The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Hey everyone... I've been asked by my good friend and fellow author Thomas A. Erb to participate in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. Last week he answered the questions I will be answering below, so make sure you head on over and read all about the cool new Retro Zombie Novella he's working on.

These questions are focused on a Novel or Novella, but as I'm still working on my Novel, I'm going to bend the rules slightly and talk about my upcoming collection of short stories.

1. What is the working title of your book?
 Strings

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
 Well the idea came to put a collection together when I saw the submission call at Wicked East Press for Single Author Collections. I already had a good few stories published and then I realized I had almost enough to fill a book and it really just took off from there.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
 Horror, although one or two may easily fall into Dark Fantasy.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
 Wow, now this is a pretty tough question...
But I suppose someone like Kate Beckinsale as Sophie, in, A Hikers Life. Chris Hemsworth could be a good, Akuya, and I think Jason Statham would be great as Argharna Rendall, in, Fighting the Curse.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
 Invisible Strings hold and bind us all together, but what happens when the strings of reality get worn down, frayed, or even snap..? Contained within are such tales that will make you pray those strings are never broken.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
 Wicked East Press will be publishing this book.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Well the first published story was Kumari, that was written June 2009, and the last story that went into the collection was, Till Death Do Us Part, August 2011... So a little over two years.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
 Possibly in the line of Neil Gaiman's or Stephen King's collections of stories.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
 Family and friends kept me going at the start, but then when I got into the rhythm of writing regularly it was very easy to stay motivated. Also, my love for writing, and with an imagination that runs wild it's hard not to stay inspired.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
Well with 33 tales, there's something for everyone. We have Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, Weddings, Spiders, Fairies, Games of Poker and Pool, Delicious Halloween Pies, Zombies, Isolation, Lost, Love, and Many Creatures Not From This World...
All Contained Under One Roof!!


To finish off The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, I introduce you to three fantastic writers.

Emma Ennis
Mark Taylor
Brady Allen

Make sure to check them out, and remember.. Next week, 12th December.. They will answer all the above questions... I can't wait!!