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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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Reading, listening and writing update

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, authors, Creative passion, Science fiction conventions, World Science Fiction Conventions, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 31, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I meant to write this up yesterday but I started down the dark path of changing over my email addresses, as my provider iinet decided it didn’t want to be in the business of emails. After more than 20 years, there’s a lot to do and I ran out of oomph! It will take me months to do so…you know…kills the creativity.

A few weeks ago I found out that T. Kingfisher AKA Ursula Vernon was coming to Canberra and was being interviews by Freya Marske at the Paperchain bookstore. Ignoramus that I am I hadn’t heard of her but she was getting a good wrap from friends. What an interesting author! OMG I was so inspired by her. She writes what she writes. T. Kingfisher is her audit pen name but I read she’s a children’s author, illustrator and more. Multitalented. I bought a couple of the books that were on sale and headed over to Audible to buy a few of her romantic fantasy books. They are gorgeous and sweet and funny. I finished Paladin’s Grace and I’m nearly done with the sequel Paladin’s Strength and I’ve bough Palidin’s Faith so to be listened to pile. Her other books are horror apparently. They are next on my list. I can’t find a link for her but if you google you’ll find her.

So my take away, it’s okay to write lots of things, just write them well. Explore your talent.Don’t give up!

Kaaron Warren, an amazing author and so distinctive and fascinating to read. I’ve always considered her writing style art, due to her process and her work. Art house horror! Her new novel The Underhistory is out in print and Audible so I also listened to that. It held me spellbound. I didn’t know what was going to happen and the main character Pera (short of Temperance) is eccentric, an unreliable narrator and so full of stories that the house where the action takes place seems to be held together by her tales of ghosts, her sheer will. Thoroughly recommend. I believe we are heading the launch next week in Canberra.

Here is a link to Kaaron’s homepage. Link.

On Mother’s Day I picked up The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill. This book is a bit different to her Rowland Sinclair history crime novels, which I love so much. Who knew Australian history between the wars in Sydney was so interesting. I’m half way through this book and loving it. Sulari is doing a talk at the National Library this week so I need to finish it. Set in the USA, with likable characters and some sinister happenings, including a murder of course. Loving it. Her homepage is here. Link.

Recently I finished a kids books called Grandma Neebs Through the Pantry Door. Just like adult books if you are trying to sell you need comps. Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh was recommended by dear Angie as a comparative title so I ordered it and read it and yes this is so. I enjoyed this book and will probably read more.

More recommendations. I first heard about Steffanie Holmes at the Romance Writers of Australia conference last year. She was a guest speaker. Her speech blew me out of the water. A NZ author, she’s legally blind and, yes, reading and writing are hard but she does it anyway. Her tag line: Don’t give up before the miracle happens. After reading a few books in her Nevermore series, I know she’s bloody clever to boot. As soon as she mentioned, enchanted bookshop, staffed by fictional characters such as Heathcliff, Moriarty and Poe’s Raven, cosy murder mystery and ,yes, reverse harem or why choose, I was intrigued and not disappointed. I also bought her how to book and it had some cool stuff about booktok too. I devoured three books over two days. I also ordered a special edition hardcover of a Dead and Stormy Night and it’s beautiful. I would have bought the full set but you know $. Anyway, besides reading the books, I signed up to her newsletter and even that is so well done, professional and interesting. She also has a new kickstarter and rereleased a romantasy series. Anywhere if you were interested I suggest start with a Dead and Stormy Night.

As a reader I thoroughly recommend. As an author, I think I can learn a lot from her approach and professionalism. Here is the link to her homepage.

Next thing I stumbled upon this week was a podcast by Patty Jansen called The Happy Writer. How did I not know about this before. I mean I know Patty and interact with her on socials and I’m even a Patreon supporter. The pandemic really did hit me and I disengaged a lot. Now I’m back baby! Patty says the podcast was a pandemic project and now that the provider she used was sold, she’s releasing new episodes on her Patreon. With about 70 episodes, there is quite a lot of content there. All of it clear and useful, particularly if you self-publish or want to know more about it. Her most recent episode on her Patreon was on writing blurbs. So good. She is also an artist and musician. Patty has also done the covers of my collections, Beneath the Floating City, Through These Eyes and and my latest SF novel Awakening. Her homepage is here. Link.

