The Next Big Thing - Week 20

I don't usually participate in blog hops, but when my Katherine Tegen "sister" Liz Coley (PRETTY GIRL-13) asked me to play I thought it might be a bit of fun. So here I am, claiming to be The Next Big Thing. But because I'm me, some of the answers are... er, Mindy-flavored.

I'm posting the answers for 10 Questions about my WIP, which is the sequel to NOT A DROP TO DRINK, currently titled A HANDFUL OF DUST. I'm in edit mode at the moment, so excuse the sawdust on the floor.

What is the working title of your book?

Right now it's titled A HANDFUL OF DUST, a nice little poetry shout out to go along with NOT A DROP TO DRINK.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

My head.

What genre does your book fall under?

Twisted stuff from Mindy's head.

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

I would play all the characters myself, obviously.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Polio sucks.

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

It's already sold to Harper Collins / Katherine Tegen, sold by my agent Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About six months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Maybe BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young. I haven't read it, but it seems like they'd be good shelf mates. Also I've always loved the name Moira, so I think it's fate and she should blurb me.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Adriann, when she said, "You know, DRINK doesn't have to be a stand alone..."

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

I had to do a lot of research about various illnesses, sucking wounds, and how to care for horse hooves.

The Inspiration Behind Not A Drop to Drink

Yes, it's true. I've made a video NOT designed to be funny. And if anyone out there is thinking, "Wait, those earlier ones were supposed to be funny?" I will cry. Like, right now. The Class of 2k13 launches today with giveaways and blog posts about the inspiration behind our stories. Since I just love filming myself talking to nobody in my dining room I went ahead and made a video. This is your chance to see me being serious, and sounding like someone that actually should have two degrees.

Taking Stock

Yes, it's true. I raided a cattle herd over the holidays.

OK, not really. I just wanted to give you a funny visual because I couldn't come up with an original title for my Looking Back On 2011 post.

Obviously 2011 was really, really good to me. I got an agent, Adriann Ranta (who has a lovely speaking voice) in March, and a book deal with Sarah Shumway (nice voice, check) at Katherine Tegen / Harper Collins just recently. So, I can't complain. And I'm not going to.

What I am going to do is talk about what my goals were, and how I managed to hit one by the skin of my teeth. (And what the heck does that mean anyway? Huh... guess that's my Wednesday post accounted for).

I backed my self-enforced WIP due date to Thanksgiving, but took some digestive time off when the book deal happened because I needed to roll around in sloth for awhile. And I highly recommend rolling around in some nice, hot sloth every now and then, because I broke into December like a rabid animal chasing  uh... something non-rabid and much smaller.

As of yesterday evening I can claim that the WIP is in fact, finished. I don't have to do my usual guilty sashaying in front of RC Lewis and muttering that I only have one more section to get through. And I checked my numbers: I wrote 113 pages and 32,000 words over the last week of November through yesterday evening.

2012 is looking good for a few reasons. The initial word vomit of the WIP first draft is finished, NOT A DROP TO DRINK is on Goodreads, and just yesterday it cracked the top ten in the Goodreads YA Novels of 2013 list. So drop in, put me on your to-read shelf, and vote for as many 2013 YA titles as you like - I want the Mayans to feel our hope trickling back through the ages. :)