A Sojourn...

Voices Review

2009-12-14T05:06:34Z

Albedo 37 has a review of Voices in it by the wonderful writer/reviewer, David Conyers.

"As a whole Voices is a stand-out collection of dark fiction, particularly as a first release for a new publishing company. Presentation and the book design are professional, captivating and appropriate to the theme, which is a failing for most other small press companies make. I look forward to reading further collections from Morrigan Books."

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Albedo, go here.

To grab a copy of voices, the link is below:

AUD $19 + shipping

Need sleep...

2009-12-12T05:10:16Z

I haven't been sleeping too well the last few nights. I managed to put my right hip out pretty badly, so I'm in pain nearly all the time. It hasn't been right since the flight over to Georgia, and the numbness on my right foot hasn't really eased up any. Ah well! The joys of cramped seating on international flights.

Either way, last night was disturbed for more reasons than pain. Tom was originally meant to go out with his friends, but he decided not to because he couldn't be bothered going out to Carlton. I pointed out that Carlton is only another 15 mins further away from where he'd normally meet them, but he had a whinge and that was that.

Then his friends called and demanded to know where he was...was he whipped etc. etc. Considering I'm the one who says go out, have fun, don't be back too late, I figured he wasn't the latter. I say don't be out too late, but it's more of a warning - I don't like being woken up... ('don't like' being a very large euphemism).

So eventually, Tom succumbed to peer pressure and he dolled himself up - I swear he takes longer than I do - and headed out. He hit the city about 10.30, messaged me to confirm his safe arrival then proceeded to get very drunk. How do I know this? I mean, I was asleep...

Well, around 4-something am he returned home. Only, it took him a good minute or so rattling at the door to get in. Then he trundles (crashes) up the stairs, wanders into the bathroom, potters and clamours around in there for a while and then slowly comes into the bedroom, bumbling around in his attempts to be 'quiet'.

So I hand him my hottie (hot water bottle) for him to make me another one. I was concerned in my sleep-fuddled state that he might burn himself, but I was also very lazy in my sleep-fuddled state. He eventually handed me the hottie and since he didn't complain, I assume he was okay. Then he passed out for a while.

I woke up about 3 hours later and got ready for work. He muttered a few protests about the alarm, grumbled a bit when I took myself downstairs to feed the kitties and myself. When I returned, Lily bolted past me and up the stairs and very happily tried to say hello to Daddy. Daddy, however, was not interested. He barely managed to crack open an eyelid. Poor Lily was turfed downstairs.

On my way out the door, I noticed that it was unlocked. At least it wasn't swinging wide open...

Sinister Reads

2009-12-09T02:41:41Z

And the final instalment of the Aussie Stoker recommendations are done!

You might find myself and on jennifer_brozek there...you will definitely see paulhaines for his Slice of Life.

Check it out here!

I may have also been described as evil, but you know how folks like to use euphemisms...

Congrats

2009-12-06T02:31:40Z

to all the Aurealis Award nominees!!

Apostrophes again...lack thereof

2009-12-02T10:25:12Z

Well, today at work I was looking at the advertising as I sent it off to our vendors. On a page for a different company, I saw 'teams three sales this week' as part of a congrats to a new office that has opened.

I was like 'What a typo!'

The other receptionist asked what and eagerly awaited my response. I said 'they missed the apostrophe!'

'Huh? Apostrophe? You mad? I was looking for something like 'racoon' and it was just a little apostrophe? No one but you would notice!'

'Yes they would.'

'No, they wouldn't.'

Hmph,

The Muppets do Bohemian Rhapsody

2009-12-01T06:08:13Z

Hilarious!!

Done!

2009-11-29T12:04:07Z

Well, the Seekrit Project was finished tonight. The first draft. Who knows what the beta readers will say now... I've kind of hit the point with the MS that I've stared at it for so long I've lost all perspective on it.

But, it's done!

75,077 / 75,000 words. 100.1% done!

My friend

2009-11-26T05:23:52Z

Well, there is good news for both of my friends who have breast cancer. One just had their op and got a clear margain, so more chemo and radiation therapy for her, but they think it's been beaten.

The other girlfriend (the one who is 27) heard a week ago that her cancer has shrunk from 7cm to 2cm. They want to giver her more chemo and she will have her op later, then radiation and that's it.

