Hi there! I'm Jay Bell and I like making up stories! I'm the guy who wrote Of stories yet to be told…
Written by Jay Bell on February 27, 2011 – 1:03 pm -
“Ever thought of doing a sequel?” This question is music to an author’s ears. So many of you wonderful readers (that possess exquisite taste, I might add) have been asking me what my plans are for future novels. Naturally the word sequel has been bandied about quite a bit. This is a tremendous compliment because it means you really enjoyed a book. As I a reader myself, I always love a good series and being able to revisit a world and characters that I grew attached to. Writing a sequel would be an interesting challenge, and I’m sure I’ll explore that possibility eventually. However, the next book coming out is another stand-alone story, and I thought you might like to hear about it. Here’s the summary:
“John Grey is dead… and that’s just the beginning.
Purgatory should have been a safe haven for souls that belong neither in Heaven nor Hell, but instead John finds himself in a corrupt prison, one bereft of freedom or pleasure. Along with his decedent friend Dante, John makes a brave escape, only to fall straight down to Hell and into the arms of Rimmon, a handsome incubus. John is soon recruited as Hell’s ambassador, visiting the afterlife realms of other cultures to enlist an army strong enough to stand against Heaven. As interesting as his new job is, John’s mind keeps returning to Purgatory and the souls still trapped there. Somehow John must stop a war he doesn’t believe in and liberate Purgatory, all while desperately trying to attract the attention of an incubus whose heart belongs to another.”
The working title for this project is “Purgatory.” To be honest, I already know the proper title, but I’m keeping it a secret. My best friend came up with it, and it’s so terribly clever that I’m scared unsavory sorts will steal it away before I have a chance to use it.
Purgatory is an interesting novel in that it defies genre. There are some aspects that feel very much like fantasy, since the story draws from the mythology and religion of many different cultures. And yet, the main characters are from modern times, and some of the settings are completely contemporary. Perhaps the best way to describe this book is as an adventure… and a crazy one at that. I’ve been polishing this sucker every single day, and feel confident that I can get it out by late summer or early fall. Past this novel, I have a few more surprises, but we’ll cross that bridge once we’ve already made it through Heaven and Hell.
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Posted in Books, Hell's Pawn | 10 Comments »
Sounds like a great idea Jay. I really look forward to reading it once you have put all the final touches on it.
Thanks Steve! I’m shipping it off to my editor tomorrow. In the meantime I’ll bug Andreas to come up with some cool cover art.
hehe, that sounds like a great idea. His cover art is very beautiful. I love the covers he has come up with for your books.
Thanks! I’ll be sure to let him know. We have preliminary art for the next book now and I’m really excited. Nothing ready to be shown yet, but we’re getting there!
That’s fantastic. I look forward to the unveiling Jay
This book sounds great. It’s like you’re Neil Gaimon and Gregory Maguire’s bastard love child. LOL!
I thought of Gaiman while writing this, mostly to avoid using gods he’s already done so well with, such as Odin and Loki. Never got around to reading Maguire though. I’ll have to check him out.
I can’t believe you’ve never read Wicked. You are in for a great treat!!!
His other books are good too. After Wicked, my favorite is Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.
Jay, I understand working on various ideas, but Yes I would love to Read a Sequel to “Something Like Summer.” Accordingly, the Story was both Beautifully Written, and Very Fulfilling, and it would be Sad not knowing how Ben’s Life Continues (he is a wonderful character!). Lastly, Thank You for not ending in a depressing fashion, as many previous formulaic Gay Fiction would have ended after Part 1, but it is True that life does and can continue past early disappointments with differences in one’s Own Self Acceptance. Great Job, and again Thank You!
Thanks for the kind words Richard. I’ll keep thinking about a sequel. I would want to make sure the plot was truly worthy of the first novel before I even began, but there is potential there. Ben and his friends are always close to my heart too, so we’ll see.