The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, following Linda Glaz

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

 

I’m following the fabulous Linda Glaz from http://lindaglaz.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-next-big-thing-day-late.htm , who shared about her prequel to her World War II novels, the romance that led up to the characters in those stories. Sounds like fun!

I’m sharing today about the next book in my Buried Treasure series, due out in 2013. Writing has finally become an okay full-time business for me, nine years after I said I'd give it a year and a half. Keep writing, keep producing, keep doing the best you can, network, like this, make friends, help others. Use common sense, and have fun!

What is the working title of your book?

The Newspaper Code

Where did the idea come from for the book?
The third in a series, this story clears up some leftover questions in the second book. Judy found an old quilt in a trunk in her attic that turned out to be stuffed with an old newspaper, one that had some letters circled in an article. The circled letters, were, of course a code. I came up with the idea from studying about the Civil War era in American history, how messages were created and sent during that time.

What genre does your book fall under?

Cozy mystery.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Ah…I don’t often think this way, so…Judy is kind of a sensitive Amy Adams-type; while Olivia is clueless but engaging Ellen Page-ish.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Judy Wingate’s NOT-BFF, Olivia Hargrove of the Robertsville Reporter, discovers a Civil War-era secret newspaper code that may lead to seven million dollars of missing city money.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It’s contracted by the publisher who picked up the mystery series from Barbour.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Four years – which is terrible of me; but I took a three-year break after I got half-way; in reality, less than six months. Brenda Hendricks (see below) was my supporter and loyal critique partner during the first half, and Gail Pallotta (also see beloe) has stepped in as chief accountability and critique partner during the second half. It’s been a joy and relief seeing my story unfold through the eyes of these wonderful authors.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A little like the Cat Who mysteries, and Hannah Reed’s Queen Bee mysteries.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
The mysteries were initially inspired by Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents: Mysteries book club. As I met other mystery writers and learned about the style of writing, I was inspired by people like Deb Baker and re-explored Agatha Christie with fresh eyes, reminded myself of the Nancy Drew-type stories and pacing for the coziness of approach.

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

The story is one of learning to fit in and make friends. Olivia is a bit clueless about how to deal with people, and Judy isn’t sure she wants anything to do with Olivia on a personal level, but the women come to respect and help each other, and to step away from their prejudices.

I encourage you to visit these authors who will post about their upcoming work next week:

Gail Palotta - http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com - whom I've had the pleasure of working with both at Other Sheep and Clash of the Titles (http://www.clashofthetitles.com), writes a lot like me, certainly a challenge to keep all our genres in order. I enjoy her sense of outside the box, as well as her vulnerability.

Shelley Wilburn - http://www.shelleywilburn.org - really, friends, just visiting Shelley's site and seeing the picture and reading about her and her husband's activities is worth the visit!

Brenda K Hendricks - http://www.myquotesofencouragement.com - who's working on a very, very cool story, one you won't want to miss: Maggie’s greatest worry is a leaky roof before her estranged niece Dawn shows up unexpectedly with more baggage than she could squeeze in the trunk of her Volkswagen bug.