THE NEXT BIG THING... By John Rose

The Mad Doctor

THINGS TO COME DEPT:  So I was asked to participate in an ongoing blog promo that is going around, called "The Next Big Thing."  Below is what's coming soon in the world of the MonsterGrrls.

What is your working title of your book?

The title is Season Of The Witch, and it is the third book in The MonsterGrrls series.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Season Of The Witch is the conclusion to the current story arc, which dictates the story of four teenage girls who are monsters and their induction into a human high school.

What genre does your book fall under?

Fantasy/horror/comedy/coming-of-age/sci-fi/romance/action/adventure/young-adult/adolescent.  Just say it's for people who like to read, and that would be pretty close.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

(This part's hard.)  What I keep seeing in my head is not live-action but animated, and not Pixar-type stuff either--traditional cel animation.  The voices I hear would be Grey Delisle as Frankie, Olivia D'Abo as Bethany, Sara Paxton as Punkin (doing a Southern accent that's one part Penelope Pitstop to three parts Elly May Clampett), Alison Scagliotti as Harriet, Eden Sher as Theo and Ariel Winter as Emily.  I have no idea who would play Stuart, but I have always wanted Bryan Cranston as Mr. Herschel.  Also, Mr. Lobo of Cinema Insomnia would be around somewhere, possibly doing some narration.

Also, I have to admit that I am not really interested in a MonsterGrrls movie, but since the holiday gets such short shrift by comparison I would really like to do The MonsterGrrls' Thanksgiving Special.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

As Khaine is released by unknown forces for one last shot at destroying Morlock Heights, Punkin takes matters into her own hands by creating a magic-driven laptop known as the SpellBook.  Highjinks ensue.  (No, it's not one sentence, but I couldn't help myself.)

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The book will be released by FrankenGeek Press, currently the finest and sole producer of MonsterGrrls books everywhere.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

We're still working on it.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Well, we could compare it to Twilight since that's currently fashionable, but no one sparkles in my books or fights evil while appearing to be really bored with what they're doing.  Others have compared it favorably to Sweet Valley High, which I'm happy with even though there's no monsters in SVH.  Well, on second thought, there could be, as some of those people are a rather unnatural shade of blonde.

Sweet Valley High: Blonde, fresh-faced, and just that little bit frickin' creepy

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired by a combination of the Universal Monsters, Saturday morning cartoons (particularly Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and its numerous revisions such as Goober And The Ghost Chasers, Fangface, Drak Pack, and so on) and other things like John Hughes films and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  The basic idea of MonsterGrrls is Groovie Goolies welded to The Breakfast Club.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The central themes of MonsterGrrls are not just about not fitting in and growing up, but also about friendship and how your friends that you can really count on become a part of your family.  Something we really want to get across to readers is that it is okay to be different--not good, not bad, but okay.  And we hope to continue these themes as the series goes on.

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

The last part of this is something I was not able to do properly, due to the fact that I could not find others who had not done this already.  So, with the blessing of the person who tagged me, I am directing you to five sites that you should view and enjoy.  (Click the links to view their respective websites.)

Ellie Dunn is a writer of fantasy whose books run the gamut from science fiction to fantasy to paranormal romance.  Among the titles she has published from her own No Boundaries Press are The Unicorn And The Serpent and Space Rebels, and she is due to come out soon with a collection of short stories entitled Flights Of Delusion.  Check out this talented author's work today.

Cinema Insomnia is now in its 10th year of hosting schlocky horror and sci-fi movies that are not bad, just misunderstood.  Enjoy the antics of the engaging and clever Mr. Lobo, see some of the worst yet wackiest movies ever created, and gather interesting CI merchandise from their shop.

RavensBlight is an odd little town that exists solely in the head of one Ray O'Bannon, artist, writer, poet, musician and general renaissance man of all things weird and creepy.  Download and create your own paper toys, read fascinating short tales of horror and spooky poems, and obtain whole albums of atmospherically macabre music all created by the man himself.

Freaky Monsters is the magazine solely dedicated to preserving the spirit and history of classic horror films, with beautiful photos and articles featuring the masters of horror.  Get back issues, subscriptions, books, CDs and more from the website of this beautifully written and family-friendly magazine.

Atomic Monsters is one of the best and funniest websites a monster lover could find.  Solely dedicated to reviews of Atomic Age rubber-suit B-movies, its hilarious tongue-in-cheek delivery makes it a personal favorite.  Highly recommended by the Monster Shop.

There you go.