My (Other) Next Big Thing: Back to the Blog Hop

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I know I did this already, but I've been tagged again by another set. And since I happen to be working on a different project now than the last time, I figured what the heck, it's fun, so let's do it again!

This blog  hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and tags five other authors who link back to their website the next week and tag five new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the next big thing.

This time I was tagged by Paul Anthony Shortt, author of Locked Within, and Lucienne Diver. You can learn more about her new book Fantabulous on her blog.

For those who haven't encountered this hop before, it includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress. Here’s a little info about my current project:

1: What is the working title of your book?

It's still in draft stage, so I've been calling it "the heist book." At one point it was called Ice Heist, but that'll probably change.

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

My husband had one of his fantastic "what if?" ideas coming back from lunch one day. He asked me (out of the blue I might add) "What if kids had to pull a heist?" Okay, so he was more specific about the kind of heist, but it's the big reveal for the ending and I don't want to give it away before the book is even written. It was a great idea, and then later, he had an idea on how to turn it into a series. I loved it so much I knew I had to do it.

3: What genre does your book fall under?

Middle grade mystery, but it has some adventure tossed in as well.

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

The only one I know for sure is Kaylee. She'd be Ariel Winter from Modern Family. It's so new there's still a lot to figure out before I'd be able to pick anyone.

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

When a thought-he-was-a-friend rips off a group of kids, they vow revenge by planning a heist to take back what was stolen from them.

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

Represented by an agency, my fabulous agent Kristin Nelson.

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

Still in progress. It's a short novel, and those always seem to take a lot longer than you'd think.

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

Hard to say, since I haven't found anything in the middle grade area that's exactly like it. The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander is in the ballpark though.

9: Who or What inspired you to write this book?

The hubby had the idea spark, but I'd been wanting to do a middle grade series for boys for a while. It's a departure for me since it's set in the real world, and I've always done fantasy or science fiction before. I love the premise, so I'm happy to dive in and try something new.

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

It has a spoof/satire element I think both kids and their parents will enjoy. It'll also be a fun, wacky adventure that is reminiscent of how I used to play when I was a kid. I'd work out these elaborate stories and my friends and I would act out our parts. Like, what if we were international jewel thieves, or superheroes, or monster hunters. Playing made real.

Normally this is where I'd tag five more authors and they'd do their blog hops, but since I've already done that (and next week is Christmas, so lots of folks are away) I thought I'd tag you guys instead.

What is your next big thing? What are you working on?