So it's a good week :)

New Moon

2009-11-24T07:58:57Z

Well, it was my fault; I introduced my teenage sister to the Twilight Saga before it was made into a film.

So we went to the movie. Today.

She managed to hold out and wait until today to see it, although she wanted to kill the girls sitting next to her, as they whispered the whole way through and kept checking their phone and shining the screen light in her eyes as they did so.

Other than the fact that I don't think the directors/designers know the difference between a new moon and a lunar eclipse (the introduction scene), it was a decent movie. But I didn't expect too much. The ending was a bit silly, but that's all I'll say there.

Heh.

Musical Inspiration

2009-11-22T04:34:48Z

Now, I've said in the past that songs can sometimes inspire me to write. Powderfinger's 'I Don't Remember' was one such song. Now, it's Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'. Yes, it's pop, yes, her film clips are a little crazy, but there is something about the lyrics 'I want your ugly, I want your disease' that inspires the horror writer in me.

Go figure.

On other news, I snuck a diamante collar into the shopping trolley last night. (Yes, this is how active Tom's and my social life is; we go supermarket shopping on a Saturday night.) I told Tom his "little baby princess killer cat" needed a diamante collar if she was a princess. He said no. I wanted pink with diamantes, but there was only black with diamantes.

When he was unpacking the trolley he discovered it. "What is this?"

I had thought his powers of observation were stronger than that. "A collar."

So here is Lily modelling her new accessory:

Tom says she now looks emo.

I say she's emo with bling.

Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror

2009-11-19T09:48:06Z

Angela Challis has announced the line up for this year's Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror. There are many talented authors and wonderful works featured in this collection, but I have to (and want to) personally promote Pete Kempshall's 'Just Us', as it was originally published in Voices.

I highly recommend grabbing a copy of Aussie Dark Fantasy & Horror, but if you want to see the story in its original form, you can purchase a copy of Voices here :)

AUD $19 + shipping

Worn out!

2009-11-17T07:37:28Z

I have been working madly, much akin to a headless chook for the past two weeks, finalising edits and proofs for The Phantom Queen Awakes. Thankfully, it is now typeset and ready to go! The authors are all very happy with the layout, which is always a good thing to hear.

Now, back to the other editing project and the Seekrit Project.

Seekrit Project word count:

72,257 / 75,000 words. NaN% done!

The Greatest Enemy The World Has Ever Seen...

2009-11-14T03:44:14Z

...has long been known to Catkind. They attack it whenever it appears, shredding with teeth and claws their greatest foe.

They know its plans, are aware of this intergalactic enemy that parades as a harmless - and inanimate - object. Yes, you know it too. How often have you seen a cute kitty cat, wandering along aimlessly suddenly stop, turn, and POUNCE upon its greatest enemy?

Yes, you may have already guessed its identity: string.

Over the years, it has tried to gain a greater foothold on this planet, appearing as twine, curly ribbon, ribbon, even as hair-ties and rubber bands. But Catkind knows better. There are many string-like objects in my household - you could say that I am cultivating the enemy - but they are kept subdued by two diligent cats.

Saxon is the more pro-active in his mission to protect the house and his humans. He routinely kills any and all string-like objects, preferring to chew and then grab them while they are dangled helplessly above by one of his humans. Torture, some might say, but really; we're just establishing dominance over this tricky and well-hidden life-form.

Lily, on the other hand, isn't entirely convinced that string is the greatest enemy. She kills it as a matter of course, and likes to shred it and the curtains, who appear very much like over-sized pieces of lacy string. But she feels that there is something else out there, something that needs greater study: ice.

She has spent many minutes trying to determine whether or not ice is a danger, but it melts too quickly for her to discover its true purpose.

Sinister Reads

2009-11-13T00:51:04Z

Sinister Reads is promoting the Australian fiction that has been recommended for the Bram Stoker Awards. In order to reach the final stages, each work needs members of the HWA to vote for the stories.

I'm a little behind in promoting this, as it's already up to Issue #3. Go check it out, there are some very talented authors already mentioned.

Don't forget, Grants Pass has also been recommended. *grins*

Happy Birthday

2009-11-13T00:46:10Z

markdeniz

Parallel Imports

2009-11-11T01:47:36Z

As I'm sure you've all heard, Aussie authors and publishers were the winner in this argument. Let's hope it stays that way.

