The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Look at me!  I was tagged in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop by the amazing Bethany Hagan to answer a few questions about the novel that I’m currently preparing for submission!
1)      What is the working title of your book? VEILED

2)      Where did the idea come from? I was watching a Star Trek: Next Generation episode in which there was an alien woman born to take on a personality alluring to the men around her.  I was disappointed that they didn’t explore more of the complexities of that idea, so I decided to do so myself (outside the Star Trek context, of course).  The full idea developed from there.

3)      What genre does your book fall under? Young Adult Sci Fi, although it could equally be called steampunk or high fantasy.

4)      What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  Well, in my world heavier women are considered the most attractive–somewhere around a size 14–so there aren’t a lot of starlets who would fit that body type, unfortunately.  The only actor that I’d really want to be a particular character is I’d like to see Michael Emerson (Ben from lost) be the bad guy Folcher.  He’s who I had in mind when I was writing.

5)      What is the one sentence synopsis of your book? In Eskalfalia, where women are genetically programed to take on the personality desired by men, Aveza of Thundersleam flees the palace and the only life she’s ever known to protect her life and her mind.

6)      Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?  I’m represented by Pooja Menon of Kimberley, Cameron and Associates, and the book should be going out on submission by the end of the month if it all goes well.

7)      How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  About two-three months.

8)      What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  There are some comparisons to be made to Shadow and Bone in that they’re both high fantasies with light steampunk elements.  Also, Shadow and Bone’s world is inspired by Russian culture, whereas the world in VEILED is inspired by Ottoman culture.

9)      Who or what inspired you to write this book?  I find gender issues fascinating, but I also love adventure stories and this marries both.

10)   What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?  The reason the novel is entitled VEILED is that all unmarried (or “unattached”) women in the world have to have their body completely covered, including a veil over their face to prevent their mind from being taken over by the men around them.  While I didn’t originally intend this when I was conceptualizing the book, this ultimately led to some obvious parallels with conservative Islamic cultures.

Thanks for reading.  If you have a blog and would like me to pass the Blog Hop torch to you, please let me know!  I’d love to read all about whatever you have in the works, whether it be a WiP, a book out on sub, or one soon to be released.