A Book Meme

Today I'm answering questions from a meme I found over at Writing While the Rice Boils (Debbie Maxwell Allen) and talking about my newest novel Dream of You. I haven't done anything like this before, Blogger scaredy-cat that I am, so this should be fun. Below are her questions, and my answers to them.

1. What is the name of your book?

Dream of You

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

Dream of You is the sequel to my novel Keep You. Keep You began with a couple – Joanna and Tam – a vision of their story, and that of Jo’s family and the way they’d impacted Tam from childhood to the present. I fell in love with the whole family and decided to give Jo’s brother Jordan his own book.

3. In what genre would you classify your book?

Contemporary fiction. It’s a love story, but not a true genre romance. See also #8.

4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?

I wish I could choose! I can never settle on an actor or actress because no one ever quite fits the picture I have in my mind. Sometimes the look is very similar, but the energy just isn’t right. No one “feels” like the characters for me. And I don’t ever want to taint a reader’s imagination by choosing an actor or actress she might not care for. My characters are more everyday beautiful than Hollywood glam anyway.

5. Give us a one-sentence synopsis of your book.

Professor and track coach Jordan Walker stands to lose his job, and all his jaded indifference, when he meets writer Ellie Grayson.

6. Is your book already published? Self-published or traditional?

It is self-published and will be released sometime in the next couple of weeks.

7. How long did it take you to write your book?

I began July of this year, so approximately three months. I’m writing full-time currently, so I was able to devote a lot of time in those three months.

8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?

Dream of You is a contemporary love story focused on true, intimate connections and relationship-building. It should appeal to fans of Nicholas Sparks and Marisa de los Santos.

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

As a reader, I crave realistic love stories in which I can become truly invested, so I decided to write them myself. The Walker family waltzed into my head one morning and they felt like old friends, so I decided to champion them.

10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.

More than anything I want my characters to be likeable. I want their romance to feel real and hot-blooded, but I want readers to walk away thinking you know, I really like those kids too.