Red Rooster - Debriefing

Here we are at the official Red Rooster debrief. This continues to be one of my favorite parts of the book release process. I get to share teasers and snippets along the way, but they're out of context, and I don't get to share as much as I'd like to. I can't promise that this debrief won't have spoilers - I won't try to say anything too obvious, but proceed with caution on that front. 

Alright. 

Ready?

I love writing sequels. Love them! The first book in a series always carries the burden of making something out of nothing. It invents a world - whether that world is a biker club, or, in this case, an alternate historical timeline full of supernatural beings. There will always be those readers who fuss about the initial world-building, but without it? The rest of the series will eventually cave in on itself. I like reading the world-building, and writing it, but sequels...those you can dive right into; they're perfectly warm pool water just waiting for you. 

RR came together quickly - especially when compared to the months and months I spent secretly constructing outlines for White Wolf. It was one of those books that I was able to envision and then execute with only minor adjustments. Some of the characters - Nikita - still managed to surprise me. And my boy Rob - you have no idea how long I've wanted to write that man in some capacity, and I still can't believe I managed to work him into this series - got to step onto the scene sooner than expected. It was just a really fun, really rewarding writing experience all the way around. 

Here are some gathered notes from my side of things:

The title: Despite characters named Red and Rooster, the title was actually derived from the brief reference Val makes near the end toward his mother's gods...and the waking of gods and heroes. For Val, locked up for so very long, Rooster's arrival - simply his name, Rooster - seemed to be a sign that a huge shake-up truly was about to happen, and not just something his captors taunted him with. 

Speaking of Red and Rooster: in very early drafts - and by that I mean notebook paper outlines - of the book, I planned to have the two of them consummate their relationship and enter into a real romance. When I started actually writing them, though, I realized that would have been jumping the gun. Since the book isn't a romance novel, I didn't have to force anything to happen right away, and leaving their relationship undefined enables me to write a more organic development in the books to come. Quick progress would have been wrong for them, and I'm very glad I pulled back.

The ferals: we will see them again. Oh yes.

Nikita: I don't think it would come as a surprise to learn that Nik is in A Very Bad Place after this book. Emotionally, that is. Lots more to explore there.

My favorite scene: that was a hard call. There were so many that I enjoyed. The runner-up was definitely Nik, Lanny, and Alexei's moment with Vlad. But my very favorite was a small one, just a few paragraphs: Sasha and Val finally meeting face-to-face. That was the scene that made me oddly emotional while writing, so I realized it was the one. 

Structurally, this book was a coming-together of a lot of working parts. And while I loved writing it, I decided, in the middle of it, that I very much want to slow it down a little now and write a sequence of follow-ups that focus on only a few characters at a time; a focus on individual stories...at least until it's time for the next big coming-together. The next book, Dragon Slayer, is very Val focused, and will have contemporary and historical storylines. I'm thrilled about it. 

I'm thrilled about the whole series. It's just rife with possibilities, and I can't wait to get back to work.