Fantasy Book Club discussion

Yes, you did read that right! Mark has agreed to come and be interrogated questioned about this month's book.

As he's so kind and gracious, :) , I'm sure you can sneak some questions in about his other books too.

Please join your hands in welcoming Mark (clap emoji here)

I always like your character's names - how do you think them up?

Helen wrote: "I always like your character's names - how do you think them up?"

:D

I see writers agonising over names and I don't understand it. I make them up without thinking, like they were just another word in the sentence.

Thank you for agreeing to this Q&A and joining us, Mark!

This is the second time you're writing a trilogy in a pre-existing world (Broken Empire - Red Queen's War and Book of the Ancestor - Book of the Ice). Is this something you planned from the get-go? Like... Did you already know you wanted to tell Yaz's story when you started writing Red Sister, or did you realize that you could explore the world & tell more stories somewhere along the way?

(Yes, I realize my question is just a variant of "How heavily do you outline your stories?" which you probably get asked all the time :D)

Oh and before anyone does... can we keep Girl and the star book stuff hidden in spoilers.

I’ve not so much looked at a blurb and don’t want to have to kill anyone.

Virginie wrote: "Thank you for agreeing to this Q&A and joining us, Mark!

This is the second time you're writing a trilogy in a pre-existing world (Broken Empire - Red Queen's War and Book of the Ancestor - Book o..."

I don't plan my stories at all, so I had no idea what would happen in the next chapter when I wrote Red Sister, let alone that there would be another trilogy in the world I had yet to describe.

Yaz popped into being when I (view spoiler)[thought about a hole in the ice and needed someone to go down it. (hide spoiler)]

:D

I believe book two is all ready for printing, how's book three?

Helen wrote: ":D

I believe book two is all ready for printing, how's book three?"

With the publisher - editor is about half way through reading it.

Well done! So a new series then.

Helen wrote: "Well done! So a new series then."

Sent my start / proposal to my agent today.

Mark wrote: "Helen wrote: "Well done! So a new series then."

Sent my start / proposal to my agent today."

Well this is great news! Good luck and I hope it is well received and heading to press soon!

Welcome Mark. I'm so glad your here. Oh, that's great news about the trilogy. I don't understand why it takes many, many years (10 years or more?) just to get the next book in a series from other authors. So my question is (view spoiler)[ did you research arctic cultures, Eskimo, Lapp, Siberian, Aleutian, etc., to develop your culture in your book? I found it very well thought out. (hide spoiler)]

Tnkw01 wrote: "Welcome Mark. I'm so glad your here. Oh, that's great news about the trilogy. I don't understand why it takes many, many years (10 years or more?) just to get the next book in a series from other a..."

Maybe my relative swiftness owes something to relying on my general knowledge in the main. Research is all well and good but often it's displacement activity to avoid writing, the sort of procrastination that authors are famed for. So the answer is: not really, but I know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff and I'm pretty good at filling in the gaps with imagination.

Do you ever sleep? Not that I’m complaining but yearly books, 4 last year, active social media, being a very busy dad, how do you fit it in?

Hi Mark,

Thank you for taking the time to come here.

What are some of your favorite books? And what has been most influential to your writing?

Mark, what a great clift hanger. When is the next book?

Loved it! Are we looking at May for the next book? Has the title been released? :)

Hey Mark, thanks for the Q&A. I guess my question would be seeing as this is set in the same world as Book of the Ancestor, any chance of Yaz maybe running into Nona?

Elise wrote: "Hey Mark, thanks for the Q&A. I guess my question would be seeing as this is set in the same world as Book of the Ancestor, any chance of Yaz maybe running into Nona?"

Nothing can be ruled out at this point!

I like how different they are whilst both being loyal and brave.

The eye colour was interesting and got me wondering what purpose it has, in general I mean.

Thank you so much Mark :)