Greetings!
Behold, a writer who has completed the first draft of his second novel. Or rather, a writer who has completed the first draft of his second Checquy novel. (Iโve written first drafts of other novels, but this is the one thatโs been consuming my time and my brain for the past plethora of months.) Yes, the Checquy Book Two has been poured out upon my computer screen, and even as we speak, my glorious editor is reading it and (I hope) liking it. I actually finished it, and mailed it off, at 3:30 AM Australian time on the 15th of January, and my brain has unclenched enough since then that I can begin looking at it again without hating it intensely.
Youโll notice that I donโt give its title. Itโs just Checquy Book Two. It has a provisional title โ in my mind — but Iโm still brooding over it. For me, the title comes pretty late in the piece. Or rather, the final title comes pretty late in the piece. The Rookโs original title was โNamesakeโ, which came to me in the shower, and which I was convinced was genius. After all, Myfanwy Thomas is named after someone else (the original Myfanwy Thomas) and, well, trust me, it all seemed extremely profound when I was in the shower. However, then a book called โThe Namesakeโ came out, and did very well, and it was gently pointed out to me that another title would be a good idea. So I brooded and agonised for a while, and settled on The Rook, which, in retrospect, has worked out OK. Quite a few people have asked which chess piece the next book will be named after, but I am not convinced that I will go with that recurring motif. For one thing, itโs already been done, and for another, it sort of limits one to six titles. (And since the Checquy doesnโt use โKingโ and โQueenโ, itโs a bit tenuous anyway.)
Iโm not entirely certain when Checquy Book Two is going to come out. Of course, the whole process is very different from the first time. The Rook took a couple of years to write, this one, about a year. My agent, Mollie Glick, and I did a lot of polishing before The Rook went out to publishers, and then my editor, Asya Muchnick, and I did a lot more polishing. This one, Book Two, has gone to both of them at the same time. And Iโll confess, Iโve already started making some strategic alterations before theyโve even gotten back to me. Iโm really excited about this one, though.
A couple of people have remarked how long itโs been since Iโve done a blog entry. They are, of course, correct. Iโve just checked, and seen that the last one was actually in May 2012. My only answer is that Book Two had a due date, and it took precedence over many, many things, including blogging. I have a reverence and a terror of due dates that borders on the psychotic. But, a lot of things have happened in the intervening time โ things which, when they happened, I thought โI should really write about this.โ The problem is, Iโm very averse to writing short blog entries. Itโs the same with emails (and novels). Anyway, Iโve been keeping a list of things to include in the blog, and now is my chance to share them with you.
Firstly, The Rook has started coming out in different languages! Of course, it has been out in Australian English for a while (with HarperCollins Australia), but it only recently came out in British English with Head of Zeus. It is also available in Italian, incarnated at La Regina from Piemme with some very attractive Ferrari-red added to the cover. I shall put in a photo if I can figure out how (if I canโt, you can see it here: http://www.edizpiemme.it/libri/la-regina). Of course, La Regina translates as โThe Queenโ, but they have not changed Myfanwyโs rank in it. Nor, much to my relief, was it done because the Italian word for โRookโ was also some sort of obscenity. Rather, itโs because they wanted a title that implied feminine authority and majesty, which is entirely reasonable to me.
There is also now the Czech version, which is titled, Hra vฤลพรญ, and which comes to us from Baronet (I shall also attempt to put up a photo of their very different, and very striking, cover. If I canโt manage it because I am incompetent, then you can see it here: http://baronet.cz/beletrie/hra-vezi ). I love it. My only disappointment is that my name remains the same on the cover. My parents became โBillu OโMalleyoviโ and โJeanne OโMalleyovรฉโ. I expect that itโs a necessity for author-identification, and whatnot, but it would have been cool to see what my name is in Czech.
Now, way back in May, when I last blogged, I mentioned that Charlaine Harris, the creator of the beloved Southern Vampire Mysteries (known best to some via the television show True Blood, although they should read the books because theyโre great) had spoken kindly about The Rook, both on her blog, and in an interview. Well, she ALSO spoke about it kindly on NBCโs Today Show! I first heard about this at work, when friends and relations in America began bombarding me with emails, and I was gnawing on my nails, because I try to keep Day Job and Writing separate. So, when I come home, I frantically trawled through the internet and found it. You can actually view the clip online at http://www.today.com/id/47981733/site/todayshow/ns/today-books/t/sizzling-summer-reads-charlaine-harris-janet-evanovich/#.USB_LRyaK6Y . Admittedly, the sizzling summer has passed (at least in the northern hemisphere โ itโs still pretty toasty down here), but this is one of the most encouraging things to come out of The Rookโs publication.
