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Singapore Sojourn Part 5

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, China, Creative passion, Cry Havoc series, research, Singapore, Steampunk, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I have been here three weeks and one day. Wow, time has flown. And on Saturday we fly out to Beijing for 12 days in China. What I thought might be a short side trip has become the big China trip and I feel the excitement building.

I made a few goals for my time in Singapore. Pool walking every morning. I have done this, sometimes with more enthusiasm and a few days with less. I am sleeping a bit longer than those initial days where I woke up at 5am. However, I can’t seem to sleep in past 7.30am. But I am reaching sleep goals according to my Apple watch. I’ve also road tested these two last days taking my Apple watch into the pool. It is a much better way of keeping track than lap counting. When I count laps I lose count because I starting thinking about Aunt Prudence.

My other goal was writing 30,000 words of the novella The Prudential Light, which is Aunt Prudence’s memoir in the Cry Havoc series. Well I am at 44,000 words so I should at least make 45,000 words today but you know there’s a lot going on in this story and it may be a novel after all. I blame the condo’s swimming pool for that because many of my ideas came to me while pool walking and losing track of how many laps I did. The reason I think this is that I have written so many scenes and I think the plot might come together at 50,000 words but all the restructuring, back filling skipped scenes etc is going to bring it up in word count. Anyway, I’m very happy about that.

Next steps is to commission a cover and also a cover for the next installment, Edward Huntington Esquire, Gentleman Magician. This will cover the period of Edward finding out he was a magician and his meeting with Dr Heaton and Fulton. I probably have another story in the series, which would be a novella (god I hope so!) about Wilbur Hardcastle and Jemima’s mother. It will be a love story but not a romance because we all know that Jemima’s mother died young.

Then I might start on my spin off series.

Meanwhile in Singapore I have caught up with my mate Dev and we have hung out. Yesterday, we had a marathon Orchard Road experience yesterday from 12pm to about 7pm, including most importantly a trip to Kinokuniya. We started at Pizza Express which is fine dining in Singapore. Then we had tea and something naughty in Paul’s, which is outside Kinokuniya and then later I had a kind of Hawker Centre experience in the Food Republic, which is sort of the same thing except in a mall and airconditioned. I had some fried prawn noodles and oyster omelette. I’m not keen on oysters, I can eat them, but I really liked the egg part, which was crispy and tasty. Dev tells me it is eggs with water and tapioca starch.

Me and Dev and Kinokuniya

Lychee Fanta and Cream Soda flavoured Fanta. They were a $1 each and interesting.

To get back on the research track on Monday we went to the National Museum of Singapore to see their Once Upon a Tide special exhibition, about the history of Singapore. Well worth the visit. We also did a quick walk through of the permanent exhibition on level one. Lucky I did because I found out Rickshaws were invented in Japan later than I thought and where popular from 1880s until 1930s.

Below is an early map of Singapore in the period that I’m interested in.

I also got some good photos of things that will help in my story of Aunt Prudence and that’s the main focus of my visit to the museum.

I have really enjoyed hanging out with my son and daughter-in-law. On Tuesday we went to the island of Sentosa to check it out. We mostly did things like the free shuttle bus to check out the beaches and we did a skylift up and back to look around and at at the Shake Shack. We don’t have Shake Shack in Australia. The chips are good but this time they weren’t as hot as they should have been. The Shake Shack in Gardens By the Bay were so good! The cheese burger I had was real and yummy.

On the skyride

Today is going to be an at home day. I need to do some writer admin, hang out my washing so I can pack for the trip and write. I really need to do something with my hair but that remains to be seen if I have the energy. I thought a pink rinse would go down well in China, except I didn’t bring any with me so my hair is very blonde and curly. However, apparently Beijing will be hot but not as humid so my hair could remain straight.

My Kinokuniya purchases. Thea Guanzon is from the Philippines and Sue Lynn Tan is Chinese from Hong Kong.

