Josh Lanyon tagged me in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop.  This is the deal: I answer ten questions about my ‘next big thing’ and then I tag some other authors to do the same.  Simple!  The idea is it lets you find out what your favourite authors are up to while being introduced to authors who might be new to you.

Although I have a book coming out in January (Unforgivable, released by Samhain 15th January 2013) which I am super-thrilled about, the purpose of this blog hop is to talk about what I’m working on now, my current WIP, which is a M/M historical set in early nineteenth century Scotland.

1. What is the working title of your book?

It’s very much a working title…  A Provocative Gentleman

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

It’s been at the back of my mind for years – I kept trying to make it work as a M/F but it never clicked – then I thought of writing it as a M/M and everything fell into place.  I wanted to set the story in the masculine, professional world of early 19th century Scotland.  I wanted to have my protagonists moving freely in that world.

3. What is the genre of the book?

Historical M/M

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

They wouldn’t be perfect, but maybe Elijah Wood for David (serious, sensitive) and John Hamm for Murdo.

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

When David Lauriston shares an anonymous sexual encounter with a compelling stranger, he has no idea that this single reckless act will come back to haunt him when he goes looking for the secret government agent who sent his friends to their execution.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

It remains to be seen – I’m about to submit to the editor I worked with on Unforgivable and have my fingers crossed she’ll like it!  Edited to add – it will come out with Samhain in August 2013.

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

Six months – I plan three books in the series and some of that time was devoted to planning the other two books. That was the first draft, I have to stress!

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

Oh, I’m not sure! What I can say is that my aspiration was to write a historical M/M that reads as a plausible account of a homosexual man of the time.  So whilst I wouldn’t compare this to an Alex Beecroft, she is the kind of writer I think does that very well.

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

Lots of things in lots of ways. The biggest inspiration was my home country, Scotland. As a longtime romance reader, I’m very aware of the ubiquitous Highlander romance hero, but as a living, breathing lowland Scot, I don’t relate to that character at all.  I wanted to write about a different kind of Scot.  A Scot of the 19th century, of the British Empire.  A city-dwelling lowlander who would never put on a kilt or know a word of gaelic. A Scot who has come out of the Enlightenment and who views himself as a citizen of the world.

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

It’s kind of a love letter to Edinburgh.

I’ve tagged Carolyn Crane, Kate Rothwell, Katie Porter and Ruth A Casie to continue the hop!

Check out Josh’s blog hop post here: http://joshlanyon.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop.html