Also, I had posted a link to an interview with Unwalkers, but it was in French. The English version also exists, and lurks on the internet, waiting for you at http://www.unwalkers.com/interview-with-daniel-omalley-vo/
Iโm going to endeavour to keep the number of links to reviews to a minimum โ itโs been eight months, and a fair few reviews. (Negative reviews can, of course, find their own forum to share their views.) I have cut myself off from looking at reviews and ratings on venues like Amazon and Book Depository. That way lies madness. But some reviews that Iโm especially delighted about, and which I want to share with you, have accompanied the UK release of The Rook.
See, the two great concerns I had about The Rook were writing a female character, and writing a novel set in the UK. Since I am neither a female nor set in the UK myself, I was braced for some denunciation about whether Iโd pulled it off. And I did get a couple of remarks along the lines of โthatโs not how English people talkโ, although those came from Americans, which I thought was a bit interesting. Anyway, some very heartening UK reviews:
James Buxton writing for The Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2267614/FANTASY.html
David Brzeski writing for The British Fantasy Society: http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/reviews/9507/
A review by Antony in SFBook Reviews: http://sfbook.com/the-rook.htm
And finally, Ani Johnson from The Bookbag: http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=The_Rook_(The_Checquy_Files)_by_Daniel_O’Malley
In other news, I went weak at the knees when I learned that The Rook was selected as the 2013 fantasy pick for The Reading List. The Reading List is an award awarded by Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association. Iโll quote from their website for the description of the Reading List:
Established in 2007 by the CODES section of RUSA, The Reading List seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction that merit special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them. The Council, which consists of twelve librarians who are experts in readersโ advisory and collection development, selects one book from each of eight different categories. The eight genres currently included in the councilโs considerations are adrenaline titles (suspense, thrillers, and action adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and womenโs fiction. However, the Council is constructed in such a way to be adaptable to new genres and changes in contemporary reading interest.
– http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/readinglist
And by the way, am I the only person who is entranced by the prospect of Council of Librarians?
So, at this point, Iโm waiting for the first feedback, and working on more writing (Checquy and otherwise.) And I fully intend to be updating this blog much more frequently.
“Nor, much to my relief, was it done because the Italian word for โRookโ was also some sort of obscenity.”
Of course, now I really want to know what the Italian word is, and what obscenity it means ๐
I believe that the Italian word for the rook playing piece is ‘torre’, which means ‘tower.’ I don’t think it actually IS obscene, but I was fully prepared for some sort of dire revelation.
I read “the Rook” aloud to my family…what a delight. Cannot wait for your next installment. Made a Great Family time and everyone anticipated each evening read with high expectation, which was NEVER a let down.
I completely agree with your assessment. Without exaggeration, I say that this book has made any other fiction that I read seem lame by comparison. Rarely have I been so gripped and enthralled by a novel; rarely have I repeatedly said “Well, just one more chapter”. Rarely have I felt the compulsion so strongly to know And THEN What Happened?
I hope that the author becomes wealthy beyond dreams of avarice.
I think you misunderstood.
He thought at first that they changed the name because “Rook” might translate to something inappropriate, but he was relieved, because it does NOT, and they changed it for a different reason (which he then explains in the next sentence).
Thanks for the update on Checquy book #2! I’ve been looking forward to reading it ever since I finished The Rook.
Daniel,
I am so incredibly excited for book 2! A good friend of mine (and fellow book nerd) recommended this book to me after I had trouble finding my next good read. He said, “My sister told me to read the first few pages and I’d be hooked, I was and you will be too.” Sure enough, I was hooked hardcore. This book blew me away. Thank you so much for writing a book that easily compares to how I felt about Harry Potter and the Hunger Games.
Can’t wait for book 2.
Thanks again… keep us updated.
In my opinion, it’s much better than THG, but not quite up there with HP… YET. We’ll see with book three! (I’m super excited about it.) (But Harry Potter *is* kind of sacred.)
I’m so excited! I cant wait to get my hands on the sequel.
Oh my GOD!!!!! I am losing my mind, just reading this post brings me so much joy. I just finished reading The Rook for a third time. I fell in love with Susan Duerden’s narration so much that I dug up a few other books just to hear Myfanwy, oh what pain, and I don’t mean in a good way.