Above is the emotionally needy Siumoguai who had snuck into my room and perched next to my swimmers.

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Singapore Sojourn Part 4

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, Creative passion, research, Steampunk, Travel, Trying to focus, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Time flies when you are having fun. Cliche I know. Today is June 13. Black Friday.

I’m about to head out to find a post office with my daughter-in -law. We have been out a little bit. We were going to go to the botanical gardens but it was too hot for me so we ate a late lunch in a cafe after a head/hair spa, which was simply amazing.

Me after the head/hair spa.

The day before we walked around the Gardens By the Bay and the highlight was Shake Shack where we had some lemonade with chips and cheese. So naughty and so yummy.

We met up with my son at Marina Sands mall where we checked out the Apple store and had dumplings. I am still keeping up with the pool walking in the morning. Be it rain or shine or cloudy. I wait for storms to stop though. The other day I saw this tiny yellow bird eating nectar from the flowers. When I looked it up I discovered it was a sunbird. Imagine nature thriving in amongst all these tall buildings.

Marina Bay Sands, a city scape and the round building is the top floor of the Apple Store.

Writing wise, I have had to revise my word count goal. I thought 30,000 words was reasonable for my time here and I was writing a novella. Well it is now 40,000 words and I’m currently at 36,000 words and I still have a week before we leave for China.

The story is still coming on strong, with new scenes popping in all the time. Yesterday I spent way longer in the pool than intended as I use my lap count to gauge my time. However, I lose count all the time because I start thinking about the story and characters start talking to me and then I come to and forget how many. Was that lap five or six? Over an hour later I’m upstairs realising I did about 20 minutes more than I wanted to.

The story is coming in different time periods so I know there will be a lot of restructuring and tying things together. I usually write in a linear fashion but this memoir is different and how things are popping up in my imagination are too. Weird but fun. Writing in Singapore is great. I found this great book and it has been really useful. There’s more research to do as well. National Library and the National Museum but I’m getting a picture of the layout. I also have to research a bit about 1840s Calcutta as some of the story takes place there.

I’m also learning a lot about Aunt Prudence as well. She is way more interesting than I thought she’d be, with some hidden talents.

Guess what! I think I may have a new character and spin off series in the offing but no spoilers.

On today’s agenda I think we are making homemade dumplings for dinner after we to to the post office. We have a bbq planned on Sunday, which will be nice.

I’m off to China for 12 days next Friday.

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Singapore Sojourn Part 3

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, asian-centric fantasy, Australian author, Creative passion, Cry Havoc series, fantasy, Feminism, General excitment, magic, research, revision, Victorian, victorian paranormal, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I am a week and a bit in.

I have managed to use the pool every morning. Although this morning it was raining and storming. After dallying on my phone for a bit, there was no thunder and less rain so I did my pool work. Maybe a bit shorter than normal.

In other news, my four weeks in Singapore is going to be less than I thought because we are heading to China for 12 days not 8 so I need to connect with people faster than I had originally thought.

I met up with Dev. No photo sorry but we plan to meet up again and do a writing date. I need to get to the library and art gallery and museum again to research. Although I have found some references on line.

We met with Joyce Chng the other day. She gave me some books of hers that I have started reading about female sword makers. You had me at female and swords! Fireheart is YA fantasy. Here is a local link.

Today though it’s Friday and my daughter-in-law and I are going to have a massage.

On the writing front I have been writing for a week, pretty consistently. There was one day I only tinkered with some words as we went out to meet Joyce. Today though I forced myself to write more than normal. My hands ache a little. The Prudential Light is at 20,000 words. It’s going to need revising because it’s coming out quickly and I’ll need to add bits in as I research them and also craft the story more. Sometimes I just throw down the story, plot, characters etc to see if there is a story with a beginning, middle and end. Then during my revisions, I add things like descriptions, emotions and thoughts. I can usually do something in three run throughs but some take many drafts.

