My Next Big Thing

I was tagged by Sheila Deeth, author of Divide by Zero, for the Next Big Thing blog hop.

The rules of the blog hop are simple: Answer ten questions about your WIP (Work in Progress) and tag five more writers/bloggers to do the same. A chain of links will lead you, dear reader, to a forest of wonderful writers all busy creating new books just for you… or so I'm told. So here's my contribution to the chain.
 



What is the working title of your book?

The Ghost of Sarah Travers. This is the official title. It is the first book in The GHOST Group series, a middle grade paranormal mystery series. Each book in the series has the title “The Ghost of…” with the final words being the main character. For example, the second book is called “The Ghost of the Crying Valentine” and the third book is called “The Ghost of the Irish Setter.” Each book is tied in to a holiday; the first book for New Year’s, the second for Valentine's Day, the third for St. Patrick's Day, etc. I originally called this series “Holiday Horrors” but some teachers I told about this series suggested I change that title since it is written for a young audience and the “horrors” part of the title might make it difficult to get the book into school libraries. (The books will first be published as ebooks; the print versions will come later.)


Where did the idea come from for the book?

I actually got the kernel of an idea for this series several years ago. I just had bits and pieces of the idea. It probably came as a result of my passion for anything related to the paranormal – ghosts, hauntings, haunted houses, etc. – plus, I was researching haunted cities for a nonfiction book I was writing on that very topic. I started to wonder, what is it like to live in a haunted city? Something from my research and my passion just helped me gather together all the pieces for this story. When I finally figured out what kind of series this was going to be and who the main characters were, that’s when I started writing.


What genre does your book fall under?

Paranormal mystery.


Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

My characters are 11-year-olds and unfortunately I don’t watch a lot of kids TV shows or movies to be able to pick out young actors and actresses who would be good candidates to portray my characters on screen.


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Sarah Town is a town brimming with ghosts and some of those ghosts need help!


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I have a contract with Gypsy Shadow Publishing for this series.


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

I wrote the first draft in a week. It turned out to be 50 pages long. The revised draft I’m working on now is nearing 80 pages.


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

I think any kind of ghost stories written for kids would be good comparisons. All The Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn, Jason and the Friendly Ghost by Violetta Antcliff and The Green Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer come to mind.


Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I really think if there is one thing that inspired me to write this series, it was my curiosity of what it’s like to live in a haunted city. Okay, maybe the fact that I always wanted to be a part of a detective group when I was a kid has something to do with it, as well as my enjoyment of the Scooby Doo cartoons. Except in these stories, the ghosts are real!


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

I try to include information about ghosts, hauntings and how to get evidence of ghosts in every story. I hope this will attract anyone interested in learning more about why hauntings happen and how to do your own investigations.


Authors I tag are:


Dellani Oakes

LK Hunsaker

Beth Trissel

Tara Chevrestt

Kate Tenbeth