Daniel, I already tweeted about how much I love your writing andI have given it 5+ stars on Goodreads, So just hearing you are done with book two is a pleasure in itself and should keep me going for another 3 months until I have to read the first book again. Yippee.
Cheers,
Isn’t Susan Duerden great? In my mind, I was convinced that they would have some asthmatic gentleman from the American midwest reading it. I was thrilled with her delivery.
Shouldn’t there be a shadowy star chamber/secret government named the “Council of Librarians”?
I like to assume that there already is one.
Well, there may be a secret Council of Librarians– and if so, they probably oversee the work of The Librarian, star of many a ridiculously delightful dork-adventure movie series. But I’d love to see a take on the Council of Librarians from the whole “Checquy” perspective… And I loved The Rook. So glad there will be more!
Re: your name in Czech – if Czech is anything like Polish (spoiler: it is) then your name on the cover stayed the same because it’s not really about translation, it’s about declension. The suffixes added to your parents’ names in the dedication create the singular masculine and feminine forms in I want to say… the dative case? Meanwhile, the name on the cover stays as-is in the nominative, no suffixes for you. Sorry to disappoint! (If you want the approximation of what would happen if the Czech transcribed proper names phonetically, though, I would bet on Daniel O’Malej with accents… somewhere…)
…Aaand somehow the urge to spam people with useless knowledge was apparently stronger than the urge to tell you how much I loved The Rook (easily one of my favourite books of 2012) and how excited I am about Book Two (ridiculously so). I am so, so happy that there are still male fantasy authors out there capable of writing women as actual people rather than weirdly sexualised cardboard cutouts. Thank you for the update!
The Rook was a perfect example of the pure escapism I adore – and the well written variety is SO hard to find. I can’t wait for the sequel!!! Canada loves you too Mr. O’Malley!
Wow, SO excited to read this! I just happened to see a recommendation for The Rook (I don’t remember where), right around when it first came out. I read the synopsis and knew I HAD to buy this book to read on my vacation. Such a fantastic new world and character to become immersed in. I have tried to spread the word about The Rook when I can. My husband (who doesn’t read ever) even said it sounded like a good read.
Can’t wait to hear when #2 will be out.
Congratulations! I’m so much looking forward to Book 2. In fact, I came here looking for an update, since it’s been several months since I finishing listening to The Rook on audio and I can’t stop thinking about it. I originally picked it out based solely on the strong reviews for the audiobook. I have almost no experience of fantasy fiction…the few exceptions, perhaps, being Matt Ruff’s Bad Monkeys and Scarlett Thomas’s The End of Mr. Y; and I only read these because I was smitten with other, more typically lit-fic offerings of the authors. But, boy, did your first novel deliver for me.
As for writing from a woman’s point of view, I have yet to come across a knock for this in any of the reviews I read…nor does the novel deserve one, in my opinion. Myfanwy is one of my favorite women in fiction this year. The Rook would still have been great if it were narrated by a fella, I’m sure; but, for me, I felt I had a special entree into the book, since it asked of the characters the things I would ask and described the things I wanted to have described. Is Myfanwy “accurate”? Am I? Once in a long while I read a book about a woman by a man that I actually recommend because, not in spite, of that authorial choice. This is one.
I’m really excited for your next Checquy book. While I read the first one I was blown away by the detail and creativity and after I finished my mind was still attached to it for several days. I hope that there are many more to come in the future because I’m always looking for a good read. Great job.
PS. Go Buckeyes ๐
I’ve just finished listening to the audiobook for the 4th time (all 18hours of it) and I’m still bewitched by the world you’ve created for Myfanwy and the Checquy — so much so that my Goodreads friends have demanded that I share my copy because I gave it a rare 4-star review (to which I went and purchased a softcover lending copy – I refuse to let my hardcover leave my library).
Thank you so much for sharing!
This is wonderful news – congratulations! I am eagerly looking forward to Chequy Book Two.
I heard of “The Rook” just last month. The evening I purchased it, I started reading at 9 pm, and reluctantly put it down at 4 am so I could get a few hours of sleep before going to work. Thank you for creating such a memorable, witty, and engrossing story.
Having misplaced my copy of The Rook, I bought another rather than go without re-reading it. The existence of Book 2 is wonderful news, and I
shall definitely buy it when I see it. The Rook was so inventine.
Congratulations! I am thrilled that you are continuing with The Checquy. The Rook is the first book in a long time that once read I started re-reading it all over again, simply because it is so fun. SF has needed a fun, light, hilarious magic book. If interested, here is my review of The Rook on my blog, Thank the Maker http://girlsguidetoscifi.blogspot.ca/2013/02/do-you-believe-in-magic-review-of-rook.html.