Aunt Prudence is in my ear, telling more and more of her story and the characters are adding bits that my phone notes are filling up. I think I have a nice story arc going. If I can finish this first draft while I’m here then I’ve got something to go on with.

The China trip is going to blow my mind, I know it.

I’m going to miss my writing buddies. Meet Siri.

This cat’s name is hard for me to pin down.

I hear different words, I think it’s Moguai but it’s Siumoguai so I was close and I’m not totally deaf!

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Singapore Sojourn Post 1

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, research, Singapore, Submissions, weather, writer's journey, tagged , , , , , , , on May 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I am in Singapore, where it is hot and humid and very different.

It was my plan to blog everyday but that’s going to be tedious because I am going to write a lot while I’m here and the bulk of my plan is to hang with my son and daughter-in-law and then go on a side trip to China. I’ll be heading home in early July.

We have made a few plans so far. Catch up with writer friends. Going to the Fut Tak Chi Museum, which was an early temple built in 1820 just after Raffles opened up Singapore. Part of my research for A Prudential Light. Then we are having afternoon tea in the Great Lobby of Raffles because why not.

For a start I wanted to share some photos of the condo we are staying in. It’s huge, lots of apartments but it also lovely and has a metro across the road.

There are contemplative spaces or just nice surroundings for a bbq.

Lots of fish

And more pond views

And then there is the swimming pool, which I have been to every morning. That makes two so far. I just walk in the pool.

I’ve also seen a few of these dark frangapanis.

I’d show you a picture of my hair, which is very frizzy due to humidity but I don’t want to scare you.

I think being out of home give me time for thinking about things, about life and home and my partner Matthew but also time to be with people I love too. I think I always feel that way when I travel, feel the distance and wanting all the people I care about be they family or friends to be near. Life isn’t like that though.

On the writing front, Aunt Prudence has been in my mind a lot. I have done some planning. My daughter in law helped me pick a name for my character and I did a bit of research on early Singapore. Lots more to do. Now I just need to start writing.

On the submission front my middle grade fantasy appears to have lucked out on two markets. My Regency romance similarly, although there maybe a week or two left to run.

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Hectic January

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, author appearances, Author signing event, Trying to focus, tagged , , , , , on January 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I thought December was hectic. Last minute travel, visitors, Christmas and the lead up to New Year. Alas, January has been hectic and it’s not done yet.

At the moment we are on a bit of a break up near Palm Beach. There was a series of storms last night and now the forecast is for rain until we leave on Sunday. The forecast at home was for 3 days of rain, but that’s changed to sunny days which puts our garden in the soon to be dead zone. Sigh.

I also didn’t bring anything warm because it was so hot so I’m borrowing a shawl. It truly is relaxing here. No traffic, just the lap of waves and the sound of wildlife. I am meant to be writing but did a bit of admin first. I swear I’m losing my mind but luckily I found it again.

I have done a bit more work on Amber Rose and I was very worried I was stuck. However, my good friend Maxine said not to think about it and it would come to me and it has in bits and snippets. I think the important stuff is the emotional side of the action and I think that’s hit me now. I have a few days here to get stuck in. I hope to clear 50,000 words this week.

We are back in Sydney next week for a Wardruna concert, travelling by train. We were here last weekend and I think the one before. My daughter has moved and it looks to me I’ll be here more often than previously. My sister is back from NZ so she will be my next destination in the Sydney area.

With this change I’m getting a bit spun about. How to do I make goals for the new year? What should I focus on? I feel like I’m just running and running and going here and there. I’m sure it will settle once I get used to the changes in my life.

Travel wise, I’ll be at the ARRA signings in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in March 2025 and the Ages of Pages in Hamilton New Zealand on 26 April 2025. Do come along! There are going to be panel discussions and interesting things.

Wait for it! My banner

You can see why I really need to finish Amber Rose and get it ready! It’s on the advert!

At least my dizzy feeling of being spun about is shared by my partner, also a writer, and he at least has deadlines to meet and is diligent about writing. I must give up streaming stuff, or only watch after I have done my quota.

