The Next Big Thing

A friend of mine Lesley Conner tagged me in a blog of hers and I have been tasked to answering questions about my lasted work in progress, so I chose to talk about my novel Blood Feud.


What is the working title of your book?

The title of my current novel that I am writing on is call Blood Feud. It is the first of six books in a series called Emperors of Ethia. And yes, I already have titles and basic plots all lined up for the other five books.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea was actually formulated from a hodge podge of ideas, but I think the original idea came from one of my favorite television shows Prison Break. I fell in love with the character Michael Scofield and that love transcended into a main character for my series. I also have a huge love of the old Sherlock Holmes stories and that inspired my second character who is closely linked to the main character throughout the series.

What genre does your book fall under?

Blood Feud is definitely a science fiction book that is jammed packed with adventure and political intrigue.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Ooh, good question. Well, since my main character is based off a character Miller Wentworth played, it would only be fair to give him first rights to place Adar Zahn. :)

As for Markus Nador... a bad boy type would work just fine.

King Rainus Nador... Sean Connery for sure! An older version Sean Connery not James Bond Connery.

Emperor Gharr Zahn... Ian McShane.. yeah he could do Gharr very well!

Zorren Zahn... maybe Gary Oldman, but a younger, darker version.

Tessa Zahn...Liv Talor, but younger like in Armageddon

Jarl Dexter... I'm not sure. I'm thinking someone unknown. Older, dark, and has that career solider look.


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Just one sentence. Okay, let's see what I can do...

It's a story about the most disfunctional family you'll ever run across as a father demands each of his eight sons to kill each other for his throne, and the youngest son struggles to come to terms with a rite he doesn't agree with as he's forced to participate whether he likes it or not.


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I'm looking for an agency, but am not apposed to the idea of self-publication if I cannot find the right home. I realize that I am pushing the boundaries with some of where I take my book and that there may not a so called home for my novel. In the end this book is more for myself than anyone. It's a story I have always wanted to read, but have yet to see.


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

I actually wrote the rough draft of Shadow Games (book 2), before I started on Blood Feud, but afterward realized I needed to start earlier in the story. I started Blood Feud in June of this year. I have 32 chapter written and have about 10 more chapters to write before I will be finished with the first draft. I hope to have a completed draft by the end of the year.


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

I think my story is really a combination of a lot of books, but if I had to narrow it down I would say it's a Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones meets Star Wars kind of thing.


Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I think this story was born out my own dysfunctional family. Let's face it, I had a really rocky childhood and my relationship with my family has been precarious at best. So I would say all the members of my family inspired me to write this over a lifetime of frustration and trying to figure out where we fit in each other's lives.

Also, my great love of science fiction determined the scene for the series. I always wanted to write a story set in a universe full of aliens, spaceships, and strange new worlds.


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

This book is set in a galaxy light-years away from Earth. It's a story that traverses the stars and planets of an Empire that's held strong for millennia, but that strength is tested from the turmoil of the politics inside and from the outside, as a strange alien race attacks Ethia's borders in random raids.