The Next Big Thing

Last week, CLR Dougherty—sailor and author extraordinaire—tagged me and four others for The Next Big Thing. The way it works is for an author to answer  ten questions on their blog and then tags five authors to do so the week after. This presumes said author has been sociable enough ito know five others who authors and who are willing to participate in this experiment. 

On to the Q & A:

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

     Strange Times—it’s the third book in the series about Richard III in the 21^st-century.

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

    Since this is the third book in the series, I need to first talk about why I chose to write about Richard III and to employ time travel to bring him into the 21^st-century. I read “The Sunne in Splendour” by Sharon Kay Penman that showed me a human Richard III, one very different from the Shakespearean arch-villain. I had to learn more about Richard, and in doing so, became compelled to write about the real medieval monarch. The result was This Time followed by Loyalty Binds Me. The idea for the third book came from what is probably an apocryphal story about Francis Lovel, one of Richard’s most loyal supporters and close 15^th-century friends. The legend is that two years after the Battle of Bosworth where Henry VII defeated Richard III, Lovel joined up with a rebellion to restore the yorkists to the throne. They were defeated at Stoke. Most rebels were killed, but Lovel’s fate was unknown. One story was that he returned to Minster Lovel, his estate just outside Witney where he became trapped in an underground storage chamber and starved to death. Richard reads this tale and can’t get it out of his mind, even though it’s probably not true. He becomes obsessed with this story and tries to come up with a plan to save his friend from such a horrible end.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

    These three books aren’t represented by single genre, although the unifying thread is historical fiction. In addition to science fiction and adventure elements, the other main focus is character. As a reader, I want to become invested in the characters, so as a writer I tried to create characters that people would want to know.

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

    I really like Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill Campbell in “True Blood”) for Richard. He resembles the National Portrait Gallery painting of Richard III.

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

    How much will Richard risk in order to save a friend from starving to death 500 years in the past?

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

    Self or indie.

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

    I’m still writing it. I’ve been working on it off and on for the past five years, but have been interrupted with trying to market the first two books (This Time and Loyalty Binds Me) and life in general. I do have the book planned out, but as they say, the devil is in the details.

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

Because my books aren’t straight historical fiction, they are somewhat unique, not quite matching up to other books in the genres, including historical fiction that uses time travel as a device, because historical fiction that uses time travel usually has their protagonists go back in time to their chosen historical period instead of bringing a historical figure forward in time as I’ve done. I think the second book, “Loyalty Binds Me” can be compared somewhat to “Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, in that they both examine the mystery about the princes in the Tower in some depth, but in very different ways.

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

    As I previously mentioned, I was inspired first by “The Sunne in Splendour” Penman’s wonderful novel about Richard III, and then by what I learned about Richard in my research. One of the first things that got to me about Richard III was that he was only 32 when he was killed in battle. I felt his story was unfinished.

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

    Personally, I hope that those who read my books will become interested in the life of Richard III and will want to learn more about him and possibly join the Richard III Society to connect with others who are interested in Richard’s life, the Wars of the Roses, and 15^th-century England and its culture.

The following authors have graciously agreed to participate in The Next Big Thing. Their post will be available December 12^th. Please visit them to whet your reading appetite.

Annamaria Bazzi

Brian Wainwright at Greyhounds and Fetterlocks
Kris Jackson at Kris Jackson Design
Lloyd Lofthouse at Anything Goes—a blog
Peter St John at Jenno’s Blog 

Win a Free e-Book

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY--One Entry per person per email--SIX chances to win

THIS TIME by Joan Szechtman--2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist for General Fiction/Novel

Instead of dying in battle, Richard III awakens in the 21st-century. Can he adapt? The story follows two parallel paths: the present where Richard must learn how to adjust to not only the technological advancements but also the more difficult cultural differences; and looking back at the past to solve some of the mysteries that have haunted and maligned his image for over 500 years.

Giveaway starts October 19, 2012 at 12:01 AM and ends October 22, 2012 at 12:01 AM. Winners will be announced the next day. Unless the entry is a winner, remaining entries will be eligible for a free ebook until the giveaway ends.

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Celebrate Local Authors

Celebrate Local Authors at

Barnes & Noble in Waterbury

Who:    Open to the public.

What:    Fall Evening with Local Authors

When:    Wednesday, October 17, 2012 from 6:00 –8:00 p.m.

