I’ve been tagged by friend and The Sister Queens author Sophie Perinot in a blog game called The Next Big Thing. Playing along involves answering questions about my work in progress, and since I’ve actually just finished the second novel in the Shinobi mystery series, my current work-in-progress is Book 3: FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER.
The questions came to me courtesy of Sophie and the game, so let’s dive right in:
What is your working title of your book?
Flask of the Drunken Master (A Shinobi Mystery, Book 3)
Where did the idea come from (for the book)?
I knew before I finished Claws of the Cat (A Shinobi Mystery, Book 1) that some of the subsequent story lines would feature supporting characters from earlier novels. The “ancient/drunken monk” is a staple of Japanese fiction (really all Asian fiction) which has bled over into Western culture as well. (Remember Master Yoda, do you?) I created Suke the Monk to fill that role in the first Shinobi novel – and liked him so much that I knew I needed to bring him back in a more central role.
Flask fulfills that promise – though not exactly the way I originally intended.
What genre does your book fall under?
Mystery. Technically, historical mystery – though it’s closer to a police procedural than anything else.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Whoever the director cast in the role. I consider film an important adaptive art, and try to keep an open mind so I can enjoy any actor that eventually plays the parts. I’d be honored just to see the books represented in that medium.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When a rival is murdered outside Ginjiro’s Brewery, Hiro and Father Mateo must find the killer and save Ginjiro (and Suke the monk) from torture and execution, while preventing a violent warlord from attacking Kyoto and overthrowing the Shogunate. (It’s rough, and may change, but that’s the gist.)
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m represented by Sandra Bond of Bond Literary Agency, and Flask is the third installment in my current three-book contract with St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne Books.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The outline took one evening. If I stay on schedule, the first draft will take 30 days.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It’s a ninja detective book … in essence, it’s a thriller-paced mystery filled with medieval forensics, swords, a drunken monk, and a paper-eating kitten thrown in for good measure.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I love writing the continuing adventures of Hiro and Father Mateo. Here’s hoping I’m fortunate enough to write several more!
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Ninja detectives. Portuguese weapons dealers. Sword fights, ninjas being ninjas and a female samurai named Yoshiko (who readers will also recognize from Book 1). It’s a return to the characters and world we was in Claws of the Cat, but set in the brewery/artisan culture instead of the geishas’ floating world.
BIG thanks to Sophie for tagging me and letting me play along! And since one of the rules is to return the favor, I’m passing the tag to three fantastic authors I know:
Please visit their blogs and learn about their Next Big Things!
A message for the tagged authors and interested others:
Rules of the Next Big Thing
***Use this format for your post
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.
Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.