Well I best stop writing now and get to work. Until next time.

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A preview of my end of year round up

Posted in am wrinting, Australian author, author appearances, Culling craft, revision, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on December 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

This post is based on an email I sent to the CSFG group. It has been amended.

We came back from the UK end of February 2024 and I hit the ground running. In March I attended two signing events one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, organised by the Australian Romance Readers. I’ll be appearing again in 2025 in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne next year.

I joined the CSFG novel crit group and got to work on revising The Founders’ Legacy for submission. The crit group requires members to read a novel a month for critique so it was a pretty hectic year on the reading front. The only time I read just for pleasure was when my book was up for crit.

Sihem (Now a The Founders’ Legacy) was my phd novel. I kept thinking that was going to take months to revise, but I knew it was a couple of weeks focussed work and I was right. As I had put this novel on submission I haven’t revised it yet. Not only do I have the crit to apply as I choose, I have some thoughts in my head.

I also revised Grandma Needs: Through the Pantry Door, my children’s fantasy. I drafted this last year. I have continued to put this out on submission. However, it’s a competitive market out there so we will have to see.

I submitted two short stories during the year and they were rejected too. However, I got the idea to do a collection of Robot stories, which led to Robot Hearts, science fiction collection. This included six previously unpublished stories. A few were older, and I wrote three new ones from scratch. That collection was published in September. I had a lot of fun with this.

I also wrote Destiny’s Blood, Book Three in the Cursed Ones series under my Dani Kristoff name. That was published earlier this month.

I’m about 37,000 words in book three of the Cry Havoc series, my steampunk series, featuring Manners, magic and mayhem. I had hoped to have had that published this year but it looks like next year. However, I am still drafting this so who knows, I may get the first draft done by the end of the year who knows?


I also started another book /novella called Louisa’s Choice, but that’s about 10,000 words in and has been for a while. It is kinda a reverse harem/why choose book possibly series.

I still have a revision on a Regency romance to do as I have two lots of beta reader feedback and a number of other things on the go, like a YA/Cross over fantasy that is drafted but needs restructuring and the next book written.

I don’t think I’m anywhere near as productive as I wished to be, but I’ve made a start. There are days when I can’t even sit at my desk. No idea why. I reduced my day job to two days and still I am not as productive and as enthusiastic as I want to be.

I also did a few events. Gamacon in Canberra and Fiction and Friction in Adelaide. I’m set for a few more in 2025. I’ve also attended a few writing related things like romance reader lunches, romance writer get togethers and an occasional CSFG thing. I went to Romance Writers of Australia conference in Adelaide and the World SF convention in Glasgow.

I spent of time on the back office stuff too, website/blog etc. I set up a pay hip store for my books. Many thanks to Keri Arthur for help there.

I read through Ruby Heart and Emerald Fire to correct typos and created hard backs and large print hard backs. I also published a hardback version of Vorn and the First Comers, which is a prequel novella to another series. I have more to do on this front. I also bought a microphone and have been practising reading for audio book purposes. I’m not entirely there yet. Although I didn’t meet my own expectations, I think I can safely say I’ve had a writerly year. I watch way too much streamed shows and don’t read enough either.
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Life is hotting up for the end of year. I am expecting family to visit from Singapore. My two eldest granddaughters are turning 18 in January and both graduated from high school this year. My eldest daughter is moving to Sydney with my youngest granddaughter. My other daughter announced she eloped in August. My grandson is back from overseas and doing well.

Life is constantly changing around us.

