Week 33 is my stop on a blog hop set up to help readers discover authors new to them. On each stop, you’ll find an author’s answers to 10 questions about a book or a work in progress and links to three to five other authors. We include behind-the-screen tidbits about why we write and how we choose titles, characters, plots, themes, etc.

My thanks to fellow author Carolyn Mulford  for inviting me to participate in this event. To learn more about her and her work, click on this link: http://www.carolynmulford.com

Before I start, though… It’s here!  The Wizard’s Shield is now available for purchase in trade paperback and ebook.  Links at the end of the post.

Here are my answers to the questions of the Next Big Thing.

1: What is the title of your latest book?

The Wizard’s Shield isn’t exactly new, but is a re-release of the book that was titled Magic, Murder and Microcircuits.  Unfortunately neither the cover nor title really worked for the book, since they didn’t convey the genre of a contemporary paranormal mystery/romance. Of course that’s a lot of genres to represent, but I think the new cover and title do a good job of conveying it.

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

I don’t remember exactly.  It usually takes more than one idea for a book to come about. The basic idea probably owes a lot to the Harry Potter books since I sometimes describe my hero Michael Morgan as a grown-up Harry Potter with an even more tortured past.  Since most of my books have some element of mystery, I knew there would be theft, murder, and lots of magical mayhem.

3: What genre does your book come under?

As I mentioned before, the book crosses a number of genres. It’s a contemporary-set fantasy with strong elements of romance, mystery, and suspense. 

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

Hmmm….  Maybe Ian Somerhalder for Michael Morgan; Jennifer Garner for Ilene.

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

A powerful wizard with a Ph.D in Physics and a tortured past invents a shield to protect himself, only to have it stolen by a group who’ll use it for evil purposes.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

It’s self-published, but the book has been vetted by my terrific critique partner and a couple of beta readers, plus professionally copy-edited.

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

The first 60,000 words took about six months, but then the manuscript sat for a couple of years while I finished another book that was under contract and edits on another one. The last 25,000 words took another three to four months, then  revisions and editing took several more months.

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

Honestly, I can’t think of anything that’s really very similar. Maybe if Harry Potter were an adult and American, but my system of magic is pretty different. Possibly the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher, but The Wizard’s Shield doesn’t have the same noir atmosphere as the Dresden books.

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

Obviously thinking about Harry Potter as an adult had something to with it, but beyond that, I don’t really know where all the plot details came from. I don’t know where an awful lot of the stuff I write about comes from.

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

My logline for it is: To solve a murder and retrieve a stolen magical shield, a pair of wizards journey into a dangerous, magical underworld, where the weapons of choice might be guns… or lightning bolts.

On Week 34 of the Next Big Thing, the following writers will answers these questions on their websites/blogs.

Coming shortly!

Buy The Wizard’s Shield:

Trade Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/The-Wizards-Shield-Karen-McCullough/dp/148118296X

Kindle:      http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060Y5IQ6

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wizard-x2019-s-shield-karen-mccullough/1045768171?ean=2940015953275

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/281723