
One of my new favorite authors, A.G. Henley, tagged me in a game of blog hop. What is blog hop, you ask? (Okay, maybe you didn't ask, but let’s just pretend you did). Author Shel Delisle, describes the idea as “ a lot of authors getting together to share their readers and to help them to find other great authors to read.” So below are ten questions about my book The Breeders. Enjoy!
What is the working title of your book?
The Breeders, obviously, but I’ll tell you my book didn't always go by that title. For many months is was... wait for it... Not if you were the Last Girl on Earth. It’s a mouthful I know, but I thought myself rather witty and cute. However, the tone of my book is neither witty, nor cute and when Michael Neff of the Algonkian Pitch Conference said it had to go, I knew he was right. That night, in a strange apartment in New York City with my new friend A.B. Riddle by my side, I came up with The Breeders and it stuck. (Consequently, Michael didn't like that one either. He wanted Girl Farm. Really? Girl Farm?)
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I love this story in the way it illustrates how the best ideas come to you when you aren't looking for them. I was in my car alone (which doesn't happen all that often) and the Rihanna song came on the radio. She sang, “Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.” I got to thinking, “Wow. The only girl in the world? I don’t think that would be as romantic or sexy as Rihanna’s song makes it out to be.” My mind unraveled from there.
What genre does your book fall under?
It’s a YA Dystopian Adventure. Also, kind of a western, but don’t let that scare you.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is exciting to think about. However, I am terrible with young actor/actresses names, so bear with me.
Riley- How about Vanessa Hudgens with a pixie cut and baggy clothes. It would have to be an actress with a really beautiful face, because she’d have to spend a lot of her time dressed like a boy.

Clay - This is a hard one. Sexy, rugged cowboy with dark hair and blue eyes. Hmm. How about Liam Hemsworth? He’s nice on the eyes.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
In a post-apocalyptic America that resembles a New Wild West, sixteen year old Riley must save herself and her family from The Breeders, a group of doctors who use horrific science experiments to bolster the dwindling female population.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-pubbed and proud of it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The first draft? Three months. The revisions? Fifteen more.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Blood Red Road by Moira Young. My good friend and writing buddy, emailed me one day to say she read a book that was very similar to mine. When I bought it, I was a little freaked out. Strong female protagonist set in a dusty, barren, dystopian society and a family member is taken that she must rescue. Yikes. Luckily that is where the similarities end and I really enjoyed the book once I got over the tough dialect. (I know, mine has dialect, too. Maybe one more similarity.)
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I was finishing up my one and only attempt at a Adult novel and I had just read and loved the heck out of the first Hunger Games book. Good books inspire me to write. It’s something that I hope my work can do for people someday.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This review from an unsolicited top reviewer on Amazon. When I saw she gave me five stars and said I should be published, I nearly did a back-flip. Good thing I didn't or I would still be in a cast.
And now, to tag several more awesome YA authors to join the blog hop – you’re it!
Karen Amanda Hooper
Amy Grossklaus
Crystalla Thoma