Week #7 of The Next Big Thing and Triple 7 Challenge

Possible e-Book Cover

Welcome! Here’s the plan:

***Answer the ten questions (below) about your current WIP (Work In Progress).

     (I’ve chosen to answer one question per week with the best intentions of publishing my second novel by the time I post the final question.)

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

It’s that simple. When you post, please tweet me @GailMBaugniet so I can follow you!     

My friend, Ken (Author Kenneth Hoss, http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/) also invited me to join in a Triple 7 Challenge. Since this is Week #7, it fits in well here so I will answer the question and follow the rules for Triple 7: Share 7 lines from page 7 of your current novel or 77 words from a WIP.

Here is Question #7 of The Next Big Thing:

TNBT: How long did it take you to write the first full draft of your novel?

GAIL: I have the Pepper Bibeau Mystery Series loosely laid out with settings and story lines. When I get an idea for a story, I write a three-thousand to eight-thousand word shell of the story. For my WIP, Different In Degree, I wrote outline chapters a couple of years ago. After self-publishing my first novel, For Every Action, I dug out my notes in June, 2011, and started working on Different In Degree. I completed the first draft in January, 2012.

For the Triple 7 challenge, I am sharing 77 words from my WIP:
Different in Degree:

The temperature dropped . . .

Typical of Lake Michigan, the storm had built in a matter of minutes. As the ferry approached the entrance to Death’s Door, heavy gusts rocked the vessel. The corridor between the tip of the Peninsula and Plum Island’s coastline captured the howling winds. Each time the ferry lurched, more water sprayed the deck. My stranglehold on the rail slipped as I struggled for purchase, staring out at the open water and waiting for rescue.

AND NOW, a total of seven awesome writers/blog sites to visit:

1. Judy Harper http://www.acreativewriterinprogress.blogspot.com/

2. Morgan Bailey http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2012/08/12/baileys-writing-tips-short-stories-ep-014/

3. Eric (SpitToonsSaloon) http://spittoonssaloon.blogspot.com/

4. The Indie Exchange http://theindieexchange.com/

5.Virginia Lee https://dagonsblood.wordpress.com/

6. The Independent Author Network http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/index.html

7. Adam Sydney http://adamsydney.wordpress.com/

Full set of questions for The Next Big Thing Interview:

(Judy Harper suggested that for those writing The First Big Thing, unpublished authors modify the questions accordingly. I look forward to following her posts!)

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

What genre does your book fall under?

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

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

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

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

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

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

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

Week #6 of The Next Big Thing

The original design for
DIFFERENT IN DEGREE

Welcome back! Here’s a recap of the plan:

***Answer the ten questions (below) about your current WIP (Work In Progress).

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

It’s that simple.

I’ve chosen to answer one question per week with the best intentions of having my second novel published by the time I post the final question.

Here is Question #6 of The Next Big Thing:

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

GAIL: My second novel, Different in Degree, is “The Next Big Thing” for me and a “Work In Progress”. I published my first novel in 2011, submitting it in e-book format to Smashwords and Amazon for Kindle. CreateSpace printed the p-book which is for sale at my gift shop and through various other outlets.

I will continue to self-publish and market my novels in The Pepper Bibeau Mystery series.

While self-publishing may not be the ideal path for everyone, it is the perfect solution for me. I am able to move forward at my own pace. Also, the total experience of the journey out-shines any prize at rainbow’s end.

AND NOW, five awesome writers with roots to Hawaii whose work you want to watch:

1. Patricia Moran http://patricialmorin.com/

2. Gene Parola http://www.geneparola.com/

3. Rosemary and Larry Mild http://www.magicile.com/

4. Douglas Corleone http://www.thebigthrill.org/2012/07/last-lawyer-standing-by-douglas-corleone/

5. Lori Sailiata http://larabritt.com/2012/08/03/toastmasters-3701/

Full set of questions for The Next Big Thing Interview. 

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

What genre does your book fall under?

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

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

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

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

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

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

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

Week #5 of The Next Big Thing

Welcome to Week #5 of The Next Big Thing! Here’s the plan:

***Answer the ten questions (below) about your current WIP (Work In Progress)

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

It’s that simple.

I’ve chosen to answer one question per week with the best intentions of having my second novel published by the time I post the final question.

Question #5 of The Next Big Thing:

TNBT: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

GAIL: The one-sentence synopsis of my WIP, Different in Degree is:

A cousin of Insurance Investigator Pepper Bibeau dies after falling from an icy rooftop and her husband refuses to claim the insurance settlement, raising questions about more than one death in Pepper's family.

