I'm excited and proud to have my novel Titanshade coming out in 2019, and I'm consistently astounded by the quality of the other debut works I've seen.
As a way to get to know each other and to put us in touch with readers, a group of 2019 Debut Authors have banded together to answer a series of questions on social media.
Here are my responses for Week 1.
1) Introduce yourself
I'm Dan Stout, and I write quirky noir fiction of all flavors, from gritty crimes to magic-rich worlds and even shakedowns on a middle-school playground.
I'm very excited to be part of #DebutAuthors19 & #Debut19Chat ! My fiancee and I have 2 ridiculous mammals: Greta & Pixar.
2) Introduce your Novel
TITANSHADE is a noir fantasy thriller set in an oil boomtown where 8-tracks are state of the art, disco rules the radio, & all the best sorcerers wear designer labels.
It's Men In Black meets Chinatown, it's ridiculously fun, and I can't wait to share it with everyone!
3) Your Journey: Years, Tears, Cheers
#Debut19Chat Day3 The Journey
In 2014 I lost my job during the holidays. I sent out resumes by day & stocked shelves at Toys'R'Us till 6am to pay the bills. I'd had a total of two stories published, w/no prospects for more. Out of the blue, I received an email from Nat Sobel.
He'd enjoyed one of my stories, & offered to look at my first chapters if/when I had a novel. He made no promises, but that gave me something to latch on to. Every night I listened to podcasts on craft as I organized Transfomers & Monster High displays, & every day I kept writing.
Today, I'm represented by Sobel Weber, and TITANSHADE comes out from DAW Books in March. I wrote my book, but it's my agent & my editor, my fiancee & friends, and all the other writers forming a support network who helped see it to completion. And that definitely includes the folks in #Debut19Chat!
4) How has your Life Changed
The biggest change is that I wake up so damn excited to start the day.
Writing to contract comes with its own set of challenges, but man... there's nothing like the feeling of opening your eyes and knowing that today you'll get to tell a story.