Patrick Scalisi's Blog - Posts Tagged "next-big-thing"
My Next Big Thing
A week ago, fellow Post Mortem Press author (and Connecticut native) G. Elmer Munson tagged me in the traveling blog known as The Next Big Thing. Here's a little bit about my next project.
1.) What is the title of your next book/work?
My next published work will be a short story titled “Salvage,” set to appear in the anthology An Honest Lie Vol. 4. This is an annual series put out by Open Heart Publishing, and this year’s theme is “Petulant Parables.” Apart from that, I also have a book in the beta-reader phase titled The Lamplighters, about a group of paranormal investigators in New Haven, Conn. This latter work is the one I’ll be talking about in this interview.
2.) Where did the idea come from for the book/work?
I’ve worked in downtown New Haven for seven years, and there’s a great confluence of history and culture here. The area, too, is also a great place to find secret and/or fraternal societies: Yale’s Skull and Bones, the Knights of Columbus, the Masons, etc. While walking through the city one day (which is nicknamed “The Elm City” because of all the trees), I thought, “What if a drunk driver slammed into one of these trees and unleashed some kind of demon?” From there, I put everything into a soup that became the book.
3.) What genre does your book/work fall under?
Paranormal fantasy / urban fantasy.
4.) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Probably unknown or lesser-known actors. I’ve been thinking about this since I received this questionnaire and really can’t come up with a good answer, though I see the main character as a 20-something version of Anthony Stewart Head.
5.) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Apollo Walker, the head of New Haven’s paranormal investigative unit The Lamplighters, has enough going on without having to deal with a rogue demon in the city.
6.) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Unknown at this time, though with each passing day I become more and more disenchanted with the agency-traditional publishing model. It won’t be self-published, but I may go with an indie press like the great guys at Post Mortem Press, Evil Jester Press or Open Heart Publishing.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Probably a year or more. I began working on the book in 2007, picked it up and put it down over the years. The latest draft/rewrite took about six months.
8.) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Simon R. Green’s “Nightside” series or perhaps Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files (though I haven’t read any of the latter -- yet!)
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
(See question #2.)
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
This isn’t a book loaded with symbolism or hidden meaning; it’s simply meant to be entertaining. If the reader goes along for the ride and has a good time, then I’ve accomplished my goal.
1.) What is the title of your next book/work?
My next published work will be a short story titled “Salvage,” set to appear in the anthology An Honest Lie Vol. 4. This is an annual series put out by Open Heart Publishing, and this year’s theme is “Petulant Parables.” Apart from that, I also have a book in the beta-reader phase titled The Lamplighters, about a group of paranormal investigators in New Haven, Conn. This latter work is the one I’ll be talking about in this interview.
2.) Where did the idea come from for the book/work?
I’ve worked in downtown New Haven for seven years, and there’s a great confluence of history and culture here. The area, too, is also a great place to find secret and/or fraternal societies: Yale’s Skull and Bones, the Knights of Columbus, the Masons, etc. While walking through the city one day (which is nicknamed “The Elm City” because of all the trees), I thought, “What if a drunk driver slammed into one of these trees and unleashed some kind of demon?” From there, I put everything into a soup that became the book.
3.) What genre does your book/work fall under?
Paranormal fantasy / urban fantasy.
4.) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Probably unknown or lesser-known actors. I’ve been thinking about this since I received this questionnaire and really can’t come up with a good answer, though I see the main character as a 20-something version of Anthony Stewart Head.
5.) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Apollo Walker, the head of New Haven’s paranormal investigative unit The Lamplighters, has enough going on without having to deal with a rogue demon in the city.
6.) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Unknown at this time, though with each passing day I become more and more disenchanted with the agency-traditional publishing model. It won’t be self-published, but I may go with an indie press like the great guys at Post Mortem Press, Evil Jester Press or Open Heart Publishing.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Probably a year or more. I began working on the book in 2007, picked it up and put it down over the years. The latest draft/rewrite took about six months.
8.) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Simon R. Green’s “Nightside” series or perhaps Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files (though I haven’t read any of the latter -- yet!)
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
(See question #2.)
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
This isn’t a book loaded with symbolism or hidden meaning; it’s simply meant to be entertaining. If the reader goes along for the ride and has a good time, then I’ve accomplished my goal.
