The Next Big Thing

I am delighted to be to participating in the Next Big Thing blog series thanks to Helena Fairfax at  http://helenafairfax.com/2012/11/30/the-next-big-thing/

And here are my responses to the Ten Interview Questions:

What is your working title of your book?
The title of my next book, to be released in Spring 2013, is 'A Shore of Secrets'
Click here for the blurb.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I wanted to write a romance based in Italy, a country I find inherently romantic. When I transported myself there mentally, the culture, the scenery, the architecture, the people, the climate all played their part in inspiring me to write. To a point, the plot of 'A Shore of Secrets' evolved from the setting.It defined the context in which characters behaved and set a mood upon which to build.  

What genre does your book fall under? It’s a contemporary romance with a dash of women’s fiction

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Well, let’s see. For the hero, I would need a serious-minded, enigmatic Italian. Someone slightly brooding. I have been looking at Luigi Lo Cascio, whose background and dark good looks are eminently suitable for the role.
As for the heroine, Drew Barrymore’s looks are perfect, exactly how I see the character.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Can Abi learn to trust, and Giovanni to forgive, as they struggle with a bevy of difficulties in this clandestine Italian community?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It is being published by MuseItUp Publishing in spring 2013.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? The first draft probably took around six months, but it took much longer to refine it subsequently. A lot longer!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I admire Rosamunde Pilcher’s romances, the way she draws such intriguing characters and so cleverly and sensitively weaves problems into her romances.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
A series of holidays in Italy inspired me to use it as the setting for a romance. Also, I have a close Italian friend whose family gave me insight beyond that of a tourist into the indigenous way of life.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I will quote my editor in answer to this:
’What a great story! So romantic, and it also kept me on edge, wondering if those two would ever get together!’ Who am I to argue with that? LOL

And now here are the links to the next four participating authors. Please drop by and check out their blogs over the next few days.

Amber Lea Easton http://amberleaeaston.blogspot.com

Mary Curtis http://maryraimescurtis.com/
Penny Estelle http://pennyestelle.blogspot.co.uk/
Sherry Gloag http://www.sherrygloag.com/