The Next Big Thing

My thanks to both Thomas Taylor and Rhonda Parrish for nominating me to take part in the Next Big Thing blog train. The deal is I get to answer a bunch of questions on my current WIP and then pass on the baton.

I generally have more than one thing in progress at any one time, but the biggest thing I'm working on just now is an urban fantasy/high fantasy novel called (probably - still early days) Worm Lord. This will be the sequel to Hedge Witch (which should be out next year) and the second part of a trilogy to be completed by a volume called Lich King. Worm Lord is still at quite an early stage, but I've planned it all out and have written maybe 10%.

So, on with the questions...


What is the title of your next book?
Ah, see, I already answered that. I'm so good at this stuff. It's to be called Worm Lord. Probably.


Where did the idea come from for the book?
Well, Hedge Witch leaves a bunch of stuff hanging so I thought to myself that if anyone reads that book they're going to demand some answers. So I'd better get on and provide them...


What genre does your book fall under?
Darn, already answered that, too. It's fantasy; a mix of both "urban" and "high". You could also, maybe, call some of it SF too...


What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Tricky question. For one thing, there are quite a few characters. If Daniel Craig and Helena Bonham Carter were available we could find good roles for them. But the books are - I guess - YA, so we'd need some feisty, younger actors. Especially some female ones.


What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
When winter comes the undead army will march across the ice and there's only us to try and stop them. Crap...


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Are those the only options? Hedge Witch is to be published by Morrigan Books, but I'm not represented by an agent. As to Worm Lord - right now, I don't know. We shall see...


How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I'll let you know when I have...


Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The thought of an angry mob of irate readers demanding answers.


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It's got an undead army, a global conspiracy, a cool electric guitar and some dragons. What's not to like?


There we go! So, now I get to pass the baton on. Over to Lyn Perry of Residential Aliens fame for details of his WIP...