There are times when I think I am a bit slow. There are other times when I KNOW I am, but that is a story for another time.

As you well know, I talk about networking…a LOT! What I haven’t really mentioned is that when you meet one person, it is a great idea to also learn who they know.

Allow me to illustrate my point.

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Ian at Deux Voiliers Publishing. He had stumbled acrossGet Publishedand asked if I would be interested in interviewing some of Deux Voiliers’ authors. I am always looking for guest so I said yes. I also asked him if he would appear so I could get the publisher’s viewpoint for the show. He agreed and forwarded me the name of two other people for the show: David from Red Tuque Books who does distribution for Canadian authors and Nicole Chardenet, the author of Sumer Lovin’.

When I interviewed Nicole (Ian and David’s interviews are coming up), we talked about humour and Canadian writers and Nicole suggested I get Ira Nayman on the show. She put me in contact with Ira and, I’m excited to say, he will also be coming on the show.

For those of you counting, that is now four people I now know through a single email.

If you just said, “Big deal!”, you aren’t thinking this through. First of all, David from Red Tuque Books does distribution to Canadian Independent Booksellers and Libraries. THAT is a big deal. Ian is a publisher. You never know when you might have a book he would be interested in. Nicole is a very active blogger and has many friends, contacts and followers (and she is pretty cool even if none of those things existed). By all accounts, Ira is equally cool.

Now do you see my point?

Let me give you another example.

I have known about Mark Leslie for many years. I first heard about him on The Writing Show with Paula B. I had the chance to finally meet Mark at WFC 2012 in Toronto. We talked a few times and I got a chance to know him. For those of you who don’t know, Mark is an author, editor and he happens to work for Kobo. After WFC, Mark talked to his Canadian Merchandiser and mentioned my book, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero. The merchandiser was impressed and featured Mik Murdoch. Since that time, the book on Kobo has been outselling Kindle by a MASSIVE factor. That wasn’t intentional by me. Just the kindness of Mark and Kobo, which I really appreciate.

So, my point, and I do have one, is this: when you meet someone, get to know them. Get to know them well-enough that they want to introduce you to their friends and colleagues (but don’t meet them JUST to get the introductions). You never know where that meeting will take you.

Lorina Stephens was kind enough to tag me in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop, which is a Goodreads promotional enterprise among indie authors and publishers to highlight authors and books which might otherwise slide under the radar of many readers.

We all answer the same 10 questions, which allows readers an opportunity to receive a brief overview of either a published work or a work in progress.

1. What is the working title of the book?

Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero

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

I grew up reading comic books. I always wanted to be a superhero myself and tried various things to get my own super-powers (too goofy to go into at this point). When I started writing, I knew the story of a boy who wanted to become a superhero was one that I had to eventually write.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Young Adult (YA) Fantasy

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

Tough question. I haven’t really seen any young actors who could pull off Mik right now. Jennifer Lawrence would be great as Miss Purdy. John Schneider as the father and Amanda Tapping as the mother.

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

8-year-old boy decides to become a superhero and protect his town.

6. What is the longer synopsis of your book?

Mik Murdoch, a kind-hearted eight-year-old decides to become a superhero after watching Spider-man at the movies. His first challenge though is how to do it? Can he somehow get super-powers through radiation or chemicals? If so, how? He begins his journey by striving to gain powers of his own, helping people along the way and dealing with issues that all young people face (like bullying). He eventually comes to realize that the true mark of a hero isn’t any special abilities but how you work to help people and be a good person. 

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

Mik Murdoch was published by Five Rivers Publishing on August 1, 2012.

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

22 days. The first draft was written during NaNoWriMo.

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

My love of comic books was really the basis of this book. I also wanted to write something that my children could read and enjoy.

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

While this book is a YA fantasy, the characters are very real. Mik faces a lot of hard choices and problems that most, if not all, children come up against. Bullying, peer pressure, self-sacrifice and loss. Mik is a kid who makes both bad and good choices and he has to deal with the repercussions of both. I’ve read chapters of the book to my Scout Troop and to others and the things Mik does to try and gain super-powers have had them all groaning and giggling at the mis-adventures.

Mik is the boy I would like to have been when I was young.

The novel is available in both print and eBook versions through online retailers globally, and will soon be released as an audiobook through Iambik and Audible.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop bounces over to Aaron Kite on January 23rd. Aaron’s debut novel,  A Touch of Poison, is coming out later this year.