Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

While York was the highlight we did do a little adventuring. We met Lee for a drink one night. No evidence to show for this. We also visited Leeds to meet Tasha and took the opportunity to visit the Royal Armouries. It was very wet that day.

King Henry VIII's armour

Not a good shot sorry!

The Royal Armouries’ mascot piece. The jester helmet.

Jester Helmet

Chatsworth House was included in our tour. However, the camera battery died. I have some photos on my iphone that I haven’t downloaded yet.

We also visited Warhammer World in Nottingham. Have too many shots of that so here are some highlights.

Lurtz and James- Warhammer World

Matthew and Warhammer World

View of a diorama in Warhammer World

The room was full of different dioramas…some of them quite spectacular.

Some miniatures

I have a lot of shots from the gallery but I haven’t downloaded them yet. As well as hanging a bit with the Black Library crew, we met up with Marc, who took us to lunch and then to the city of caves. There have been people living in caves since medieval times.

Us in cave-Nottingham

The entry to the caves was rather strange. Go into the mall and turn left. The shopping centre was built over the caves. There are more caves under Nottingham Castle but we didn’t see those. Not much time.

Cavern in a cave

Lots of things happened here in th caves, tanning, which must have smelt awful, bomb shelters during the second world war, and generally homes for those too poor to afford a house.

A dud bomb?

A well in the cave

As well as a lot of green country side and quaint villages we saw these around the place.

Nuclear power station

We also saw that the British have a fondness for zombies. There was one excellent billboard for Virgin Trains, with zombies. I didn’t get a photo unfortunately. However, another smart person did. Here is a link to the photo of the billboard. And here is a zombie theme on a can of Tango.

Zombie Tango

More later.

On Saturday 25 September we headed off from Maidstone in a people mover with Nik and Dan and headed for Birmingham NEC for Games Day UK the following day. The people mover was fine. We all fit in along with our bags. Traffic was interesting and I think it took us longer than expected but made it in good time in the end. We were checked into the Holiday Inn Express next to the NEC. That means it was a 25 minute walk or a 5 pound taxi trip. After arriving we went over to the NEC as Dan, Nik and Matthew had to do some presigning of books to make the signing the next day easier. Already there was Aaron Dembski-Bowden, James Swallow, Graham McNeil, Sandy Mitchell…I think that is all. Sorry if I left someone out. I took some photos of the presigning. James helped out with sorting books and we put little stickers on them ‘signed’ to more easily identify them. It was kind of fun and the place was huge. Everyone was setting up for the next day.

Photo of Matthew out the front of Games Day. He was very excited. His last attendance was in 2004.

Matthew at the front of Games Day UK 2010 NEC Birmingham

Photo of signings….

Dan, Nik, Matthew and Aaron signing Sabbatt Worlds anthology

Then we all went out to dinner at The Little Owl, which was next door to the hotel. Oh we had drinks first. I ate a lot and then I crashed. Matthew stayed out to 2.00am having a great catch up with the other writers. James had his own room for the night. I was very happy for Matthew as he doesn’t bat an eyelid when I go con partying and it was good to see him enjoy himself.

Next morning Matthew had to be up early to start the day. James and I got to sleep in and went over about 11.ooam. When we got there we were very overwhelmed. There were thousands of people doing stuff that we didn’t really understand. I’m a Dweebette, and a geek and a bit nerdy. Young James is a little cool boy with very little in the way of geek tendencies (very odd considering his upbringing) so he was like ‘err I didn’t know so many geeks existed in the world.” We couldn’t really tell what people were doing because there were queues and layers and layers of people around tables so we just went to where the authors were hanging out. Graham McNeil, Dan Abnett and Nik and others were signing books with huge lines waiting for their turn. There were lines to buy books– extraordinary.

Matthew and a few others were in another area. They had slightly smaller queues. James and I wandered around a bit wide eyed and amazed. I tweeted a bit and took photos and kept coming back to see Matthew.

Once some of the people cleared up we could see what was going on.

One of the many amazing diaramas at Games Day for minatures

Aaron the menial

Some costumes…

Top Grot

A new game apparently. Below is Matthew in front of a pile of banners. The banners are from different Games Workshop shops and the players have banners.

