Jennifer McMurrain: The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

A big thanks to Dee Dee Chumley for inviting me to take part in this blog hop. I'm very excited to share my "Next Big Thing" with y'all.

What is the working title of your current/next book?


Winter Song... due out this spring.  

Where did the idea for WINTER SONG come from?

I have musical muses. I heard the song, Winter Song by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, on So You Think You Can Dance and couldn't get it out of my head. It took some looking, I thought the two women were saying, "Is love a lie?", but I did find it. Then I listened to it over and over again, as I do with songs that amuse my muse. Soon Winter Song (the book) started to form.

What genre does your book fall under?


Paranormal contemporary romance -- but I promise there are no vampires, werewolves or zombies. Just a ghost, that's right, a ghost, singular.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?


Let's see... Tiffani Thiessen (loved her in Saved by the Bell when I was a kid, and love her now in White Collar as an adult) as Sage McKennan. She's spunky, yet sensitive. Pretty, yet not stick thin. Funny without being goofy.

Tiffani Thiessen

 Cooper Davis would be played by Dominic Zamprogna, but you General Hospital fans probably know him better as Dante Falconeri. Two words: Hubba Hubba! He's a tough guy who doesn't take crap from anyone and has a mean sarcastic streak (sometimes to the point of being annoying)... but when he loves, he loves with all his heart even beyond death.

Dominic Zamprogna

 Noah Finnely would be played by Noah Wyle. I've had a crush on Noah since he was on ER. It was only a matter of time before he made it into one of my books. Noah is a man who goes out of his way to avoid trouble... if he can help. This time he can't.

Noah Wyle

Lucas Redhawk would be Graham Greene... this actor has been in so many movies, I believe he's under rated as an actor. Lucas is a quiet man, with many regrets.

Graham Green

Richard Park... would be Ryan Gosling, but probably not for the reasons people think. He's a tough cop and trusts few.

Ryan Gosling

Lexi would have to be played by my dog Piper, because they are one in the same, minus the fact that's he's a male and she's a female. I had to have another female in the book. There was way too much testosterone.

Piper

 

 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Till death do us part, doesn't apply to Cooper Davis.

Will your book be an Indie book or represented by an agency?

Yes, I changed that question from "self publish" to "Indie book". Self publication has such a rotten reputation. I'm an independent author who has chosen to take her career in her own hands. Winter Song will be no different.

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


I hate these questions... really there is no cut and dry answer. Life gets in the way. I'd have to say about a year. That being said, if I applied myself and wrote every night after the kiddo goes to bed, I could get it done a lot faster. There's only one person to blame for that and it's me.

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

I read a book by Kat Martin, The Silent Rose, while in college and I'd say this is close to that, minus the mystery. I like to think of it as my version of the movie Ghost.

 

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I feel I kind of covered this when I talked about my musical muse, but I'd be lying if I told you I didn't think of my husband, Mike, during the writing of it. He is my soul mate and I know our love will surpass all, including death.

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Be sure to look out for the next installments of The Next Big Thing next week, March 1st, on the blogs by authors Cathy Collar and Karen Welch.