Ask the Author: Craig Schaefer
Answered Questions (48)
Craig Schaefer
Thank you so much! I'm really excited to be getting back to Harmony and Jessie, and I feel awful that it took so long; this is basically me shaking off the last of my pandemic-induced brain issues and getting all the way back into action.
No spoilers, obviously, but the next installment (coming out in a few weeks, if all goes well!) will resolve a ton of long-running plot threads while giving Harmony and Jessie a new quest and introducing a new kind of threat, one we haven't seen in any of the Harmony or Faust books before. All I'll say is that it ain't vampires, werewolves, or fae.
No spoilers, obviously, but the next installment (coming out in a few weeks, if all goes well!) will resolve a ton of long-running plot threads while giving Harmony and Jessie a new quest and introducing a new kind of threat, one we haven't seen in any of the Harmony or Faust books before. All I'll say is that it ain't vampires, werewolves, or fae.
Craig Schaefer
Absolutely. The current plan is that Harmony's return will be next, followed by the next Faust novel.
Craig Schaefer
I think everyone should appreciate that there are certain rare, simple, yet powerful pleasures in life. Like a hot mug of coffee on a rainy morning, reading a cozy book beside a crackling fire, and dresses with pockets.
(And the TV show was an Easter egg; the Gotham books are in their own continuity.)
(And the TV show was an Easter egg; the Gotham books are in their own continuity.)
Craig Schaefer
Hey there! I do, in fact, have plans, but it'll be a bit of a wait. I'm currently working on rewrites for Down Among the Dead Men, the next book in the Daniel Faust series (which is massively overdue, and was originally a casualty of my mental issues blowing up last year. Now that I'm medicated and in therapy, I'm back on track and getting it done.)
As soon as that's finished, the new Harmony Black novel is the next item on my to-do list!
As soon as that's finished, the new Harmony Black novel is the next item on my to-do list!
Craig Schaefer
More books, absolutely. Harmony's series has its own identity and feel, and I know some people read only one series or the other, so I don't think folding the characters into the Faust books (beyond the occasional cameo) would make people happy. I'll keep writing the Harmony books as long as people keep buying 'em, and as long as I have a story to tell. :)
Craig Schaefer
Thanks! At the moment I'm finishing up the next Daniel Faust novel, and once that's done, my immediate priority (beyond my ongoing Patreon work) is the next Harmony book. The actual release date will depend on my editor and cover designers' schedules, but I anticipate it'll be finished and out by the end of this year at the latest.
Craig Schaefer
Hey there! While the book was unfortunately delayed due to a cluster of issues (from the quarantine, to moving to a new home, to some mental health problems I had to get help for), it's back on track. I don't have a specific ETA but it will absolutely be out this year; right now my editor is tackling The Hungry Dreaming, my first serialized Patreon project, and she'll be doing the Faust novel right after that.
Craig Schaefer
Thank you! I would very much like to, but the series is owned by Thomas & Mercer Publishing and it'll be their decision. The publishing industry -- like so many industries affected by the pandemic -- is in a very weird spot right now and it's hard to predict what'll happen. If they say yes, though, I absolutely have more stories plotted out and ready to write!
Craig Schaefer
No relation. The last time I acted was for a short film I made in school as a media class graduation project, and everyone should be glad that was the last time I acted because wow, it was terrible. (The special effects weren't bad, though.)
Craig Schaefer
Hey there, Terry! Sorry for the belated response, I didn't get a notification when this came in for some reason. Thank you! And regarding 'A Drive in the Country,' I'm just a terrible self-promoter and forget to bring it up. (Though I have added it to the official reading-order list over at http://craigschaeferbooks.com/reading....)
Craig Schaefer
Hey there, thanks! Did you use the link at http://craigschaeferbooks.com/mailing...? I just checked it myself, and it's showing up for me (I'm using Firefox, but I'll try to pull it up on some other browsers and make sure it works on those too)
Craig Schaefer
Hard to go into details without spoilers; suffice to say that given the nature of the first story's characters, it's entirely possible. I can also say that next year's Harmony Black adventure will involve the fallout surrounding a particular Ezra Talon invention...
Craig Schaefer
Any day now -- literally. We've finished file review, I approved the final version, and now it's been passed to Audible for their quality-assurance check. There's never any way to know how long that's going to take; they basically do whatever behind-the-scenes magic they've got to do, and I get an automated "Hey, your book is in the store" email when it suddenly goes live. I've had the process last anywhere from three days to three weeks, so fingers crossed for the shorter end of the spectrum!
Craig Schaefer
Hey there, Amanda! Sorry for the delay, for some reason GR didn't notify me I had a question in the queue. At the moment I'm (finally) reading Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep," and finding it delightful; I haven't read King's work in a long time and it's really bringing me back to the feeling of discovering "The Shining" as a wide-eyed kid.
In non-fiction I've been devouring Holly Tucker's "City of Light, City of Poison," about a conspiracy of poisoners who operated in Paris in the late 1600s. Super-interesting, and Tucker is a great writer. Really makes me want to try my hand at historical fiction.
In non-fiction I've been devouring Holly Tucker's "City of Light, City of Poison," about a conspiracy of poisoners who operated in Paris in the late 1600s. Super-interesting, and Tucker is a great writer. Really makes me want to try my hand at historical fiction.
Craig Schaefer
Thank you, Kathy! There will indeed. The publisher contracted me for two books and I'm currently working on book two, The Insider. It's slated to come out in 2020. If the books sell well enough, they'll hire me to write more of them, so fingers crossed!
(At this early point, I can only say that book two involves Charlie and friends being hired to keep a witness alive long enough to testify in a police-corruption trial, and that a figure from Beckett's past returns with lethal consequences.)
(At this early point, I can only say that book two involves Charlie and friends being hired to keep a witness alive long enough to testify in a police-corruption trial, and that a figure from Beckett's past returns with lethal consequences.)
Craig Schaefer
Hi, Montzalee! Unfortunately, this has been an ongoing issue since the book launched. Basically, whispersync (the system that links books with their audio counterparts and discounts the audio) is an automated process. Or supposed to be. And it's worked fine for all of my books except that one, and nobody can tell me why book four doesn't have it. I've asked customer support about it in the past and not gotten anywhere. But, last time I tried was a year ago, so I'll give it another shot! Fingers crossed.
Craig Schaefer
Haha, afraid it's just a coincidence. Redemption Song came out in 2014 so I'm pretty sure my Coop was first, but in any case, just a situation of naming overlap.
Craig Schaefer
I don't want to spoil anything, but once the trilogy wraps up, Daniel will definitely be learning a few new things from the aftermath...
Craig Schaefer
The twins occasionally claim that they spent some time in the early 2000s doing off-the-books government work, and were trained by a former Navy SEAL. This would explain where they learned to fly and shoot -- unfortunately, the story can't be proven because anyone who could confirm it is dead, and also the twins lie a lot.
Craig Schaefer
Right now it's looking like early next year. I'm going to write up a long blog post about this in a couple of weeks (once I'm done with this cross-country move and can speak coherently again), but essentially I'm negotiating contracts with two different publishers right now and we're trying to figure out where everything should fit.
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