THE NEXT BIG THING

What is the working title of your book?

‘Little Girl Lost--A Mo Pollniak Novel’

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I wrote a short story for an anthology awhile back and I really enjoyed the characters I created for it.  The thing is, the stories in the anthology were supposed to deal with events taking place in the far distant future, so the setting in my story fit the bill.  The publisher subsequently vaporized (as happens, unfortunately), but I was fortunate enough to have my tale published elsewhere.

The characters stuck with me and the idea of writing them in present day and building a story around them, possibly a series even, has rolled around in my head for quite some time.  I was finally able to outline enough to be able to begin to draft the first novel, but I believe there are more interesting stories I can build around them for perhaps one or two more books.  Only time will tell.

What genre does your book fall under?

I’m not really sure about that.  It’s going to be a kind of crime fiction/thriller type of thing, with an element of darkness overshadowing it.  There’s also a number of elements integral to the story that one could label as mystery.  It’s probably a combination of all of those.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I wouldn’t know where to begin with this one.  I can’t think of anyone in particular, but since my main character is a PI, I would love to see someone like Columbo’s portrayer, Peter Falk.  He wasn’t all that concerned if he looked like he slept in his clothes (mine often does), or how others perceived him (mine never does).  He simply did what he needed to do, however he needed to do it, which is exactly how my Mo operates.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A PI, while working a missing persons’ case, discovers a dark family secret of murder and betrayal.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I have seven books published by the same publisher, and my plan is to submit it first there.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I’m actually still in the outline stage.  Now, there are several sections that have been written, but will require editing once they’re added, of course.  They are only a small part of the whole story though, and there are still several critical points that I need to make a final decision on.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’m not sure how to answer this one.  I read a lot of true crime and crime fiction, but I’m not certain how I would compare my story with another.  It’s not just about one case, or one issue from a character’s past.  It’s a combination of a lot of factors that make up my story.  I really don’t know what to compare it to.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Creating the characters for the short story I wrote.  I feel there’s so much room to expand on them, both with their personal and professional lives.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

We know ‘bad’ guys have flaws, but so do good people.  I believe readers will find this interesting because my characters are like real people:  They are not perfect, they sometimes do the wrong thing for the right reason, and they do not always succeed.  They have friends, they have enemies, they have favorites and they have fears.  ‘Good’ or ‘bad’, something about each and every one of them will be something the reader can relate to.

This was sent to me by Matt Potter.  See his answers here.

I sent this to Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw, B. R. Stateham, Ed James, Wright Forbucks, and Kevin R. Tipple.