And that takes me to my accountability post.

Destiny’s Blood-cover ordered, currently just over 30,000 words. Edit booked in. Eep!

Amber Rose-cover I had years ago, currently hovering around 11,000 words.

Robot Heart-cover achieved, editor achieved, stories compiled into one document with about four being tidied so far. Due to editor by June 15. Proofreader sorted.

A shout out to Keri Arthur who assisted with my sticky, problematic preorder form for Fiction and Friction in Adelaide (12 October at the Adelaide Convention Centre). I’ll be there selling and signing books.

Hardcover version of Vorn and the First Comers achieved.

Hardcover version of Ruby Heart achieved.

Large Print Hardcover version of Ruby Heart achieved.

Just one problem. Amazon have huge prices on these. Which means I really, really need to sort my shop. But then again, the large print was meant for libraries.

The reread of Emerald Fire is half way through. I read aloud to find typos so it takes me time. I’ve found a few things so far but the book is pretty clean, which is good. I’ll be picking up continuity stuff for Amber Rose but so far I have found that I put the characters on the page and shit happens and it sort of writes itself.

As usual it is hard to balance the day job, writing, keeping fit and house maintenance. Lol. Lucky for me, Matthew learned how to cook Chicken Saag this week and it was yummy. We are trying not to snack and are now ordering Youfoodz meals to see if portion control works.

Did I mention I’m heading to the World SF convention in Glasgow in August? Last minute stuff.

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Back after my dash across the pond

Posted in A writer's life, am wrinting, Australian author, Creative passion, revision, Science fiction conventions, Scotland, World Science Fiction Conventions, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I arrived back from New Zealand on Tuesday evening. Unfortunately, I developed a migraine while I was waiting for my bag to come off the carousel. Annoying because I could hardly see and I was on a tight timeframe to make my flight to Canberra. Anyway, it was straight to bed for me. Luckily I was able to take some panodol when the aura started.

Yesterday was the day job and I was going to write after but took it easy instead.

Today is writing day. First up a bit of admin. I had to upload the updated version of Vorn and the First Comers, which now includes a map and the first chapter of Argenterra. I may as well make the book magnet, a book magnet. I also published for the first time a hardback book. I made this one of Vorn and the First Comers. It looks really flash. It is the first time it is on paper as it has only ever been an ebook.

I have also made two hardcopy versions of Ruby Heart, after my read through and fixing typos. There will be a normal hardcover version and a large print version with special font for Dyslexic readers. The large print is really for libraries as they are expensive to produce and I don’t think people buy them. But I could be wrong. The next one off the rank is Emerald Fire. I’m reading it through for typos and for plot and character because I have started writing Amber Rose, book 3 in the Cry Havoc series. Over 5000 words so far and it’s cracking along. I am not sure why it’s cracking on but it seems to be. I’m over 20,000 words into Lightning Strike as well. I only started writing Amber Rose because I’d left Lightning Strike open on my desktop and had to wait for Matthew to close up for me. That took a couple of days.

However, I can honestly say Keri Arthur’s recommended 1000 words a day will get you a book in three months is pretty solid advice. I wrote 1000 words a day while in NZ. I just haven’t quite managed it since I’ve been back. When I get back from aqua aerobics I will get cracking, perhaps on both of them. I do have another project but I’m happy to keep that on the back burner while I deal with these two.

I have the Regency Romance to revise and a few other WIPs but no rush as they say! Hahaha.

Finally, Awakening has a rating on Amazon. Five star. Thank you to whoever put that there.

I almost forgot. Hot off the press, I’ll be in Glasgow for the World Science Fiction Convention in early August! And I am also going to be an attending author at the Fiction and Friction Signing in October in Adelaide.

