Photo Karen Graham.
Catherine Cerveny’s third book in the Luck trilogy hits Chapters on September 25th.
Catherine Cerveny’s third and final (?) book in the Luck series will hit the stands at Chapters books later this month. This sci-fi/romance series is her first foray into the world of book publishing. These books are not self-published or produced by a vanity publisher. With an agent in Jerusalem and an editor at Orbit Books, she is operating in the real book business, one for which she received an advance from Little Brown.
When her original book deal was signed, it was for a two books with an option on a third. The new book called The Game of Luck is not the optional book, it is an additional book. Clearly her publishers like her work.
That is not to say they don’t give some direction. She is a writer and they are business people. In her first novel of the Luck trilogy it was suggested she spice up the romance between her protagonists to improve the book’s appeal.
Catherine is now working on a new book to fulfill the option. Having submitted the first three chapters to her editor, the suggestion is quite different this time. Cut back on the relationship content and focus on the scientific, which is a bit more challenging for Catherine, for whom family is a priority.
For this new book, Catherine had to create an entire new world in the distant future. Despite the freedom that notion presents, the science fiction audience requires credible technology and plausible circumstances, requiring extensive research. Catherine is no diva. Rather than take offense at the suggestions, she appreciates the direction. After all, the objective is a commercially viable product.
At her day job, some of her colleagues aren’t sure how to react to her other career, and lately she has discovered that her writing output is directly related to her stress level at work which is increasing. She writes late into the evening and on weekends, and faces a delivery date in February for her complete novel. It’s a good thing her supportive husband Steve Suszko is equally busy in his Pharmacist role in Millbrook and Peterborough, but they find time to enjoy their peaceful home in the country when they take the time to catch up.
This year Catherine plans to express some of her creativity when she and Steve host a large family celebration of Thanksgiving. What kind of dishes would be on the holiday menu in the year 2300? Sounds like more research on the horizon…. KG