Can’t wait for book 2 in the Checquy series
Thanks for writing such a great book. I love to be somewhere else for awhile but hate the feeling at the end when you are a little displaced (wanting more but not being able to stop the reading or slow it down to make the book last longer and then it is over). It is good to know that another one is on the way.
I’m in the midst of my second reading of The Rook, so this came as a great delight and surprise to me. I honestly think this may be one of my favorite books of all time. Not many have kept me up far later than I should have because I couldn’t stop reading.
And congrats!
This is great news! Congrats! I can hardly wait for book 2.
This is great news! Congrats! I can hardly wait for book 2.
Congratulations on finishing book #2! I’m looking forward to the continuation of Myfanwy’s story. I finished the Rook about two weeks ago and immediately passed it along to my mother. She and I both love SF/Fantasy books and we agree that your book is fabulous. We read so much that it’s a joy to find a new author, especially one that is creative and such a good writer!
We read “The Rook” last month for the Book Group I run at The University of Liverpool. Everyone without exception loved it. When can we get to grips with #2? Can’t wait!
BTW are you going to bring the duck back to life?
The new book is great news! I haven’t suffered this sort of jonesing for a book in a long time. Good luck!
Yes, a Council of Librarians (or Library Technicians as it is MY chosen profession) would be a wonderful thing. Now, get the darned second book to the printers already!
I just put down book one, and have that anxiousness and excitement that accompanies the knowledge that there will be a book two in my hands someday. I came to the book from a recommendation on the cover by the author of The Magicians. And a worthy recommendation it was. Really loved your invented world and the way the book pieced together the two women’s stories to gradually reveal the links of past and present in a clever and often funny way.
So glad you are writing another one. I loved the first book and was worried that you weren’t going to continue!
After reading “The Rook”, I started to recommend it to my co-workers, librarians. We not only bought hard copies, but the audiobook version because of that. I am very glad a new novel will be coming out. Wanna bet I will recommend that one, too?! ๐
Yes this book is marvelous boy-o, and I have yet to read the whole thing. I liken it to a platter of deep fried cheese and a side of sweet tea on a warm, wet summer eve by the bayou, when the crickets are a-chirpin’ and the crocs are singing the bees.
Hooray! I loved The Rook! I both read it and listened to it multiple times. In my opinion you wrote the female protagonist flawlessly; I would not change a thing. (And I can’t say that about any other male author I’ve read!) I can’t wait for Checquy Book Two!
A friend just lent me ‘The Rook’ … what a most amazing book! I had to read it again straight away and now I am awaiting the next installment. Thank you Daniel for writing the best book I have ever read … you rock!
Thank you for the update! So glad you are done with book # 2 – congratulations! The Rook was my favorite book of 2012 by far and I keep recommending it to family and friends. Thanks for keeping the story alive. Can’t wait to read the new one!
I’m loving the audio book. Thank you for creating a new and interesting urban fantasy setting. I came by in the hopes that a sequel would be forthcoming and my timing appears to be good.
Do you know what the timeline is for audio production once the final draft is in? I do hope that the production company hires Susan Duerden again. Not only does she deliver the work beautifully, but continuity is extremely helpful. Just ask Jim Butcher.
I’ll admit to having no idea how to spell Myfanwy or Checquy until I read your blog post. Ahh, the joys of audio…and Welsh.
I am so excited to hear there will be a second book! I discovered The Rook last summer by chance and am currently on my third reading (which just goes to show how much I loved it AND how llittle creativity I put in to picking what book I’m going to read next.) Can’t wait for book two!!
Well done Dan. It will be great to read your next book. Please keep up the good work at the ATSB as well.
Dude. Write faster. “The Rook” was excellent.
The Rook is one of my favorites. I’m so thrilled that Checquy Book 2 is in the editing process, but the wait is agonizing! Write more! Write faster! The worst part about finding a debut as great as The Rook, is that there is no back catalogue to work through while awaiting the next book!
Cant wait for book 2 – what can we read in the meantime ?
Please help
Hi Kate. I really enjoy Ben Aaronovitch’s ‘Rivers of London’ series. It’s ALSO magical law enforcement set in London, but different enough that I found it attractive and compelling.
