Just a reminder about the Live BlogTalk I mentioned yesterday. I’m still sounding croaky so I won’t be there, but I at least thought I’d answer some of the questions the authors are going to be asked. So tune in to listen and ask questions too.

My answers are below…

Q: What was the first urban fantasy you read?

PM: Kim Harrison’s Dead Witch Walking. Would you recommend that as a first urban fantasy to readers who are new to the genre? Yes, I think it was an excellent book to introduce readers to urban fantasy.

Q: Is your first book in your series the first book that you have ever written, or do you have a few old manuscripts stashed in the back of your closet?

PM: The first book in my SCIONS series (Scions:Resurrection) was the first book I’ve written that was published by a NY publisher. Yep, I have a few old manuscripts collecting dust underneath my bed and that’s where they will stay. I consider those stories…practice.

Q: First book in a series—the easiest one to write, or the hardest?

PM: In some ways the first book in the series is the hardest to write because you’re having to set up every aspect of the world in that book…at least the big picture parts. But in other ways, it’s easier than the second and third books because you get to unveil something for the “first time” in that story. When you move on to books two and three, you have to “tell” what came before without info-dumping and you have to get that information across in a unique way in each successive book in the series.

Q: When continuing with the series, did you find that you’d written yourself into any corners with the first book? Any worldbuilding details that either tripped you up with the next book, or opened whole new areas to explore?

PM: I didn’t feel as if I’d written myself into any corners. Instead, each new book seemed to open up new opportunities and areas of the world I hadn’t considered, which I found pretty cool!

Q: How far ahead do you plot the books in the series?

PM: I usually plot at least two and sometimes three books ahead, but ONLY at a very high level. Many things can change from that high-level plotting to when I actually sit down to write the next story in the series.

Q: What advice would you give to an author starting their first series?

PM: Don’t try to give every single detail about your world in the first couple of chapters. Spread the information about your world across the storyline…and allow things to unfold as the characters interact or as the characters discover things themselves. Make it a natural progression and don’t forget to save some of the good stuff for the next book in the series. ;)

Q: What first book by an author has astounded and amazed you? What first book in a series do you wish you had written?

PM: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. I wish I had written it!