Where:    Barnes & Noble Booksellers
                 235 Union St. (Brass Mill Commons)
                 Waterbury, CT

Local authors and Barnes & Noble have joined forces to provide an evening to celebrate area literary talent from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, at Barnes & Noble, 235 Union Street, Waterbury. A variety of local authors will sign books that are available for purchase at Barnes & Noble the day of the event, as well as available for pre-order.  The authors are available for autographs and photo opportunities.

This fall’s featured authors are:

• Gerri Brousseau-A Pirate’s Ransom (historical romance) ebook only
• Tyrone Coleman, Jr.- The Keller Effect (family relationships and child care)
• Kady Cross/Kate Locke/Kate Cross –The Girl in the Steel Corset, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, God Save the Queen, Heart of Brass: A Novel of the Clockwork Agents (teen fantasy & adventure, science fiction/fantasy, romance)
• Mark Heiss-Beacon Falls, Connecticut, Images of America Series (local history)
• Mark Heiss & John Wiehn-Waterbury, CT 1890-1930, Postcard History Series  (local history)
• Donna Palomba-Jane Doe No More (biography)
• Mary Donnarumma Sharnick-Thirst (historical fiction)
• Joan Szechtman-Loyalty Binds Me, This Time (historical fiction)

 

Book-a-Fire Giveaway

Win a FREE Kindle Fire! Enjoy your books with the latest technology. No Purchase necessary; see below for details and to enter the drawing.

This Time starts moments before Richard III loses to Henry Tudor on  Bosworth Field near Leicester, England on August 22, 1485, when a team of Ricardians (people trying to restore the name and reputation of Richard III) substitute an armor clad corpse for the king and bring him into Portland, Oregon. Richard awakens August 21, 2004 to an alien world where even the English he speaks is different.

The story follows two parallel paths: the present where Richard must learn how to adjust to not only the technological advancements but also the more difficult cultural differences; and looking back at the past to solve some of the mysteries that have haunted and maligned his image for over 500 years.

Buy ebook at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. Buy print book at Amazon and B&N

Loyalty Binds Me is the second book about Richard III in the 21st-century by award winning author, Joan Szechtman. It begins about a year after the first book of the series This Time ends. Richard has married a divorcee, adopted her two daughters, and with the help of his new wife, rescued his son Edward, who had predeceased him in the 15th-century. Richard has lived in the twenty-first century for two years, and his son has been with him for the past year. At the start of the novel, they have just arrived in London, when Richard is brought in by the Metropolitan Police for questioning about the alleged murder of Richard III's nephews in 1483. Richard must now find a way to clear his name and protect his family while concealing his true identity.
 

Buy ebook at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. Buy print book at Amazon and B&N

Win a FREE Kindle Fire! Plus weekly drawings for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. Winning a gift card does NOT affect your chances of winning a Kindle Fire or gift card of equivalent value. 

***Enter HERE to win a Kindle Fire and Amazon gift cards.***  

Click CONTEST DETAILS for other places to enter—up to 13 chances to win.  

This Giveaway runs for the entire month of September. Good luck, and thanks for visiting.

Shakespeare and Richard III

Long before I became interested in the real Richard III, I enjoyed going to Shakespearean plays, and a long standing favorite was his play about Richard III. This Shakespearean Richard was the arch-villain I loved to hate. The play is brilliant. And while the Richard in the play bears no resemblance to the real medieval monarch, I have to thank Shakespeare for writing such a memorable work that Richard is alive in our minds more than 500 years after he was killed in battle. Because Richard reigned for a little over two years (June 26, 1483 to August 22, 1485) I firmly believe that without this play, Richard III would be a forgotten footnote in our books on English history.

About eight years ago, I read a historical fiction about the real Richard III—Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. Because her depiction of Richard was so different from Shakespeare’s, I read all I could find on him and soon became convinced that the play was not about Richard III, but that he was an allegory for the politics of Shakespeare’s time. That Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather, Henry Tudor, defeated Richard, probably helped the play’s political acceptance.

A few weeks ago, Emily Mattina, the Artistic Director for Shakesperience, contacted me because this year they are giving a performance of this play and Emily knows that the real Richard was far different from Shakespeare’s portrayal. While she is not changing the character for the play, she is introducing the audience to the concept that the real king, though flawed as all humans are, was essentially a good person and a good king. For example, one of the things that most impressed me about Richard III was his affect was on the justice system when, for example, he enacted laws where people who were charged could post bail, that one couldn't be held without charge, fixing the corrupted jury system, and protected property rights, writing that "the law shall cease to be an instrument of oppression and extortion."

