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

Six Sentence Sunday ~ 12/4

Hello and welcome to Six Sentence Sunday, where writers share bits and pieces of their works.

This week I thought I'd take a break from Jack and Rachael to share six from a short story I'm writing for a little girl whom coworkers and I "adopted" for Christmas. She's 7 years old, loves playing dress-up, and really loves princesses. As one of my gifts, I thought it would be cool to write a short story about a princess (using her name, of course!). Since I've never written a story for a child, and I raised boys, not girls, I could sure use some feedback! I want this to be something she enjoys! I have no information about her family or living situation, and don't know whether or not her family celebrates Christmas, so I deliberately didn't write about the holiday.

So here's the setup. Princess Imani lives in a kingdom that has been warring with a neighboring kingdom for centuries. She's a friendly, loving child, and the thought of people fighting with each other for so long troubles her. One night three fairies come to her in a dream and send her on a mission that, ultimately, will bring the two peoples together.

Here are the six where the fairies first appear.
____________________

It was a long time before Imani’s eyes closed that night, a long time before dreams came, but they did come, in the form of three fairies. They were small, maybe only six inches tall, with shiny, gossamer wings that fluttered so quickly their edges blurred, like those of a hovering hummingbird. They were dressed in sparkling gowns that reached their ankles, the first in red, the next in blue, and the last in yellow, and the air around them shimmered in a rainbow of colors. Just like the lights she’d seen on the mountaintop.

In her dream Imani held out her hand, and they lighted, delicate little beings that weighed no more than a feather each. “Who are you?” she asked while her heart raced to keep pace with their wings.

_______________________

What do you think? Too grown-up for a 7-year-old? Too scary a concept? Help!

I apologize that I didn't have something from a romance this week, but I hope you enjoyed these six anyway. I'd be appreciative of any feedback you'd like to share!

Be sure to stop by Six Sentence Sunday for more samplings from some amazing authors!