Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘LeAnne novel’

THE RIGHT SIDE: A Note From The Author

Sometimes – and they’re often the best times in what my grandmother always called “the writing game” – a character grabs you and won’t let go. This character – a figment of your own imagination but not wholly under your power – demands to be brought to life, and in the case of LeAnne Hogan, the main character in THE RIGHT SIDE (coming June 27), will bring herself to life with or without your help. So – I helped! By now I’ve written many novels, but never one like this, neither in the experience of the writing or in the resulting novel. There’s a take-off point in any novel (except bad ones), a moment somewhere along the line where the story becomes airborne. In the case of THE RIGHT SIDE, I had the feeling of being airborne even before the start, like one of those high-flying planes that separates from the belly of a bomber at fifty thousand feet.

LeAnne’s a warrior, although I wouldn’t call her a lover of war. She’s more of a protector, a lover of duty, the tip of a necessary spear most of us prefer not to think about. LeAnne said things that surprised me, amazed me, shocked me at times, and I wasn’t even sure what I thought of her until the very last few lines. My favorite ending of any of my books: am I allowed to say that?

Duty, war, damage external and internal, trust, love: they’re all important in THE RIGHT SIDE. There’s also the smell of Afghanistan in a stateside closet, a secret affair, a missing child – and a dog. Not a narrating dog, and to give the dog’s name here would be a spoiler. I can say this dog has a powerful personality, and a deeply mysterious soul. THE RIGHT SIDE is different from the Chet and Bernie novels, but I believe C&B fans will like it just as much – or more! – if in a somewhat different way.

Here’s the cover:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1501118404?tag=simonsayscom
Barnes & Noble: http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7567305-11819508?SID=simonsayscom&url=http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781501118401
Books-a-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781501118401
IndieBound: http://www.IndieBound.org/book/9781501118401?aff=simonsayscom
iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781501118425?ct=rightside_9781501118425_ssbiz
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Spencer_Quinn_The_Right_Side?id=MyppDQAAQBAJ&PAffiliateId=110l3H&PCamRefID=rightside_9781501118425_ssbiz

The Future (Repeated)

Because this comes up a lot, here’s the post from Oct. 12. Somewhat dated now – SANTA 365 has been published in the interim, and the title of the new book will not be Midnight Special. The main character is named LeAnne. The dog just got a name a few days ago (top secret at the moment!).

“Spence here. The question has come up – like maybe a million times! – after the ending of SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY: Will there be more Chet and Bernie? The second-last sentence of the book makes it clear – at least so I thought – that the answer would be yes. But just in case: YES! MORE CHET AND BERNIE!

As for when, there are 2 answers. The next actual story is the e-short, SANTA 365, coming Nov. 24. (Please note that the events in SANTA 365 take place earlier than SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY, probably just before THE DOG WHO KNEW TOO MUCH.) As for the next Chet and Bernie novel: normally I’d be writing it right now, but – as happens in what my grandmother always called “the writing game” – an idea came to me out of the blue that just could not be ignored. I’m in the middle of it at the moment, and it will be my next published novel. The working title, and most likely actual title: MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. What can I tell you? There’s a dog in it, in a supporting role (in both senses). It’s part crime story, part war story, part something else, the something else part being what drew me in so strongly. As soon as we have a pub date, we’ll let you know.

And after that: More C&B. Any questions?”

Thanks, Everybody!

… for all the great female dog names suggestions yesterday. The character appears part way through the new book we’re working on (Spence and PA) and at first has no name, but has to get one very soon.

(As for today’s tag, LeAnne is the name of the leading human character in the new book.)