The Next Big Thing!

This week I am participating in a virtual writer promo tour called “The Next Big Thing”, where writers promote their recent or upcoming novels and other writing projects. Each writer who answers “The Next Big Thing” interview questions passes the “torch” on to one or more writers linking his or her blog to the next person.

I received the torch from historical romance/fantasy writer extraordinaire Marissa Campbell. You can learn more about her exciting 9th century England historical romance “Raven’s Blood” in her interview. Thanks a lot for tagging me, Marissa

Below please find my interview and at the end I will pass the torch on to my Odyssey Writers Workshop and SF Worldcon buddy Travis Heermann.

1) What is the working title of your next book?

It just came out from small press Dark Quest Books and it’s a contemporary fantasy novella called “Lord of Water”.

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

I had this “desire” to do something with the elements and water just wouldn’t leave my head anymore. I love the ocean and I am also awfully afraid of it, that combination made it easy to come up with the story of Eric Aquatus who loves and fears the ocean even more than I do.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

I’d call it a contemporary fantasy. Being able to command water sounds like a super hero kind of story, but Eric Aquatus is far from that. He’s this guy from next door who happens to have an extraordinary ability and who must figure out what to do with it.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh, I never thought about that. Anthony Hopkins for Captain Jonas maybe, although he is probably too old already. Eric should be portrayed by a yet unknown newcomer who gets famous thanks to the part . Meredith should be played by someone sultry and sexy in the lines of Nicole Kidman, but alas, she is also too old for Meredith already!

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

That’s a relatively easy task. They call that high concept in Hollywood I’ve heard – when you can easily state with one short sentence what the story is about.

“What if you had the ability to command water?”

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

The book has just come out in January. At the time of writing this interview, I am still waiting for the Kindle version to come out as well. It’s been published by a small press called Dark Quest Books, so it’s not self-published. I have self-published two full length novels, an SF adventure called “Dome Child” and a contemporary fantasy with the odd title “She Should Have Called Him Siegfried”, which is about an alchemist and has something to do with Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung. Unfortunately I don’t have an agent yet and am still hunting for one.

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

I’m a very quick “first drafter”. “Lord of Water” is just a 30,000 words novella and I think I had written a first draft in two weeks or so. After the first draft I have the tendency to doctor around with a manuscript forever. I do not remember anymore how many drafts there were before the final one that is now in print.

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

Actually, I find that difficult to answer. There are so many books out there and I’m sure my work is comparable to X or Z, but I haven’t read those. “Lord of Water” is a classic what-if story, what if you could command water? What would you do if you possessed such an ability? What are the consequences of using this gift? Maybe somebody has tackled this topic already somewhere, sometime, but I don’t know about that.

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

The ocean itself. Whenever I am at or on the ocean I have this feeling of awe and mystery. I love the ocean, but it also scares the hell out of me. I hope I managed to convey the intensity of that feeling with this story.

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

It’s a compact story and you can read it in a single sitting. I didn’t bother with elaborate subplots. There are however Meredith’s, in my opinion, rather unusual ideas about marriage and relationship. Eric is to a certain degree naïve and pure and also traditional. He cannot cope with Meredith’s ideas about relationship. Their two different world-views and concepts also play their part in this story next to the main issue, which is Eric’s nerve-wrecking relationship to the ocean.

Thanks for reading!

Regina

And now I am passing the torch on to fantasy and horror writer Travis Heermann, who just finished a successful Kickstarter campaign for a sequel to his “Heart of the Ronin” (Congratulations!). Apart from Odyssey and SF Worldcon that’s another thing that we share – experiences with Japan. Travis lived here for three years, I’m in my thirteenth now I don’t know if Travis will talk about his new Ronin (a samurai without a master) project or another in his interview – let’s see what he does.