Ask the Author: Justine Sebastian
Answered Questions (4)
Justine Sebastian
Hey, Rae! Thanks for dropping by! Now, on to the questions:
1. Yes, there will be more Todd. It's taken me forever, I know, but I fully realize the problem now: I was trying to write a trilogy and it just doesn't work. If I went ahead with that--and I did try--book two would've sucked because it would've just been filler. Booooo, filler. So, now there will only be a sequel sometime soonish (I write slow) entitled The Wicked King. Maybe--maybe--it'll see the light of day by next year. Yeah, not great, but it's something, right?
2. Alas, I am sorry to say that Evrain and Daniel probably (like 98%) won't be heard from again. I don't have any ideas about them, which says to me their story is finished. I like to think that they got on with their lives though and healed the best they could, especially poor Evrain.
3. Yes! An Aaron fan! I love that squirrelly little fucker so much. Haha. Ok, now that I've got that out of the way, here's the answer: Yep, there will be one more book (for now, maybe I'll come up with more later) in the Sparrow Falls series. This one will be from the POV of everyone's favorite sexy narcoleptic, Hylas Dunwalton. The title is Never Sleep Again and it promises to be a nice little creepy scare fest. Like, tuck yourself in tight for that one. Also, Aaron and Nick will feature prominently as the trusty musketeers they are, along with Tobias and the rest of the SF gang. I plan to start NSA as soon as I finish the fucking TOME I'm currently embroiled in a battle of wills with.
Hope that answers your questions. If you have anymore, feel free to hit me up. Thanks again for stopping by!
1. Yes, there will be more Todd. It's taken me forever, I know, but I fully realize the problem now: I was trying to write a trilogy and it just doesn't work. If I went ahead with that--and I did try--book two would've sucked because it would've just been filler. Booooo, filler. So, now there will only be a sequel sometime soonish (I write slow) entitled The Wicked King. Maybe--maybe--it'll see the light of day by next year. Yeah, not great, but it's something, right?
2. Alas, I am sorry to say that Evrain and Daniel probably (like 98%) won't be heard from again. I don't have any ideas about them, which says to me their story is finished. I like to think that they got on with their lives though and healed the best they could, especially poor Evrain.
3. Yes! An Aaron fan! I love that squirrelly little fucker so much. Haha. Ok, now that I've got that out of the way, here's the answer: Yep, there will be one more book (for now, maybe I'll come up with more later) in the Sparrow Falls series. This one will be from the POV of everyone's favorite sexy narcoleptic, Hylas Dunwalton. The title is Never Sleep Again and it promises to be a nice little creepy scare fest. Like, tuck yourself in tight for that one. Also, Aaron and Nick will feature prominently as the trusty musketeers they are, along with Tobias and the rest of the SF gang. I plan to start NSA as soon as I finish the fucking TOME I'm currently embroiled in a battle of wills with.
Hope that answers your questions. If you have anymore, feel free to hit me up. Thanks again for stopping by!
Justine Sebastian
Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling is the big one.
I also actually like Dracula and Mina (from the Gary Oldman movie) and on the side because... well... Dracula/Jonathan Harker. I mean, come on! It's so obvious.
Then there's Ryan Hardy and Joe Carroll from The Following. UNF. But woe at that show and how bad they IRREPARABLY FUCKED IT UP in the third season. I screamed. I kinda-sorta cried. I threw shit. Then I got drunk to console myself. It was a total fucking mess, but goddamnit. I'm still not over that debacle. ARGH.
Anyway... Canapes, anyone?
I also actually like Dracula and Mina (from the Gary Oldman movie) and on the side because... well... Dracula/Jonathan Harker. I mean, come on! It's so obvious.
Then there's Ryan Hardy and Joe Carroll from The Following. UNF. But woe at that show and how bad they IRREPARABLY FUCKED IT UP in the third season. I screamed. I kinda-sorta cried. I threw shit. Then I got drunk to console myself. It was a total fucking mess, but goddamnit. I'm still not over that debacle. ARGH.
Anyway... Canapes, anyone?
Justine Sebastian
I'm working on two things at the moment--which I never do, but I cannot help myself this time:
One is a project I've had in mind for a couple of years now that promises to be incredibly long, which is daunting. But hell, it's fun, so whatever. It's tentatively titled Wolf's Bane and is a mish-mash of fantasy sub-genres; including dark fantasy with some elements of horror (because come on, this is me). There's going to be heartbreak, drug abuse, splatter and more weird magic than you can shake a wand at (though there are no wands in my book). There are also werewolves. My kind of werewolves; aka, awesome as fuck. Oh and there's a brownie with a personality disorder. He's adorable and he will cut you.
The other thing is sick and gory and will probably make you cry. It's not for the fainthearted, not even a little bit. If you quail easily then Parasite probably is not for you. If you like my gorier work then by all means, do read. I promise it will give you nightmares... and maybe a thrill or two along the way. Since it also looks to be MUCH shorter (only an estimated 12 rapid-fire chapters) expect it out before Wolf's Bane ever sees the light of day.
As for the rest, I am planning the third Sparrow Falls book and another project that I am going to try to make headway on during NaNo that is a challenge between a friend and I: we are each doing our own particular (and peculiar) takes on Beauty and the Beast. But I promise: there will be roses; roses of such profusion the likes of which you have never seen before.