Shakesperience is performing at the end of the rainbow, Waterbury Connecticut's Library Park, this weekend, June 28 - July 1, 2012. Performances of Richard III are Thursday at 7pm Friday & Saturday at 8pm & Sunday at 2pm. Library Park is located at Meadow & Grand Streets Parking is free. Admission is Free! Donations to support Shakesperience are gratefully accepted—suggested amount is $15.

Friday 6-7pm with Shakesperience’s Artistic Director Emily Mattina for Richard III: Fact vs. Fiction with Joan Szechtman, author of This Time and Loyalty Binds Me. Books are available for purchase and Joan will autograph your copy.

Blog Interview at Big Al's Books and Pals

Books and Pals has started a new feature where he interviews authors whose books he's reviewed on the weekend. I'm tickled to share his interview with me on his blog here. You'll also get to see a full length photo of me in a copy of a mid-15th-century dress.

You can also see his review of my books: This Time and Loyalty Binds Me.

When a word won't do

One of my favorite passages from This Time, my first book about Richard III in the 21st-century, came about because I couldn't use the word sympathy. Early in the novel, Richard observed what we would call a sympathetic expression from Katarina, a linguist who was part of the team helping Richard adjust to this century. Being a man of the late 15th-century, he spoke what is now called Early Modern English. According to The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Word Histories, sympathy did not come into use until the late 16th-century, and the adjective, sympathetic, until the mid 17th-century. The following short paragraph is the result.

Katarina’s pupils grew large and her lips parted slightly. While Richard would not describe her expression as one of pity, the word that came to mind was in his Latin vocabulary—misericors—caring heart.

My shiny new trailer

Thank you Blazing Trailers for creating this trailer that combines This Time and Loyalty Binds Me--two novels about Richard III in the 21st-century. Please take a minute to watch and enjoy.

THIS TIME promotion at Smashwords

To anticipate the May 23, 2011 publication of Loyalty Binds Me, the second book in the series about Richard III in the 21st-century, I am offering a 40% discount off the ebook price. To get Kindle and other ebook versions of This Time, go to Smashwords and download it via wifi. You may have to download it to your computer and then transfer it to the Kindle, Nook, etc. The 40% discount will be available until June 3rd if you buy from Smashwords directly. To get the discount, enter YQ52G (not case sensitive) at checkout.

Read an eBook Week at Smashwords

Here's a perfect opportunity to read This Time, the first book in the series about Richard III in the 21st-century before the second book, Loyalty Binds Me is published this coming May. For one week, until March 12th, Smashwords is promoting ebooks. To purchase This Time at a 75% discount, go here and enter the coupon code posted at checkout.

"This Time" got a book award

Here's a photo of me when I received the award--I'm the one on the left with the goofy smile. Nearly a year ago, I submitted my novel to the Indie Book Awards for General Fiction/Novel category and although the submission was always in the back of my mind, I sort of forgot about it. It turned into a wonderful surprise to receive an email from the Indie Book Awards that This Time was one of the finalists. The Indie Book Awards included an invitation to an awards cocktail reception at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. I almost didn't go, but thankfully, I decided to attend and had the most exhilarating time, meeting other awarded authors and reviewers. I even got to speak to a reviewer who remembered my book and told me how much she enjoyed reading it. I'm still grinning. :)

Well, back to reality--must finish editing the sequel.

I'll be doing a webcast Tuesday, Feb. 9

I will be a guest on Janet E. Smith's Internet Voices Radio show, Marketing for Fun and Profit on Tuesday, February 9, from 4:30 to 5:00pm (east coast time, US). In addition to talking about my novel, This Time (a story about Richard III in the 21st century), we will be discussing the challenges of marketing self published works without investing a lot of money to do so. You can listen at Internet Voices Radio either at the time of the webcast by selecting "Listen Live" or later by selecting "Listen On Demand". The show may be accessed for about a month following the webcast.

I met Janet on the Yahoo discussion group set up for the Independent Author's Guild and got to know her through her insightful comments on self publishing and marketing. She is one savvy self published author.