Over the weekend I asked Justin Cronin — author of the internationally bestselling novel The Passage — some of the more frequently asked questions about the sequel to that book, which is titled The Twelve and should be out in 2012 if all goes well.

Brian James Freeman: So how is The Twelve coming along?

Justin Cronin: You know that whine from under the aircraft when the pilot drops the landing gear?  The Twelve is making that sound.

BJF: You’ve mentioned that the next two books each go back to Year Zero.  Can you give a little more detail about why?

JC: Because you didn’t see everything that was going on then.  Some things you only glimpsed from the corner of your eye without knowing how important they were, how much bearing they would have 97 years in the future.

BJF: Any additional hints about the plot for The Twelve?

JC: If I’m not mistaken, I just gave one.  Here’s one more: Lawrence Grey.  Here’s another one: I like spy novels.

BJF: Will The Twelve be around the same length as The Passage?

JC: Mercifully no.  About two-thirds to three-quarters of the length.  Which is not to say it will be short.  That’s not short.

BJF: Are you traveling again to research locations, or did you cover all of that in your prep work for The Passage?

JC: I did a fair amount of travel, but mostly within Texas, and some in eastern New Mexico.  If you know eastern New Mexico, and you know The Passage, you might be able to guess why.