Crazy Cats

2009-11-08T08:16:43Z

Last night my family came over for dinner to help celebrate Tom's birthday. Fun was had.

The kitties were outside in their run when Lily started yelling her head off and running for Tom, who was sitting next to the run on the bench chair. Her eye looked weepy.

Tom got up, opened the run, she dove for him and he gave her a cuddle. She lay there quietly while he wiped her eye with a tissue. She had a hair in it. After, happy her eye was fine, she went back to her run and had fun tormenting Saxon.

Today, when Tom's sister-in-law was over visiting him for his birthday, Saxon sat on the window ledge. The new lace curtain was between him and the window, but we caught him lifting the lace away and trying to turn the window opener (please excuse me, I am having a complete mental blank as to what it is called), so he could open the window. We told him to stop. So he tried to move it with his mouth.

Looks like we're going to have to lock the windows shut soon.

Woe is me

2009-11-05T23:35:18Z

Well, yesterday I left work early because of a migraine. Today, I don't feel a lot better. Have the shakes, feel weak, light headed and my head sends sharp pains whenever it feels like it. I think this is the result from falling down the stairs the other day - my neck is so far out it's caused the migraine.

When I woke up from a nap yesterday, I decided I had to keep working on Phantom Queen as its deadline is looming. I only managed to do a tiny bit and got one thing back to front in my efforts. Yay! So now I have to go fix it. Clever Amanda.

Right now, I'm at work, trying to get the stuff that has to be done, well, done. Don't know how much longer I will last. I feel, well, extremely shitty.

On some bright news... Phantom Queen just needs one more bio and afterword so I can typeset it.

Photos

2009-11-02T13:24:33Z

I hate having my picture taken. It isn't something that I like, and I'm not good with posing for the camera etc. Makes it all the more fun when you're engaged to a photographer.

However, I decided it was time to get some author shots, as I should have some. So Tom agreed to snap some pictures for me.

Since I had to suffer through them, you have to see them. And naturally, I had to have pictures of me and my children.

Mmm sleepy

2009-11-01T09:45:36Z

Not much to report this weekend. Halloween wasn't much of an event, I worked late and then had to rush to Mum's so I could pick her up and collect my stepdad from the airport, who has been gallivanting around the northern part of Western Australia with his brothers.

He was glad to be home, bronzed from the sun, and very excited about his trip. He brought out a packet and handed it to me, and I was about to ask "What's in here? Rocks?" then I paused; they were rocks. He had collected some iron ore.

Other than that, I've been sending out proofs to writers for The Phantom Queen Awakes. I've also done some other editing work.

Brain is too fired for anything witty, unfortunately.

Review for Grants Pass

2009-10-27T09:27:37Z

Grants Pass has a review out on SFreader! (I really am the co-editor, even if I'm not mentioned *winks*)

"The stories are set all over the globe, adding more depth and scope to the subject. I was surprised that survivor guilt was not more evident in the stories, but it didn't detract from their powerful impact. The emotional turmoil of the characters haunted me for a while after finishing each story. Grants Pass is dark, but rich. Tragedy doesn't always bring out the best in people."

Read the full review here.

RIP Louise Cooper

2009-10-26T01:58:57Z

I saw on Mundania Press' website that Louise Cooper has sadly passed away. She was too young.

I don't know how many of you have read Louise Cooper's work, but her Time Master trilogy was one of the first fantasy books I read (after going through nearly all of Tamora Pierce's work I could get my hands on).

Years later, when browsing Stephanie Pui-Mun's website, I saw the below image and my first thought was: "This looks like Cyllan". And it was.

Her death is a big loss to the writing world.

©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

A Rant About Genre

2009-10-22T08:55:44Z

I’ve been thinking about this for a while; the concept of ‘elitism’ in what people choose to read, watch or listen to.

Now, I think every single one of us is guilty of this. We constantly make the choice to be entertained by something and we reject other songs/books/shows/movies as a result. Why do we do this? Mostly, it’s just personal taste: we’ve tried watching something similar and we don’t like it or the topic just doesn’t catch us. Easy enough.

But then there is the other situation: we don’t want to ‘consume’ something because it (as a genre) is not worth it. Now, sometimes we’ve made this decision through experience, but a lot of the time, I think people just decide that it won’t be 'good'.

