The Next Big Thing is a bit like blog-tag, with authors answering questions about their latest project and linking forward to others doing the same thing. I wasn’t sure who around/interested in blogging at this time of year so I’ve done it a bit differently.
I’ve answered the questions and linked back to Sandy Fussell who tagged me. I’d be really happy if others wanted to take up the challenge and tell readers about their latest projects. I’ll happily link to them from here too, just let me know.

Any hoo, to the questions and answers

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

My next book is titled ‘Seadog’, a picture book for young readers and prereaders. Seadog loves to visit the beach with Dad and son.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

This story is inspired by Emmi, our dog, who loves to roll in smelly things. She doesn’t seem to have read the rule book about ‘what dogs are supposed to do’. Well, maybe she has, but it’s not the human book.


3) What genre does your book fall under?

It’s a picture book, a humourous look at the joys of loving a dog.

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

Hmm, well I guess the dog would be played by Emmi herself. And as for the rest, any dog-lover would fit. They understand what’s required in their – clearly support – roles.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Seadog joins his family on a sea-side outing.

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

Seadog will be published by Random House in March 2013. It’s at the printers now! Yay!

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

It took a while to really get a sense of what the story was. I had the character and the title quite early on, but it took a little longer before I found the voice, the style. Hmm, about 6 months, part of which was letting the idea cook.

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

Comparisons? I love the Hairy Maclary stories, and this is a story about the antics of animals … I like the notion of looking at some of the ordinary, everyday wonders of life.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to write something light-hearted and fun, that also celebrated the simple joy that dogs seem to find in most things in life.

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

It’s perfect for young pre-readers as there is strong rhythm in the pages, and they help children master stories.The fantastic illustrations are by Tom Jellet and he brings a lovable but cheeky Seadog to life. Tom has also include some international signal flags in the endpapers and readers can decode them. If you love dogs, despite some of their more anti-social habits, and if you love their boundless energy and enthusiasm, then you’ll enjoy Seadog.

For other new titles visit Sandy and other authors listed there:

http://sandyfussell.blogspot.com.au/