The Next Big Thing

Thanks to Tracy Carbone, who tagged me, I'm participating in the "writers' blog meme" that's popping   around the internet. She calls the meme, The Next Big Thing. I'm supposed to answer some questions on Dec 5, then tag a few more writers. So here we go...

1) What is the title of your next book/work?

St. Martin's Press will release THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANION: CITY OF BONES, SHADOWHUNTERS, AND THE SIGHT (The Unauthorized Guide)  on June 4, 2013. I learned the title when the book popped up on Amazon and fans starting asking me about the contents.

In addition, PS Publishing will release anthology DARK FUSIONS, which I edited, at the 2013 World Fantasy Convention.

Also in 2013, you'll find new stories by me in a bunch of anthologies, among them:
Werewolf Root Canal, MARK OF THE BEAST (2013)Dreams of Death, ELDRITCH CHROME (2013)Mandelbrot Moldrot (reprint), MOUNTAIN WALKED (2013)Steel and Bones, STEAMPUNK CTHULHU (2013)Necrotic Cove, BLACK WINGS III (2013)Devil's Bathtub, MADNESS OF CTHULHUAfter I finish writing  THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANION: CITY OF BONES, SHADOWHUNTERS, AND THE SIGHT (The Unauthorized Guide) , I'll write a few more stories and then continue working on a dark novel that I started several months ago.

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

As for Devil's Bathtub, which I wrote for MADNESS OF CTHULHU (ST Joshi, ed., Titan Books), I'd read about recent research in Antarctica that I thought might suit a Mountains of Madness tale. I twisted the research into something that struck me as kind of cool and bizarre. I typically think along these lines, This is so freakin' cool, but what if...?

I honestly don't know where the rest of the idea came from, as it just hit me when I sat down at the keyboard. The main character sprang to life, and she gave me the story.

As for  THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANION: CITY OF BONES, SHADOWHUNTERS, AND THE SIGHT (The Unauthorized Guide)  -- wow, that's a long title -- my editor at St. Martin's asked me to write the book after I returned from World Fantasy Convention/Toronto. Clearly, the book focuses on Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series.

As for DARK FUSIONS, I initially wanted to publish only weird fiction in the anthology. However, I  received a lot of monster, horror, and dark SF tales, so the antho fuses these dark subgenres into one volume. The book has a great line-up of writers, and some of the stories are fantastic.

3) What genre does your book/work fall under?

All of the 2013-2014 short stories are weird fiction, a blend of psychological horror and dark science fiction. Sometimes, there's only horror and no science fiction, as in Werewolf Root Canal, MARK OF THE BEAST.

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANION: CITY OF BONES, SHADOWHUNTERS, AND THE SIGHT (The Unauthorized Guide)  is a detailed analysis and fun look at ALL THINGS MORTAL INSTRUMENTS. The goal is to entertain readers and to provoke discussion and thought. I've had to cancel holiday activities to work on this book - yes, there's that much info to cover.
     
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

For Devil's Bathtub, MADNESS OF CTHULHU, perhaps Sydney Rouviere for the main character.

Other than that, I'd want to stick a young Jack Nicholson in there somewhere. : )



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

For Devil's Bathtub: ARE YOU INSANE?

For  THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANION: CITY OF BONES, SHADOWHUNTERS, AND THE SIGHT (The Unauthorized Guide) , perhaps this would sum it up: ALL THINGS MORTAL INSTRUMENTS.

For dark novel UNTITLED, I'll go with... ARE YOU INSANE? 

(am I seeing a pattern here?)

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

St. Martin's Press will publish my next book on June 4, 2013.

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

For Devil's Bathtub, three mornings.

I've written all 27 of my books under contract. This means they come with deadlines that define how long it's going to take me to write the manuscripts.

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

For Devil's Bathtub, I have to go with The Mountains of Madness.

For  THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS COMPANION: CITY OF BONES, SHADOWHUNTERS, AND THE SIGHT (The Unauthorized Guide) , the obvious answer is Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series.

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

(see #2 above)

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

Devil's Bathtub is probably one of my best tales of weird fiction.

I also like a few more that are coming out in 2013. Examples are Steel and Bones in STEAMPUNK CTHULHU and Werewolf Root Canal in MARK OF THE BEAST.

Thanks again to Tracy Carbone - she's a freakin' Goddess! - and now, I must pass the baton to a few  more writers:

Angeline Hawks - horror writer
Jeffrey Carver - science fiction writer
Nancy Kilpatrick - horror writer, who will post her answers right here on my blog next week

Happy reading,
Lois