Welcome to The Next Big Thing!
My writer friend, CR Hodges who is writing a myth based urban fantasy set in Sweden, recently tagged me for a chain blog entitled The Next Big Thing’.
The deal is: I answer a few questions about my current work-in-progress, then I invite other authors to do the same. A bit like a chain letter, except it is only focused on an authors’ work-in-progress. CR Hodges was tagged previously by Timothy Hurley. I’ve included details of their blogs so that you can explore their answers to the same questions. The authors I’ve chosen are Anne Allen and Zteve Evans, along with CR Hodges and Timothy Hurley, who have been tagged below my answers. So here goes:
1. What is the working title of your next book?
I have a couple of titles in my mind. I thought ‘Murder at Haynes Park’ at first but, recently I’m leaning towards something a bit less specific, ‘Murder Now and Then.’ I like the ambiguity of the title, especially since its inspiration was an unsolved murder back in 1919 but most of the novel is set in the future in 2019!
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I started a short story set really locally in the farming community, a short murder mystery, but I’m not good at short. Then I heard about this unsolved murder of 1919, went to see the military grave in our local churchyard and suddenly the two ideas merged and mushroomed. It’s fiction though. I think a great deal of fiction grows out of snippets of facts.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Murder mystery, a new genre for me after two Historical Fiction and a Memoirs. Though its got a bit of history in it too.
4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
The most difficult question here. Maybe Annette Benning (I know she’s American but she’d be great) Steven Tompkinson and Emma Thompson. The parallel lives would be tricky with maybe Emma Watson playing both the roles for then and now!
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Three families implicated in an unsolved murder in 1919 are haunted in a murderous way one hundred years on.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’ve decided to continue with my small independent publishing company.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I’ve only just finished it, but have worked on it is spurts starting about a year ago.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A cross between a Linwood Barclay, maybe ‘Too Close to Home’ but it has a touch of Barbara Erskine’s ‘Warrior Princess’ in it too, not the actual era but the feeling that the present is inexplicably linked to the past.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
A young lady who was tragically murdered not far from where I live in Bedfordshire back in 1919. The murderer was never brought to justice though several were implicated. I came across the true story whilst researching for my second novel Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home, but it is fiction, and I’ve changed the name of the young girl too. I did not want any confusion that I was solving the original murder at the same time as staging a new one.
10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I can’t resist a link to the Channel Islands too though this one skips over to Jersey a couple of times and very briefly to Alderney. Hey that’s a thought. Maybe the old cast of the series Begerac would be interested in a revival!
Here are the blog links for:
Not only that, I have made a loop link to my other blog to do the same interview about Norman’s Memoirs.
In fact, you may have seen my review of one of Anne’s books ‘Dangerous Waters’ and she also has some tempting details about a Writer’s Retreat on the island of Herm on her blog. Zteve Evans has written some holidays guides to The Channel Islands too!
Both Anne and Zteve will be putting their posts up around 21st April.
Diana Jackson's Muse, Views and Reviews 
It sounds a fascinating book, Diana!
It’s been fun to write Sally
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Best of luck Zteve!
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Best of luck Cynthia with your project.
Diana
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