On a more personal front I have had a bit of a crisis. I have a craft room and I haven’t been in the craft room for a long time. It’s chaos in there and I’m at the stage where I feel the need to cull, that maybe I have to get rid of some things so I can focus on a few things. I have legacy silk flower makings, millinery projects and supplies, a floor loom, dressmaking stuff, yarn, quilting supplies, embroidery kits and the rest. I’m a regular craft junkie. I feel that way about the house too, but mostly the garage and all the crap that is in there. I’ve been warning Matthew that he might have to supervise as I will throw his stuff out. Rolls eyes. Maybe this is a good thing and not a sign of some impending life crisis. I’ve put on weight. My eldest said I have ballooned. It’s a battle to keep fit, exercise, do all the craft, writing and stuff and work. I feel that I’m going to go mental just trying to do everything. So maybe 2025 is about new beginnings, giving myself a break and throwing crap out. I want order, not chaos. However, order requires consistency and work and that’s the hard part.

Speaking of hobbies. Yesterday I did a cooking course. We made ricotta gnocchi and biscotti. I made cranberry and almond biscotti. I really can’t help myself can I?

And if you want to join my newsletter, where I share promotions and giveaways. Try here.

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Touching Base

Posted in am wrinting, Creative passion, revision, tagged , , , , on August 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I’m dropping in to say I have a few posts coming up but I’m not quite ready to post yet. There was the world SF convention in Glasgow, with side tripping to the beautiful highlands, then a dash home so I could fly to the Romance Writers of Australia Conference in Adelaide on the weekend, then home again for a funeral of my awesome buddy Kaaren Sutcliffe on Monday.

I did two pitches, my first in over ten years. Lucked out on both.

I just wanted to say I’m here, I’m back, I’m busy. Robot Hearts has been proofread, but at the last minute I finally had a story that fit an idea so I wrote that yesterday and I’m just trying to see if I can get my editor to look at it, before I press print, upload etc. However, every thing is formatted and I’ve written the blurb. I need the paperback wrap but I need to finalise the pages first.

I’m chatting to the awesome Nicole tonight about her views on Destiny’s Blood and I guess the rest of the week will be spent on revisions.

I’ve been invited to the Celestial Ball event in Brisbane in June next year and I’m hoping to get the the RWA conference in Hobart in August and I’ve signed up for Worldcon in Seatle next year too. Mmmm the year is filling up.

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Achieving Goals

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, Argenterra, Australian author, author appearances, epic fantasy, fantasy, General excitment, magic, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

This week I think I’m going to achieve a goal and if I’m lucky two of them.

In the day job, I have scaled down to two days a week, starting this week. This is my first Wednesday free. You can’t believe how happy I was last night knowing there was no work tomorrow and two days isn’t enough time to get stressed. Next workday is Monday. This is kind of a goal I suppose.

Last night, we went to see Fly Me to the Moon, which was so much fun. I wasn’t feeling it from the trailer but it was way better than I expected and I got all kinds of retro rocket feels from watching launches and seeing rockets! Well worth the watch. The moon launch was 55 years ago.

The dragging symptoms of RSV are still with me. The cough is gone finally but I still have annoying and persistent nasal congestion. This is five weeks! Over it.

This morning I went for a walk in the fog a bit later than I went yesterday when it was one degree C! I am trying to regain my fitness after not exercising for five weeks. I’m going okay with that. I had an ulterior motive too. I needed to think up something cool to end Destiny’s Blood. I only have to write the resolution so maybe 5000 words, maybe a bit more. Luckily the ideas came thick and fast on my walk and I dictated those ideas in my phone. My goal is to get this to my wonderful beta reader Nicole by Sunday as she has some leave and can read it. Doing a happy dance here. After addressing beta reader comments, it goes to the editor.

Goal number two is a bit trickier. I received the edits for Robot Hearts, my short story collection and there’s a bit of work to do there. I figure I should just run at Destiny’s Blood, then switch to the short stories. Then I can pick up Amber Rose again. There is only so much brain.

In between I need to do my tax return and BAS before heading off to Scotland on the 3rd. I’m off to Worldcon (world SF convention) in Glasgow and I get to meet up with my buddy, Glenda Larke and her family.

