A few days ago I got an email from George RR Martin. He was announcing to his Wild Cards authors that the latest book, Fort Freak, was done and dusted, and about to get sent off to Tor to go into production. This made me very, very happy.

You see, I've written a three part story for the book. I went back and forth with George a few times as I developed the character and then wrote the story, and geez there were a ton of things to consider! Quite an experience to be one of several authors writing in an established world with stories about different characters that had to be contained within a unifying plot line with as many arms, legs and eyes as some of its mutant characters...

But, like I said, it's done! My character, a young African-American guy dubbed the Infamous Black Tongue, sees a lot of action. It was, despite the challenges, a lot of fun to write. For me, it was novel to write in a contemporary, urban setting. I hope that when the book comes out some of you give it a try! (That will happen sometime in 2011, by the way.)

And, yes, this would work as a place to enter the Wild Cards world if you're giving it a try for the first time. It's the start of what will, hopefully, be a new cycle of books. Lots of new characters. A return to a gritty, urban setting, with a strong police-procedural element to it...

You can see George's post on it HERE: Freaky Monkey Bites the Dust.

Labels: George RR Martin, Infamous Black Tongue, Wild Cards