The Desert Sheikh - The Next Big Thing?

After The Royal Sheikh and Her Latin Lover, what’s next? Find out in The Next Big Thing! However, first I’d like to thank Elizabeth Amisu who tagged me on her wonderful website for this.

1) What is the working title of your next book?

I’m currently working on a book called The Desert Sheikh. It’s a trilogy of three stories called, Kidnapped by the Sheikh, Married to the Sheikh and The Sheikh's Son.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

The initial idea for this Sheikh romance was inspired by a story I heard many years ago about a family that was travelling to the airport in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, and on the way there, they were kidnapped by a local warlord. They were released two weeks later and reported that they had been treated very well by their kidnappers, more like guests than hostages. The memory of this story started me thinking about what would happen if the person who was kidnapped was a single woman instead of a family, and what would happen if she fell in love with the warlord? 


3) What genre does your book fall under?

Exotic Sheikh Romance!

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

 

The main male character, Sheikh Akbar, is from the Middle East so he would have to be played by someone tall dark and handsome! Maybe someone like Tahar Rahim who starred in Black Gold. The main female character, Sarah Greenwich, is a blonde doctor from England and would need a beautiful, strong actor, so maybe someone like Alice Eve?  

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Sheikh Akbar needs a hostage, Sarah Greenwich needs to escape, but sometimes what you need is not what you want.

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

I will publish it myself as this gives me complete control over the book, such as the cover and the price.

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

I started writing it last summer while I was on holiday. There’s nothing like a good break to get inspired! I then continued writing it when I came back home and I’m now in the process of editing it.

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

Being a Sheikh romance, it’s a little bit like my first romance novel, The Royal Sheikh. After I published The Royal Sheikh, many of my readers asked if I could write another Sheikh romance. However, I decided to write about a different type of Sheikh this time. Unlike Sheikh Rafiq, in The Royal Sheikh, Sheikh Akbar is not a member of the international jet-set. Instead, he comes from the more remote parts of the Arabian Peninsula and rules over a local Bedouin tribe.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

When I finished writing the first book in the trilogy, Kidnapped by the Sheikh, I began to wonder what would happen next to the characters, Sheikh Akbar and Sarah Greenwood. What would life be like after they were married? How would Sarah cope as the wife of a Bedouin Sheikh? What would happen if they had a child? The next two books in the series developed from there.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

I live in the Middle East and work as a teacher. Although some of the children that I teach are from Bedouin tribes, my story a purely a work of fiction!

I now need to tag 5 more authors for The Next Big Thing. If they would like to take part they need to answer the same 10 questions and post them on their websites/blogs next Wednesday, 5 December.

K E Saxon - K. E. Saxon is a third-generation Texan and has been a lover of romance fiction since her first (sneaked) read of her older sister's copy of "The Flame and the Flower" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Divas. When she isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can find her puttering in her organic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out a new recipe. An animal (and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made pets of all kinds of critters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even swears that she made a pet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe her). She likes to write funny, sexy romances.

M. G. Edwards - Michael Gene (M. G.) Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. A former U.S. diplomat, he served in South Korea, Paraguay, and Zambia before leaving the Foreign Service in 2011 to write full time. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

Philip Catshill - Philip Catshill is a former British police officer and lives in England. He has had several unique life experiences, near death encounters, physical disabilities and emotional incidents that have combined to provide a firm foundation for his excellent stories.

Alle Wells - Alle Wells writes Southern tales of strength and courage. Readers say that her characters will tug at your heart and touch your soul. Ms. Wells calls North Carolina home.

Michelle Hughes - Michelle Hughes is the international bestselling author of the book 10 Nights. She currently resides in Alabama with her husband and her five children. Hughes began her career in entertainment as a singer and host for a nationally televised satellite talent program and continued to perform across the United States until she decided to move home and start her family.