The Next Big Thing

Andrew Williams graciously invited me to be next in the Next Big Thing blog hop. He got it from Eric J. Guignard, who got it from Erik T. Johnson, who caught it from John F.D. Taff, who doesn't really remember where he got it from.

If all infections diseases were so fun and productive to spread, we'd have no need for modern medicine. I guess that's why they think of memes as a life form. The symptom of this disease is that I will be posting the answers to ten questions about my current work in progress. As a reader, you have no need to fear -- I will not be spreading this infection to you. If you never engage in the unsafe act of writing fiction, you are inoculated.

My writer friends, on the other hand, are completely exposed, and I have infected tagged four of them who will be acting out their symptoms next week on December 19th.

Hey, at least it's not a pyramid scheme...

...or IS it?

Now for the questions...

What is the working title of your next book?

Emerald City Iron. The theme grew nicely out of the working title, so it is now firmly the title.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

This novel is a sequel to my last novel, Emerald City Dreamer. I wanted a simple monster-hunting plot to parallel Sandy's inner growth, and so used the most horrifying monster I'd ever encountered in all of my fairy lore research - the Nuckelavee. Because I never can be too mean to Sandy.

What genre does your book fall under?

Urban Fantasy.

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

Scarlett Johansson would make a pretty decent Sandy, as long as she's wearing reading glasses.

Only with auburn hair.

Phaesyle should be played by Elle Fanning.

Woops, did I accidentally trick you with enigmatic phrasing again?
I'm such a faerie!

Kirsten Dunst has the perfect face to play Gretel - round and youthful, almost childlike.

Only with round glasses and an accent.

Jamie Hyneman of Mythbusters might make a good Hollis, if he had long white hair and shaved everything below his nose instead. Philip Seymour Hoffman has the right versatility and subtly as an actor, but not quite the right face.

Hollis is likely to glare, like this. Also he is just as likely to make something nerdy and cool...

...but this guy can actually act.

Emily Haines, lead singer in Metric, would make a perfect Jina. I wouldn't want anyone else to play this part.

Everybody just want to fall in love.
Everybody just wanna play the lead.

Jett would be a difficult role to fill, given her other-worldliness. Aside from having elfin features, she is half-Japanese, half-Irish. Matsushima Nanako or Yuko Takeuchi might come close.

She's a thousand years old..

...but you'd never know it. Maybe it's Maybelline.*
(*Actually, it's glamour created by feasting on the will of dreamers.)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

While hunting down a dangerous faerie sea monster, Sandy Windham gets help from a therapist and discovers why her inner demons won't stay dead.

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

I will self-publish Emerald City Iron to retain creative control of the series.

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

This is a very short novel. My target was novella and it went long. I took my time, editing old scenes as I continued to write new ones. I began plotting and outlining in mid-September, and I finished the final scene in mid-November. So about two months. Now I'm doing final cleanup, which is going really quickly.

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

To be honest, I don't read enough Urban Fantasy to make a comparison. I do try to be unique, crafting deeply psychological UF, and so far, I haven't run across anyone else doing that. If you have, please let me know in the comments and I'll check it out.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Folklore. And I drew very strongly from my own experiences with hunting faeries personal growth and trauma recovery. Metaphorically, Sandy's struggles in Emerald City Iron mirror my own during the past year. I learned as much from her as she learned from me.

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

Seattle. Faeries. Danger. New characters. Thematic metaphors. Harpoon cannons. Squirt guns. Beach battles. Surprises. Tir Nan Og. Angry elves. Abandoned buildings. Drinking. Hallucinations. Cellar Demons. Bodies. Mutilated cattle. Explosions. Boats. Seagull poop. Trespassing.

Tag, You're It

The following four authors are totally cool, and they're all working on the Next Big Thing. Be sure to visit they're blogs on December 19th to catch a glimpse of their projects.

John Nakamura Remy
Andrew Rosenberg
Elf Sternberg
Jennifer Brozek

Blog Tour - June 11th to July 9th

Starting next week, on June 11th, I start a month-long blog tour.  My schedule is pretty packed.  This list may change.

This blog tour was made possible by Bewitching Book Tours.  Roxanne has made everything easy, and I am pleased at how many doors she was able to open for me.

What is a blog tour?  During the month, Emerald City Dreamer will be featured on many different book blogs, in the form of reviews, author interviews, and guest posts.  It's a great way for readers to see what book bloggers think of my novel and to learn more about me.  I hope you will check out some of these great blogs, as they are a way for you to learn more about other books.

As these dates pass, I will update the links to point directly to my post.  For now, they point to the blog.


June 13 

ReaWrite – Promo

June 15 

Rabid Reads - Five Reasons to Be Afraid of Faeries – Guest post
Rabid Reads Contest Winner

I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read – Spotlight

A Dream Within A Dream – Promo and Review

June 18

Fang-tastic Books - Six Things to Take Along on a Faerie Hunt – Guest post

Books, Books, and More Books – Review

June 21

Roxanne’s Realm – Promo
It's Raining Books – Giveaway

June 22

The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom - Where Do Ideas Come From – Guest Post 

June 23

JeanzBookReadNReview – Author Spotlight and Promotional Spotlight

June 25

The Full Fang – Interview

June 27

The Speculative Salon – Interview

June 29 - 8pm
Debut Live Author Reading at Wayward Coffeehouse
Babbling About Books - Part of This Complete Breakfast - Guest Post

July 3 

Manga Maniac Cafe – Interview

Everything to Do With Books – Review

Coffee Addicted Writer – Review

July 5 

Book Reviews, Fiction Reflections, N' More – Interview and Review

Fiction Fascination - Four Faeries That Should Keep You Awake At Night – Guest Post

July 9 

Bornean Bookworm Reads - Musing About Muses and Music – Guest Post

The Wormhole – Interview

Simply Infatuated – Interview and Giveaway

I'm not a vampire, but I was interviewed..

I was interviewed by Kipp Poe for his blog. The topic? On writing. Here's an excerpt:

What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

My most productive time is when the inspiration strikes me.  The second most productive time is when I make myself sit down and write something, whether I want to or not.  There doesn’t seem to be a particular time of day. 

I do have a routine that helps.  I should be well-fed, have a candle lit, a steaming cup of tea on the warmer, and my earphones in with some kind of electronic music playing.

If you'd like to see me answer a few questions about the art of writing, you can see the full interview here:

http://kippoe.blogspot.com/2010/08/luna-lindsey-interview.html