Then after I agreed to the blog chain, I got a little stressed out because I had no idea what I was supposed to blog on. Usually I only blog when the mood strikes, which isn't very often. But thankfully, the criteria was preset, so today's blog is a Q&A about my latest WIP (Work In Progress to all you non-writer peeps). I hope you'll forgive me for using the book I finished this summer, since I haven't actually started anything new yet. Yes, I know I'm a slacker, but editing/revising takes forever, especially if you've decided to tackle all five of your books!
What is the working title of your book?
OMEGA
Where did the idea come from for the book?
A dream. One of those, "I had a cool dream about a video game that actually killed one of the players in real life when he died in the game." But after that, I was completely on my own to come up with the actual plot of the video game, etc.
What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary YA w/ elements of adventure/romance/sci-fi
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Royce: Demi Lavato
Beck: Colin Ford
Cailee: Hayden Panettiere
Kade: Angus T. Jones
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When the new virtuality video game, Omega, converges with Royce Larkin's reality, no one will believe her--that is, until someone dies in the game, and in real life.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Hopefully repped by my "perfect fit" agent and sold to my "perfect fit" editor.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took ten months to write the first draft of OMEGA, which is a bit longer than any of my other books. I got hung up trying to create the plot/world of my video game, which was like having to write a book in itself. For several months, I shot down every idea I came up with until I finally forced myself to run with one of them.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I've been told my writing style is similar to Sarah Dessen, Cynthia Hand and Anna Banks. I've also been told I have a snarky, sarcastic voice. It might not be a compliment, but I'm taking it as one.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
The romantic element was heavily inspired by Jane Austen (think, my version of PERSUASION). In building my video game world, though, my husband was a huge inspiration, since he's the gamer and I know next to nothing about them. The only kind of video games I like are the racing ones (MarioKart is my fav).
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
First, the video game world in Omega. It's a futuristic, dystopian-style Earth w/ fantastical elements. The gamers earn statuses (abilities) like healing and invisibility, and can do other things they could never do in real life. Omega also has the coolest weapons EVER. Like a mind-control gun. And a missile launcher whose owner becomes its eyes. Oh, and I can't leave out the scary canal monsters or faceless, hooded figures hunting the players, either.
Second, no parents! Royce's Ps are conviently out of the country during most of this book. Gotta love that.
Third, a unique love triangle. Lately YA has seen a lot of two boys in love with the same girl. I'm so over that. In OMEGA, Royce and her BFF are in love with the same guy (only her BFF doesn't know she is).
Fourth, funny lines like the following: No more nostalgic sniffing of ex-boyfriend. Royce is particularly obsessed with Beck's smell because it brings back all of her memories of him.