Oh, so many things to talk about!
Stiletto
“Where are we with Stiletto? “ I can hear you say.
Well, I can assure you that things are moving right along with Stiletto. The story is DONE, the words are down on the screen, saved (and safely backed up in two separate locations, because ever since I lost the first couple hundred words of The Rook for 24 hours, I’ve been very careful). I received the copy edits this week, and am going over them with a fine-tooth comb and a fair amount of chagrin at my own horrific ignorance. My copy editrix, Tracy Roe, is a genius, with an astounding eye for detail. It is she who gently points out that I’ve used the name ‘Louise’ a lot (I have no idea why I did that) and that rather a lot of characters have surnames beginning with the letter M (again, completely unconsciously). She has tactfully pointed out that I don’t know how to spell innoculate (still don’t, apparently) and she has laboriously de-Australianised the spelling for the American audiences (removing the u’s from colour, neighbour, honour, etc; replacing s’s with z’s for various words, and so on).
Rest assured, this is not a case of de-Britishing the language. We’re not replacing ‘bogies’ with ‘boogers’, or ‘mum’ with ‘mom’, or ‘takeaway’ with ‘to go’ (I once had a long, mutually incomprehending discussion with a cashier at a Michigan McDonalds who could not accept that when I said I wanted the food takeaway, I wanted to take it away). The book is set in the UK, but this particular version is getting published in the USA, and it seems entirely reasonable that they’d like to have things spelt their way. Spare a thought, though, for the Australian and British editors who are going to have to go through it and change it all back. And because Tracy does more (much, much more) than simply turning pyjamas into pajamas (which I never knew was a spelling), it’s not just a case of using the original text.
Anyway, I should be done with copyedits in the next week or two, and once it’s done, it gets slotted into the release schedule cycle, and as I understand it, all the English-speaking countries will be releasing it in June 2016. I have yet to tell my local bookshop about this, because last time I checked, they thought it was coming out in April, and I’m afraid they’ll refuse to sell me any more fiction if I deliver bad news.
Death List
“My wife says you’re on one of those death lists,” a colleague remarked blithely.
As it turned out, he didn’t mean a list of people to be killed, but rather one of those lists of things you should read/watch/visit/eat/drink/smell before you die. And, as it turned out, it was Amazon.com’s 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime, (http://www.amazon.com/b?node=12661600011) , which is tremendously exciting. It’s a list selected by the Amazon.com editors – people who spend their professional time thinking about books and reading – and it’s incredibly cool to see The Rook being named alongside so many authors and titles that I love and respect. Plus, it was very diplomatic of them not to list the books in any particular numbered order.
The TV Show
And then there is some more big news, news that broke out upon the world and went absolutely insane for a while.
The Rook is to be a television show!
Of course, the wheels have been moving on this for a while, but I resisted the urge to talk about it (very uncharacteristic of me), partially because these things do take time to reach fruition and partially because, well, it wasn’t my project to announce. Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series and producer of several films, is producing it and she is working with Lionsgate. The show will be showing on Hulu and on a British network.
http://ficklefishfilms.com/2015/11/the-rook-on-hulu/
I am, of course, completely over the moon about this. I think it will be extremely cool.
My own involvement is pretty small (other than lobbying strenuously to play the part of ‘guy with condor on head.’) I’ve talked with the writers, Samantha Holcroft and Ali Muriel, who are brilliant, and they have emailed me with some questions. They tend to be questions about elements of the Checquy-world to which I have never given any thought at all, and so I sit and ponder, and then get back to them.
And so the television series gestates!
Lee woo hoo.
So happy for you chap. A book and now a TV mogul. Did you get to meet or talk to Mz Meyer? I would be sparkling with glee if i saw her… geddit sparkling.
B
All very exciting news! Can’t wait for either one!!!
Exciting stuff! The Rook is now a thing. A BIG thing. As it should be 🙂
It’s interesting that it seems like you (as the author / creator) become a bit more of a passenger as your story gets disseminated.
May I ask if this causes consternation, at all?
Fantastic news! Looking forward to reading it… Been a while since we last had an update, I was concerned you had given up 🙂
As an American i thank you and your editor for being kind enough to produce as i read. Thank you both and i look forward with great desire to read more of Myfanwy and that world.
