Once upon a time! . . . later.

[swan_tower]

February, 1860. Workers break ground for the world's first underground railway system, that will soon cut through the heart of London -- and threaten the secrets that lie beneath.

For centuries, fae have dwelt in a shadowy mirror of the city above. Now, at last, their sanctuary is crumbling. The Queen of the Onyx Court has gone into seclusion, fighting to maintain their defenses, and in her absence, her subjects run unchecked. The filthy, gas-lit streets of Victorian London are their playground and battleground both, in a conflict between ancient magic and modern industry that will force them to an inescapable choice: flee, adapt, or be destroyed.

When I said Midnight Never Come was a stand-alone novel, I meant it. And I still do.

But I figured out how to write a sequel . . . 270 years later.

The blurb above is pure, unadulterated hand-waving. I know roughly the ideas I want to toss into the stew of this novel, but not the specifics of what I'm doing with them, because right now you are witnessing the very embryonic stages of a book. I thought this idea up all of eight days ago, proposed it to my editor all of seven days ago, and got it approved this afternoon. I have not yet begun researching it. But I can't bring myself to hold off on announcing it until I've worked out the finer details. (Like, you know, a title¹.)

So what am I really saying? That I'll be writing another historical London faerie fantasy. (That I am indeed a sucker for punishment.) That the book will be set in the later Victorian period, and will concern any or all of the following: the London Underground, Queen Victoria, spiritualism, imperialism, Charles Dickens, Spring-Heeled Jack, class conflict, the Industrial Revolution, and Christina Rossetti's poem "The Goblin Market" -- plus assorted other things I don't even know about yet.

Stay tuned to this space for the further adventures of Good God I Really Have Gone Crazy.


-----
1 - Courtesy of certain friends, the tongue-in-cheek working title is Karl Marx and the Faerie Proletariat.

Comments

[d-aulnoy.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha! YES! *My* period!

Ahem. Sorry - this might be a hold-over from the job-market related feeling that the Early Modern people get all the good stuff (picture me, a la the Brady Bunch, saying "Early Modernists, Early Modernists, Early Modernists!", possibly with an image of Bess combing her luxurious locks ....) All that aside ....

This sounds fantastic - congratulations! I can't wait to hear more.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Then be warned that I will probably hit you up for research recommendations, of non-fiction and fiction both. I'm not actually as familiar with the Victorian period as I am the Elizabethan.

[nightwolfwriter.livejournal.com]

I love the legend of Spring-Heel Jack. I remember reading about him for the first time in an old Twilight Zone comic back in the 60s (yes, I am old, stop laughing).

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

If you need any help researching stuff, let me know. (Might as well put this darn degree in History to use one of these days.)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I'll probably be posting a series of research-related questions in the upcoming weeks, actually -- any help them would be appreciated.

[brigidsblest.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes yes YES!

*waves her hands in the air like she does, indeed, care*

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

<lol> Great icon.

[snickelish.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Yay!.

I'm sure I'll be even more excited once I've read MNC, though. :)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Well, I do hope so. :-) The books are designed to stand alone, but of course there will be overlap in the faerie characters, and in the city itself, so reading one should make reading another more rich.

[tltrent.livejournal.com]

It is to squee. V. much looking forward to both books.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I've certainly been squeeing. ^_^

[wldhrsjen3.livejournal.com]

Hi! *waves, then blushes for being so bold*

I've seen you on Nin90 and fangs_fur_fey, so I popped in for a quick peek at your LJ. I just have to tell you how much I enjoy your posts, and your new story idea sounds fantastic! As an avid history and fantasy fan, I am grinning with anticipated delight. :D

I hope you don't mind if I friend you, and I wish you luck with the craziness of research and a new story! :)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I have no problem with you adding me; I'm glad my ideas interest you!

[danielmc.livejournal.com]

oh Victorian era Fae? Like Steampunk-ish fae?

/sarcasm
that will never be interesting
/end sarcasm

congrats!
fun!

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

This is threatening to be a "kitchen sink and then some" novel. So while not precisely steampunk in its sensibility, it will indeed feature the wondrous invention of steam technology.

[d-c-m.livejournal.com]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

<g>

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

congrats!

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[ninja-turbo.livejournal.com]

Hurray!

I would cackle with glee if the working title actually made it to print. :P

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

:P right back atcha. I do not love Karl Marx enough to write a book that deserves such a title.

[ckd]

I like the blurb, indeed.

If you want reading recs for Underground history, I have a stack o' books covering various aspects of it that I can probably boil down a bit if I know what sort of details you're looking for.

You might even want to push the timing back to the Thames Tunnel (opened to the public in 1843, though construction began in 1825). Perhaps the fatal flooding incident of 1828 wasn't an accident, and Isambard Brunel's narrow escape was, shall we say, intended as a message?

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I may try to make some use of that event, but as the Thames Tunnel runs from Rotherhithe to Wapping, it doesn't concern me as much as the Underground does: the Onyx Hall, the faerie palace beneath London, only exists within the boundaries of the city wall. So while fae might well muck around with human projects of that sort elsewhere, they aren't in a crisis until someone tries to dig through their home.

[sapphohestia.livejournal.com]

Awesome news, all around!

You're a crazy girl though.

Will this require another site visit to London?

*G*

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

It might . . . ^_^

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

Wheeeee! Sounds quite exciting! :D

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

It is -- which is the world's most infallible guide to choosing which project to do next.

[spartezda.livejournal.com]

Faerie Proletariat would be a really good name for a rock band.

Seriously, though, it sounds fascinating. Hope you have fun with it!

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

That should be a band. If only I were that type of musician . . . .

[tezmilleroz.livejournal.com]

Karl Marx and the Faerie Proletariat
I love that title - many thanks to the certain friends who thought of it :-)

Have a lovely day! :-)

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

It'll do until I come up with something that's actually appropriate to the novel. <g>

[squishymeister.livejournal.com]

You are absolutely nuts. Like crazy nuts!

But yay for an approval and an exciting idea!

My condolences to your brain and to Kyle :P

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

My brain says thank you. <g>

[sora-blue.livejournal.com]

If you're crazy, then so I am, because I want to read this book.

Seriously, it sounds fantastic. Especially that line about the gas-lit streets of Victorian London--can this be linked a good-old Jack the Ripper story?

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Well, wanting to read it is a lot less crazy than writing it will be. <g>

It'll probably be too early for Jack the Ripper -- I doubt later than 1870, and he was 1888. But I did think about it.

[tybalt-quin.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting! I look forward to reading it.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Based on your comment above, I'm guessing you're a Londoner yourself?

[sugarspidersilk.livejournal.com]

I'm adding you in hoping that you will let me know when this is available for purchase & consumption. :) Very exciting...

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't worry. I'll make it abundantly clear every time a book of mine comes out. ^_^