The Next Big Thing blog meme

Many thanks to my dear friend, Christine Ashworth, for tagging me! Writers are always hopeful that their current work in progress is going to be the next big thing. For this one, I'm branching out, using a new pen name - well, it's really an old one because it's my real one - into the world of mainstream contemporary romance. I'm hoping Roz Lee fans will give this one a try and maybe a few people who find Roz a bit too risque will find this one to their liking. This one is due out in January, 2013.

What is the working title of your next book?
Lost Melody

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I was driving my daughters car down the freeway, listening to her kick-ass stereo, and the idea came to me to write about a drummer. In the evolution of the story in my mind, it became more about the heroine than the hero, but the idea began with the hero.

What genre does your book fall under?
Mainstream Contemporary Romance – This one isn’t an erotic romance, and will not be published under Roz Lee’s name.

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

Ryan Reynolds would be great as Hank Travis and Dakota Fanning would do an excellent job with Melody Ravenswood.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A young woman is caught between who she is and who she wants to be as she struggles to define what normal means for her.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I plan to self-publish it.

 How long does it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I’m embarrassed to say that this one took a very long time to write – over a year. Since then, it has been through several rewrites while I tried to find my voice in this genre.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I was inspired by the works of Robyn Carr, Sherryl Woods and Mariah Stewart. I know I’m not in their league, but this book strives to be along those lines. Succeed or fail? We shall see.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Good music? LOL Yep, I confess. I was listening to 70’s music when the idea came to me.

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

The hero and heroine are extraordinary people trying to live their lives as best they can. That’s pretty simple for most of us, but for these two, life’s a bit more complicated. Hank Travis made it big in the world of rock and roll but his heart lies in the small farming community he calls home. Melody Ravenswood is the daughter of a rock and roll legend but she’s spent her life trying to hide that fact from the world. When fate throws these two together, it’s a dream come true for one and a nightmare for the other.

Not enough?? Then how about this? Here's the fabulous cover my friend Talina Perkins at Bookinit Designs has created for Lost Melody.

Read an excerpt here.

Visit the new Dolores W. Maroney website.

Here comes the tagging part of the meme. I'm kind of late to the party, and most everyone I know has already posted in this meme, so I'm only going to pass it along to one person, but I think you'll agree, she's awesome! So,  next Wednesday, check out the lovely, Sharon Buchbinder when she posts her next big thing! 

Thanks for stopping by!