As to Lionsgate and the new producer, i can only ask, what took you so long to see that “The Rook” was a book that needed to brought to the Movies or Television. Bravo once again those with the vision.
Hmm … I saw no ignorance, horrific or otherwise, and ’twas a privilege to work on your manuscript. It’s Thanksgiving here in the Colonies, and I’m giving thanks for you, my friend (and I love being a “genius copy editrix”; I may put that on my business cards … 🙂 ).
Seriously, you don’t have to change spellings from British to American orthography. I love reading books with the original spellings intact.
Huh, I actually had no idea people bothered changing spellings like that. I’ve read so many books with Americanisms still intact… Anyway, eagerly awaiting Stiletto! And often I’m slightly terrified upon hearing a favourite book is becoming a tv show/movie, but I think The Rook on tv could turn out brilliantly!
So excited to hear that things are on track! I’ve been checking in religiously to hear about Stiletto and I can’t wait to read it (my blog readers will be happy too, because I’ve only mentioned it and The Rook about a hundred times )
I have ridiculously high expectations for The Rook as a tv series, but if it’s anything like the hilarious web “trailer” I’ll be perfectly happy!
That was fantastic. I’ve read thousands of books and the only one comes close is Saga Of The Exiles (Juilan May). For years I thought she was male
Hey all, something i just watched from Air New Zealand airlines. It is a Safety procedure but all tied to the hobbit environment, chars from the lord of the rings are the ones giving instructions on safety.
The web site is airnewzealand/hobbit i think it is something like that. Enjoy.all and you too sir Daniel..Tv celebrity.
I know it is not even published and delivered to the American book stores yet but i was curious if you are going for a book three and if so have you begun to think on the plot lines?.
I am still waiting anxiously to see what kind of trouble Myfanwy gets herself into with your new book Stiletto. 🙂
GeezMe!! I go into rehab one time and Myfanwy delivers a new book and lands a TV deal!!! She’s such a bad-ass chick!
Congrats Daniel!!
I have the pleasure of finishing your new book (Stiletto) and can say it is well done and is going to well read by the time your next one is ready to fly.
Bravo.
PS: You need to add the new book onto your book /Books published.
The page seems to be a bit dead. Busy with the TV business, perhaps?
Personally I was a bit disappointed by the 2nd one, but it’s kinda like wondering whether Tolstoy could’ve written a 2nd War&Peace – at some point, you’re just not going to do any better …
Have just finished reading both Rook and Stiletto pretty much all at one go – they were library books or I would have read them in the bath. Loved, loved, loved both of them. Please, is there a next book? Are you thinking series? (I hope so with both hands.)
Just finished Stiletto, great read and now on to The Rook. Good on ya Daniel and write more!!!
I have just finished reading both The Rook and Stiletto both are amazing and in able to put down. I cannot find anything about The Rook T V series inthe UK but I hope there will be a third book. Also have you written any other books available in the UK?
Just finished Stiletto. Loved it. Thank you sir! Great work!
Dumb newbie question… do you still work at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau? Don’t you work full-time as a novelist, now?
Hi Daniel!
I am a tremendous fan of both the Rook and Stiletto! I just finished reading The Rook and have moved on to Stiletto for my second time reading it! I became so engrossed in this world that you created and I really cannot wait to see what else you come up with!
I decided to see if there were any plans to make The Rook into a movie (which is how I stumbled on this website) and saw this post. I cannot tell you how excited I am at the prospect of watching Myfanwy’s reawakening play out on screen. However, I have been unable to locate a date for the release and also noticed that your post is about a year and a half old! Is there any chance you can update us with the date or any other information?
Thanks,
RDawg
I just watched the tv show and I enjoyed it. It’s not the same as the book more but that’s ok as it would be tough to make a direct copy. It’s just one season which is a shame I’m guessing it’s down to the producers steering a tad too far from the core but I think it was still good.
I do with Daniel would write more books though. It’s a favourite series of mine.
Thanks for writing
Bonjour mr O’malley!
Pierre from France
Excuse me for my “frenchenglish”
I start to read ” The Rook”.
I finde it’s a very good book. It s look like “men on black”. I never read something like that.
Merci.
Hi Master Daniel O’Malley (….well, why shouldn’t we use academic titles?).
Just finished Stiletto! What can I say, but… More please!
With regards,
Roald