Next Big Thing Blog Tour

This week I've been tagged to participate in the "Next Big Thing Blog Tour." Thanks to Carol Parsons for the tag. Make sure to check out her post too. Also, It's my pleasure to tag the talented T.K. Toppin. I've had the pleasure of reading all four of her books, and they're a gas. Next week she'll be posting here too, so make sure to pay her a visit.

And now, on to the interview!

What is the working title of your book?

The working title for the one I'm currently working on is The Girls From Alcyone: Freelancer. This will be the sequel to The Girls From Alcyone. I can't wait till I get this one in the can.

Where did the idea for your book come from?

I hope this answer makes sense. I got the idea while writing the first draft of what was to become The Girls From Alcyone. Originally, it was going to be very, very different. But when I got fifty pages into the story, I introduced a character, Sigrid Novak. She was never supposed to be the main character. The book was never supposed to be about her. But the moment she entered the story I became fascinated with her. I wanted to know all about her. I wanted to know where she came from, how she'd gotten there, and what made her the total hero-package that she was. She was just so brave and loyal, I wanted to write her story. This is what became TGfA.

What genre does your book fall under?

I always thought of it as pure Science-fiction Adventure. But I'm tickled to see that readers have labeled it Science-Fiction Romance, even Dystopian Science-Fiction. It's just nice to see that the book has a broader appeal than I anticipated.

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

Well, if I can wind up the way-back machine and make it ten years ago... I'd definitely cast Kristen Bell as Sigrid Novak. I just loved her in Deadwood so much. She's a bit old now (Sigrid is only eighteen), but maybe she can still play old-Sigrid in future incarnations.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book.

That's the one thing I never did (write a one-sentence synopsis). I know you're supposed to, and I'll definitely need it when it comes time to pitch the movie. Basically, it's the story of Sigrid Novak, a young girl who is sold to a giant mercenary corporation to relieve her family of its crushing debt, and brought to the planet of Alcyone where she is to be trained in the most deadly of arts - and subjected to years of an biological and cybornetic enhancements.

Much adventure ensues.

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

I will always be self-published. I've been taking the Indy-Route for going on twenty years now. It's funny, but it never occurred to me to approach a publisher. Probably for two reasons: One, because I couldn't image a publisher having much interest in an unproven unpublished author like me. And, two, I'm just way too impatient to sit around waiting six months between queries for a response.

Considering how easy it is to go Indy these days, I can't imagine going through a publisher at all.

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

Seven weeks. I wish writing the sequel had gone that speedily, but I'm still working on it - well, not the first draft, but the book.

What other books would you compare this story to?

That's a hard one. My first love (in fiction) are the old, classic space operas of the sixties. I'm so heavily influenced by what I read you could probably pluck several books out of the pulp pile and draw a comparison. There's a little Starship Troopers in there somewhere, and definitely some Stainless Steel Rat, and probably some some Star Wars to boot.

Who or what inspired you to write the book?

Writing a novel was something I had tried to do several times. I never ever seemed to get there. I've always written things - screenplays, stage plays and music, music, music - but writing a novel always seemed problematic to me (it's just so much harder than screenplays). It wasn't so much inspiration as it was determination. I had to get the gorilla off my back. 

The biggest inspiration definitely came from the explosion of successful, self-published eBooks. It was great knowing that, for once, indy-writers had a real, viable publishing option. It was a lot easier to sit down to write knowing that there wasn't going to be a barrier between writing the book and then distributing it.

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

As a reader, I love a good adventure, but I'm desperate to read about something more than space battle after space battle sandwiched between pages and pages of sci-techno-babble. I wanted write a pure adventure story, but I also wanted it to be a human story. I wanted it to matter. More than anything, TGfA is about friendship, love and loyalty. It's a story about growing up, finding courage to do what needs to be done.

Watch for these authors' Next Big Thing post next week on Wednesday, Jan. 9:

T.K. Toppin