AND NOW, five awesome writers whose work you want to watch:

1. Coral Russell @AlchemyofScrawl http://alchemyscrawl.com/

2. John Betcher @JohnBetcher http://www.johnbetcher.com/

3. Elizabeth McKenna @ElizaMcKenna http://elizabethmckenna.com/

4. Carole Sutton @cazutt http://casutton.tripod.com/cazutt/

5. Stacy Juba @stacyjuba http://stacyjuba.com/blog/

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

What genre does your book fall under?

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

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Week #4 of THE NEXT BIG THING: Casting

This is week four of TNBT a fun blog questionnaire for The Next Big Thing.

Here’s the plan:

***Answer the ten questions listed below about a current WIP (Work In Progress).

***Tag five other writers (five awesome writers whose work you want us to watch) and link their blogs so we can all hop over and check them out! It’s that simple.

I’ve chosen to answer one question per week with ‘the best laid plans’ of publishing my second novel by the time the ink dries on the final question. 

Here is Question #4 of The Next Big Thing: 

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

GAIL: Until this question arose, I hadn't given much thought to movie renditions of my novel's characters. I knew readers would probably provide their own vivid depictions of my characters as they read the Pepper Bibeau mysteries. I wouldn’t want to override the images they form in their minds. I am willing to make a couple of suggestions though.

My female protagonist is of mixed heritage, including paternal Western European and maternal East Asian and Hawaiian, so other than an amalgam of Keanu Reeves (for the Hawaiian and Caucasian) and Lucy Liu (for the Asian), I’m not sure who would fit the bill. Besides, the two of them back-to-back (think Matrix and Charlie’s Angels) cast a thinner shadow than my Polynesian-framed protagonist, Pepper.

For the first Pepper Bibeau mystery, I did have an actor in mind for one character, Homicide Sergeant Tobias Robertson of the Chicago Police Department. Ernie Hudson was the original role model for Toby. He has appeared in a wide range of movies including Ghostbusters, Congo, and Sugar Hill. Another actor who could fill the role is Denzel Washington, or even Wesley Snipes. I just watched the movie Jerry Maguire again and would have to say, definitely not Cuba Gooding Jr!

All of my characters stand out in my mind, but not in physical form. As I write their scenes, I feel their mass, height, coloring, and attitude. When Pepper’s Uncle Fred grumbles, it is the purring of an old softy that I hear. Though Pepper’s uncle, Maluhia Peleke (Fred) Kane, is Hawaiian, keep in mind that he bears no resemblance to Don Ho or Jack Lord’s Steve McGarrett. How about Duke Kahanamoku?

And now, five awesome writers whose work you want to watch:

1. Rich Weatherly http://richweatherly.wordpress.com/

2. Judith Price http://www.judithprice.com/

3. Peter Bradbury http://petercbradbury.blogspot.com/2012/06/press-release.html

4. Gordon Kessler http://gordonkessler.com/

5. Florence Osmund http://www.florenceosmund.com/

Full set of questions for The Next Big Thing Interview:

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea for the book come from?

What genre does your book fall under?

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

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

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

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

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

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

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

Week #3 of The Next Big Thing: Genre

Second mystery in the series
featuring the amazing Charlie Chan,
Detective-Sergeant of the Honolulu Police

The Plan:

***Answer the ten questions below about a current Work In Progress.

***Tag five other writers (five awesome writers whose work you want us to watch) and link their blogs so we can all hop over and check them out! It’s that simple.

I’ve chosen to answer one question per week with the best intentions of having my novel published by the time I post the final question.

Question #3 of The Next Big Thing:

TNBT: What genre does your book fall under?

GAIL: I’ve always been a fan of stories that fall under the category of Mysteries and its many subgenres: Detective stories, Crime Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Police Procedurals, and the Traditional Cozy. There wasn’t much I didn’t consider “Mystery” at the time. I wouldn’t have made a very good librarian.

The novels I signed out of my home town library, back when, always included murder: on-scene, off-stage, imagined or heart-stopping fact. The characters enthralled me with their colorful personalities. Their authors blessed them with such unique names as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Mrs. Dalloway, Dr. Jekyll, Don Quixote, Jean Valjean, Philip Marlowe, and Charlie Chan.

Later, while the plots still included mystery and murder, the protagonists’ names changed to Kinsey Millhone, Jason Bourne, Anna Pigeon, Lucas Davenport, V.I. Warshawski, Harry Bosch, Irene Kelly, Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli. In recent years, I've added Lei Teixera and Louise Golden and Pepper Bibeau.