I have two books on submission:

Grandma Neebs: Through the Pantry Door, middle grade fantasy

The Founders’ Legacy: Sihem, science fiction, feminist science fiction, SF romance and could be read as a queer YA

It’s highly competitive and tough to get into traditional publishing. Nevertherless, I’m giving it another go.

Wish me luck!

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Trying to balance all the things

Posted in A writer's life, All the things, am wrinting, Australian author, Being organised, Creative passion, Trying to focus, tagged , , , , on May 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I’m sure everyone has issues trying to do all the things.

I was saying to Matthew how hard I was finding working, writing and exercising and balancing between them. That doesn’t include all the other things such as social activities, reading, housekeeping and well thinking. Matthew said he was finding it hard as well.

I currently work three days a week. Lately, I’ve been a bit tired after work. I think it’s the cold. I am doing writing related stuff but not drafting so much. That I do on Thursdays and Fridays and on the weekend when I get some time.

I should say our house currently resembles a tip. We have been focussing on writing etc. I think we need to correct this on the weekend as I find chaos stressful.

I have to say while I am still feeling very energetic and enthusiastic I am struggling with balance. This week has been a bit unusual though. The kitten bit my foot and because I have metal in my knees I have to be careful of infection. And as I’m allergic to penicillin-based antibiotics and there wasn’t much to choose from I had to take sulphur-based ones that make me feel ill. Headache, nausea and tiredness mostly. I’m still on Flagyl. Grrr to the kitten. Both cats are now banned from the bedroom.

A typical Thursday for us is I get up and do some writing (I get up way earlier than Matthew) and then we go to the pool. I do aqua aerobics, Matthew does laps. Then we do the pensioner lunch thing at our local club before we head to the National Library to write. On Thursdays the reading room stays open until 8. We usually leave around 5 or 6 but that’s it. Light dinner afterwards. Friday I write and maybe socialise.

I’m also in a novel crit group, so I’m reading a draft novel a month. I get this month off as my novel is being critted in June. I listen to books, currently The Underhistory by the amazing Kaaron Warren. I’m reading through Ruby Heart to pick up typos and refresh myself on the characters etc. I’ve started a file for Amber Rose, the third book in the series, in Scriviner. I’m reading it aloud so that takes time. I’m nearly done and then I’ll start on Emerald Fire. I drafted two short stories in the last week for my Robot Heart collection. They need more work. I’ll need to pull all the stories together and get moving. I think I’ll relegate short stories to the weekend.

Today, I’m going to write fresh words on a couple of WIPs, Lightning Strike, the next magical/werewolf story following from The Changeling’s Curse and another project I’m not too sure about which I’m 10,000 words in.

Theoretically I know there’s this concept called pacing but I never understood it.

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Getting on with business

Posted in A writer's life, All the things, am wrinting, Creative passion, revision, tagged , , , , on April 29, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I’m writing this post because the story I’m working on won’t open on my Mac. I’ve decided to take a breather before getting upset about it.

I’m really pleased with how my reengagement with writing is going. I’m spending part of every day in my office. A big hurdle.

Yesterday, I lobbed a children’s book manuscript at a publisher who had open submissions. Yay! And about two weeks ago I lobbed a 100,000 word manuscript to another publisher. That’s two manuscripts that had a lot of work put into them. I arrived home on February 29 and today is April 29. So that’s two months and a lot of work. I’m so proud of myself and I’m so happy that I enjoyed it. I work 3 in my day job days a week.

I thought I’d use this evening to write some new words. Alas I can’t. But I probably need to check I don’t have the document opened on my laptop. Hehe before I start doomsaying about lost documents.

It is really interesting that I’m starting to trust myself again. Instead of thinking -that rewrite/revision is going to take months…a year- I decided that I was kidding myself. I could do it much faster than that if I just got on with it. I had one goal, which was the novel crit group that Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild is running. I needed to get the bigger novel polished and ready. I had a structural edit on that already so I had been putting off tackling that.

