The Next Big Thing

So, fantasy author, Beth Barany told me about a new meme, The Next Big Thing.  Of course, I had to play.

Here's some information about what I'm writing now...


What is the working title of your next book?

That’s kind of embarrassing, actually.  It’s Straw into Gold.  I pictured my heroine working for a demanding boss and my hero would come to her aid and eventually help her get out of there.  Then I realized that would make my hero an ugly elf named Rumpelstiltskin.  Instead, I picture the demanding boss more like the evil stepmother and stepsisters and my hero is both the fairy godmother and the prince.  I haven’t figured out a good title for a Cinderella story, though, so for now, I’m stuck with Straw into Gold.  If anyone would like to suggest a title, I’d appreciate it.  Comment below or write to me at authoralicegaines@yahoo.com

Will your book be published or represented by an agency?

I have a wonderful agent, and she’s currently sent the first book in the series, Kiss the Frog, to my publisher.  I’m hoping they’ll publish it.  If not, I’ll get around to self-publishing it one of these days.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I mentioned that it’s the second book in a series.  All the heroes are princes of an Eastern European country I made up named Danislova.  My coworker, who’s also my muse, and I thought up Kiss the Frog in one of our brainstorming sessions.  I gave the hero two brothers, and this hero is one of them.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s a hybrid of category contemporary romance and erotic romance.  I started out to write the first book as category, but my true nature couldn’t be stifled, and it ended up pretty erotic.  What can I say?  That’s how my brain works.  No snickering, please.  :)

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

I start a book on a Saturday, and the first draft is finished on the twelfth Monday after that for a 60,000 word book, or the fifth Monday for a 25,000 word novella.  I write 5,000 words per week until the book is done.  How long it takes to get the book polished enough to submit depends on how strong the first draft is, but I can predict when the first draft will be done almost down to the hour.

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

I really can’t say.  It’d be something lighthearted, even funny in places, contemporary, and extremely sexy.

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

Ryan Gosling and Jennifer Anniston

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I’d written so many short pieces over the last few years, some of them only 5,000 words long.  While they were fun, I had a real need to write something longer.  For a full-length book, Kiss the Frog, isn’t all that long, but if you extend the stories out for three princes, you get to stay in my world for quite a while.

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

My hero serves as Danislova’s ambassador to the UN during the day, but he has a secret passion for singing.  He studies with one of New York’s best teachers, but he keeps his singing to himself.  Not even his brothers or his father know about his love of music.

Also, I may set some of the story in Danislova, which is a beautiful country, full of mountains and meadows.  When Kurt’s at home, he lives in the royal palace.  His father is a fun character.  All of us in my critique group fell in love with Friedrich.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A prince from an Eastern European country pretends to be a struggling cabaret singer in order to win the heart of his own Cinderella.