I picked up The Rook at Barnes and Noble the other day on a whim, and I’ve been absolutely enthralled. I can’t wait to review it on my blog this weekend and get other people hooked ๐
Also, kudos to you for the blog and keeping us all updated on Checquy Book #2. You can bet I’ll pre-order it as soon as it’s available!
dude i agree with mark that book is the bomb, i find it both challenging and entertaining, can’t wait for the next one
I picked up The Rook at the library last week. My friend started reading it during our ride home. I promptly took it back on arrival, much to her chagrin and dismay. I finally finished reading it last night under the threat that my husband was taking the book today with him to work… he is now already hooked. Meanwhile, my friend is pouting and wants her chance at it again. I think if I don’t purchase a copy the library may have to repossess one of my kidneys instead. I’m so very pleased to know the series continues!
Daniel,
I thought that I would take this opportunity to tell you that I picked up “The Rook” in a bookstore because its cover and because the title intrigued me. I had not heard any reviews or press about it before I saw it on the shelf. When I read the first page, I knew I wanted to read the rest of it. It went home with me and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am a guy, so my opinion may not matter, but I too thought you did a wonderful job of creating a young woman charater who was not a “cardboard cutout”. I will be looking forward to Book #2 as well. Thank you!
I’m so very pleased the second book is complete. “The Rook” was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I’m hoping you find enormous financial success with your books so you can stop the day job and focus on writing books full time.
I’ve just got to say, I LOVED The Rook. Our local “Boozy Bookclub” has selected it for July. After reading the description, I decided it was a book my husband would likely enjoy as well, so we listened to the audiobook while making a 26 hour car trip. We thoroughly enjoyed it. As soon as we returned home, my husband was searching for more titles by you.
As a librarian, I’ll definitely be recommending The Rook. My husband and I anxiously await more Checquy adventures.
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Fantastic news on book #2! The Rook was the best book I read in 2012, and definitely top 5 in the genre for years. An annoying and pretentious word ‘genre’ but not sure there’s a better one!
I saw a lot of reviews on line that started ‘ this is not usually my kind of read, but you had me hooked…’ . Well that’s one angle for giving a great compliment, but here’s another. This is just exactly the kind of book I prefer to read. It’s the genre I’d choose if I only had one choice for the rest of my life. Not true sci fi, but a fantasy that takes the real life we know and love, then gives it a sharp twist and throws in some very smart and irresistable characters. And the point I’m making? In the context of this, I’m a tough critic, and this book is right up there with great books I have read!
Please publish # 2 very soon!!
PS, I am female and from the UK if that adds any further weight to the praise, ref your comments above!! :0)
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I absolutely loved The Rook and am delighted to hear that you will be releasing a second book. I work in a library (while attending grad school for my MLIS) and recommend The Rook every chance I get. I will make sure to check back for more good news to share with my co-workers and patrons.
I don’t know if you’ll read this, but I’m the english chick who works at Smoque. Beth told me about your book and I’ve just read it in about 3 sittings- loved it!
Can’t wait for the next book! Good luck!
I picked up a copy of The Rook at my local independent book store, and loved it. It is such a refreshing entry to this genre of fiction. I really look forward to the sequel. I also enjoyed your suggested reading list. I’m sure you’ve read Patrick Rothfuss, Wise Mans Fear, but if not I think you’d love it.
So relieved to know that I’m not the only one who has read and listened to the book several times over. Thrilled to hear that the second Chequy book is underway!
Just thought i might log on and say that i am holding on by my fingertips waiting to heard about the next book in this series(book #2). I have also been promoting the Rook and am running about 80/20 that like it and those who are not sure. I hope all is running smoothly towards a publishing date and perhaps a new blog. I think i have nearly memorized the current blog.
Ok, will go back to my soapbox and wait to hear some good news. Peace.
Loved The Rook! Can’t wait for book two. There was just a thread on twitter from another writer looking for good books for a long trip. The Rook was recommended several times!
Hurry up with the new one! How many times do I have to re-read the first one? Surely I’m up to at least 6 times…7 by the end of the weekend.
Seriously though, you’re a delightful writer.
This book came across my desk at the library where I work and caught my attention. I was checking it in and glanced at the book jacket and the teaser inside. I was so intrigued that I immediately borrowed the book myself. I am so glad I did. Myfanwy Thomas is one of best characters in recent history. I cannot wait for the next book.
Lucky for me, I discovered your book shortly after finishing Dead Ever After by Charlene Harris and was looking for a new series to enjoy. If I had known about Ms. Harris’s endorsement I would have found your book much sooner.
I will definitely recommend your book to friends, family and patrons.
