This month I’m joining a bunch of my writing buddies–Tamera Alexander, Robin Lee Hatcher, Maureen Lang and others in inviting our readers on a blog hop. All of us are answering the same questions about our current book projects and linking to other blogs so our readers can peek over our shoulders as we work on new books.  We hope you all enjoy finding out about what we are working on these days. Without further ado, here we go:

Kate Mara, my choice to play Charlotte in the film version of CAROLINA GOLD.

What is the working title of your book? After much discussion, my publisher and I have settled on CAROLINA GOLD. I originally suggested CAROLINA GOLD then  ALL THAT IS GOLD but as often happens after in- house discussions,we settled upon the original title. It is a great fit for the story which is set on a South Carolina rice plantation.

What genre is this book? Southern historical fiction, of course! With my usual mix of romance, history and mystery.

Which actors would play the leads in the movie?  Henry Cavill as my dashing hero, Nicholas Betancourt, and possibly Kate Mara as my protagonist, Charlotte Fraser.

Give us a one sentence summary: Returning to her father’s ruined rice plantation following the Civil War, Charlotte Fraser determines to restore it to its former glory…if she can prove the disputed land is really hers.

Are you self published or represented by an agency?  My publisher is HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson, and my work is represented by the Natasha Kern Agency.

How long is the first draft?  My first drafts are usually very close to the final length–about 75,00-85,000 words.

What are some comparable books? Others have compared my books to those by Tamera Alexander, Lynn Austin, and Robin Lee Hatcher.

What else might pique a reader’s interest? This book is based on the real life Elizabeth Waites Allston Pringle, who grew rice on her family’s plantation after the Civil War. I’m thrilled that a photo of her will be included in the book.

There you have it. I was linked to this blog hop from www.maureenlang.com. Here is today’s link: http://jimdenney.wordpress.com   I hope you enjoy looking over our shoulders.