Yay, us!

You can see a complete list of the nominations at AudioFile Magazine.

Whenever I talk to the writers (who are awesome, by the way), I start imagining who I would cast in the various roles.  I’ve done this before with Amelia and Devlin so this time I thought I’d concentrate on the secondary characters.  And to give it a little twist, I’m just going to post the photos of the actors and see if you can guess the role I’d have them play.

Here is a photograph from an old graveyard in Texarkana, Texas, that he shot on his way back to Houston from Arkansas just after Christmas.  He doesn’t remember the name of the place, but I looked it up and, fittingly, I believe this photo is from Rose Hill Cemetery.

Notice the tiny form lurking beneath that large hanging branch and behind the wrought iron fence (to the far right in the first photo).  For obvious reasons, we’ve titled this one, “What is that?”

_{Click each image for larger view.}

Some of the questions got me thinking back over my twenty-five year career path and I had an epiphany of sorts.  I’ve come full circle.  I’m now writing exactly what I set out to write lo those many years ago—a Gothic romance.

Like my protagonist, Amelia, I’ve always loved Gothic novels, starting with the classics that I read back in high school and continuing on with contemporary authors like Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney and my beloved Mary Stewart.

Those are the kinds of stories I had in mind to write back in the eighties when I first started in this business but naively failed to take into account the changing times.  Publishing houses were looking for something edgier and sexier while I was still stubbornly trying to rewrite Nine Coaches Waiting.  I even had an editor ask me once why I wrote with a British accent.  lolol

So I adapted.  And I wrote fifty-something romantic suspense novels and a few thrillers along the way, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. But with the Graveyard Queen series, I’ve finally been able to revisit my first love, the Gothic.

What genre or even a specific book made you fall in love with reading/writing?

But there is one trick I’ve learned over the years that I’m more than happy to pass along, although I have a feeling it may be one of those things that doesn’t work for, well, anyone but me.  Nevertheless, here we go.

Years ago I attended a workshop where the speaker claimed that female writers often over-write their male characters, especially when it comes to dialogue.  We have a tendency to have our pretend men speak the way we would like real-life men to speak, i.e. more like us.  I don’t know if this is true for most or even a few female writers, but it struck a chord with me.  My male characters do tend to get a little chatty.

So my trick is simply this: if I have a male character that is getting too verbose, I allow Clint Eastwood circa Two Mules for Sister Sara to slip into my head.  To be clear, none of my characters look like Clint or act like Clint or even speak like Clint.  I’m not even a big Clint Eastwood fan.  But hearing his voice in my head allows me to trim the dialogue.  Then I go back in and tweak word choice, phrasing and tags to make it true to my character.

Ta-da.  Tip of the day, for whatever it’s worth.

Oh, and Cillian Murphy seems to work for me, too.

P.S.  I love Shirley MacLaine

I was tagged by the fabulous Laura Benedict, whose books include Isabella Moon, Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts (one of my all-time favorite reads) and Devil’s Oven, as well as the tasty anthology Surreal South. Bestselling author JT Ellison says of Devil’s Oven: “…stunning and lyrical and all kinds of creepy. Benedict taps into our childhood’s grimmest fairy tales, and takes them in a delightfully spooky new direction. [She] has graced us with a sophisticated and thoroughly grown-up contemporary nightmare. I won’t sleep easy for days.” That description pretty much sums up Laura’s writing: stunning, lyrical and all kinds of creepy. I call it poetic horror.

Now to the questions!

1) What is the working title of your book?

Chrysalis is Book One of my new series for Harlequin Teen. I actually just finished the Art Fact Sheet and now I can’t wait to see that first cover.

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

The story has taken so many unexpected turns and I’ve added so many layers that I’m not sure I can pinpoint the original spark. I woke up one morning with the idea stuck in my head—a girl attacked and left for dead lingers in a coma, trapped in the chrysalis of her own body until her soul discovers a way to break free. It’s sort of Freaky Friday meets The Hunger Games.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

YA paranormal thriller.

4) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie version?