On a side note: a Council of Librarians is amazingly cool!
It’s extraordinarily rare that I read a book and immediately run to find the author’s website – this is perhaps only the second or third time I’ve done it. The Rook is an exceptional novel, debut or not, and I couldn’t put it down. The characterisation was superb and I spent the whole novel quietly admiring old and new Myfanwy. Well done, and thank you! I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Tapping my feet impatiently, very impatiently, until # 2 in the Rook series is unleashed upon the world!
Can’t wait for this book! My husband and I absolutely devoured the first book, and he kept bugging me to see if there would be a second. I’m ecstatic that there is!!! ๐
I absolutely loved The Rook, can’t wait for book 2!
I would like to thank you, Mr. O’Malley, for your good read and also for your book suggestions which I found at the end of my Kindle version of The Rook. Thus, I met and now absolutely adore Lisa Lutz and Ben Aaronovitch and cannot get enough of either of their work. It’s a good thing, too, since I’ve been reading their books as I await your next Checquy novel.
~ K
Elementary School Librarian who occasionally has an opportunity to read a “grown up” book.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recommendations, Karina (and that you enjoyed The Rook, as well.) It’s so encouraging to earn the approval of a librarian. I am still in contact with my elementary school librarian – she was one of the people who put me on the path to writing.
You may also want to try Kerry Greenwood’s murder mysteries. Her Phryne Fisher series is set in 1920’s Melbourne, and is very good.
Ha! A second one! That is just what I have been longing to hear. Thank you, Daniel, for all your hard work. Thank you! Thank you!
My fiance’, Andrew, and I had seen your book at B.A.M., and were intrigued, so we looked you up on Amazon and ordered The Rook. I got to it first. ๐ You had me hooked from the very beginning. I couldn’t put it down, yet was trying to read it slowly enough to absorb it fully. I didn’t want to… I wanted to tear through it like a lion with a very tasty wildebeast. When I finished it, I handed it over to Andrew, who loved it as much as I did. We then lent it to my Dad, my sister, etc. The Rook just leaves you with that burning desire to know what happens next. I can not WAIT for the second Chequay book. I also agree that a new and different book title is the way to go. Keep your readers guessing. ๐
On a side note, I am happy that Charlaine Harris had wonderful things to say about you, she is a talented writer… her Harper Connelly series is very much underrated. Also, in an effort to familiarize you with the tastes of at least one of your readers, other favorite Authors of mine include, but are not limited to: Jacqueline Carey, Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, John Scalzi, Erin Morgenstern, Charlaine Harris, Juliet Marillier, Trudi Canavan, and Neil Gaiman.
Good luck to you, and thank you for a most excellent, entertaining, and laugh out loud novel.
-Allison G.
Allison, it appears that we have very similar taste in books, although I haven’t read all the authors you mentioned. I shall check them out immediately. I’m just about to dive into the new book by Austin Grossman, ‘You.’ I had really enjoyed his book ‘Soon I will be Invincible.’
I’m so glad you (and Andrew) enjoyed The Rook.
Did your editor like Book #2? Because I’m sure I will…..Want it NOW!
Sarah, she DID like it, but I went on a research trip to the UK and the Netherlands , and came back with a bunch of ideas that I wanted to add, so it’ll be a little while yet, I’m afraid. In the meantime, I just finished reading the new Bill Bryson, ‘One Summer: America 1927’, and while it is completely different from The Rook, it’s a fun read.
Do you have a pub date yet, Daniel? I just finished a book of my own, and I am roaming around the internet picking up bits of news. A friend of mine told me that you’d completed the second book.
Not quite yet, I’m afraid, Charlaine. I got my first draft done, and left it to sit and ferment for a while, and then came back with a bunch of things I wanted to change and add and improve, so I’m doing that right now.
Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I totally shipped Myfanwy (in my head I’ve been calling her “Myfy,” pronounced like “Miffy”) with
A) Rook Gestalt
B) that guy’s son from that colleague Christmas party when she was holding the baby, bewlidered (I’m sorry if you gave us his name, it’s been some time since I’ve read the book… [But the plot stayed with me!])
and, of course,
C) the shirt guy from the hotel, and at the end of the book with the card in the pocket.
You should expect some fanfiction written about them in the future.
the French for “The rook” a sa chess piece is “La tour”.(i.e: the tower Otherwise – as a bird – it’s “Le freux” or “Le corbeau”.
Interesting! I am not sure what Super 8 in France is going for, but once I know, I shall post it.