The Next Blog Hop

         So I was tagged by Liz here on her website, dorm room dreamer, to do the next blog spot about my work in progress. So here goes nothing….

What is the working title of your book?

Right now the book is entitled Isle of Exiles. So far I’ve stuck with it but who knows what it will be called by time it’s fully finished.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Everything sprang from the main character, Gaven Leander. He’s a teenage boy who’s grown up in a small town named Priori and that town has taught him to fear and despise magic in every form. That’s always been his biggest fear too. He wants to be normal, just like how everyone treats him, but he knows there’s something not quite right about himself. He feels it. Just underneath, in the pit of his stomach. It’s like an animalistic urge that trying to claw its way out. Of course, later on in the book, at least the way it’s planned, he finds out just how different he really is. You see, Gaven is an Anrosian- a human with the ability to shape-shift into a lion- and he’s the first of his kind in over 300 years.

Once I came up with Gaven, whose theme song seems to be Burnout by GreenDay, the rest of the story started to take shape.

What genre does your book fall under?

This is definitely a fantasy. I’m aiming for the teen and young adult market, but I’d be ecstatic if it crosses over to the adult market as well.

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

Never really thought about it and really it’s way too soon to even consider it.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Ick. Okay, here goes nothing.

When the Elven Queen saw the Leo stars appearing in the night sky, she sends her abomination of an assassin after the teenage boy before he can discover the prophesized power that’s lying dormant within him.

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

Agency publication is the goal. Fingers crossed!

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

It’s still in process. I’ll tell you when I’m done. *wink*

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

I’m really not sure. There are so many different aspects of this story that it would be impossible for me to make a true comparison. But if you like novels like The Mortal Instruments, Tithe, and Eragon, then you may like what I have cooking up.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I kind of came up with the main character by accident but not everyone understood it. So I wrote a quick little short on the character. It was about Gaven during the latter half of a fight to the death that he was losing. I wanted it to have a lot of tension to give the reader a sense of Gaven’s fear, and how that fear unlocked his ability. The little story got such a great reaction that I had to keep going with it. Everything from there kind of just fell into place.

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

It’s all in a world where elves, humans, fae, and a few other species live as separated as possible, and the Elven Queen will do anything she can to keep it that way. The story is set in modern times but lacks things like cars, tv’s, and microwaves, mainly due to issues with electricity and magic.

Also, I’ve always thought that every good story needs a great villain. The main villain in this story is the Elven Queen, who crossed the lines years ago in order to do what she thought was protecting her people. This includes banishing her infant daughter and creating an immortal abomination as her assassin. I can’t tell you much about the assassin right now, but he’s the polar opposite of Gaven and his kind. Where Anrosians are said to be kissed by the sun, the assassin was cursed by the moon (and no, he’s not a werewolf). Usually neither of the two species can’t rest till they kill the other one, but Gaven’s Mum was murdered by this thing. So he has a bit of vengeance fueling him as well.

Of course Gaven had no idea about who he is or what chaos he’s about to get shoved into. I almost feel sorry for him.

     Auzy