“The Next Big Thing” Blog Hop–Author spotlight: Jade Kerrion

Thank you, Monica, for inviting me to join “The Next Big Thing” Blog Hop. In this blog hop, each author answers ten questions about his or her book, and then tags others, and the blog hops on…

I’ve never posted an interview with myself on my blog before, so this will be fun! Here we go!

What is the title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I majored in Biology and Philosophy at the Johns Hopkins University, and the philosophical implications of genetic engineering naturally combined my two interests. I started by asking myself, “What would the world look like to the perfect, lab-created human being?” And then, I wondered, “How would the world change for the people whose genetic templates were used to create the perfect human being?” Perfection Unleashed sets out to answer both those questions.

What genre does your book fall under?

Technically, it’s science fiction. Some call it dystopian because it is set in a future Earth that is a little less happy than ours today (hard to imagine, isn’t it?). However, the future Earth is one that isn’t too far from ours today. People use cell phones and drive BMWs. Urban fantasy and action-adventure readers who don’t want to leave the comfort of Earth will find Perfection Unleashed an easy read as well.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

If you’d like to know why I chose these actors and actresses, check out my recent blog post on the star-studded cast of Perfection Unleashed.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Perfection meets his imperfect origins, and all hell breaks loose.

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

I toyed around with the traditional route for awhile, got tired of waiting, and then decided to self-publish. It was the right decision for me. I’ve enjoyed having decision-making rights over all steps of the publication process (control-freak that I am…)

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

The first draft was written in two months. I took advantage of NaNoWriMo to crank through tens of thousands of words toward my first draft, and by late December, the novel was in the hands of my first beta reader. Perfection Unleashed has changed significantly since. The entire last third of my novel was completely rewritten, the novel was professionally edited, and has since gone on to win three awards. It has received excellent reader feedback on Amazon, Goodreads, and other sites.

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

It has been compared to X-Men, as well as the TV series, Heroes and Alphas, in part because they wrestle with the issue of genetically talented people in an otherwise ordinary world.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

My husband! He occasionally complains that he is tired of competing with Danyael Sabre for my attention, but it was my husband who finally pushed me off my comfortable perch writing Guild Wars fan fiction and into writing my own publishable novel.

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

DNA is the blueprint of life, and like the interweaving double helix, Perfection Unleashed and its sequels intertwines the life of Galahad, the perfect human being, and Danyael Sabre, his physical template. Each novel traverses the “Hero’s Journey,” but more importantly, the series is its own “Hero’s Journey.” If you do decide to read the Double Helix series, I urge you not to miss the forest for the trees!

Perfection Unleashed is available on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Smashwords. Its sequels, Perfect Betrayal and Perfect Weapon, will be released in December 2012.

And now, for the next stop in “The Next Big Thing” blog hop, please visit Joanne Mazzotta, Solease Barner, and Blake Stevens on October 31st, when they become “The Next Big Thing!”