The Next Big Thing - Solomon's Compass

I started answering these questions last Monday as part of the Solomon's Compass cover reveal, and I'm pasting those answers here. This week I'm answering a couple of more questions, and I'll finish next Monday.

What is the title of your book?
Solomon's Compass

What genre does your book fall under?
Crime Fiction with a Kiss - Mystery/Suspense/Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?
This was harder for me than it should have been because I don't know of any actor who fills the bill 100% for either character the way I envision them. The answer will probably be different for each reader. So I picked two options for each.
Taylor Campbell - Renee Zellweger or Hilary Swank
Jake Solomon - Hugh Jackman or Michael Fassbender

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell discovers her uncle’s drowning death was murder, she must determine the killer’s identity in order to prevent another murder; it's Jake Solomon's job to ensure Taylor Campbell isn't the next victim.

Will your book be self-published or traditional?
Self-published
Available at Amazon on April 2, 2013

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your book?
Waaaayy too long! In my defense there were reasons.

I started writing the first draft of Solomon's Compass in Summer 2008, a few months before I started this blog. None of my critique partners liked it. It was too busy and didn't have enough substance. There was no focus on what the protagonist was doing, who she was, or what was on her agenda. About a third of the way through, I scrapped it and went back to the drawing board.

When I went back, I wrote an entirely different opening. I did my best to condense the busyness. And discovered Jake Solomon walking into a bar long before he was supposed to. And staying. He was supposed to go.

I started over again. This time I had most but not all of the busyness taken care of, the third new opening, and I let Jake stay. I wrote this one all the way through. My critique partners accepted it, but problems abounded. One was that it was still too busy with not enough focus. But they liked Jake!

By this time, it was nearing the end of 2010. During this time frame of 2-1/2 years, besides starting the manuscript over three separate times:
we sold our house at the Texas Coast, purchased a new home in San Antonio, and moved here;
we had some drama with extended-family issues;
I had In Name Only professionally edited;
and we were gifted with a new puppy - our lovable but high-maintenance Shiner :)

And that's why it took me 2-1/2 years for the first draft of Solomon's Compass. I finished the final draft - Draft #7 - in July, 2011. See, I can perform at regular speed. The manuscript went to the editor and was all spiffy and ready to go before I started getting In Name Only ready to publish last year.

Solomon's Compass has been different from the get-go, and I hope my future manuscripts come together much more quickly.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Who...

The men and women of the United States Coast Guard. I didn't want the plot to be so much a story about the daily doings of the Coast Guard. Instead I wanted it to focus on the Coasties themselves.

The Coast Guard is the smallest of the five uniformed branches of our military - fewer than 50,000 members active and reserve - yet it operates worldwide. It's the only service where a primary goal is to save lives.

It's duties range from search and rescue to maintaining buoys. From fisheries patrol to drug and migrant interdiction. From inspection of tugs and barges to supertankers, cruise liners, and ocean drilling platforms. From port security to being one of sixteen members of the United States Intelligence Community.

Coasties are team players. They have diverse duties and responsibilities. Each Coastie is an individual, but all Coasties are a team. Semper Paratus...Always Ready.

What...

So I wanted to write about a Coastie. And one night I had a dream. When I woke, I thought that's a plot for a novel. When I thought it out, the plot wasn't as great as in my dream - LOL. But when I added my Coasties, the story began to coalesce. And that was the beginning of Solomon's Compass.

I'll finish this meme next week - the rest of the answers won't be as long :)

On Wednesday
I will be visiting

M. PAX at SPACEDOCK 19

See you there!