The Next Big Thing

Not long ago, my friends Moses Siregar and A.E. Marling invited me to join a blog series called The Next Big Thing, in which writers talk a little bit about their work in progress or, in my case, latest book. It seems to have been started by http://www.shewrites.com/ -- which looks like a cool blog for women writers.

You'll find Moses's blog at http://sciencefictionfantasybooks.net/. If you haven't read his novel, The Black God's War, definitely check it out. It's a more mature work in the fantasy genre, unusual for a first novel, and it's getting rave reviews! He has a new novella out, Children of Wood and Wind.

A.E. Marling's web site is http://www.aemarling.com and he writes highly rated fantasy. In fact, he's offering Fox's Bride free on Amazon right now, so be sure to grab a copy.

So without further ado, let's get to it.


What is the working title of your book?

I've settled on Well of the Damned. When I started the project, I called it Wellspring of Enlightenment, but that's not as compelling as Well of the Damned. It's now available at Amazon.com, BN.com and Smashwords, but Kobo is still processing.

I'll be starting book four in The Kinshield Saga in January (well, technically I've already started -- by moving scenes I originally wrote for Well of the Damned), but I don't have a working title for that one yet. It might be something like Kinshield's Redemption. Or something along those lines. Or something completely different. heh.

I'm celebrating the release with a drawing for a Kindle Fire! Be sure to enter the drawing. http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/2012/12/kindle-fire-giveaway.html


Where did the idea for the book come from?

In The Kinshield Saga books one and two, Gavin Kinshield begins to get pieces of a story that explains his obsession with the King's Runes, his recurring dreams, and his frequent bouts of deja vu. He finally learns the truth about what happened to King Arek two hundred years earlier. In the third book, Well of the Damned, his goal is to answer the question, "Why?" Book four will answer the question, "What are you going to do about it?"


What genre does your book fall under?

This is most definitely a fantasy novel, with kings and swords and magic. It takes place in a made-up country called Thendylath that's a mix of British and American culture, language and technology of the mid 1600s. I hesitate to call it "epic" fantasy, but I do call it "heroic" fantasy. Some would even call it sword-and-sorcery.


Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie version?

Gavin Kinshield is quite a large man -- he's 6'6" and about 300 lbs. For that reason, I'd probably choose Jason Momoa to play him in the movie. If you've seen Game of Thrones on HBO, you know him as Kahl Drogo. He also played Conan in the recent remake of Conan the Barbarian.

Most of the women actors would need to be hard-core athletes to play battlers realistically -- someone who looks fit and strong, like Jillian Michaels or natural (steroid-free) bodybuilders, like Felicia Romero

 or Lauren Frahn.

None of my women battlers would be caught dead in bikini armor!


What is the one-sentence synopsis of the book?

Gavin Kinshield recovers a valuable artifact and discovers a wellspring whose magical waters could save -- or destroy -- the kingdom.


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

This book was self-published. Perhaps one day I'll submit my work to a publisher, but not until things change in the industry. We authors can actually make more money and sell books at a lower price when we self-publish. The efficacy of traditional publishing just isn't what it once was.


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

I'd say about six or seven months. It helps that the world and characters were already developed. The first book in the series took roughly four years to complete!


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

Well, The Kinshield Saga is traditional fantasy fare, but I hesitate to compare it to any particular story. I don't recall reading anything else that tells two stories in one -- the unraveling of a land's lost history along with the developing adventures of the hero.


Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Readers did! I received quite a few emails from people who wanted to see where the story went after The Wayfarer King -- what happened to Cirang? I have to admit that I'm also a bit of a Gavin Kinshield fan :), and while I do like to torture him, I admire his perseverance and thirst for knowledge. I also like stories of scandal and intrigue among royalty, and so the opportunity to write one featuring my favorite swordsman was too appealing to resist.


What else about your book might pique the interest of readers?

If you like fantasy novels that are long on dialog and short on flowery description, if you prefer stories about heroes who are flawed yet decent, who do the best they can in difficult situations, if you're tired of novels that digress into philosophical rantings or seem like thinly veiled political statements, if you enjoy escapist novels, you might like The Kinshield Saga.


Here are some authors who’ll be participating in the Next Big Thing Blog Series next week. (More to be added as folks accept my invitation to participate!) I urge you to check them out!

L.K. Rigel
Debra L. Martin