I’d like to put up more pictures but the uploader keeps falling over. It could be the wifi.

Overall Games Day was a wonderful event. I have never seen so many books sold, or seen authors sign for the whole day with just a break for lunch. It was amazing to me. Normal SF cons you don’t see that. The attention to the authors and the devotion to the books. I think I learned something.

Matthew with banners

A fan who brought everything Matthew had published with Black Library for signing

Matthew also took a shot of James and me reading our Black Library purchases. James had to have a copy of the Sabbatt Worlds anthology and I bought James Swallow’s Bloodlines, chap book. James also learned how popular Dan Abnett is. It was quite amazing to him. Dan cooked us dinner and stuff and you know he’s like the god of geeks, according to James. I am quite normal in comparison…hehe

I’ll see if the photo will load. Nope, not this time. Maybe I can come back later and add the orc and us.

Part of the old castle, Leeds Castle

Last Friday, our last whole day in Kent, we were joined by Dan on a wet and gray trip around Leeds Castle. It has rather extensive grounds better enjoyed when it is not raining. We also lost the restaurant in the end when in search of a nice, hot cuppa. There was a serious lack of puns on this excursion though there was an umbrella that had a long sword for a handle, which Matthew liked considerably. I guess me, bellowing across the shop that 48 pounds was a bit of a joke, put him off somewhat.

Now for those lovely photos.

Down the garden path with Leeds Castle in the distance

The list of things King Henry VIII brought with him to Leeds Castle

King Henry VIII seemed to mimic our itinerary. He seems to have already been where we go.

One more…

To polish off the day we had a wonderful dinner with Dan, Nik and family. An excellent braised and then roast lamb, with baked capsicum (red pepper), tomato with anchovies and peas. I stole the recipe for the baked capsicum from Dan and I’m working on the lamb one. Nik made an excellent sticky toffee pudding (dates and walnuts) and it looked good enough to dive into face first. Of course, being a lady I withheld my impulses and ate a single serving.

What made the rather damp day perfect was spending it with such wonderful (interesting, intelligent and funny) people like Dan, Nik and family. After dinner we played with Dan’s weapons of single destruction (mind you there was a gun that shot five bullets all at once). Here is a shot with James and one of Dan’s swords.

Okay I can’t resist. A shot of Matthew in one of Dan’s antique chairs…and yes he did get out of it.

A shadowed man in a little chair

I am currently in the UK, mostly England. I have been posting to my personal blog but WordPress is easier for photos and looking a castles, great houses and countryside is research for writing to my mind. I find myself inspired. I am three castles down, a UK Games Day down and York City down.

So for some photos.

We went to Bodiam and to Dover Castle in the same day. We were kinda knackered afterwards. I didn’t eat dinner and slept for 12 hours, which might be due to the fact that I was the driver on this little trek. Bodiam is not too far from Hastings (famous for the battle of) and then Dover Castle is in Dover (featuring white cliffs and a very domineering fascade).

Bodium, medieval castle with moat

Bodium across the moat

Interior shot of Bodium Castle

Now for a few shots of Dover Castle and then we have to head out to explore York. More castle shots later.

View from Great Tower, Dover Castle across the channel

Ancient Roman Lighthouse-only one left

It really was too big to get into the photo. Actually I realise this photo is the outer wall heading to the Great Tower. Apparently these walls had been lowered by about 15 feet to accommodate cannons.

Better go now. More later. I have Leeds Castle and Games Day to go, then maybe York photos.

Finally after a lot of hard work on the part of Michael C Pennington at Aurora Wolf (and Alaskan based small press), Novus Creatura is available on Amazon.com

There isn’t a cover image yet though, but I am very confident of the production quality. Michael advised the contributors that he had done 3 proofs and he also consulted the authors to get them to go over the proofs of their own story. I really appreciate the care he and co-editor Linda have put in to get the anthology into production. I am also grateful to John JAM Miller for organising it. Novus Creatura was an anthology that was caught up in the Lame Goat Press fumble. Lame Goat, which had taken on a very ambitious schedule, went into a spasm and dropped a quite a few projects. I have been lucky that the two I had stories in were championed by the editors. Static Movement published Deep Space Terror and now Aurora Wolf , Creatura. Michael has also been very generous with us, sending contributor copies. When I get back from England in October I will be putting my order in as I want to see the other stories as well as my own in print.

