So, here goes - my thanks to Roger for sending this over...
~
1) What is the working title of your next book?
Well, there are two at the moment:
The Shadows of the Hive
and the next Secret War novel:
The Blood on the Seine
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
The Shadow of the Hive comes from my love of SF and good stories. I recently went back to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and was reminded how simple, yet compelling the book was. The themes are so timeless. It's more about human nature and the ability to better one's self under traumatic circumstances than anything else, and could be written about any place or any time. So it got me thinking about how To Kill a Mockingbird would read if set in the far future. That's what Shadow... is, essentially, a book about human nature dealing with trauma and the stress of living on this floating and aimless ghetto in space, called the Hive, and how that can put a stress on our humanity. It might sound bleak, but it will actually be a very optimistic and uplifting book.
The Blood on the Seine: Secret War Bk2 is a natural progression from the first book. What I wanted to do was explain a little about what happens to the main character, William Saxon, between The Secret War and the Hoard of Mhorrer (which was originally published as Secret War book 2 in 2009 by Pan Macmillan, but is now in effect book 5/6). There's five years of experience in fighting demons and other undead that changes the man - I wanted to show some of that. Then it's onwards to two or maybe three more books before the events of the Hoard of Mhorrer.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
The Shadow of the Hive is science fiction
The Blood on the Seine is historical fantasy
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Not sure about The Shadow of the Hive; I'm still feeling my way into the characters, but one of the main characters, Dallas (the father) needs to be played by an actor of quiet, humble gravitas, but big physical presence perhaps Hugh Jackman or even Tom Hardy. The narrator - a nine year old girl - would need to be largely unknown, but gifted actress, possibly the next Dakota Fanning or Natalie Portman.
The Blood on the Seine is easier to cast as the series has been in my head for the last 15 years. Since his turn in the new Star Trek reboot, I thought William Saxon should be played by Chris Hemsworth (who also acted well in the Thor movies). As the film would be set in Allied occupied Paris in 1815, the rest of the cast will be English, Scottish stalwarts of cinema and TV, while the character of Juliet Baudin would be played by Eva Green.
5) What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
The Shadow of the Hive:
"A family existing in the chaos and aimless existence of a floating ghetto in space, are faced with a new danger, when inexplicably the people of their Hive turn on a minority section of their society: the Adapted, people who have been surgically altered to survive the rigors of space."
The Blood on the Seine:
"While serving his exile in a remote village in Italy, William Saxon is recalled by the British Army for what might become his final mission: to hunt down eight French deserters in Paris, but events run out of control as one by one the deserters are brutally murdered and William suspects an agent of Hell might be, once again, involved."
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Both books will be agency represented, but initially it is expected that Blood on the Seine will be self-published as an ebook to generate interest.
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
They are both still being written - but I expect much of this year and the next will be taken up by these two projects in total, with first drafts completed by the summer.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The Shadow of the Hive is as suggested above, To Kill a Mockingbird in outer space.
The Blood on the Seine is a gothic, mystery and adventure novel. There's a bit of Sherlock Holmes in this, a bit of Dracula, and huge dollop of Edgar Rice Burroughs too.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The Shadow of the Hive was inspired by a series of events: being thrown into the wilderness of publishing, the belief of my agent, and Rupert Morgan who has reignited my love of SF through his venture, Paper Planes.
The Blood on the Seine was inspired by the first book in the series, and interest from fans. I wanted to do right by them.
10) What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The Blood on the Seine is for everyone who loved The Secret War, and even The Hoard of Mhorrer (despite being set five years before the second book). It is an adventure novel above all else, with sword fights over mist-shrouded bridges in Paris, chases across rivers and down streets, and plenty of demons, vampires, blood-letting and peril. Lots of fun!
The Shadow of the Hive has less action, but is more about people and what they do in exceptional circumstances, against a back-drop of an immense folly that is both organic and steam-punk influenced. The Hive is a fantastic setting of vertiginous layers of walkways, cabins suspended on cables and ledges, and people who have learned to live in this great canopy-like of vessels. On this stage is played the most basic of human reactions: fear of the unusual, and what it drives men to do, often violence, against the most marginalised of society. In this drama, one man and his family are brave enough to stand up against that fear, leading to tragedy as well as redemption.
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