Friend of mine, another Roosevelt writer, posted this meme, and I haven’t been writing here much (you noticed), so why not?

1) What is the working title of your next book?
“Next” implies the one I’m writing, doesn’t it? Not the one that’s finished but still in play? Fine.
The working title of the work-in-progress is Midnight Inn, but that’s a pretty poor effort on my part, isn’t it?

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
Hmm. I was on vacation, and I needed to start another book. I knew I wanted to write about a character who had a Nickel and Dimed job in a small-town Indiana setting. When I considered the job of hotel room cleaner, things started to connect and fall into place for the story.

3) What genre does your book fall under?
Amateur sleuth crime. It’s a series starter, I hope.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Oh, fun. I have no idea. The main character, Juliet (that’s really her name, Emily), used to be a long distance runner, but she’s ten years out from high school and floundering. An actress who looked like an actual real person and not a stick figure would be ideal.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
This is the sort of thing that actually takes time to craft. I’ve done it sorta, but I’m also leaving room for inspiration. Something like…

Twenty-eight year-old Juliet Townsend, a hotel cleaner at the Midway, Indiana, Midnight Inn, has given up on every goal she’s ever had—until the former high school friend and rival who ruined her life checks in, and is murdered, kindling Juliet’s ambition to keep herself from being voted most likely to be a murderer at the upcoming class reunion.

OK, I just made up that “most likely to be a murderer” thing. Might be too cheesy, but this project definitely has me revisiting high school in a way I’m not sure I like.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Well, I hope by an agency. I’m represented by Sharon Bowers of Miller Bowers Griffin, if anyone wants to talk about this project or any other.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I started in July. I’m at about 100 pages. Soooooo slooooooow. It took me 2.5 years from first to submittable draft on my last book. Hoping not to take as long this time.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I hesitate to use this comp title now that everyone knows and loves her, but I’ve been using Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places as my comp on my other novel for a long time. I think it’s safe to say this book will have some of the same markers: thriller, amateur sleuth, youngish woman protagonist, funny parts, but ultimately dark.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I really wanted to write a book (or a series, like a said) in which the protagonist works hard for a living and doesn’t have the privilege of solving mysteries on a lark. I was the first person in my family to graduate college, so I often wonder what I would be doing if I hadn’t. This character has some of that “what-if” built into her.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Lots of strong women characters. Cute love interest. Mystery solved. I’m trying to make it fun. I like fun books, so I want to write one.