Trevor Shane
It has been exactly one year since your debut novel Children of Paranoia was released (and you did an interview for Blood Rose Books last year), can you give us a quick recap of how your year went.
It was an amazing year. I’ve done readings and book festivals in Brooklyn, Boston, South Carolina and back in Manhattan. Children of Paranoia was published in English, French, German and Spanish. And I’m pretty far into the negotiation of the option on the movie rights (more news on that to come soon, hopefully). The best part, though, has been reading people’s reactions to the book. It’s simply an amazing feeling having other people, strangers really (although it doesn’t feel that way once they’ve read your work), fall in love with your work. There are few things in life better than that.
On a personal note, I adopted my second son, Van, in June so this year has been pretty crazy on both a professional and personal front.
What is one thing that you have learned about yourself as an author since the release of your novel?
I still read most of my reviews, good and bad. I know that some more experienced writers stop reading reviews but I feel like I learn so much from them (from the good ones and the critical ones). One thing that becomes clear when reading reviews is that your audience will spot everything weakness that you fear in your work but they will forgive those weakness (and no book is perfect) if they like your voice and your characters. I’ve always thought of myself more as a storyteller than a writer but I feel like that’s changing a bit and that I may one day be comfortable calling myself both.
What is your most memorable moment from the past year?
The highlight from a professional standpoint had to be Children of Paranoia’s launch party which we had at BookCourt near where I live in Brooklyn. BookCourt is one of those great neighborhood bookstores and it’s hosted readings by a slew of the great Brooklyn writers so that was really an honor. The best part was having so many friends and family there though. I got really choked up at the time.
Do you think that all the reviews of Children of Paranoia and interviews you have done for Blogs have helped spread the word about your book?
No doubt. Books are a remarkable commodity in that you can’t manufacture a hit. In movies and TV and other mediums, if you do enough advertising, you can make a hit even if the product is no good. You can’t do that with books. For a book to be truly successful, it has to have good word of mouth. I find that really refreshing. For me, though, it’s not even about having a hit book, it’s just about finding an audience. So I’m happy to do an interview if I think it might get me one more reader because that one reader might love my book and that’s all I’m really shooting for.
Have there been any books that you have read in the last year that are must reads?
I read Ready Player One on audiobook (I do all my reading on audiobook). I’m not sure if it’s a great book but listening to Will Wheaton read that book could be the most fun I’ve ever had with a book. I met Joseph Kanon at the South Carolina Book Festival (we are on a panel together) and I read a couple of his books which are great pieces of noir writing. The one book that blew me away recently though wasn’t a new one but a semi-classic. The Brothers K by David James Duncan is simply a gigantic, powerful, awe-inspiring piece of work.
Now the questions I have been dying to know the answer too as well as many other people based upon the search history on my website. Can you share any information about the next book in the Children of Paranoia series?
It’s always hard to know how much to divulge. I’m much better at this in a one-on-one context because some people love spoilers and others don’t. What I can tell you is that the second book, Children of the Underground, picks up essentially where the first book ends. So the second book is primarily Maria’s book, though her story is interwoven with some of plot threads that help transition the reader into book III. The second book is now set to come out in April of 2013. I’ve been working with Penguin to try to make sure that the books II and III are a bit more affordable so that’s been slowing down the publishing process a little bit. In that vein, if anyone didn’t pick up Children of Paranoia because of the price tag, the paperback version came out on August 7th.
The third book, Children of the Uprising, starts roughly eighteen years after Children of the Underground. I hope that’s just enough information to spark the imaginations of those who read Children of Paranoia and gives them some insight into where the trilogy is headed. I will say that the books often go in the direction you would expect them to, though I do have quite a few surprises up my sleeve.
On a separate note, I wanted to thank you and your readers for the support over the past year. It’s all part of what has been a thrilling year for me. I won’t forget it.
Trevor's Children of Paranoia was one of my favourite reads last year, one of the best debut novels that I have ever read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series (come on April get here sooner). If you are a fan of Mystery, Action Adventure, and Suspense you need to pick this book up OR you can try to win a copy. Trevor has very nicely agreed to suppy a copy of his novel for a giveaway and this giveaway is open Internationally :) . Thank you once again Trevor for being part of my Blogoversary
Make Sure to Check Out the Other Great Interviews & Giveaways Happening NOW!!
Marcia Clark
Jennifer Estep
Absolutely loved this book and can't wait to get my hands on Children of the Underground!
ReplyDeleteJ-9, thanks for the unending support. I hope I get to talk about Children of Underground next Blogoversary!
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