Hi, everyone. As you know, I’ve recently been part of the writerly chain of blogs where a succession of writers get to talk about their next work in progress — The Next Big Thing. Each writer answers a standard set of questions about their latest work.
My turn came on the 28th November. I thought I might as well repost my questions and answers.
Here is my Q&A discussing my current Work in Progress, Urban Fantasy Distant Shore. I hope you enjoy it.
1) What is the working title of your next book?
Distant Shore.
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
You know, I’m just not exactly sure about that. Like a lot of things I write, it grew organically.
I have always been fascinated by New York and I took the opportunity of visiting Lunacon in New York in 2009 to do a bit of research for an Urban Fantasy set there. I guess that collided with an interest in my own Irish ancestry.
Somewhere in there the core idea of the twins with complementary powers emerged from the depths to help coalesce the plot.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy. 4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Wow. That’s something I have never considered. Have to think about that one. I’ll update the page when I get a lightning bolt:)
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
In Distant Shore, twin Adepts of the McNally clan — one from New York and another from Brisbane — must unite to fight an evil born more than a century before in the wild chaos of Manhattan’s Five Points.
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Mnnn. Let me consult my crystal ball. Ah! Published by an obscure Martian small print. They have a great distribution on the Jovian moons, and a good blog following as well.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I’m about one quarter through the first draft. Oh Writer Gods, give me wings!
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The book would probably appeal to readers of novels such as Neil Gaimon’s American Gods, Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Clive Barker’s Weaveworld or the novels of Charles de Lint.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My agent Mike Kabongo challenged me to write an Urban Fantasy after the success of Justine Larbalestier’s Magic or Madness trilogy (which was also set in New York), particularly contrasting the Australian and American points of view. Seemed like a good enough reason to me. I have always liked Urban Fantasy, but have (until now) written mainly in the Heroic Fantasy and Science Fiction Genres.
10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Here is a little excerpt from the synopsis. . .
In each generation twins are born to two branches of the McNally clan — in New York and Brisbane. Inexplicably, one twin from each city always dies at birth.
The surviving New York twins always start out as a shining lights — great sportsmen, easygoing and loved – revelling in their power. Yet each generation they lose control, spiralling into crime and a violent death.
The Brisbane twins become aware of the realm of the Other. They are haunted by what they see and are driven to fight the dark, despite their lack of strength.
On each distant shore, both surviving twins are plagued by a sense of incompleteness. Jeb, the taciturn police psychologist from Brisbane, and Joey, the energetic football jock studying at Columbia. Each is unaware of their gifts.
At the start of Distant Shore, the power of the McNally Adepts has passed to a new generation. . .
Next Wedneday, the torch passese to another set of writers, some of whom you may recongise!
Mad Genius Club 
The McNally Adepts, eh? Are there more magical families? Do they do the twin thing as well? Or is this Evil perhaps one such?
I foresee…. evil unicorns.
Instead of rainbows, do they excrete oil spills? Or federal forms?
Federal forms, in triplicate.
With CARBON PAPER! Remember those wonderful days, when you had to get the whole bundle lined up?
Ah yeah. And trying to reuse the old carbon paper:)
Federal forms of course being the worst:)
Nope. No unicorns.
There are a few different Adepts with slightly different powers. The NcNallys are the only ones that occur as twins.
Are the twins identical or fraternal? And are the surviving twins identical, by any chance?