Sarah Anderson Blog

I've been tagged in the next big thing by Luke Peterson. Now I have to answer some questions about my book and tag someone else. I must admit it, I pretended like I was on a live chat, answering questions from a celebrity blogger.

What is the working title of your book?

Who is Alexander Mitchell?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

My mind tends to wander on long car trips as I stare out the window at the vast landscapes around me. It was on one such car trip, along the strip of freeway from Vegas to LA that I got the inspiration behind what has become the premise for Who is Alexander Mitchell?.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s light science fiction that takes place in the present day. Sort of bridge between today’s reality that leads to a dystopian future where society is carved by a movement similar to Hitler’s desire for a supreme race, but in this case it’s supreme DNA.

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

This is a bit of a tough one for me since the main characters are teenagers and all of the actors I like keep getting older.
A seventeen year old version of Maggie Q and Raviv Ullman

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

After a failed assassination attempt on his life, Xan must unlock the mystery of his past and face a darker version of him in order to save his life and the lives of those he loves. .

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

I’m sort of leaning on self-publishing. I didn’t have aspirations to be a writer growing up and don’t feel like I need the validation of being published by a sanctioned press. Besides, I always wanted to start my own business. That being said I have sent out some queries. If I get in with a major publishing house, I’m not going to turn it down on principal.

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

5 months and that version is not worth the paper it’s printed on. But the three years I spent revising and learning how to write afterword has transformed it into something lovely.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

X-Men, Maximum ride, the movie Gattaca.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

*spoiler alert*

Star wars. Sort of a cliché I know, but there’s a scene in one of the newer ones where obi wan is shown around the clone army factory and I literally thought, what would it be like to be one of thousands of the same DNA?

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

There’s a love triangle for the prettier half of the population, betrayal, self-sacrifice and violence. Err… I give up. Here’s the latest version of my query:

Learning he’s adopted off the black market as part of a genetic experiment cover up gives sixteen year-old Alexander Mitchell more than a few abandonment issues.

Subtle differences have always made Xan feel off. Deep cuts that heal like scratches, the way his parents refuse to answer questions about his biological mother or how they discourage any behavior that attracts attention. After an assassination attempt on Xan’s life he’s faced with no choice but to uncover why the company wants him dead and turn the tables on the assassin hunting him. His heart is torn between his girlfriend who he fears will find him revolting and unnatural if she ever discovers the truth, and a beautiful yet socially awkward genetically engineered genius, he’s surprised to find common ground with. Xan will lose the love of both girls, risk the lives of his family, and die in the process if he can’t face a darker version of himself and bring the company to its knees.

Here are the prospective authors i've tagged. Check them out.

Katrina Lantz

Ashley Benning