The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Fellow author Syd Parker tagged me in “The Next Big Thing” blog hop… a month ago. The blog hop allows lesbian authors the opportunity to share with readers what they’re currently working on, plus answer some fun questions about their book. One author tags another author, tags another… you get the picture. With everything going on in my life, I’m just now finding the time to write my blog about my work in progress. Thanks, Syd, for tagging me! Please visit Syd’s website, www.sydparkerbooks.com, to find out about her books and link to her blog to read about her work in progress, Someone Like You, which sounds like a great romance.

 

I’m excited to tag new Blue Feather author, Barbara Valletto, whose debut novel, Pulse Points, will be released soon. I’ve had the pleasure to read it. For those who love paranormal romance, you’ll love this book. Although it’s not at all about vampires, the love shared between two of the main characters reminded me of Count Dracula and his love, Lucy. The big difference in Barb’s book is her main character reads like a kick-ass Catherine Zeta-Jones—at least she did for me. J

 

Here is the information for my book to be released by Blue Feather Books this late spring/early summer.

 

Questions & Answers:

 

1. What is the working title of your book?

 

The title is And a Time to Dance. I took it from the Old Testament’s book of Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3:4:

 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance…”

 

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

 

I love Bob Seger, and my favorite song of his is “Roll Me Away.” On a drive one day, I was playing his Greatest Hits. The song came on, and I started thinking about a woman who loses her partner to death. She feels the need to get away from her memories and decides to move to Grand Lake, Colorado, to start her new life. Here is the link to a YouTube performance of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEBwq4A1wsU. Of course there are many differences, two of which are that my main character isn’t riding a Harley to the Rocky Mountains, and she doesn’t meet up with another woman to take with her. But the song still resonated with me and sparked the idea for the book.

 

3. What genre does your book fall under?

 

Lesbian Romance. This will be my third lesbian romance. My other two releases, Playing for First and Two for the Show, are sports books about a woman breaking through the gender barrier into major league baseball.

 

4. What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

 

Syd said she loved this question and seemed to effortlessly pick the actors to play her characters. I needed to think about it.

 

Corey: Picture Mariska Hargitay in her “short cut” days with premature gray hair: http://tinyurl.com/a3cj77y.
 

Erin:  Hmm… Okay, let’s stick with SVU. Stephanie March. She definitely has the right look and beautiful blue eyes: http://tinyurl.com/bee2g2w 

 

Aunt Tess:  Definitely Frances Sternhagen to play Tess, Erin’s aunt. Here’s Frances if you’re not familiar with the actress: http://tinyurl.com/bjmr9bo.    

 

There are of course other characters, but Corey, Erin, and Aunt Tess represent the core of the story.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis for your book?

 

In a hope to leave behind the painful memory of her partner’s death, a grieving woman travels west only to rediscover love at a Rocky Mountain lodge.

 

6. Will your book be self-published or released by a publisher?

 

Blue Feather Books will publish And a Time to Dance, as they have my other novels.

 

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

 

This is a tricky question for me. I started this book after I finished Survived by Her Longtime Companion. But I had to step back after dealing with serious health issues with my wife, Phyllis, and with my parents this past year. I’ll finish with the first draft soon and the “final” product will go to Emily Reed, my publisher, by April 1.

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

 

There are excellent books out there that deal with a lover's death. One of my favorite romances, Bold Strokes author Ali Vali’s Carly’s Sound, comes to mind, but in And a Time to Dance, there is no ghost of Corey’s partner to guide her along the path to healing. Corey works through her emotions and grows on her own, sometimes stumbling along the way. Meeting the beautiful Erin is the impetus, of course.

 

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

 

As I said earlier, “Roll Me Away” sparked the idea, but as always, the love I share with Phyllis propels the romance in my books. I couldn’t get the storyline out of my head, and when that happens, I simply have to write.

 

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

 

Anyone who’s traveled to the Rocky Mountains, particularly to the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, will appreciate the locale in And a Time to Dance. I had the pleasure of visiting for a week in 1984 and stayed at Grand Lake Lodge, the inspiration for “Rainbow Lodge” in the book: http://tinyurl.com/bfzh7z5. And yes, there truly is a thundershower every afternoon, followed closely by a rainbow. It’s magical. I only hope I convey that in the story.

 

 

As I said at the start, And a Time to Dance will be out in late spring/early summer. As we draw nearer to the final edit, I’ll post and provide a firmer date. Also, in the coming months, I'll post a link to my website where you can find an excerpt.

 

Barbara Valletto, http://www.barbaravalletto.com/, has written well-received short stories in the paranormal, mystery/thriller, and horror genre. Pulse Points is her debut novel. Here is information on the book: http://www.barbaravalletto.com/coming-soon-pulse-points/. Barb, I’ll let you take it from there!