With the children’s book, I had such lovely encouragement from my friend, Angie, that I just knuckled down again and concentrated on it. Being shorter it didn’t take as long. The read through was tougher though because I kept tinkering.

On my agenda is also writing a strategy and plan.

Projects

I have several/many other projects in progress either on paper or in my brain.

The Lightening Strike. I’m writing a new novel in the Cursed Ones/Spellbound world. Uniting them in Sydney. It should be fun. I’ve started that one. That document does open and is currently 15,000 words.

A Choice for Louisa (using another pen name). A kind of Regency novel/series/ not quite sure I can nail it project. If I could open the document I’d tell you how far along I am. About 5000 words maybe.

The Tainted Lady is a Regency romance. I have two lots of beta reader feedback and at 90,000 odd words it’s a big job to get stuck into that. I’d thought I’d start on that in May and see how I go. That will be the final revision I think before I decide what to do with that.

Robot Hearts SF short story collection. I have one maybe two more stories to write. One has been drafted. The rest are written. Part time project. I think.

Amber Rose is in the planning stage. I did write the first chapter long hand and lost the note book. I’m currently rereading Ruby Heart and then Emerald Fire to get reacquainted with the characters, their descriptions while at the same time fixing typos. I am using Scrivener for this one so it’s set up in there.

Into the Dark Glass is a YAish/steampunkish portal fantasy/that I have started to restructure. The sequel Dark Lady Rises is just a twinkle in my eye. My agent at the time didn’t like Into the Dark Glass and couldn’t tell me why. I have spent about eight years mulling it over. (There was a PhD in the middle of that). I don’t have an agent atm.

I have an SF novella that is is feminist SF but I need to get that out and dust it off. I might publish that this year.

I also have a crime novel I want to write but I need to do more thinking on that. Once I’ve cleared my plate a bit I think. There is also ideas for prequels and sequels to series I have already published.

Administration wise

I’ve got a newsletter and I’m not afraid to use it in May.

I’m still setting up the shop on this website. Slacker that I am.

I’ve put Awakening on special and listed it on a newsletter.

And am keeping my accounts up to date.

Travel

I’ll be popping of to NZ in May for five days for family reason.

I’m going to RWA in August in Adelaide (just need to get my ticket)

I’ll be at Fiction and Friction in Adelaide in October (after I get back from Rarotonga and NZ). I’m currently working on my preorder form.

I’d like to visit Perth in November if I can.

Mental State

I fear the above might make you think I’m a freak. I’m sure there are other people who are much more productive than me or who have more project in the offing or stuff on their mind.

Also it was my birthday yesterday. Yay me!

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Calling romance writers and readers! Help!

Posted in phd, Romance reader survey PHD, Romance Writer Survey PHD, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on January 4, 2017| 4 Comments »

I am currently undertaking a PhD through the University of Canberra in popular romance fiction and as part of that study I have two surveys going.

I’ve got a great response rate so far but I need more. Yes MORE!!!!

If you are a READER of popular ROMANCE fiction can you help me out? The more readers who respond, the more valid the findings will be.

If you are a popular ROMANCE fiction AUTHOR your response to the survey will really help me out!

In both cases I’m after honest views.

Romance writers can be romance readers but I have questions on their romance reading  in the writer survey so you don’t need to do two surveys.

I think the survey can take up to 15-20 minutes to do.

It is mostly tick boxes but your free text comments are very valuable.

I am also going to select some people for a follow up interview only if the respondent is WILLING. There is space to indicate your willingness to be involved in this is the consent form. The consent form is the first part of the survey. I can only do follow up interviews a small number of people during 2017. NOTE; you can do your survey without leaving contact details if you wish. I won’t know who you are except for an IP address.

This survey is for my PhD, which is examining ROMANCE FICTION. Please help!

This is the link to Survey Monkey for Romance Writers

This is the link to Survey Monkey for Romance Readers.

Thanking you all in anticipation. Donna!

 

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