Welcome to the NEXT BIG THING Blog Hop.

What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way for readers to discover authors new to them.  I hope you’ll find new-to-you authors whose works you enjoy.  On this stop on the blog hop, you’ll find a bit of information on me and one of my books!

My gratitude to fellow author and friend, J. L. Mbewe, for inviting me to participate in this event.  You can click the link to learn more about Jennette and her books.

In this blog hop, my fellow authors and I, in our respective blogs, have answered ten questions about our current book or work-in-progress (giving you a sneak peek).  We’ve also included some behind-the-scenes information about how and why we write what we write–the characters, inspirations, plotting and other choices we make. I hope you enjoy it!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

1: What is the working title of your book? Son of Truth

2: Where did the idea come from for the book? Whew, that’s a long story. Originally Daughter of Light was a standalone. But when I created the assassin Caleb Tala, I realized his story wasn’t done. There was more to him than I knew. So one book turned into three.

3: What genre does your book come under? This particular series (Follower of the Word) is a Christian fantasy written for the adult market. In other words, it is not YA. However, I have had teens (and their moms) write to me and tell me how much they enjoyed my book. It does have some dark themes in it, but compared to what is out there for YA, it is a great read for teens who are looking for fantasy.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? I haven’t really seen anyone I think look like my characters.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? An assassin is given a second chance at life, but it will cost him everything.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency? My work is published through Marcher Lord Press , an award winning independent publisher that specializes in speculative fiction. If you are looking for some great science fiction or fantasy, then check out Marcher Lord Press.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? It took me a year to write Son of Truth. I wrote it while I shopped around Daughter of Light. I am also a mother of four kids, so it takes me a while to complete a draft.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? I have been compared to Tolkien (who hasn’t?), but I would say my work is more along the lines of Terry Brooks‘ Shannara series or Terry Goodkind‘s Sword of Truth series. There are no dragons, no elves, no fairies, none of the usual fantasy races. Rather, my book focuses on humans and a special race of people with inborn abilities.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? I never set out to be a writer. I was a reader. I devoured books. I would read almost anything, but my favorite genre was sci-fi/fantasy. I was disappointed one day when I stopped into a Christian bookstore and discovered there were no Christian fantasies or science fiction. Why not? My husband said I should write one. No way! I hated English. I was a science kind of girl. But then I had this idea while on a trip to Seattle about a young woman with a mark on her hand who could see inside people’s souls when she touched them. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. What would it really be like to have that ability? Would she be loved or feared? And so the Follower of the Word series was born.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? It is always interesting to hear what character readers like the most. To my surprise, I had many people write to me and tell me they loved the assassin Caleb Tala. He is one of those dark, complicated characters. Those of you who want to find out more about Caleb will enjoy Son of Truth. His past, present, and future will be revealed.

Son of Truth releases April 1st, 2013.