Thanks to Charles Gramlich (charlesgramlich.blogspot.com), I was chained to this Next Big Thing -y. Mr. Gramlich is the author of the Swords of Talera series among others. Now, on to my WIP.
What is the working title of your book?
This one was tentatively titled Murder Under the Cliffs when I first started on it two, three or more years ago. It now carries the title of The Man from Hanksville which I think better represents the storyline.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
It came from traveling through the small town of Bluff, Utah, on bi-annual car trips to a family reunion in the northeast part of the State. The radiant splendor of the cliffs cried out for something energetic and action-oriented to be written, and I heard the silent scream and proceeded to write this story.
What genre does your book fall under?
It's a flat-out Western of the old school, with a little romance, humor, and suspense thrown in and an Indian or two.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I haven't thought about this and I don't watch many movies, so I have no idea of modern day actors. I'd say it would have to be someone like Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton, or even Clint Eastwood and a Betty Grable type. I can even picture them like a young Robert Duval and Taylor Swift-ish. So much for my thoughts on that.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A stranger rides into trouble and corruption in a small town, finds an ally in a pretty waitress, and fights to clear his name and rid the town of the bad guys.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm preparing it to be published by Create Space in print and Kindle as an e-book.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Not very long, say two or three months for 40,000+ words.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
There are any number of Westerns that I could compare it to as most have the same attributes, good guy vs. bad guy, etc., and on and on. I believe this book is presented a little differently in the way it is written and the use of setting in the telling that will connect with the Western reader.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Like I said above, the town of Bluff with the cliffs, the San Juan River flowing nearby and Monument Valley gave me the inspiration. I couldn't help myself from being inspired to tell a story with all this natural beauty surrounding the area.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
The Man from Hanksville is ex-Sheriff Jimmy Snyder, who quit being a Sheriff after he cleaned up the town of Hanksville, and is working to be a writer by trying his hand on a history of Bluff. He gets thrown in jail for the murder of one of Bluff's elder citizens and is released for lack of evidence. He sets out to find the real killer(s). Throw in a little whiskey smuggling to the Indians, bank robbery and lost gold, and a pretty young waitress, his only ally, we have murder, suspense and romance with some odd characters adding to the story. It has been a barrel of fun working on this novel.
The Rules now require me to add some people to this blog chain. The people will have to do the same thing, of course, but only if they can find the time - no pressure. I said to heck with it at first, but changed my mind and will leave it up to the individual to participate at his/her own leisure if they should happen to read this.
They are: Vijaya Scharts
Charles Tyrell
Elaine Ash
Cool, Oscar. Glad you did it. Was good to learn some more about your current work!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Charles. Not much going on other than keeping up with the Jones's this week. See my next blog coming in a day or two.
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