Here come my complicating factors or wonderful interruptions. My son is here from Singapore. He leaves very early Friday. My Sister in law and Brother in law are visiting this week. I love hanging with them so a bit of a juggle. Tomorrow we are out but today I’ll stay in and write. Tonight, we have a family thing watching my granddaughter in a production. Saturday I am an Gammacon sharing a booth with Chris Andrews. Gammacon website here. So exciting but not conducive to writing. Come along and say hi and buy some books!

This means most of my preparation for Saturday will be on Friday and thus making Sunday harder to meet. I should stop writing this blog post hey.

I am really pleased to see some sales of The Silverland Series either the box set on KOBO and currently discounted (they only place it’s listed I think) and individual books on Amazon and elsewhere. I know romantasy is a new buzzword but The Silverlands is a romantasy or romantic fantasy or fantasy romance has been around for a while. It’s a world slip, featuring two girls from our world who find themselves in another world. A world where everyone can do magic, except Sophy. The story follows three young women and their romantic tales and the hidden dark threats to them. I am supposed to be checking this book for typos but I just fall in love with the world and the characters, particularly Sophy and Oakheart, and get lost and start reading instead of checking for typos. Not sure if I’ll make this a hard cover but you never know. Vorn and the First Comers is a prequel novella that’s for free in most vendors. One of the features of The Silverlands is the tales people tell from the early days and Vorn and the First Comers is one of these. I think it enriches the world building. It was my first fantasy series and I worked hard to make it original.

Until next time.

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The dreaded lurgy aftermath

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, Australian author, author appearances, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

It’s been over three weeks since I got RSV. I’m still coughing a bit and have nasal congestion. One of my ears is not too happy either. It doesn’t pay to be older and susceptible. This is my fourth such illness in less than a year. Although I infected my partner and son, they have recovered. It’s my curse.

I’ve been working extra days and higher duties on the day job. I thought they’d get in the way of drafting and my son is visiting too. However, that’s probably not the reason my word count isn’t as high as it should be. I’ve been a bit slack too. I don’t usually write on the days I do my day job, unless the story is burning its way out of my brain. RSI means I try to keep my at computer time limited.

This week I had novel crit group with the CSFG. This means I need to read a novel a month and provide a critique. I did that! Yay. Now there’s a new novel to read. I’ve also been reading The Time of the Cat by Tansy Rayner Roberts. Nearly finished. It’s entertaining. It’s a bed time read so how much I read is based on how fast I get tired. I listened to Harlen Coben’s Tell No One, which is a stand alone novel of his. Told in the first person, it starts out lyrical and also rivetting. It had a really good twist and then the last twist I didn’t like at all. Anyway, lets not give it away or dwell. I also listened to the second Strike novel The Silkworm. I will read more. I find them a bit addictive so not conducive to writing..

Anyway, I think you can see where and how I’ve been slacking off. I’ve also got a few more episodes of Castle under my belt along with a delve into the Grace series. Castle is mostly cosy mystery but Season 3 and 4 sometimes went into thriller and harder crime areas. Matthew thinks I have a thing for Nathan Fillion so he bought me the first season of The Rookie yesterday. Grace is a tad more edgy than I like, but its good and I’ll get back to it. Grace is filmed in Brighton. I’ve spent some good times there.

Accountabilty post

Destiny’s Blood is at 70,000 words. I meant to get there last weekend but didn’t. I would like to get to 75,000 this weekend, but I have stuff on so I’m not sure. Oh dear I’m a committment phobe!

Amber Rose is at 22,000 words and I haven’t touched it since my last post. Mostly because I’m getting to the crunch time with Destiny’s blood so all my focus is there.

The really, really big distraction is that I bought a microphone and downloaded Audacity yesterday. I wanted to see if I could narrate one of my books. I’ve been using voice memo on the phone and sounded crap but you know the software and the new micropone sound pretty good. It’s pink! Lot’s of practice as it’s technical. Also, you know hating the sound of your voice thing.

