of the ice that keeps me off.  (I'm a chicken about that!)  I also love books with a bit of intrique and mystery and a small mountain town in the middle of winter seemed to be a perfect place to create a story.  

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?  If you love quaint, small towns nestled in the mountains and a lovely old bed and breakfast, you’ll want to read my story.  My heroine loves to fish, often catching enough for supper at the inn.  There’s two handsome men that she must choose between, one who has had her heart for over two years and one who shows up and shakes up her life when he convinces her she’s been lied to.  There's a fun-loving Pub where the town loves to meet, laugh, dance and tell fishing tales. There’s some intrique when strange things start happening at the inn, and there’s love.  I’d say, there’s a little bit of everything a romance needs to keep you turning the pages.
 

Want to learn more about another great author?  Check out the link below:

Cindy A. Christiansen - http://www.dragonflyromance.com

What's My Inspiration?

As an author I'm often asked what I use for inspiration as I develop my characters, build their worlds, and pull the story together. The only answer I have is everything!

I grew up around Morgan horses and even today, my father still has registered Morgan horses. They were beautiful animals, trustworthy companions, and I still miss my wonderful friend, my registered Morgan Horse whose name was Rascal. We spent many hours riding, enjoying the outdoors, and I guess he understood what I talked about. Each time we had a conversation -- one-sided of course -- his ears would move and I knew he was listening. Even though he has been gone for many years now, I still use him and his mother and some of the others horses we had as the basis for so many of my characters being horse lovers.

I've been lucky to have been able to travel alot around this country as well as visit places in Europe, Mexico and South America. One of my favorite places is a little place outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. My sister lives in Colorado and we often meet in Glenwood Springs to enjoy the surrounding area of Redstone and Marble, Aspen and Carbondale. It's funny how so many of my characters just seem to be from places I've visited in Colorado.

Each character takes on its own personality, but often those personalities are pulled from bits and pieces of people I know, their likes, actions, individualness. For instance, Tricia, in my new romantic suspense, Can You Trust A Cowboy? is based around my daughter who is a commercial truck driver and a really good one. She loves cowboys. She was my inspiration and I hope some of her uniqueness comes through in Tricia as Tricia runs her trucking business and solves the mysteries surrounding it.

We have a lovable yellow lab named Max and I think everyone should have a loving pet. You'll find that many of my characters have a pet -- usually a dog because I'm a dog lover. Pets add so much to our world and I hope they add to my stories too.

As an author, I try hard to create interesting stories with characters you can fall in love with. Each have a little bit of me and my world woven into them, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Have a great day.