My novels are Mysteries, though they don’t necessarily follow all the rules. If you’ve read the rules on writing mystery novels, then you know it is okay to bend them when it comes to setting, sex of hero (no, not the abstinence or practice of), and two-character per scene limit.

The subgenre of the Pepper Bibeau Mysteries, by my definition, is Soft-Core Investigator, as opposed to Hard-Core Detective. Early in the novel Different in Degree, aka WIP, insurance investigator Pepper Bibeau hastily explains to someone asking for her help: “I’m not a detective or a private investigator. My job is to straighten out complications of insurance claims.” Somehow, though, Pepper’s investigations always lead her into the dark recesses of murder.

Next week’s question: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

And now, five awesome writers whose work you want to watch:

Alison Bruce http://alisonebruce.blogspot.com/ @alisonebruce

Stella Atrium http://speakingincommunity.blogspot.com/ @SAtrium

Richard Weatherly http://richweatherly.wordpress.com/ @richweatherly43

Cynthia Meyers-Hanson http://mchanson714.blogspot.com/ http://mchanson714.weebly.com/ @Hanson8046 @mchanson714

J. A. Schneider http://mindi.authormeanders.com/2012/06/author-j-a-schneider-merging-idea-with-character-in-storytelling/ @JoyceSchneider1

Questions for The Next Big Thing Interview

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea for the book come from?

What genre does your book fall under?

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

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

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

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

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

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

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

The Next Big Thing

Laurie Hanan, author of the Louise Golden mystery series, has invited me to participate in a blog event: The Next Big Thing (TNBT). ). Laurie was invited to TNBT by Toby Neal, author of Blood Orchid (The Lei Crime Series). The event consists of 10 questions about your current WIP (Work in Progress.) Here’s the plan:

A. Answer the ten TNBT questions listed below about your current WIP (Work In Progress)

B. Tag five other writers and link their blogs so we can all hop over and read their answers.

It’s that simple. 

The handbook, Writing Mysteries, edited by Sue Grafton, lists the rules of mystery writing and which ones can be bent. The only one I actually break is having more than two characters in a scene. For the rules of The Next Big Thing, I will definitely tag five other writers and link to their blogs so you can hop over and check out their sites. I am tweeking the other rule by dividing up the questions. I will answer one question per week, tag five more writers, and include links to their sites. My goal is to transform my WIP into a published work between now and week 10.

Here is Question #1 of The Next Big Thing:

TNBT: What is the title of your book/WIP? 

GAIL: The short title of the second novel in my Pepper Bibeau Mystery Series is Different in Degree. Laurie Hanan said in her TNBT interview, “All the titles in the Louise Golden mystery series come from songs, and refer to Paradise or Heaven.” The titles of my novels are best described as ‘axiom paraphrases’. My first novel is FOR EVERY ACTION There Are Consequences. The full title of my second novel is Identical in Nature, DIFFERENT IN DEGREE. 

This is my personal rendering of a book cover for Different in Degree. My first novel has a stark white background with a black silhouette of Chicago’s skyline and blood dripping down to form the skyline’s shadow. I decided to stick with the same color scheme. The book cover for Different in Degree represents several facets of the novel: 

1. Similarities and Contrasts of Characters

2. Change of seasons within the story

3. Family tree and Genealogy plot influence

4. The Protagonist’s home states - Hawaii and Wisconsin 

Though I want to use this cover, that step of the publishing process is in the future. Editing the completed manuscript for Different in Degree is the current step! 

And now, five awesome writers whose work you want to watch:

http://westoftheequator.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/the-next-big-thing/ Laurie Hanan (Traditional Mystery)

http://www.tobyneal.net/2012/06/23/the-next-big-thing/ Toby Neal (Crime Suspense)

http://www.virtual-zen.com/liz_logic  Elizabeth Egerton Wilder(Historical Novel)

http://kenhoss.blogspot.com/ Kenneth Hoss (Police Procedural)

http://www.karin-kaufman.blogspot.com/ Karen Kaufman (Mystery) 

Here is the full list of The Next Big Thing questions for you to copy and paste to your blog along with your answers. Just tag five awesome writers and add their links so we can all follow along.

1.  What is the title of your book/WIP?

2.  Where did the idea for the book come from?

3.  What genre would your book fall under?

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

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

6.  Is your book published or represented?

7.  How long did it take you to write?

8.  What other books within your genre would you compare it to?

9.  Which authors inspired you to write this book?

10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.