On the writing front, I’ve been sending stories out. I’ve had two rejections in a paranormal romance anthology but now that I sort of know what they are looking for I am working on story number three and hoping that it is the lucky one. I have four other stories out, two with the same collection. I have one of those stories lined up to go elsewhere.

I also have a story in a competition and need to send in a new one before I leave next week. Egads! I didn’t realise.

I have another story half-drafted for another anthology that I am aiming to get into. Make that two short stories half-written for two anthologies I want to get into. I really do want to get them done before I go because when I get back I will need to pull up the socks and go back to novel writing. I have had fun with the shorts while they lasted.

The cover of Novus Creatura is up on http://www.aurorawolf.com here

My story Liquid Night is in there. Yeah! Looking forward to this one.

After a week in Perth and a very delayed flight I am home brimming with ideas. However, I have a few things backed up. I had to review my contract for Novus Creatura and the proof of my story Liquid Night. I found one small typo and seeing it all laid out was very exciting. Many thanks to Michael Pennington from Aurore Wolf for bringing all together and being so generous and open about the process for contracts and contributor copies. Feels kind of zany working with someone who lives in Alaska. What a wonderful place the Internet is.

I have a few stories on the go that I need to attack but they may have to wait to later in the week. Very mentally tired at the moment from work. On the last day of interviewing people I couldn’t keep going, couldn’t think. Lucky it was the last interview. So I think I should rest before the trip to Melbourne.

Also I have to crit a story and then start beta reading a novel. I am looking forward to doing it because if I can’t write at least I can read. I also hope to finish the most amazing book Power and Majesty by Tansy Rayner Roberts. The world building and the setting is just so good and out there. As a seasoned fantasy reader am always looking for things that a new and interesting.

Better go. Duty calls.

My story Warning Buoy had a rocky start to publication. Lame Goat Press went into hiatus and Static Movement, which is owned by the  guest editor, Chris Batholemew, took over the publication. The anthology has been renamed ‘Deep Space Terror’ and is available from Amazon. I ordered my copies the other day.

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Space-Terror-Chris-Bartholomew/dp/1617060267/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279435092&sr=8-1

Darn I noticed that they have discounted it since I bought my copies.

My story the Clean Streets of Oberest was renamed Liquid Night. It is still coming out but this time with Aurora Wolf in the Novus Creatura. When Lame Goat stopped responding the wonderful editors tried to keep true to their writers. JAM John Arthur Miller went to Aurora Wolf to publish Novus Creatura, which I think is really cool. The new publishers appear to be taking a lot of care in the shape of the MS and in its contracts with authors.

Strange thing. The other day I had an email from Lame Goat saying they were up and running again and please send more stories. I’m afraid that after the previous experience I would have to think twice before doing so.  The editor in chief did not let me know there were problems and I wasn’t the only one. Lack of communication equals lack of respect. And the offer only ever was publication, no contributor copy and no payment. I think I’ll be looking to other markets in future.

I had a submission with Weird Tales and when I queried found out that they did not receive it. That was a wasted 4 months of my life. And they are closed to new submissions until January 2011. I was very grateful the editor got back to me and let me know in any case.

I have been travelling extensively for work and am heading for Perth in an hour or so. So writing wise I have been a bit dead. I wrote a short story idea down last week. Thought of one while driving to Redcliffe in Queensland last week and then forgot it. The only thing I have been doing before passing out every night is reading.

I finished a beta read and now am starting a new one.

My first sale to Lame Goat Press was my story ‘The Warning Buoy’.

While I was looking for cover art I thought I’d put this one up too.

I am waiting, waiting for this one to come out. It will be available from Amazon.

I was querying earlier about edits, as I have signed the contracts. I thought at least they’d want to alter my Australian spelling. However I saw a note from the editor to say that they will not alter spelling unless it affects understanding. I think that is kind of cool.

Another one of my story sales is to Lame Goat Press.

I just found the cover image which I thought I’d put up here.

http://lamegoatpress.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ncreatura&action=display&thread=229&page=3

My story was originally titled ‘Clean Streets of Oberest’ but is now going to be called ‘Liquid Night’. It was great working with JAM on the edits.