My Next Big Thing: The Heart Happy Bubble

The “Next Big Thing’ is a blog hop for writers working on their next book. I have been following several writer friends as they post a description of their Next Big Thing. I was tagged by Brandi Barnett. See her Next Big Thing at http://brandibarnett.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-next-big-thing-lucky-charm.html.
Here’s my Next Big Thing! Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions.

1: What is the working title of your book?
The Heart Happy Bubble

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
This story came from trying to help my then four-year-old who was having some issues in her pre-school class in that she was bringing home emotions and attitudes from other kids in school. I invented this story on the way to driving her in and decided it should be my next children’s book.

3: What genre does your book come under?
Picture book

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I think my book would be best made into a movie as animation.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When Emily goes to school, she often takes on the emotional state of other students and comes home sad or grumpy, sometimes being mean to her little brother, so Emily’s mother tells her that she has to figure out some way to avoid these situations.  One night, in her sleep, Emily is visited by the Rainbow Fairy who informs Emily that she, the fairy, is really a part of Emily’s spirit and is there to show Emily how to gather some of her heart muscle (the strongest in the body), some of her love and happiness (positive emotions) and some thoughts (her best mental abilities) and roll it all together, letting the light of her spirit shine on it until it becomes a bright, clear, shiny bubble that goes over Emily– her own Heart Happy Bubble.  Emily’s Heart Happy Bubble not only protects her from taking on the emotional state of the other children, it reminds her to use her own calm state to help other kids overcome their own overpowering emotions.

OK, so it’s 3 sentences. Best I could do…

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
Shopping for an agent after 5 other books published through a small publisher

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Two weeks, but I have been tweaking it for a year. I’ll probably keep tweaking it until I sell it or get an agent.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Everything I See is Part of Me, by Chara Curtis Without You by Sarah Weeks.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My five-year-old daughter, Azuranna

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It’s a spirituality-based with the theme that we are all connected via our higher selves to everyone and everything else. We can use those connections to help ourselves when we have problems. This is a self-help book for children who need tools to get along with others in life. It gives them a tool to use so that the negative emotions of other don’t drag them down to that same level.

For next week’s hop, I tagged Gayleen Rabbakukk, Patty Stith and Kristi Ayers. Read about their Next Big Things Friday, March 1.