Next Big Thing Blog Tour

I got myself tagged!
I've never been any good at running, or anything requiring quick responses...unless a cockroach is involved.

But as tagging goes, this one's a good thing. I got nabbed by a fellow writer, Cary Caffrey, who got himself tagged last week. See what he had to say about that right HERE.

So, the rules are simple and the questions never change, just the answers. And to keep the tagging momentum going, I've decided to hit up the fabulous JC Cassels. So you can check back with her next Wednesday.

So, here we go...

What is the working title of your book?
It will be called To Catch A Marlin, followed by the working title, so something like this: To Catch A Marlin - The Marlin Strikes Again. At the moment, I'm collecting and sorting through some ideas for some short stories involving my character, Jax Marlin. Her debut was this past October when the full length book, To Catch A Marlin, was released.

Where did the idea for your book come from?
It just sort of came together organically. Initially, I wanted to write about a bumbling detective who accidentally solves cases (Inspector Pedroni). Jax Marlin's character (the baddie..ish) came about from various cartoon drawings I'd done over the years (I'm also an artist) and she just sort of morphed into one, becoming Jax. Then I decided to combine the two and fling it out into the wild future, complete with space pirates and debauching settings!

What genre does your book fall under?
Well, I'd say Science Fiction Romance. Heavy on the action and adventure, seasoned lightly with romance, humour, and great characters. So I've been told. It may even be labelled as futuristic or even detective thriller.

Which actors would you chose to play in your movie rendition?
Ever since I watched The Lovely Bones, I've always sort of pictured Michael Imperioli as Inspector Pedroni (he even has his first name! That was purely coincidence, though). It's just the low-keyed manner Mr. Imperioli portrays in the movie (forget his role in Sopranos), plus there is an intensity coming off him which makes his character convincing. For Jax, that's a hard one. She has so many sides to her (having been born from a combination of different characters I played around with) that her image is like a melting pot of faces. She's cheeky, sexy, dangerous and very lethal. She's a combo of cool sophisticated badassness like Lara in Tomb Raider, kickassness like Seline from Underworld and Alice from Resident Evil and even some calculating connivingness like Anne Hathaway's Catwoman. As for actresses, well think from Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger fame) to Keira Knightley to Emma Watson...and yes, even Anne Hathaway. (Somehow, I just can't see her as Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale or Milla Jojovich).

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
What wouldn't you do to catch a criminal?
Wait, that was one line. How about this: In the tail end of the the 24th century, a sexy vigilante is pursued by a determined inspector, taking them both of a wild, rollercoaster ride from Earth to space and then some.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
At the moment, I am with two publishers and will stay with them (Champagne Book Group and Ring of Fire Publishing). To Catch A Marlin and its subsequent series will be represented Ring of Fire.

How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The full length for To Catch A Marlin took me a good eight months. The first fours month taking up the first draft stages, the last four with the second ad third drafts. The short stories, including this current one I'm working on, they usually take about a good, solid month.

What other books would you compare this story to?
Wow, that's difficult. While I write mostly SF-based stories, I love reading a good mystery right along with an epic fantasy or adventure tale. I guess To Catch A Marlin, like the other books I've written, is a combination of, and what I'd like to see in a story.

What or who inspired you to write the book?
Uhm...I guess it's from books, movies, events, people. Everything around me.

What else about the book might pique the readers' interest?
Captain Taris - space pirate, loveable 'uncle,' and such a loveable scallywag! He's got spin-off story written all over him.

Don't forget to stop by JC Cassels next Wednesday!

Cheers!