Last week, fellow author Cate Ashwood tagged me on her blog as part of her Next Big Thing, so now it’s my turn to post my latest project and then pass the baton to another author. So here’s what I’m working on:
The Next Big Thing
What is the title of your book?
Murderous Requiem
How did you come by the idea?
I was inspired by a number of different things, including The DaVinci Code (the book and the film), some books I bought years ago on Marsilio Ficino (a Renaissance magician, doctor, and musician who believed that music could heal the body), my interest in Norse mythology, Alfred Hitchcock films like The Birds, and murder mysteries like And Then There Were None.
What genre does your book fall under?
Paranormal/Occult Mystery
Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
I’m not really sure I can pick actors, apart from perhaps Brad Pitt in Interview with a Vampire as Bowyn. I did find pictures online that captured what I imagined. From left to right, these would be Jeremy and Bowyn, the two love interests in the novel, and the enigmatic playboy, Rafe.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Renaissance music expert, Jeremy Spencer, is dragged back into the occult commune that he co-founded years ago with his ex-boyfriend, Bowyn Clarke, in order to transcribe an ancient manuscript, but he soon discovers the Temple holds dangers beyond stirring up old feelings he isn’t sure how to deal with — the manuscript contains a dark secret that somebody is willing to kill for.
Will your book be self-published or traditional?
It will be published by Dreamspinner Press in eBook and paperback.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Hard to say, because I don’t always write a complete first draft before going back and rewriting, especially in something this tightly plotted. I went back over the first half several times before I wrote the second half. From beginning to finally having a complete story in my hands was probably a little over a year.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It’s a bit like The DaVinci Code, though there is considerably less running around. It all takes place in one location. I’m not sure which M/M novels it might compare to. (EDIT –12/31/2012: I am now reading a book by Shelter Somerset called The Rule of Sebastian, which I wasn’t aware of when I first wrote this post. It has a very similar feel to Murderous Requiem, though it’s much more of a murder mystery than Requiem is. I haven’t finished it yet, but I suspect I’ll be able to give it a good recommendation when I have.)
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
To put this mystery together, I drew from a number of sources: the writings of Marsilio Ficino, alchemy, the life of John Dee, Enochian, ceremonial magick, Aleister Crowley and his occult order, the O.T.O. I also blended in some horror elements to give the mystery a creepy feel.
So that’s my Next Big Thing. The writers I’m tagging for next week are:
Lou Sylvre on December 25th
Jana Denardo on December 26th
Zahra Owens on December 26th
So I hear it’s a good idea to do a blog tour, when your novel comes out. This consists of guest posts on other author’s blogs in a fairly organized sequence, promoting your book and generally giving away free copies.
Jamie Fessenden's Blog 