Doing ‘The Next Big Thing’ thing with SKIN.

The lovely Zena Shapter tagged me and so here we go...

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

Skin.

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

I need a challenge when I’m writing. I wanted to try writing a forced seduction, to see if I could redeem a guy who would hold a woman captive. The Post-Zombie-Apocalypse world lends itself to bizarre and extreme situations, happily. I can’t remember where the idea came from that he would effectively ‘buy’ her with a van load of canned food and medical supplies. But these are the sort of things that would become currency once civilisation went kaput. I had a clear picture in my head of this young woman trying to be calm and reasonable while her friends voted her off the island (or out of the grounds of the Private School), giving her over into the hands of a complete stranger for god only knows what purpose. To make Nick acceptable in this situation I had to prove early on that he wouldn’t hurt her physically in any manner, no matter what she did. [Spoiler Alert] So, she tries to kill him in chapter two. Good times.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Post-Apocalyptic Erotic Romance or Zombirotica. Take your pick.

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

Nick would be Michael Fassbender and Roslyn would be Emma Stone. She’s cute but feisty. He’s dubious but hot.

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

Don’t buy girls with canned goods. Or...guy sets out to seduce female captive but winds up falling in love, growing a moral compass, and fighting zombies with her.

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

The marvellous people at Momentum will be publishing Skin, just like they published its predecessor Flesh, and will be publishing its sequel, Bone.

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

About two months, I think. Maybe a bit more.

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

I’m going to say Flesh. That’s probably cheating but bad luck.

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

  

I have no idea. I just imagined how desperate someone might become after being alone for months on end. It’s always interesting to wonder how people would behave once the rules don’t apply. Men are generally faster and stronger than women so it makes sense that there’d be more men than women left. In Flesh, I wanted to see if I could portray a ménage situation as being an acceptable alternative. In Skin, it’s a very determined man courting the woman in a way that’s a whole lot less than normal. Nick might want what's best for Roslyn by protecting her during dangerous times. But he's wrong to put a chain around her ankle. No matter how charming he is, that fact doesn't change. It made for an interesting dynamic.

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

Sex, violence and zombies. But the zombies don’t have sex. Ever. And there’s lots of snappy snarkiness in this one. Roslyn is rather pissed at Nick, as you would be.

Skin is now available for pre-order for about a buck and releases 1st Feb.