Last week author Jill Eileen
Smith http://www.jilleileensmith.com/blog/ was kind enough to tag me in a blog
hop, called The Next Big Thing. As
part of the “hop” I am supposed to answer ten questions about my current book
project. So here goes.
1. What is the working title of your book?
My current book, due out soon,
is With Grateful Hearts, from Guideposts Books’ Miracles of Marble Cove.
That is the final title.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
My editors.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
With Grateful Hearts is part of
a cozy mystery series centered on coincidences too amazing to be anything but
God in the lives of four friends, and their quests to solve secrets from the
past in a small Maine seaside town steeped in history.
The series features the daily
dilemmas and relationships of four women—neighbors drawn together by the shared
experiences of life-saving miracles—whose ages span five decades.
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?
That took some thought. If this
book were made into a movie, I would cast the four main characters as:
Novelist Diane Spencer would be
played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
Artist and gallery owner
Margaret Hoskins would be played by Kathy Bates.
Mayor, entrepreneur Beverly
Wheeland would be played by Rachel Weisz.
Professional baker, SAHM would
be played by Jennifer Lawrence.
5. What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
When four friends set out to
discover what happened to the Railway Station Master who disappeared 61 years
ago, and save the historic, abandoned train station, life throws each of them a
curve that they must overcome before they can solve their mystery and
accomplish their goal.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
This book and the Miracles of
Marble Cove series are available through Guideposts Books.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your
manuscript?
I wrote With Grateful Hearts in three months, while on the road, traveling in
an RV from Washington State to Alaska and back along the ALCAN Highway.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
This book is like a cross
between the Mitford books and Murder She Wrote, without the murder.
9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I am one of a team of authors
writing for this series. The series and mysteries are a collaborative effort
with Guideposts Books and our wonderful editors and a team of great authors,
each writing individual books. The stories are fun, but the characters face
real life challenges. It may sound crazy, but as I write about them, they
inspire me.
10. What else about
your book might pique the reader’s interest?
With Grateful Hearts and all of the Miracles of Marble Cove books are perfect for curling up in a comfy chair and taking a mini-vacation to visit this charming seaside town. The friends experience challenges
most of us face, fear or dream about in our lives. Their heartwarming stories and relationships hold insights and
inspiration for all of us.
With Grateful Hearts finds the four friends
supporting each other through their individual challenges. Young mother Shelley
is building a bakery business out of her home and has an opportunity to take
over management of the town’s coffee shop. Can she balance business and a young
family? Diane is battling breast cancer and realizes how much she needs her
friends. Beverly is elected mayor of Marble Cove and planning a wedding, but
her fiancé lives in the city and they must decide where they will live after
the wedding. And Margaret, a retired accountant who has started a second career
in art, discovers her bucket list from college and is dismayed by the dreams
she never accomplished.
Next week, hop to three great authors and read about their Next Big
Thing.
