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I’ve been invited by Eddy Rivas<\/a> to participate in this lovely little meme: My Next Best Thing<\/a>! I’m super excited to talk about my novel, SIGHTLESS!<\/p>\n

…so here we go!<\/p>\n

P.S. Feel free to ask any follow up questions you might have — the more the merrier!<\/p>\n

1. What is the working title of your book?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SIGHTLESS.<\/p>\n

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I knew I wanted to write a Young Adult novel, but it wasn’t until I was shampooing my hair that I realized I wanted to write a fantasy novel about daemons.<\/p>\n

3. What genre does your book fall under?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SIGHTLESS is urban fantasy\/paranormal. There’s a romantic element, but it is far from a romance.<\/p>\n

4. What actors would you chose to play your characters in a movie rendition?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, I cast the entire book, and there are 14 characters. That’s a little extensive for a blog post, so I managed to narrow it down to 8! If you’d like to know about the rest, leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to share!<\/p>\n

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The main character, Carly,<\/strong> would be played by Amanda Leighton<\/strong>. I’m tempted to say she’d be played by my sister, Diana Spieller<\/a>, but she’s not in Hollywood\u00a0yet<\/em>. Carly is head strong, loyal, and…a daemon. She’ll stop at nothing to protect her family and friends, even if it means murder.<\/p>\n

Liam<\/strong>, the handsome Irishman who invites Carly to join the Dominatori, would be played by Jonathan Rhys Myers<\/strong>. Not only does Myers have the sex appeal, but he has the intensity necessary to play the conniving Liam.<\/p>\n

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Tyler<\/strong>,\u00a0Carly’s best friend and love interest, would be played by Asher Book<\/strong>. If I’m honest with myself, it’s because he’s hot.<\/p>\n

Marie<\/strong>,\u00a0Carly’s assassin mother, \u00a0would be played by\u00a0Marion Cotillard.<\/strong>\u00a0I feel like I don’t need to explain why — just look at how awesome she is. Or watch her in anything. She’s just…fabulous.<\/p>\n

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Diana<\/strong>, second in command to Liam, is strong, independent, and deadly. She doesn’t take any backtalk from Carly, and she’s serious about self defense. She’d be played by the fantastic and fierce Naya Rivera<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Detective Morales<\/strong> was actually written with Edward James Olmos<\/strong> in mind. He’s tough, but kind, and does his job above all else. Don’t mess with\u00a0Morales.<\/p>\n

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When I realized that I had written a character that could be played by Helena Bonham Carter<\/strong>, I was really excited. Thanata<\/strong> is a daemon with a grudge…that can only be repaid in blood.<\/p>\n

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5. What is a one sentence synopsis of your manuscript?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m going to break the rules, because I can:<\/p>\n

When Liam, a handsome Irishman with a sweet ride, tells sixteen-year-old Carly that her rare daemonic power of Sightlessness has earned her a seat on an ancient daemon council known as the Dominatori, she\u2019s not sure she\u2019s up for the challenge. A lifelong fight to keep the existence of daemons in Los Angeles a secret isn\u2019t exactly the extracurricular she\u2019s been looking for\u2026<\/p>\n

Carly soon realizes that there might be more to Liam and the Dominatori than meets the eye. If she wants to survive, she must decide if she will ignore her instincts and commit herself to the daemon council, or if she will stand up to an ancient tradition that threatens the lives of the people she loves most.<\/p>\n

For an excerpt, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like Eddy<\/a>, I hope to go the traditional route. I think having an agent in your corner is invaluable, and I also want to have the support of a publisher behind my book.<\/p>\n

I also want book swag for my readers. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

7. How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I started writing Sightless in November of 2011, but I didn’t really get down to business until June of 2012. The first draft was completed in October of 2012.<\/p>\n

8. What other books would you compare this story to within the genre?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SIGHTLESS combines the struggle between family and individuality found in DIVERGENT with the kick-butt heroine\u2019s journey of \u201cBuffy the Vampire Slayer.\u201d I’ve also been told that it has some things in common with DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.<\/p>\n

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My love for Young Adult novels<\/a> and literature in general inspired me to write SIGHTLESS. I also felt like I had a very personal story to tell, and I wanted to get that out there.<\/p>\n

10. What else about the book might pique a reader’s interest?<\/strong><\/p>\n