River Road: The Next Big Thing Interview

We’re taking a couple of weeks off from the book club (there’s a revised book club schedule in the righthand column). This is release week for my urban fantasy RIVER ROAD, so I’m doing some fun stuff this week!

First, as you read this, I’m on the road and headed for New Orleans, so if I’m slow to respond to comments that’s why. Scroll below for an interview and giveaway today!

At 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central, I’ll be live on Twitter doing a one-hour Tor Chat. Use the hashtag #torchat to follow along, ask questions, make comments. I’ll be joined by fellow Tor authors Felix Gilman, author of the steampunk The Half-Made World, whose new release The Rise of Ransom City comes out November 27, and Joseph Nassise, author of the Jeremiah Hunt series, whose book King of the Dead comes out November 27. The general topic of the chat is the importance of setting and worldbuilding but, really, you can ask us anything! I hope to be in NOLA by the time the chat begins; if not, I'll be "chatting" on my iPhone from the side of the interstate...which will be interesting.

Here are today’s stops on the River Road book tour. There are prizes galore—check the column at the right for Tour Prizes. 

*** I’m being interviewed at Sara’s Urban Fantasy Blog. Comment at this blog for a chance at the $25 gift cards and for a mystery book prize.

*** Jean Lafitte is at Cynthia Woolf’s blog today, talking about...whatever Jean wants to talk about. Who's going to tell him no? Comment at this blog for a chance at the $25 gift cards and for a mystery book prize.

*** I’m being interviewed at Kay Dee Royal’s blog today. Enter the Rafflecopter prize here for the eReader and tour prizes; comment for a chance at the $25 gift card and a mystery book prize.

*** There’s a promo today at Book Liaison. Enter the Rafflecopter prize here for the eReader and tour prizes; comment for a chance at the $25 gift card and a mystery book prize.

Okay, so I was tagged on a Next Big Thing blog hop last week, which involves answering a group of questions. So here goes…

 What is your title of your book?

River Road (The Sentinels of New Orleans, Book 2)

Where did the idea come from for the book?

While the world for the series came from my own experiences living in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina, this book was inspired by my maps I sketched out of what the modern world and the Beyond might look be organized, and how the Mississippi River might wind through both New Orleans and the Beyond. Once I realized I wanted to focus on the river, I knew I needed to write about the water species—merpeople, nymphs, nyads, etc.

What genre does your book fall under?

Urban fantasy, with a mild romantic subplot

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

When I began writing the series, I put the actress Emilie de Ravin in DJ’s role. I thought Gilles Marini would make a good Jean Lafitte. A young Josh Holloway (yeah, okay, I was a “Lost” fan) would be a perfect Jake. I’m still casting around for the perfect Alex. Alex has to be just right; he’s in my head but I haven’t been able to cast him yet.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your series?

What if, when Hurricane Katrina led to the levee failures between New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain, it also led to metaphysical “levee” failures between the modern city and the world Beyond?

Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?

I am represented by the Stringer Literary Agency. The series is published by Tor Books.

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

About three months to write the first draft. About two months for the second draft. About three more months for the final draft, which is VERY different than the first draft. This book underwent some serious changes from start to finish.

May we see an intro?

The first chapter of River Road is available on this page (look at the tabs at the top). How about an early blurb for book three, Elysian Fields?

The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the Muddy Mississippi.

New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. But thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman...and she's on his to-ax list.

Fighting off an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting DJ take lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard Adrian Hoffman, and former partner Alex Warin has put DJ on his own “to-do” list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.

Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench seems to be DJ’s best option.

Thanks for visiting today! Hop on over to the tour stops for all the giveaways!

If I’m slow to respond to comments today, be patient. I’m on the road, heading for New Orleans, but will be back in business by the time the #torchat begins!