The Next Big Thing

 Intriguing title, huh? I thought so, too. It’s a fun way for writers to share their newest works. A fellow Redwood Writers’ Club member, Sunny Lockwood, tagged me for The Next Big Thing blog chain. Sunny is a writer of short stories and essays. Her newest book is Shades of Love: Stories from the Heart. Check out her blog at Onword.

A blog interview of Thonie Hevron

What is your working title of your book? My working title is Intent to Hold, which refers to the kidnapping section 209 of the California Penal Code.

Where did the idea come from for the book? This is a sequel to my first book, By Force or Fear, which I published on Amazon in ebook form last June. The title, actually both titles refer to elements of crimes. By Force or Fear is taken from the stalking statute, 646.9PC. I like to use crime codes to foreshadow the menace I address in each book. The tension in the first book dictated one of the main characters deal with a family problem that erupts in the second book. I set it in Mexico to have more latitude in plotting, the setting is glorious, and the character’s family is there.

What genre does your book fall under? Fiction, specifically suspense, with a sub-genre of police procedural. It’s unfortunate the tag for police procedural is sounds so boring, but in reality, as a law enforcement veteran, reading fiction that is accurate as well as exciting is very satisfying.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? When I started my first novel, I used Mariska Hargitay of Law and Order SVU as a model for my lead character Meredith Ryan. These days, I tend to visualize Daniella Ruah from NCIS-LA. She oozes the self-assured competence of my young heroine. Benjamin Bratt was my hero Nick Reyes although Reyes is heavily influenced by a friend and former co-worker. Using actors for “models” helps me characterize so much! I use body movements, facial expressions and generally either try the dialog on for size or let the character make their own dialog. That happens only when you have a clear picture of who is talking. 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Detective partners Meredith Ryan and Nick Reyes sneak into Mexico to rescue Reyes’ kidnapped brother-in-law.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published for now. I plan on continuing to query agents.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? It will take about 8 months to write the first draft. My goal is to have it done for submission to a contest for unpublished manuscripts by May 2013.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? My first book, By Force or Fear, certainly. I would like to think any fiction by Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Harlan Coben and Sandra Brown. I read PJ Parrish, David Corbett and Paul Bishop. I’d love to write like PJ Parrish-wonderful stories, layered characters and snappy dialog.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? First, it is set in Mexico–the mountains above Puerto Vallarta–in the steamy jungle, dark hillside tunnels, and the ocean below. All have inherent dangers.  Second, the two lead characters have a chemistry that makes readers’ guts groan. Within the storyline, I have kept the sex and violence to a minimum yet ramped up the level of excitement to the max. These two are too busy for a romance–or are they?

And the Blog Chain marches on: Sandy Baker is a formidable force within the Redwood Writers’ Club (RWC). RWC is the largest branch of the California Writers Club with over 200 members. Sandy is currently a Vice President and will assume the Presidency in the upcoming years and is the co-chair for the 2014 RWC Writers Conference. In her spare time, she writes childrens stories, has a thriller, The Tehran Triangle out and will publish another thriller this  year. She is also a Master Gardener in Sonoma County. Check out her blog at Garden Plots or her site at SandyBakerWriter.com