Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Caboose (last place) doesn't mean "worst" place!

Earlier this month, my friend and fellow author Vicki Landis invited me to be part of "The Next Big Thing" blog hop. Vicki is one of those multi-talented authors who writes not just fiction (with two novels and a bunch of short stories under her belt), but also non-fiction (including a book called "The Easy Little Diet Book: The Prep Course for Easy Weight Loss Success). As if that weren't enough, she's an artist!


In her blog, Vicki talked about being the last two (?) participants in this author event which has been making the rounds for awhile, and she appropriately named us the "caboose" because she and I are the apparently the final two who want to participate. I like that analogy. Like Vicki, I was often the last chosen for a team in those awful and awkward best/most-popular-kid-picks-teammates scenarios that play out in schoolyards across the country. Back then it was humiliating to be the last chosen, the caboose, but today I don't see it as a problem. Today, many (many) years later, I've learned that each of those experiences helps me as a writer to craft characters that have real-life experiences, and some fantasy moments as well.

My latest novella contains a bit of each.

What is the name of the book?
Christmas Dance


Where did the idea for this book come from?
My husband is one of those annoying people who can guess a plot of a movie or TV show usually within the first five minutes, so one of our favorite pastimes is coming up with story ideas. One of us will come up with a premise, then we'll hash it out for awhile, and some of them I write. This story was born years ago, when we lived in the Central Jersey suburbs, raising our two sons. We were active in a local church, and got to know a lot of couples whose kids were the same age. The seed of an idea germinated, what would happen if two of those couples, not married, became attracted.

What genre does this book fall under?
I call it mainstream women's fiction.


Which actors would you choose to play your characters?
Alexandra Anderson - Melissa Peterman, in her early days on Reba.
Ben Anderson - Alexander Skarsgard (okay, Ben isn't quite that hot, or tall, but this is my fantasy)
Sam Herrmann - Chris Pine of the new Star Trek series
Dani Herrmann - Alexis Bledel (she's a little tall for Dani, but I think of her as petite)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
What happens when two married people take a look at the perfect lives they've created and decide it's not enough; what happens when those same two people catch the eye of a stranger, and like what they see?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
The book was recently published by independent publisher Edward Allen Publishing, LLC.

How long did it take you to write the first draft?
It took me about six months. I too have a full-time day job! 

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hmm....I'm not sure I know of another book with a similar plot


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?     
This is the story of "the other man" and "the other woman" told from their perspectives.  The story explores what happens after the happily-ever-after moment, when the characters settle into real life, with jobs and bills and children. Ultimately, I think it's a story of love and hope.

So that concludes this branch of The Next Best Thing blog hop. I hope everyone is having a joyous holiday season, and I wish you and yours a blessed 2013!

Happy reading!
Leah
 
Christmas Dance is available in eBook for Kindle, at Kobo and eBookPie

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