Literary Promotion, part 3
My Sleuthsayers colleague, David Dean, has just published a new book The Thirteenth Child, and in the spirit of self-promotion and mutual aid, we’ve both agreed to be part of a Next Big Thing blog chain. You can read his answers to questions about The Thirteenth Child at his blog from November 27: www.Sleuthsayers.org.
Here go my answers to the blog questions about my newest novel.
Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book (or story)?
Fires of London
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Reading a biography of Francis Bacon, the 20th century English painter who became the protagonist
What genre does your book fall under?
mystery fiction
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Leonardo DiCaprio has the right sort of face for Bacon and Maggie Smith would be perfect for this dear nanny.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Painter serving as an air raid preparedness warden during the Battle of Britain becomes implicated in a series of murders.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It is published by mysteriouspress.com and is available in ebook form from a number of sources and in paperback from Amazon
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Less than a year
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I really don’t know. The setting is certainly dark but there’s probably a bit more humor in the narrator than in the typical noir novel, as my protagonist really does have a sense of the absurdity of life.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Inspiration is mysterious. Bacon just started talking to my inner ear and I went with it.
What else might pique a reader’s interest?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Bacon was a gay, promiscuous, hard-drinking genius, who survived, despite a rackety life, into old age. He was a very hard worker, a mostly self taught artist, obsessed with paint. I think the setting in the Blitz and the artist’s relationship with his old Nan are also different and intriguing.
Next Up:
Leigh Neely, writer, editor, blogger at Criminal Element and Women of Mystery, and one half of the writing duo that comprises Neely Powell, has agreed to continue the chain. They have a new novel coming out this spring and you can catch up with her and Jan Powell at www.neelypowell.com and get the early scoop on Second Nature, out soon from L & L Dreamspell.
