I’ve been tagged to do this Next Big Thing blog several times and never bothered to do it. However, you just don’t say no to your long-time critique partner. So, when Gayleen Rabakukk asked me to participate, of course I had to do it. You should definitely check out Gayleen’s blog. She’s an author to watch in the near future.

What is the working title of your book?
This is sort of a tough one. I’m currently working on a new edition of my werewolf novel Shara because it will be re-released along with Ulrik before the debut of Nadia’s Children, the next book in The Werewolf Saga.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
A snatch of dialogue popped into my head one day. An unnamed woman character told her dead husband, “I told you I’m a bitch during my monthly.” From that came the story “Biological Clock,” and from that grew the entire Werewolf Saga series of books.

What genre does your book come under?
Adult horror, or urban fantasy.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
 I think Amanda Bynes would be an interesting choice as Shara. She has the kind of wholesome personality I’d want in the actress, even if she doesn’t have the dark hair and eyes. Anthony Hopkins or Sean Connery would be good as Ulrik, but I kind of think Burt Reynolds could pull it off, too. Grow his hair out a little, ya know?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A shy young woman is offered the Gift of Lycanthropy in hopes it will give her self-confidence, only to learn that being a werewolf comes with a whole new set of problems.

Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
This book has been previously published by two small press publishers, and I’d made arrangements to re-release it through a third small press. However, I recently changed my mind about that. Big houses likely wouldn’t want it because of its history. A small press won’t promote it they way I want and you never really know when the book will be released, if it’ll coincide with your promotion campaign, etc., and then most only pay 15 percent royalty. So I’m doing the re-release myself through MoonHowler Press, my own imprint. This way I’ll have complete control, and keep any money the book(s) earn.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Oh, well, seven years. However, I wrote another novel part way through, then decided to go to college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
In some ways it’s like Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. In other ways it more like George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
When I started it, vampires were all the rage and Anne Rice was queen of the damned. I wanted to write something like Interview with the Vampire, but it had to be different, so I went with the werewolves, set it in Oklahoma, starting in my own high school years, and let it grow.

Okay, well, I’ve come to the point where I need to tag someone else to do this. I’m going to choose Rick Hipson, who writes the Dark Bites blog. He’s supported me for a long time and is a great guy with this fairly new blog you may have missed. Rick interviews a lot of horror authors and he’s very good at what he does.