The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing, huh? Well, I hope so, anyway. I've been tagged for this "The Next Big Thing" interview by one of my crit partners, Alyson Reuben. (And if you like historical women's fiction, be sure to check out her Castles We Build. It's great!) You can find Castles here, and see her responses to these questions here. 

What is your working title of your book?

I'm working on a few things. One is a New Year's novella that I'm very excited about--What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? It will be coming out with Entangled in December. I can't tell you much more about that one. Entangled likes to cultivate an air of mystery about projects until they're officially available for purchase, so I can't really give too much detail into that or post an excerpt, other than to say it's a funny, sexy story about two strangers who are snowbound together on New Year's Eve. Another thing I'm working on is a full-length novel called By Hook or By Crook that will come out on Wild Rose Press next spring sometime. It's a  fun romantic caper. I'm also working on a Mexican-set vacation fling romance called (for now, anyway) Love to Love You, but that's only in the first-draft stage.
Where did the idea come from for the book?

For By Hook or By Crook, well, I love the old screwball comedies--Howard Hawks movies, Hepburn/Tracy, and (slightly) more recently, Doris Day/Rock Hudson movies. I wanted to incorporate that into my work--zany characters around the fringes, witty banter, but two decent people trying to make love work at the center of the story.
What genre does your book fall under?

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

A young Anthony Lapalgia would be my choice for Joe, kind of a rumpled, sexy, weather-beaten dark-haired guy.

A non-British Imogen Poots would be ideal for Ivy -- she's definitely a reserved patrician beauty like my heroine.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Heiress Ivy Smithson sets out for Vegas with her father's sexy security consultant, Joe Dunham, in tow to prevent her sister from making a disastrous marriage, but between gangsters, MMA fighters, priceless art treasures, and her out-of-control attraction to Joe, she gets way more than she bargained for.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither. It's published by the Wild Rose Press.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Hmmm, probably a few months, but I spent a lot of time on revisions. I'm still learning with every book I write and this one was no exception. I went through two rounds of revisions before showing it to anyone, and then made more changes (some extensive) after each of four beta reads by critique partners.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I don't really know if I've read a lot of other stories like it, except maybe Susan Andersen's early books, like Baby, I'm Yours, for example.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I'm a fan of Elmore Leonard, author of books such as Rum Punch and Get Shorty. I wondered what on earth a Leonard-influenced romance, complete with comedic criminals, might look like. Now I know! I'm pretty happy with it, and I hope readers will be too.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It's just different from a lot of the books I'm seeing published right now. A lot of humor, a fast-paced active story, and a poor-little-rich-girl heroine who may have money, but who doesn't really have a clue about how to live an independent life.

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged. Be sure to line up your people in advance.

I was tagged by my critique partner Alyson Reuben, who was also one of my readers for By Hook or By Crook, by the way. She offered many valuable comments and (just as important) encouragement. While I'm on the topic of critique partners, I'm going to tag another of my CPs, Angela Quarles. Angela has a book called Beer and Groping in Las Vegas coming out from Secret Cravings Press soon. Check out Angela's responses here. Take it away, Angela!