The Next Big Thing

Well.  It finally happened.  I am the last person on all of the interwebs who has not participated in The Next Big Thing meme.  But they finally found me. I was tracked down by agent-mate Allan Woodrow (his post is  here.) His books sound so fun!  And there are TWO!!

   So,here are the questions I must answer or they will send The Next Big Thing Police to come and get me:

1) What is the working title of your next book?

My  most recent book is titled THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET (if you are reading the blog, you probably already know that!)  Of course, that was not the working title.  When I was first working on it, I had no title so I just called it Bard Girl.  I know, yuck.  Right? I came up with The Seven Tales of Trinket one day when I was playing around in my writing notebook. I would die without my notebook! 

Maybe you have seen this cover on the blog before.  What?  No?  Well, here it is, for the bajillionth time.  (I still love it!)

2) Where did the idea come from for the book? About 9 years ago, I got this picture in my mind of a girl from “long ago and far away times” who was a storyteller.  I tried to write it.  I got about 80 pages in and my computer crashed.  That was that. In 2009, I tried again, having attempted (miserably) a few novels that followed "the rules", I knew I wanted to try one that didn’t. The Seven tales of Trinket weaves several stories and poems/songs into one narrative.  And it also has a prologue, which I had heard was a no-no, but it really needed it!

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Middle-grade fantasy.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? I could see Trinket as a Pixar movie!  Unfortunately, they just made a Celtic-Pixar fusion with BRAVE (which I loved) so it will probably be a while before they visit Celtic folklore again.

Unless Jennifer Lawrence was available.  Then I would totally rewrite the part for her.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? An orphaned young girl seeks seven tales and the whereabouts of her missing storytelling father.

6) Who is publishing your book? FSG Macmillan.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? Well, not counting the several year hiatus, when I started again, it took about 5 or 6 months. 

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  I like WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin, because it is also folklore based and  contains stories within stories.  It also appeals to fans of Shannon Hale and Diane Zahler, I am told.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book? Simply put, I wanted to read this story, so in order to do so, I had to write it.  I am fascinated by the role that story plays in our history as a human race, and in our individual histories.  I think stories can heal us and save us and mend our hearts. I think stories can be dark and scary and hurt us as well.  But we need them.  All humans need stories. Plus, I adore folklore.  I stuffed as many denizens of the Celtic Folklore World in my book as I could!  There’s a fortune teller, a banshee, selkies, faeries, ghosts, pookas, and several magical objects.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? Well, it is Irish Heritage month and St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, so if you have been looking for a way to celebrate an amazing culture with a special book, THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET  might just hit the spot.  

So, now I am supposed to tag someone else.  Hmm... I think the only other person on the entire internet who has not yet been tagged is Diane Zahler, the wonderful author who blurbed Trinket.  She has a new book coming out and the cover is gorgeous.  So stop by on March 13 to see what her Next Big Thing is.

I love March!  The first corned-beef of the year will happen on Sunday!  Can't wait!

hrh

p.s.  Don't know why the blog text keeps changing size and font.  Must be the faeries.  I forgot to leave them any cake this evening.