A Comonplace Book

This "Blog Hop" is a question and answer game that some of my writer pals are playing.  Here's some information about my current Work In Progress, followed by links to other writers posting about theirs.  Enjoy!

Q: What is the working title of your book?  
A: CURSE OF THE FALLEN or CURSE OF THE ALBEN, not sure which.  What do you think?  Is CURSE OF THE ALBEN confusing?

Q: Where did the idea come from for the book?
A: Short answer: This is book 4 of my Blood of the Kindred series, inspired by my short story, "Kind Hunter" (which you can read at Book View Café - it's the free sample from the anthology DRAGON LORDS AND WARRIOR WOMEN).

Q: What genre does your book fall under?
A: Fantasy

Q: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
A: Well, Orlando Bloom is the quintessential elf in my eyes, so I'd cast him as Turisan.  For Eliani - yanno, Zooey Deschanel might work!  For Shalár, I think Kaley Cuoco would do a very good job.  And for Luruthin, perhaps Matthew Gray Gubler.

Q: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A: As war with the alben intensifies in Fireshore, Eliani and Turisan return to Highstone, where the Ælven Council must decide the future of the Lost: will they be exiled like the alben, or will they become allies whose aid might tip the balance in the war?

Q: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
A: Well, kind of neither.  Since the series was dropped after book 2 by the original publisher, I have elected to continue publishing it with the help of the wonderful publishing cooperative Book View Café.  Book 3, Swords Over Fireshore, came out in 2012.  Oh, and this book should be out in spring of 2013.

Q: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A: About a year.

Q: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A: It's my take on a Lord of the Rings type of fantasy.

Q: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
A: Tolkein, of course.  I've been a fan of LotR since I was around 12, I guess, when I first read it.  I especially love elves, so my own stories are about the Ælven.  Also, see question 2.

Q: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
A: The Blood of the Kindred series is my exploration of the question posed in "Kind Hunter," namely:  what if elves and vampires were originally the same race?

Book 1: The Betrayal
Book 2: Heart of the Exiled
Book 3: Swords Over Fireshore

And now, here are some other writers who are playing this game:


Patricia Burroughs http://planetpooks.com/the-blog/

Jeffrey A. Carver http://starrigger.blogspot.com

Katharine Eliska "Cat" Kimbriel http://alfreda89.livejournal.com/661783.html

Steven Harper Piziks http://spiziks.livejournal.com

Deborah J. Ross http://www.deborahjross.blogspot.com/

Laura Underwood http://laurajunderwood.livejournal.com/

Edited to add: 

Kelly A. Harmon http://kellyaharmon.com/work-progress-update-meme/

Cindie Geddes http://cindiegeddes.com/2012/11/29/the-next-big-thing/

Have fun!

Whew!  This spring has been super busy for me.

Today my first original novel ebook came out from Book View Cafe!  First as in the first to come out first as an ebook.  There will probably be a print edition later this year.

The novel is IMMORTAL, an urban fantasy.  Here's the cover, and here's a description:

What do you do if the most gorgeous guy you've ever seen asks for your help?

 

No brainer. Len Whiting is smitten from the minute she sees the stranger's amazing eyes. She agrees to help Caeran find the healer he's been seeking in rural New Mexico. What Len doesn't know is that neither Caeran nor the healer is human: they're immortal ælven, and they're locked in an ancient struggle with the vampires who are their kin. Len wants Caeran’s love, and wants to help the healer find a cure—but first they must cope with the bloodthirsty vampire who's got his sights set on them all.

It's a pleasure to sit down with a nice, fat magazine and enjoy most of what's in it.  The May/June double issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a satisfying read, from the thoughtful book reviews by Charles de Lint and Michelle West to Kathi Maio's film reviews to, of course, the fiction.  While it's unlikely that every piece in a magazine will suit the preferences of every reader, this one had a lot of winners for me.  

The cover story, Michael Libling's "Why That Crazy Old Lady Goes Up the Mountain," had me scratching my head at times but included some nice dramatic moments.  More to my taste were "Thief of Shadows" by Fred Chappell, "The Gypsy's Boy" by Lokiko Hall, and the heartbreaking "Silence" by Dale Bailey. 

Elizabeth Bourne's "A History of Cadmium" edges toward literary style but still delivers a satisfying ending.  "The Real Martian Chronicles" by the late lamented John Sladek is a smile-reaper.  In the creepy department, Robert Onopa's "The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe" vies with Steven Popkes's "The Crocodiles" for top honors.  I happened to be on a train when reading the former, which enhanced the atmosphere. 

In all, I give the issue a definite thumbs-up.

Book View Cafe has just been launched! This is a group venture by twenty-one writers to offer their work online. You'll find fantasy, science fiction, horror, romance and other categories, with different free offerings every day.

Participants in the project include Laura Anne Gilman, Christie Golden, Ursula K. Le Guin, Vonda N. McIntyre, Madeleine Robbins, Sarah Zettel and of course, yours truly. This website has been six months in the making and we're delighted to finally share it with the public!