I’ve
been tagged for the Next Big Thing, a new blog tour where an author writes
about their current work or next book. I was tagged by two lovely authors, Corinne Fenton, whose upcoming LIttle Dog and the Christmas Wish sounds just as delightful as her new book Hey Baby and Robyn Opie Parnell, who learned how to become a medium to write Maya and the Daring Heist! Fascinating stuff!
What is the working title of your next book?
DISCOVERED!
A Beagle Called Bella. It’s the 6th book in the Rainbow Street
Animal Shelter series and is illustrated by the talented Patricia Castelao.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
When my
parents were first married, they fell in love with a beautiful beagle puppy.
She was extraordinarily destructive, an escape artist, and completely
unsuitable for a young couple out at work all day. They eventually had to
rehome her with a kennel of hunting beagles, where she was very happy. However
the story haunted our whole dog-loving family, and when I heard a call from the
Customs service for uncontrollable beagles, my story seed was planted.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Realistic children’s
fiction for readers of 7 and up; illustrated chapter book.
4) What actors would you choose to play the
part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Toby Wallace
at twelve for Timothy. The beagle would need to be very well trained to act
very naughty.
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your
book?
Bella the beagle puppy has so much energy she doesn’t just
need a home – she needs a job!
6) Will your book be self-published or
represented by an agency?
It will be
published by Henry Holt, USA, who also hold international and film rights. It
has also been published in Rainbow
Street Pets, a collection of all the Rainbow Street stories published in
one volume in Australia by Allen & Unwin.
7) How long did it take you to write the
first draft of the manuscript?
A rough
first draft: about six weeks. I have no idea how many drafts followed during
the year or so after that.
8) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Apart from
my parents’ story for this individual book, the series was sparked by my
publisher at Henry Holt, who knew that I loved writing about animals, and
suggested a series set in an animal shelter. I felt that it was important to include a story that dealt with a dog who needed to be rehomed because it and its first owners simply weren't right for each other – it's heart breaking for the owners who decide to surrender the dog, but can have a happy ending.
10) What
else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
(Aren’t dogs enough to pique anyone’s interest?) I think
kids will find it intriguing to think of the sniffer dogs as detectives – I was
quite fascinated by the research.
It’s amazing what these dogs can find!
I've now tagged the talented Kerry Millard to see what her next big thing is. Check it out on Jan 23!
And I've also tagged/been tagged by (don't ask, it's confusing!) Lauren Stringer. She will be blogging about her new book on 6th Feb, so make sure you have a look at both these wonderful artists.
I've now tagged the talented Kerry Millard to see what her next big thing is. Check it out on Jan 23!
And I've also tagged/been tagged by (don't ask, it's confusing!) Lauren Stringer. She will be blogging about her new book on 6th Feb, so make sure you have a look at both these wonderful artists.