One is a project I've had in mind for a couple of years now that promises to be incredibly long, which is daunting. But hell, it's fun, so whatever. It's tentatively titled Wolf's Bane and is a mish-mash of fantasy sub-genres; including dark fantasy with some elements of horror (because come on, this is me). There's going to be heartbreak, drug abuse, splatter and more weird magic than you can shake a wand at (though there are no wands in my book). There are also werewolves. My kind of werewolves; aka, awesome as fuck. Oh and there's a brownie with a personality disorder. He's adorable and he will cut you.
The other thing is sick and gory and will probably make you cry. It's not for the fainthearted, not even a little bit. If you quail easily then Parasite probably is not for you. If you like my gorier work then by all means, do read. I promise it will give you nightmares... and maybe a thrill or two along the way. Since it also looks to be MUCH shorter (only an estimated 12 rapid-fire chapters) expect it out before Wolf's Bane ever sees the light of day.
As for the rest, I am planning the third Sparrow Falls book and another project that I am going to try to make headway on during NaNo that is a challenge between a friend and I: we are each doing our own particular (and peculiar) takes on Beauty and the Beast. But I promise: there will be roses; roses of such profusion the likes of which you have never seen before.
Justine Sebastian
Hi, Beverly, thanks for stopping by!
I'm from Louisiana and though I've moved around a lot in my life (more like I have a tendency to wander off) I always come back home to the south. I like the accents and the food WAY better. Hehe.
My advice to you is pretty simple... and yet, not... If that makes sense. It is this: Do not be afraid. Seriously. Don't worry about whether or not you may offend someone or piss them off. Don't fret about the special snowflakes of the world because they are legion and fact is, you can't please everyone. I find more and more writers basically pussing out on the important stuff and intentionally sanitizing their work because they're SCARED. Which, in turn, ruins what would otherwise have been perfectly good ideas.
If your MC has a filthy mouth and says "fuck" every other word, makes jokes about abortions gone wrong and occasionally makes small children cry... then let him/her/them do that. Personally, I find books like that far more enjoyable than I do books where everyone is PC in the extreme and/or there's a shoe-in-love-interest shoved down your throat by page ten. Hint: if you can spot them the second they show up, you should probably reevaluate your characterizations. The biggest question to ask yourself about romantic/sexytimes partners that stick around is: What does this character contribute to the STORY? If that answer is, "MC is in love with them for some vague reason no one can ascertain." then you should probably scrap that character. Or at least work very hard at developing them in terms of having a personality of their own. As a reader, I want to SEE why the MC is so smitten. And no, a nice rack or tight ass doesn't do it. That is my biggest peeve when it comes to books (and television... and movies... and... and... and... Yeah. Heh.)
Finally, just kick back and enjoy the ride. Don't think too much about it--if you have an idea then set aside some time and write. Don't plot. Don't outline. Don't arrange index cards around you in a druidic semi-circle of writerly magicalness. Just open a document (or grab a pen and notebook) and write. Do note, however, that I tend to not write like most writers in that regard. I am more than a "pantser". I'm more of a "streaking through the commons on a Friday nighter". ::ahem::
If you have anymore questions (and I haven't frightened you away with my rambling) feel free to hit me up again because fuck yeah. Happy writing!
I'm from Louisiana and though I've moved around a lot in my life (more like I have a tendency to wander off) I always come back home to the south. I like the accents and the food WAY better. Hehe.
My advice to you is pretty simple... and yet, not... If that makes sense. It is this: Do not be afraid. Seriously. Don't worry about whether or not you may offend someone or piss them off. Don't fret about the special snowflakes of the world because they are legion and fact is, you can't please everyone. I find more and more writers basically pussing out on the important stuff and intentionally sanitizing their work because they're SCARED. Which, in turn, ruins what would otherwise have been perfectly good ideas.
If your MC has a filthy mouth and says "fuck" every other word, makes jokes about abortions gone wrong and occasionally makes small children cry... then let him/her/them do that. Personally, I find books like that far more enjoyable than I do books where everyone is PC in the extreme and/or there's a shoe-in-love-interest shoved down your throat by page ten. Hint: if you can spot them the second they show up, you should probably reevaluate your characterizations. The biggest question to ask yourself about romantic/sexytimes partners that stick around is: What does this character contribute to the STORY? If that answer is, "MC is in love with them for some vague reason no one can ascertain." then you should probably scrap that character. Or at least work very hard at developing them in terms of having a personality of their own. As a reader, I want to SEE why the MC is so smitten. And no, a nice rack or tight ass doesn't do it. That is my biggest peeve when it comes to books (and television... and movies... and... and... and... Yeah. Heh.)
Finally, just kick back and enjoy the ride. Don't think too much about it--if you have an idea then set aside some time and write. Don't plot. Don't outline. Don't arrange index cards around you in a druidic semi-circle of writerly magicalness. Just open a document (or grab a pen and notebook) and write. Do note, however, that I tend to not write like most writers in that regard. I am more than a "pantser". I'm more of a "streaking through the commons on a Friday nighter". ::ahem::
If you have anymore questions (and I haven't frightened you away with my rambling) feel free to hit me up again because fuck yeah. Happy writing!
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