Behind the Story: 10 Questions About My Novel

Where would writers be without supportive writer friends? I don’t even want to think about that. I’d rather think about Donna Galanti, the fabulous author who invited me to The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, a series designed to introduce readers to new authors and books.

Donna is the author of the paranormal suspense novel, A Human Element, which New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry calls “an elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart.” To learn more, visit her website: http://www.donnagalanti.com.

To purchase A Human Element, visit:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/dg-the-Kindle
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/dg-he-Nook
iTunes: http://bit.ly/QXL8NS

10 Questions

The following questions and answers pertain to my first novel, which will pre-release this month and officially release in January. (Holy be-jeezus! *breathes into paper bag*)

Work in progress…

1: What is the title of your book? IN HER SHADOW

2: Where did the idea come from for the book? When I was 18 and working as an international model based in Paris, I nearly died of anorexia. IN HER SHADOW is loosely based on that experience.

3: What genre does your book come under? Psychological thriller

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

Unknown actors, probably, although I could see Claire Danes playing the lead character, Claire Fiksen, and Ted Danson playing her nemesis.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Stop with the synopsis insanity! Do you have any idea how many of various lengths I’ve had to conjure lately? Um, I mean… Wow. I’m SO GLAD you asked. 😉

Here’s the back blurb:

One woman locked in a basement, nearing death and longing for escape. Another baffled by the inexplicable symptoms wreaking havoc on her life. Both are lost and alone, yet somehow connected. And time is running out…

Near the tenth anniversary of her parents’ unexpected death, Claire Fiksen, a lovely young Harvard-grad and gifted psychologist in Minnesota, develops bizarre symptoms of an eating disorder that threaten her fledgling career, her relationship with a handsome young medical student, her grasp on reality and, soon, her life.

When her beloved grandfather reveals that there may be more to her parents’ death than she’s realized, Claire’s pursuit of healing becomes a desperate search for answers as she delves into her family’s sordid past. Meanwhile, someone is watching her every move, plotting to draw her into his own twisted web of misery. Claire has something he needs, and he’ll stop at nothing to obtain it.

Every step Claire takes brings her closer to the truth and danger. And her life, she discovers, isn’t the only one at stake.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency? It will be self-published in collaboration with my agency, Dystel & Goderich.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Roughly one year and 300 workouts. (I do some of my best writing and editing at the gym.)

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

That’s a toughie… I suppose if you blended Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, The Sixth Sense, Requiem for a Dream and Mary Higgins Clark’s work together, you might end up with an In Her Shadow-like smoothie.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? Life. 🙂

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? I like to think of IHS as a dark, suspenseful story that has the potential to inspire and provoke thought. It takes on some heady issues, including eating disorders and sexual violence, but it’s really a story about family, hope and survival—the lengths we will go for those we love. It also features some romance and an incredibly sweet dog.

Below you will find authors who will be joining me by blog next Wednesday, answering questions about their own novels. I ADORE these writers, and hope you’ll check out and bookmark their links. Happy reading!

1. Shannon Esposito

2. Steena Holmes

3. M.G. Miller

4. Ellie Ann Soderstrom

5. Alexandra Sokoloff

6. Bob Yehling

I’d also like to thank Gina Fava and Tameri Etherton for tagging me in TNBT Blog Hop earlier on, before I was ready to share. You both rock!

What project or work pursuit are you working on? Any additional questions for me, regarding my novel or anything else? I may not have all the answers, but I promise to try my darndest. 😉

 

Posted by August McLaughlin on December 5, 2012

https://augustmclaughlin.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/behind-the-story-10-questions-about-my-novel/