Blog-hopping:
a word that I wasn't even aware existed until I entered this crazy world of
writing. Now, less than two years later, not only am I familiar with the word,
but have actually participated in a few! So thank you, author Barbara Lavi for offering me a chance to be a part of this blog-hop.
In this
post, ten questions were posed to me to answer about my latest work-in-progress
or upcoming release. The third and final installment in my suspense/thriller
trilogy, Eviscerating the
Snake, was released on October 30, 2012. The title for the last book is Adjusting Journal Entries but the
answers pertain to all three novels.
What is the working title/title of your book?
Adjusting Journal Entries - Book Three of Eviscerating the Snake.
Where did the idea
come from for the book?
The original idea for penning this series was simple: The Count of
Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I am a huge fan of classical literature and this
epic tale is my hands-down favorite. The concept of retaliating for heinous
acts is not something new to the human race. It is ingrained in our psyche.
While some have learned to overcome the primal urge to strike out
and hurt the person that harmed them, what if they opted to fulfill their own dark
fantasies of exacting revenge? What is true justice? Can it only come from the
law, or can it be meted out by the victim? How far from your moral compass
would you be willing to stray to seek it? And once the cycle of revenge begins,
when does it end?
What genre does your
book fall under?
Suspense/thriller for sure! I love to read a book that keeps you
on edge while you promise yourself 'just one more page and I'm going to bed'
then stay up all night finishing it. Based on some of the reviews of the first
two books in the series, I believe I achieved that.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a
movie rendition?
I love this question but it is so difficult to answer, simply
because we all have our own perspectives of what we envision the characters to
look like. I have my own personal opinions of actors/actresses I would love to
see play the roles, but I will leave that decision to Hollywood and be happy
with whomever they pick!
What is
the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will the cycle of revenge continue with new players at the
table, or will vengeance destroy them all?
Will
your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I admit it: I am a control freak. My second novel in the series,
Zero Balance, was originally
published by a small publishing house. However, I regained control and now have
the full rights to it once again. I discovered that I prefer being an ‘Indie’
author because I want to hold the reigns to my destiny.
How
long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Three months of many sleepless nights!
What
other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I hesitate to answer that, simply because I
believe that each author’s works are personal expressions of their own mind.
While some writing styles may be similar, all works are like fingerprints—full
of subtle swirls that make them distinguishable from another. If something in
my work touches a reader in a way that reminds them of the style of another
author, I leave that up to them to make that correlation.
Who or What inspired
you to write this book?
My fans! To say that sounds trite I know but it
is the honest truth! After the second book was released I realized I actually
had fans that wanted to know what happens to the characters, which meant I did
my job as an author. People connected to these fictional people and were
genuinely interested in reading the ‘end’ and that was a truly humbling
experience.
What else about your
book might pique the reader’s interest?
This series deals with real-life issues that happen,
unfortunately, all the time in the viscous place we call the world. Rape,
betrayal, lying, cheating, using others to obtain your own satisfaction, and
even murder are topics touched upon. Each of us has experienced, or knows
someone who has, at least one of these devastating incidents. The question this
series ponders is simple: what would you do if faced with the same situation?
If everything you loved was gone and the world as you knew it suddenly became
unbearable because of the violent actions of another, would you consider
becoming judge and jury? If most of you reading this were to be honest, I bet
the answer is yes, at least in your mind but perhaps not in action. But what if
you did decide to seek justice on
your own? Would you give pause to the after effects of your plans or would you
become single-minded in your obsession to destroy those that hurt you and not
contemplate the consequences?