This article linked at Ellen Datlow’s LJ, discusses why SciFi writers just can’t win. It got me thinking. The topic already had me pondering, but I guess this just got those rusty cogs working a bit harder.

You see, when I was at university, I did creative writing. Out of the classes I took, only one tutor actually tried to help me refine my craft. I was otherwise told to try something other than ‘genre’ work: basically, write literary fiction or don’t bother. Most of my tutors admitted they wouldn’t touch a genre book; so how could they dismiss something as unworthy without ever opening a cover?

Why are some works considered brilliant ‘classics’ - like Wells’ Time Machine & War of the Worlds, Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Shelley’s Frankenstein, Wilde’s Dorian Gray and even Bronte’s Wuthering Heights – rather than brilliant works of science fiction and horror? Easy to answer: because literary types are ‘elitist’! (Ignore the massive generalisation).

As you can guess, I don’t think it is fair to dismiss a genre of work because of its tropes. It’s true, I don’t like post-modernism; I want stories with plots, and to me, post-modernist tales like White Noise don’t have one. Sure, it’s beautifully written, but I need more than that. It doesn’t mean that I think post-modernism is a waste of creative space.

However, I find it strange when people complain that the genres they like (such as SciFi, fantasy, horror etc.), are maligned and marginalised because of their tropes, but find it equally valid to knock, for instance, romances.

Why did I pick romance as an example? Well, it’s because I’ve heard/seen so many folks knock ‘heaving bosom’ books: it’s a waste of paper; utter crap; it’s clichéd; the characters are 1D etc.

I love a good historical romance! I call them ‘brain fluff’, because they aren’t hard work to read; unlike Baxter’s work (Origin, Time, Space etc.) or even Dick’s (I know, I shouldn’t admit it, but I struggle with his style). And well, authors like Quinn are witty, their stories flow, their characters are 3D and even though there are mentions of throbbing manhoods and a little bit of swooning (on occasion), it works – there’s a plot that often isn’t solely concerned with the characters’ desire for one another.

Same goes for pop music. I know so many people who rail about the uselessness of pop. Well, to me, pop music is ‘popular music’. The genre is so broad that anything can be dragged in; what would have been classified as alternative (Kings of Leon) is now pop. And pop can have meaning; look at Pink’s song, Dear Mr President – it’s hard to get more meaningful than that, really.

Sure, romance novels and pop songs are often designed to be ‘disposable’; they’re there to be enjoyed rather than pored over to discern the themes, authorial motivations etc. But that doesn’t make them worthless.

So I guess my point is this (and aimed at myself for a reminder): don’t knock genres because you think they aren’t ‘worthy’ – not if you get annoyed when others knock yours.

Full of funny

2009-10-21T11:04:18Z

I snaffled this from wedschilde . It is NSFW (not safe for work) and is all about how Dean and Castiel from Supernatural really relate to each other *wink wink nudge nudge etc*.

Feeling a little brighter

2009-10-19T09:53:23Z

Well, yesterday I think I ended up sleeping around 20 hours, give or take, through a series of naps and then a 12 hour night time snooze. Feeling a bit brighter today as a result. Am worried now that I won't sleep tonight, but then, having CFS, sleeping is never actually too much of an issue.

I managed to sort through the proof readers' comments for Phantom Queen today, and have shot them over to Mark for a look-over. I need to work on the other editing project, but my brain is too fried.

Otherwise, I weeded my garden. Now, 'my garden' isn't the whole garden. No, it's a wheelbarrow filled with succulents which I haven't been paying a lot of attention to lately. So I weeded it. Looks a lot better.

With regards to the kids, well, I took Lily over to re-meet her uncle (well, more like great-uncle) yesterday, which happens to be Mum's cat, Sachmo. He's pretty, but not very bright. He adores Saxon, but Lily, well, not so much. He actually sniffed her this time, as well as hissing and growling at her, but he didn't clobber her or anything, unlike Saxon, who bopped her on the head when he met her.

As for Saxon clobbering Lily, she started howling today for no reason. After half an hour, Saxon ran over to her - grumbling the whole time - and meowed at her. She talked back. So be clobbed her, then grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her from the laundry and across the kitchen floor. She just lay still and didn't make a peep. Lily knew she'd been naughty by Saxon's books.