Achievements

Emerald Fire in large print and hardback arrived. I have yet to decide if I’ll do more of my books that way. It’s a bit of work and I have to pay for the covers to be redone. Here is a picture of my hardbacks. I’m very proud of them. Weird. I thought Australian libraries would buy them but mostly it’s Europe and UK who have ordered these.

Appearances

I’ll be a Fiction and Friction in Adelaide in October. Link here

I have a preorder form for this event here.

I’m also with Chris Andrews at Gamacon on 27 July, 2024 at the Canberra raceway. Link here.

Talk soon!

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It’s a wee bit nippy in Canberra

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, Creative passion, Crime shows, Trying to focus, World Science Fiction Conventions, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

It’s a beautiful sunny day outside and it’s bloody freezing. I have my Tardis slippers on, socks and I’m ensconsed in my office with the heater on and my feet are still cold. Yesterday was darn cold too and I walked to the bus stop to go to work and it was minus 2 or something celsius. Today seems colder and maybe that’s because the high today is going to be 10 C. Event though it’s cold, it’s still a wee be warm overall for this time of year. That’s not comforting at all.

Last night I went to Kaaron Warren’s booklaunch for The Under History at Harry Hartogs. Kaaron was interviewed by Dan O’Malley and they were such fun to listen to. I’ve listened to The Under History and it’s an amazing story. I’ve always considered Kaaron Warren to be such an artist when it comes to writing as she’s such an original and this tale is amazing and nothing like what you’ve read before. There was a great turn out, a big queue to buy books and get them signed. I’m glad I made it. It’s crime and also a bit horror. I think the tag line was ‘Ghost tour meets home invasion.’

I feel that I’ve been slacking off this week but I think that’s just because I’m hard on myself and not hitting all the impossible goals I set for myself.

This week, I finally uploaded the new file for Emerald Fire. I’d picked up a few typos and also picked up what I needed to write Amber Rose. There were a few things I’d forgotten that are important for the next installment. I’ve also created a Large Print-dislexic font version of Emerald Fire as well as a hard copy version. The weird thing is for the Ruby Heart hard covers, Amazon is listing them way above the price I set for them. I’m not sure what’s going on there. However, as they are aimed at libraries I’m not too bothered about it. If I get my shop up and runing I can selll them direct at a much cheaper rate.

Destiny’s Blood is now at 46,000 words. I tried dictation on Tuesday and managed 1000 words and today I think I’ve hit 5000 words, after the dentist trip so not bad. I’m not feeling crash hot so that’s even better. If my arms were longer I’d give myself a pat on the back.

I hope to add a bit more to Amber Rose this weekend too. I’ve just made sure Scrivner is open.

On Saturday, I sent off the texts for my Robot Hearts short story collection to my editor. Now I nervously await feedback and edits, which are due in July.

Reading wise I have a few things on the boil. The Time of the Cat by Tansy Rayner Roberts, which one the Aurealis Award for best SF novel recently. It’s really very good and entertaining too. I’m really enjoying the footnotes. Tansy is a very clever person. I have always thought so.

I picked up a copy of The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern by J.Dianne Dotson. It was nominated for a Nebula, Andre Norton fiction for young adult’s prize. It’s quite imaginative. I’m also reading The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill. It’s very meta, if that make sense.

I’m listening to Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher, featuring Shane. As I was driving back from the dentist I was laughing my head off in a particular scene. A friend from the romance reader group put me on to Swordheart by T. Kingfisher as she said the Paladin’s are a spin off. I fear I’ll be reading T Kingfisher for a while. I have some physical copies of novellas to hand as well.

Viewing. I have finished McDonalds & Dobbs on Britbox and I loved it and want more. It’s the closest thing to a Vera fix I’ve had. We have started the box set I bought of Halo, and we are watching other things as well. It’s hard to balance, writing, reading and viewing, working and exercising. It’s driving me a bit crazy.

Did I mention I’m heading to Glasgow for the World SF convention in early August? This and other things do get in the way of scheduling writing.

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