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Welcome to the Next Big Thing blog hop. Many thanks to Sarah Yoffa of Webbiegrrl fame who tapped me to join in this fun hop. At the end of this post you’ll find a few writers I’ve tagged to carry on the hop. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know the authors listed.

The idea of this blog hop is to introduce readers to our own current or upcoming project and then recommend our readers to those Indie Authors whose work we think they might find interesting.

1) What is the working title of your current/next book?

Oh, I’m terrible about titles. I think of my books by the names of the lead characters. It took Nikki of Close Encounters With the Night Kind blog to title Shadows to Light for me – I’ll be forever grateful. In the Interest of Security, my novella in the upcoming Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance, required a brainstorming session with fellow author and critique partner Kimberly Hope.

My next 2096 full-length novel will feature Julia and Lucas, who were both supporting characters from Shadows to Light.

2) Where did you get the idea for that book?

When I started writing the Shadows of Justice series, my husband joked that it should be seven books long. I thought he was crazy. As I worked on Shadows to Light (book 5) I thought I was done with the series. After all, Shadows to Light takes place in December of 2096 and the end of the year seemed like a good place to wrap it up.

But as I was working on it, Julia kept cropping up and insisting that I make notes about her and her goals, so she will be the kick-butt heroine of book six and the first Shadows of Justice heroine who is not naturally psychically gifted.

3) What’s the genre of the book?

The Shadows of Justice series is a challenge to fit into one genre. Set in Chicago in the future, packed with action, romance, and psychic paranormal elements. Way back when it began, it fell into the paranormal romance or paranormal thriller category.

To me, I’ll always be a paranormal romance authors, but readers are welcome to label my books however they like. 😉

4) What actors would play the lead characters in your story?

This is something else I stink at. My characters are so real when I’m writing a book, but I rarely have real life actors in mind while I’m crafting them.

5) How would you describe your book in one sentence (10 words or less)?

Since Julia and Lucas’ story isn’t done yet, I’ll say: In the Interest of Security puts a new, terrifying wrinkle in parenting.

6) (a) How will your book be published, submitted through the traditional route to a traditional publisher or will you be handling it yourself through Indie Publishing methods? (b) If you’re an Indie Author, will you be publishing through your own Indie Publishing company or in a collective with other Indie Authors?

In the Interest of Security is part of an anthology which is published traditionally. But novels and short stories in the Shadows of Justice series are published independently.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of this book?

In an ideal circumstances I like to get my novel-length drafts down within four to six weeks. Then it’s a matter of revisions, beta readers, edits, etc. In the Interest of Security came together in less than three weeks due to the time constraints on the project.

8) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I was invited to contribute an original short story to the Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance based on a recommendation from author DebraWebb. The story itself stemmed from a brainstorming session with my husband and friends.

The Shadows of Justice series started way back when with a short story challenge and grew exponentially from there.

9) What about your book will pique the reader’s interest?

Like all my 2096 novels and short stories, In the Interest of Security will appeal to readers who enjoy a little romance along with a thriller-type adventure as Jim and Lorine struggle to protect her young son from the people who used her pregnancy as a genetic-military experiment.

Live the adventure!

Be sure to click through to these other talented writers: