Diane J Reed--Author, Master of Fairy Lore

It is my pleasure to have my friend and terrific author, Diane J Reed as my guest blogger, today. I have been one of her greatest fans since reading her debut book, TWIXT. I was enchanted, frightened and completely fascinated by the characters and setting, which is in the Idaho mountains near where I was raised.
Today, she's releasing her next book, a YA novel, Robin in the Hood.
Here is her interview for The Next Big Thing.

Hi Diane,

What is the working title of your next book?

Robin in the Hood

Where did the idea come from for the book? 

I was always buying YA books for my teenage niece, and to make sure they were appropriate for her age level, I would read a copy first before giving one to her. And I got so tired of wimpy heroines who chase after Alpha guys that dominate them! So I finally blurted out to my niece, "Just for once I'd like to see a YA book about a girl who directs her own life and who's feisty enough to do what it takes to solve her own problems—you know—by robbing banks or something!" And voila—the idea for my book was born.

What genre does your book fall under? 

YA Contemporary Romance

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

Abigail Breslin is 15 now and she would be PERFECT for the part of rich-girl-gone-bad Robin McArthur. And I have my eye on Alex Pettyfer to play the street-tough backwoods hero Creek. 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  

Robin in the Hood is the story of a wealthy teenage girl whose family hits the skids, so she turns to robbing banks to make ends meet—only to find true love along the way.

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

It will be published through my company Bandits Ranch Books.

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

A year.

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

I consider Robin McArthur a teenage version of the feisty heroine in Janet Evanovich's One for the Money. Robin in the Hood is also similar to the themes in Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig.

Who or what inspired you to write this book? 

I simply wanted to see a fun, page-turning YA novel published with a self-directed heroine who tries to solve her own problems—even if things turns out wacky sometimes!

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?  

When Robin's rich & crooked family hits the skids, she takes her father to a trailer park to hide him from authorities—and the people there become the first truly loving "family" she's ever known. Then she partners up with Creek, the local bad boy in crime, to provide for their neighbors, and the two of them strike up an unlikely but powerful love affair that changes their lives forever... 

Thanks, Diane.