Another indie author, Christa Polkinhorn, invited me to participate in a round-robin blog tour in which authors of various stripes would describe their next project. (See links for Susan Eisenberg and Christa at the end.) My new novel is a sequel to CEL & ANNA: A 22nd CENTURY LOVE STORY.
The sequel is due out this summer. This Q&A is the first look at it:
What is the working title of your next book?
Its working title is WARNING: SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING. The title came from my niece Brynn’s linear algebra notebook. She is studying physics at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Where did the idea come from?
From the book that preceded it: CEL & ANNA: A 22nd CENTURY LOVE STORY. At the end of CEL, a cataclysmic event occurs. The sequel deals with what happens next.
What genre does your novel fall into?
It is science fiction, with the caveat that there is no actual science in it.
What actors would you choose to play the major roles?
The book has two settings: the Reunited States (Earthworld) and the internet (Networld). In Networld, actors could only voice the characters, and I don’t know who I would pick. In the Earthworld scenes, I would cast as many actors as possible from the series SMASH. I love that show.
What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Networld attacks Earthworld.
How long did it take to draft the manuscript?
A little more than 2 years, though there was down time in that 2 years.
Will it be self-published like your first novel or will you be represented by an agent?
Self-published. I have wised up considerably about that process.
What other books are similar to WARNING?
My book is centered around the rise of machine civilization. This is a common theme now; check out Science Fiction – High Tech at Amazon.
What other elements might pique the reader’s interest?
Here are some chapter titles:
Extreme Reality Warning
The Government Is Down
The Strange Case of Rampal-E
Magic, As It Electrifies
In a World White as Dawn
Shadow and the Stovepipes
Here are the first 98 words:
Time as humans perceived it had no meaning to Cel, either before he made the jump to Networld or after. A year was long as a lifetime; a millisecond was a nice bite-sized bit of time. Cel could move around comfortably in a millisecond. When he ran at top speed, he went far faster than that.
The first thing that surprised him about Networld was that it had become a kind of electronic primordial soup, from which life arose in abundance. The second thing that surprised him was how unintelligent and disposable most of that life was.
Visit Susan Eisenberg’s blog at Unsynchronized Passions to learn more about her next novel, LUCKY FOR YOU.
Visit Christa Polkinhorn’s blog at Christa Polkinhorn Bookworm Press to learn more about her new novel, EMILIA.
Visit Gloria Bowman’s blog at Gloria Bowman Stories to learn more about her new collection of short stories, MEN WITH LONG HAIR.
Check out hashtag #BlogNextBigThing on Twitter to find more author blogs about works in progress.
Great teasers, Lindsay. I’m certainly intrigued and can’t wait for the sequel to come out!
Much thanks! This one proceeded like popcorn popping — challenge was herding the popcorn, if you know what I mean.
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Lindsay, this so remnds me of something I read a long time ago. Or the man who travels on a motor cycle inside a computer … the ship that travels though the bloodstream of a human. The worlds inside worlds. The bit becoming the bite of life. Great image of a strange new place
The notion of the internet as a place intrigued me. It is fun idea to play with.
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I am intrigued as well! The Reunited States and Networld…Magic, As It Electrifies. So many clever and thoughtful comments. I look forward to reading it!
It has been a hard book to wrangle into order. Still is. But when you find a great title like WARNING; SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING, you are obligated to fasten a book to it.
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Ahhh, I fell in love with Cel (leave it up to me to fall in love with a computer!). I’m really looking forward to his future adventures!
Christa
Thank you for this kind compliment! Cel is a major adventurer in WARNING. He finds networld a lively place.
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I can’t wait to read the new book WARNING. Your descriptions are terrific!
Thank you! It has been fun to play around with the ideas in WARNING.
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[...] Lindsay Urban’s blog at Writer’s Rest to learn more about her new novel, CEL & ANNA: A 22nd CENTURY LOVE [...]
Thanks for including me in the blog chain. I have finally finished! http://wp.me/p2CpPw-5X