Thanks to my adorable but snarky critique partner, Andris Bear, I’ve been “tagged” in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. And this thing is BIG. Big as the moon big! I’m not sure how long it’s been going on, but you can back track through the blogs and see what all your favorite authors have been up to lately. And maybe even meet some new authors.

But be warned, this thing is exponential. Because whoever started it, tagged more than one author, who in turn, tagged several others.

Each author answers ten questions about their latest project, whether it’s a new release, a work in progress, or in my case, a soon-to-be released paranormal romance from The Black Rose line of The Wild Rose Press.

Simple. Huh? And loads of fun. So here goes!

1. What is the working title of your book? Embrace the Darkness. It’s more than a “working” title. The book just went to galley, which means a proof copy is being created to send to review sites. It means, I’ll soon have a release date. It means, I already have a fabulous cover by the wonderful and talented Angela Anderson.

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

Embrace the Darkness is the sequel to my 2010 paranormal vampire romance, Out of the Darkness. As soon as I introduced Gerard Delaroche in OTD, I knew he’d have to have his own book. So, this is his story. There also some new characters as well as several “appearances” from old characters.

3. What is the genre of the book?

Both ETD and OTD are paranormal romances.

4.Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Easy. Wrestler/actor, John Cena would be perfect for Gerard Delaroche. I even mention his name in my book. And Jessica Biel could play former MP turned detective Amber Buckley. Yea, having even one of my books turned into a movie would definitely be a dream come true!

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

 To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

It’s being published by The Wild Rose Press.

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

 It took a little over three years from start to finish. I received the offer to publish Out of The Darkness on Mother’s Day 2009. The book came out almost exactly a year to the date in May 2010. I started writing Embrace the Darkness (which was originally called Into the Light–thanks Andris Bear for suggesting the new title!) as soon as I completed the galleys for OTD. It was the first book in which I used a plot chart. But, when I got to chapter 10, I realized the story wasn’t going to work. There were major plot holes and I had a problem with the heroine. So, I gave Gerard a different love interest and started over. From scratch. But I couldn’t give the manuscript the attention it needed because between OTD and ETD, I published 3 other books. So, it’s taken a bit longer than I’d planned.

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

I’d like to think I have an original voice and there’s no comparison. lol! To be honest, the last vampire series I read was Jenna Black‘s Guardians of the Night series. Jenna was my critique partner for Out of the Darkness, but we have different styles/voices. But being compared to her would totally make my day.

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

I thought about doing a sequel to Out of the Darkness while writing it. But family, friends, and my co-workers at Granville Medical Center kept after me to “just do it.” So, I did. And while researching ancient vampire legends, I came up with a working plot for Embrace the Darkness.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Vampirsm is a virus–a possibly curable virus. But will a cure for the condition lead to a war between mortals and immortals? I guess I’ll have to write book three in the series to find out. lol!

Next author up? None other than Brenda Gayle. And no, we’re not related, but don’t you just love her last name? lol! Check back to see when Brenda’s blog goes live and follow the tour!