I have been tagged by the ever-lovely NK Jemisin to do the "next big thing" meme that has been floating around, and as I am an amenable soul (when I want to be), I thought I'd give it a go. So...

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

Midnight Blue-Light Special. Which is probably the final title at this point, since the ARCs have been printed and I don't enjoy having things thrown at me by my publisher. They're generally amiable over at DAW. I try not to push it.

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

At the end of Discount Armageddon, Verity was in a pretty good place as re: basically everything. She defeated the bad guy, solved the mystery, kissed a pretty boy, and pretty much won at life. So I started from the position of "how can I ruin her day?", and it all went downhill from there.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Urban fantasy, with just a hint of paranormal romance. The CW, rather than HBO.

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

Can I have a TV show instead? If I could have absolutely anyone, no barriers, I'd cast Alona Tal (Jo from Supernatural, Meg from Veronica Mars) as Verity, and Ryan Cartwright (Mr. Nigel-Murray from Bones, Gary from Alphas) as Dominic. And I think Amber Benson would make an amazing Sarah.

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

When cryptozoologist Verity Price finds herself dealing with a Covenant purge of Manhattan, she quickly has to redefine her idea of "bad situation."

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

I am represented by Diana Fox, of Fox Literary. Midnight Blue-Light Special will be published by DAW Books.

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

About six months, give or take a trip to Disney World.

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

It has a similar structure to Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld, and a similar snappy feel to Tanya Huff's Keeper Chronicles or Gale Girl books.

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

Honestly, Verity did. The character has a lot of momentum behind her. At this point, I just point her at things and watch what happens.

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

Talking pantheistic cryptid mice worship the main character as a living conduit to the gods. And also to the baked goods section at Safeway.

I snagged this from the lovely la_marquise_de_, who is taking the much more sensible "one question a day" approach to things. Being as I am so rarely sensible, I'm just doing it all in one great whack. But I'm doing it behind a cut-tag, which helps at least a little.

( Click here for a lengthy meme about writing, because I can, and because it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. I may need more hobbies.Collapse )

The aliens are here! And they're offering you an all-expenses paid trip to their home planet, where you will spend a mutually agreeable amount of time learning from their advanced culture before doing whatever it is you do after the aliens bring you back. Because they're friendly, they say you can bring three changes of clothing, basic toiletries (toothbrush, hairbrush, etc.), food samples for their replicators, your laptop computer (if you have one), and any pets you absolutely must have to remain essentially sane. They're also willing to let you bring ten "personal items" on your trip, since you'll be out of contact with Earth until you get back.

So what do you bring?

I'd have to take Lilly and Alice, of course, so my first two items go them. Under the "care and feeding" clauses, their food and litter box don't count; instead, I'm bringing their orange cat tree (necessary for their mental health) and Alice's squid on a stick, which both of them can play with for hours and which can be easily repaired.

That leaves me with eight. First up, my iPod. It doesn't fall under the "sanity" heading, but it definitely falls under the "keep Seanan from killing anyone" setting. Next, a copy of IT by Stephen King (ultimate comfort book), my plush velociraptor, and a bottle of Bad Luck Woman Blues from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I'm going to call my little pen case one item, despite it containing multiple pens, because these are generous aliens; that, and a sketchbook, will see me through a lot.

With two items remaining, I'm going to bring my planner and my turtle bag. I am now ready for an alien field trip. How about you?

Look! A meme. Be afraid, and blame dawn_metcalf, who thought it was funny to infect me with a memetic thought-virus. As I usually find infection funny, I am refusing the vaccine, and spreading the disease instead. The stated rules:

A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

Because I believe that pandemics are a choice, not a requirement, I'm not actually tagging anyone. If you want to join the party, join the party. If you don't, stay home and watch television. Whatever makes you happy. Feel free to say I tagged you. I'm a vector.

And now...fun with the meme!

( We cut because we care, and because a great many people are heavily armed. I dislike being dismembered for scrolling screens.Collapse )