The Next Big Thing!

The Next Big Thing! Is a blog tour that gives authors and illustrators a chance to share their work, and then tag others to share theirs.  Each blogger answers the same ten questions. The tour started in Australia, and has spread worldwide.  I was ‘tagged’ by the wonderful illustrator, Nancy Donniger that I met through the CBIG.  Please check out her blog, http://www.donigerillustration.com/blog.  Her Next Big Thing! post is about her book, Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word, written by Bob Raczka that has recently come out in paperback. She painted the illustrations with black ink and wash accented with red watercolor wash.  At the end of this post, I will tag Children’s Book Illustrators/Writers: Ginger Nielson and Barbara DiLorenzo for your next stops on the tour.  And now, my answers to the ten questions!

1) What is the working title of your next book?

I am currently working on my picture book dummy, Robin.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
A few summers ago, my hubbie and I noticed a a robin fledgling with a hurt wing in our backyard. We watched it as it grew chubbier and hoped that the wing would heal naturally. After each summer storm we would look for the fledgling and usually we found it hopping and pecking underneath the azaleas. I was getting very attached to my baby bird. Unfortunately, towards the end of that summer we had a really nasty storm and the fledgling didn't make it. Cruel nature. My Robin story is my alternate ending to that summer.

3) What genre does your book fall under?
Fiction, picture book, animals.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Actors for Voices: Someone young, not bratty voice that embodies the curious, smart, optimistic nature of Robin.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A young bird can't fly but figures out how to thrive and survive without flying south for the winter.

6) Who is publishing your book?
No one, yet. This is my current Work-in Progress, a story that I'm writing and illustrating. I am still working on the dummy art and tweaking the story. Currently the dummy consists of 2 finished illustrations and the rest are sketches. I'd like to have at least 2 more finished illustrations in it before it starts officially making the rounds.

7) How long did it take you to write and illustrate the first draft of the story?
Hard to say as it's been worked on between paying assignments and other projects - I'd say a few months - including incubation periods. My process involves switching between writing  and doodling, than revising and sketches etc. 

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I googled picture books with disabled main characters and most seemed to be about people with disabilities.  Main characters that are different just seemed too broad a category. Then I came across my kid's favorite book as a child, Leo the Lop by Stephen Cosgrove illustrated by Robin James, about a rabbit with extra long ears.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The original Robin. I've got a soft spot for underdogs. Please see my answer to question #2

10) What else about the book project might pique the reader's interest?
I'm hoping my ink & watercolor illustrations.

Next stops on this tour are:

Ginger Nielson
gingerpixels.blogspot.com

Barbara DiLorenzo
barbaradilorenzo.blogspot.com