Repost as Guest - Jim L. Wright's Blog Post
~part of a blog hop for authors to help readers find new writers, genres and books~
The Next Big Thing
I have been asked by Francis Laveaux of the blog In The Shadow of the Dragon and author of Le Cheval, l’Alouette
to take part in a blog chain called The Next Big Thing in which an
author answers ten questions about his/her next (or most in need of a
push) book. At the end of the blog post I must ‘tag’ five other authors
and they answer on their blog the following week. And, we all put it on
our blogs and Facebook pages, and/or tweet it.”
And these are the 10 questions:
1) What is the title of your book?
The title of my book is “New Yesterdays”.
2) Where did the idea come from?
The idea for New Yesterdays was germinated in the 2011 NaNoWriMo. The
story was originally about three young boys, modeled after my brothers
and me, living in rural Alabama in the 1960s. I thought the story was
going well for a few days there, but then the characters decided to go
in a completely new and different direction. Remember, these boys were
my brothers and me so I knew how headstrong they were so I decided to
just follow along and let them tell the story. When the tale finished
was both surprised and satisfied with what they’d done.
3) What genre best defines your book?
I reckon I’d have to classify it as a Young Adult Fantasy. However, I
think that most adults will find it entertaining, as well. To bolster
that belief, I’ve had a good many reviews and emails from adults from
30-75, all saying they enjoyed it very much! So, nuts to the
classification system!
4) What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?
I don’t know much about child actors nowadays, so I’d have to reach
back to the past. I can see little Ronny Howard (of the Andy Griffith
Show) playing the role of Jim and perhaps Johnny Crawford (of the
Rifleman series) as Dustu. Co-stars could include Adam Beach as Adahy,
Saginaw Grant as Tooantuh and Elaine Miles as Hiawassee, Dustu’s mother.
The roles of Principal Chief John Ross, President John Adams, and
President Andrew Jackson might be a bit more difficult since they are
actual people.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis?
A fanciful rewriting of one of America’s ugliest eras.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It is self-published at Createspace and Amazon.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft?
Believe it or not, the first draft was banged out in thirty days.
However, I had spent the better part of the previous year outlining and
researching the story. I spent the next four months editing and passing
it around to beta readers before finally publishing at the end of
February 2012.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Honestly, I can’t say I’ve ever read anything quite like this story,
with which I could compare it. Certainly, I didn’t have a “model story”
in mind as I wrote it. As I mentioned earlier, the boys are the ones who
actually wrote it; I was merely the stenographer!
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My two brothers, Tony and Michael were my inspiration for the story
and my love of history and my heritage helped me to research and finish
it.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I think that the way I deal with the actual history of the tragedy of
the Cherokee people will interest most readers, even if they have only a
casual interest in it. I also think my way of telling a story has a way
of holding people’s interest. There’s nothing stilted or formal about
it. I just write my stories the same way I tell them round the dinner
table or over a nice hot, steaming cup of coffee!
Now, I must pass The Next Big Thing to five more victims… erm,
friends. Watch for the answers provided by my nominees and support their
efforts by picking up a copy of their books. If you like them let them
know by posting a review. It’s your praise and criticism that keep us
going!
And, the nominees are:
- Ruth Watson-Morris, author of The Reptilian Series
- Tony Levy, author of A Turnkey or Not
- Tom Rydder, author of The Clearing, due out from Greyhart Press in early 2013
- Michelle Patricia Browne, author of And the Stars Will Sing
- Peggy Bechko, author of Out of Thin Air
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