This is in response to a request/suggestion/tagging by fellow writer Courtney Cantrell. It is an interview about upcoming writing projects. Click on Courtney’s name to see her responses. Mine are below:
What is the title of your next book?
Gaia Lives. It appealed to me because the word ‘Lives’ can be said two different ways, and both are correct for this book. It is the second book in my Gaiaverse series, and will be published within the next couple of months, hopefully.
My current WIP is the third book in the series, Children of Gaia (working title).
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The first book in the Gaiaverse series was Gaia Dreams. Once the book was published, I found I couldn’t stop thinking about the people, the place, and the events at the end of the book. Finally, I realized that I had to know what happened next to everyone in that story, and the only way to know was to write it.
What genre does your book fall under?
I suppose it comes under science fiction. The first book was clearly a disaster novel. But this book is about what comes after the disasters and the almost-end of the world. What do the survivors do in a world depleted of many people and services? I think it could be called post-apocalyptic, an adventure novel, and a battle for freedom. What does that end up as…multi-genre?
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
I have absolutely no idea. I never see popular actors as my characters. I know what they look like in my mind, but they never look like anyone from TV or movies.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
After the world almost ended, the survivors in Cape Fair look to the future optimistically, but not everyone wants to be part of a new world that includes new mental abilities.
Hmm, kind of a long sentence there.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
This book will be self-published as an ebook. It will start out first only on Amazon and will later be distributed to other venues.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Three months. Exactly. The first book, Gaia Dreams, took me ten years to finish. This time around, the story just poured out of my brain and through my fingertips into my computer. I’ve never written anything so fast or with more intensity. I guess you could say I got a bit caught up in it.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I don’t like to compare to other books. I will say that there are several books that influenced my Gaiaverse series. They are:
Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
The Stand by Stephen King
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Gaia Dreams inspired me to write it. Which itself was inspired by my love of disaster novels, an interest in the environment and man’s impact upon it, and a need to explore how people react in extreme circumstances.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
There are a couple of love stories woven through the main story in the book.
The animal partners of the humans are featured once again. Merlin plays a big role!
Much more about the new mental abilities will be explored in the story.
This was fun! Thanks for the tag, Courtney.
