My bud, Rio Youers, tagged me to be a part of this online q&a called The Next Big Thing. The idea is to answer ten quick fire questions on your blog, and then tag five other writers, and so on. It’s a good idea, and a nice way to drum up interest in your latest work. Rio tagged me and you can read his answers on his website. Here are mine:

1. What is the working title of your next book?

My next book is titled…. UNTITLED FIRST FELIX RENN NOVEL. Actually, I know the title of the book, but I’m not ready to reveal it here. If you really want to know, I mentioned it in the story notes in my Felix Renn collection, SuperNOIRtural Tales. It just came out, so let’s talk about that book instead, okay?

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

SuperNOIRtural Tales is a collection of five stories featuring a recurring private detective character named Felix Renn. I don’t recall where the idea for Felix came from, except that I’ve always enjoyed supernatural fiction and detective fiction, and thought it would be fun to combine them in one story.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

I suppose some people would say it’s urban fantasy, but UF has become synonymous with paranormal romance these days, so I tend to refer to these stories as supernatural noirs, or supernoirturals (hence the title of the book).

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I think Ryan Gosling could make an interesting Felix. And I think Alicia Witt would do well as Felix’s ex-wife/assistant, Sandra.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Felix Renn is a private detective in a supernatural world.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The book was published by Burning Effigy Press.

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

The collection is the culmination of three years’ worth of stories. The longest story, “The Brick” at 50,000 words, took about three months to write.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmm. Tough question. I think of Felix as more Harry D’Amour than Harry Dresden, so I’m reluctant to compare the book to others in the field of urban fantasy. The Felix Renn stories actually owe more to detective fiction than horror, so while I would compare the story to something like Everville, by Clive Barker, I’d also include the Lew Archer series by Ross Macdonald and the Spensers books by Robert B. Parker.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My love for detective/supernatural fiction mash-ups.

10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Well, I think Felix Renn and the Black Lands series stands out among others in its subgenre, if only because I don’t self-identify as an author of urban fantasy. It’s not about marketing. I think if you read these stories (and you can read the first one in the series, “Temporary Monsters” for free), you’ll see that they stand very much on their own.

So there we go. Quick and painless. Unfortunately, I’ve only managed to tag one other author so far. Orrin Grey is up next in the hot seat one week from today.