Hmm, I can see Willa Holland as Camilla (the girl in the coma), Shailene Woodley as Hanna (who becomes host to Camilla’s soul), Pierre Boulanger as Ethan (the love interest) and Alex Pettyfer as Atticus (a dangerous tracker with an agenda).

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

A young coma patient’s soul jumps from body to body, searching for her would-be killer.

6) Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

It will be out in February, 2014, from Harlequin Teen.

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

I’m still in the process of writing it as well as finishing up The Visitor, Book Four, of The Graveyard Queen series.

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

I think readers who like the Wake series by Lisa McMann will enjoy this series, as well as Alyson Noel’s Soul Seekers Book One—Fated.

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

The YA genre in general. I find the creativity and originality in so many of those novels completely awe-inspiring and not a little intimidating.

10) What else about your book might pique a reader’s interest?

Chrysalis is just the beginning of a much larger, deeper, scarier adventure. Once the details of Camilla’s past are revealed, she becomes the target of a powerful organization bent on returning her to the fold. Not only will she have to fight for her life, but for her very identity.

The next writers on the hop are…

Jordan Dane

B. J. Daniels

On Wednesday, January 23th, these writers will post about their own Next Big Thing. Both are amazingly prolific and terrifically talented. I know you’ll enjoy getting to know them.

Note:

Jordan Dane will give away an audio book in conjunction with the hop. Enter as many times as you want and there will be several simple ways to throw your name in. Open to international entrants, too. “Award-winning voice actor Michelle Ann Dunphy gives a stunning and emotional performance in this 8-hour 48-minute unabridged Audible recording of In the Arms of Stone Angels.”

So we had this long discussion over the holidays about the name of my young adult protagonist.  In my head, she looks a lot like Camilla Belle in When A Stranger Calls.  And since I love, love, LOVE the name Camilla Belle, I decided to use the first name and come up with an equally compelling last night.

Right now I’m calling her Camilla Snow.  My detractors, who shall remain nameless (Lucas and Leanne), argue that it sounds too made up and that Snow is too uncommon.  But I kind of like made up sounding names because I think they’re memorable.  Like Veronica Mars.  Stephanie Plum.  Atticus Finch.  Holly Golightly.  Jack Sparrow.   Hannibal Lecter.  Donnie Darko.  Gilbert Grape.  Harry Lime.  See what I mean?  Memorable.

Any suggestions for a unique/compelling last name to go with Camilla?  Or an awesome first name to go with Belle?  Or just strange names in general?

Hello, 2013.

I always find the start of a new year very exciting (as opposed to the beginning of a new book, which is terrifying because I’m sure I’ve already used up all my best ideas and all the good words in previous stories).

2013 has the possibility to be an especially thrilling year for me, what with the continuation of The Graveyard Queen series, the approaching launch date of my first YA paranormal thriller and the prospect that I may actually get to see some of my most beloved characters come to life in a television pilot for NBC (fingers and toes all crossed on that one).

In Graveyard Queen Book Four, THE VISITOR, Amelia faces new challenges, new dangers, and an even more terrifying gift from the legacy she uncovered in THE KINGDOM.  Devlin is hiding his own secret, one that is far darker and deadlier than anything Amelia could have imagined. With her destiny and Devlin’s past on a collision course, Amelia receives guidance from an unexpected visitor.

As you can imagine with tentative titles like CHRYSALIS, CHANGELING and FLUTTER, my YA series will be bursting with moth and butterfly imagery and motifs.  Fitting, since I’ll be dealing with matters of the soul.  I don’t want to reveal too much about the series at the moment, but I’ll leave you with this comment from one of my critique partners:  “It’s kind of like HUNGER GAMES with clones and soul-jumping.”

Here are some year-end lists that I like:

Between Dreams and Reality

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

The Demon Librarian

Books, Belles and Beaux

Awesome Sauce Book Club

No year-end festivities would be complete without a shout-out to all the wonderful friends and readers who’ve been so supportive over the years, especially with my Graveyard Queen series.  You’ve helped me reach a new milestone in my career with this series and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Best,

Amanda

Does she look anything like your vision of Amelia Gray?