Category Archives: Fantasy books

December 3, 2016 · 4:47 am

Podcast of my Aurealis Award winning story

What’s just as nice as winning an Aurealis Award?

Being approached by the lovely people over at PodCastle to do a podcast of the story. (You can find the Podcast of The Giant’s Lady here) A big thank you to the team at PodCastle and to Barry Haworth for going that extra mile to get the pronunciations right.

And it is great to see PodCastle supporting Australian writers by doing an Aurealis Awards series of pod casts. Go Aussie Authors!

‘The Giant’s Lady’  was published in Legends 2, edited by Ian Whates, Stories in Honor of David Gemmell. It was a thrill when Ian asked me to submit a story for this anthology and now I hope new readers will be able to connect with the story via the podcast.

Warning: Technical Writerly Stuff and possible Spoiler Alert

When the story won the award the judges said they liked the unreliable narrator. This is interesting because I wasn’t trying to write an unreliable narrator. The narrator was trying to make sense of the world and the motivations of the people around him, just as we all do, all the time. Sometimes we misinterpret other people’s motivations.

Here’s the anthology, along with the Aurealis Award.

Legends 2, where 'The Giant's Lady' appears, and the actual Aurealis Award for best fantasy short story

Legends 2, where ‘The Giant’s Lady’ appears, and the actual Aurealis Award for best fantasy short story

 

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· 4:01 am

Ebook on Sale

Solaris, my publisher, is having an Advent Calendar, where ebooks go up on sale for a short time.  You can find a copy of The King’s Bastard here for only 99p. (From this I suspect it is only available for those readers in the UK, although it does say, the book is available in Amazon, iBooks, Google Play and Kobo).

And here is the super cool, updated covers from the new Solaris Classics line.

krk_cover_classic_series

Many thanks to the guys at Solaris/Rebellion!

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September 21, 2016 · 6:19 am

Bonza Day (as we say here in Australia)

I came home from the shops (which is a bit of a trek now that I live in the wilds of Tasmania) to find a note in my letter box saying there were parcels to pick up from the post office. I thought it would be the possum trap we’ve ordered.

Here I digress…

Over winter the possums have eaten the bark of several of the fruit trees and then they ate two little azaleas that I planted. I thought azaleas would be safe since they haven’t eaten others. I was wrong. So it wasn’t the possum trap (in case you are worried, we intend to drive down to the river which is part of a national park and let the possum go so it will be a pig in mud, rather than making a pig of itself in our garden).

The parcels were… drum roll … my copies of Solaris Classic KRK, All FOUR books.  I was expecting book one but I should have realised Solaris would send all four books since they were being printed together, so they could be released a month apart.

The updated covers look terrific. Here they are on the kitchen table. Kudos to Clint Langley for the wonderful artwork.

krkr_4_frontcovers

You’ll notice on book two there’s a sticker letting people know that Garzik’s novella, The King’s Man, is included at the end of book two. Great news, for all those readers who contacted me wanting to buy a print version.

And then I turned the books over and discovered the layout artist had done something really clever. Ta Da!

krk_all4_backcovers

They’ve used silhouettes from the front covers. Very graphic, very nice. So kudos to the graphic designer at Solaris for this!

And now I’m all set up to do the GoodReads giveaway for book one which starts on the 24th of September and runs until the 30th of November. (Will see if I can add a link to the giveaway when it goes live). Must get to work on all the blog posts I promised as well.

See here where the Fantastical Librarian interviewed me. Thanks to the lovely Mieneke.

 

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September 13, 2016 · 7:30 am

Whoot and Wobbly Knees

Well today is the 13th of September and it’s the day Solaris release KRK book one.  This is the launch of their new Solaris Classics line. Yaaaay

 

krk_cover_classic_series

I’m incredibly honoured but also quietly terrified. I don’t know if writers ever get over this sense of trepidation.

I’m really pleased because The King’s Man, (a novella about Garzik) was only available as an ebook and now it will be printed at the end of book two, so people who contacted me wanting a print version will be satisfied.

It’s coming out in what we call trade paperback here in Australia. The cover looks stunning.(Many thanks to Clint Langley for his gripping artwork)  Here’s hoping the readers think so too.

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July 25, 2016 · 6:44 am

This is one thrilled writer

I’m honoured to learn that my King Rolen’s Kin series is going to be the launch series of the new Solaris Classics line.  Had to pinch myself twice when I read this.

KRK_SolarisClassicCollection72dpi

KRK is the series that was a finalist in the Inaugural Sara Douglas Fantasy Series Award. There were 55 series entered in this award so the judges deserve kudos for their efforts.

The Solaris Classics line will be printed in what we call a trade paperback here in Australia and they have rejigged Clint Langley’s lovely covers.

Solaris Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Oliver commented:

“Solaris has now been going for almost eleven years, and I felt that it was time to take stock: to look back over the hundreds of titles we’ve published and to champion the very best of this fiercely independent, innovative and wide-reaching imprint.

Solaris Classics highlights the titles that have shaped our imprint over the years, the titles that have brought widespread critical acclaim, commercial acclaim, and demonstrated the breadth of our publishing vision. Fantasy has been at the core of what we do from the very beginning, and it continues to be a genre that we invest in, constantly looking for new voices while championing the writers that have seen us go from success to success.

Rowena’s King Rolen’s Kin series shows traditional fantasy at its best. This is engrossing, exciting story-telling, designed to immerse the reader in a world of intrigue, magic and political machinations. Rowena’s series will be the vanguard of what I hope to be a series demonstrating the very best in independent genre publishing.”

Rowena Cory Daniells’ King Rolen’s Kin series will be published by Solaris from September 2016.
Naturally, I am delighted, if a little overwhelmed by this. The KRK series has had a good response from readers, ranging from, Curse you, I was up all night reading your book and now I have to go to work, to My husband has dyslexia and doesn’t like to read. He finished  your books in a week, which is a record for him. And then there was one of my students (I used to teach multimedia narrative at UNI), who told me he gave my book a nine out of ten. High praise indeed!
The books will be coming out a month apart, which makes them easy to find. Now I have to knuckle down and work on my secret projects. I have two on the go but one has top priority. It is good to be writing again.

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March 25, 2016 · 11:37 pm

Major Squee

Legends 2, where 'The Giant's Lady' appears, and the actual Aurealis Award for best fantasy short story

Legends 2, where ‘The Giant’s Lady’ appears, and the actual Aurealis Award for best fantasy short story

 

When I heard in February that my work had been shortlisted for two Aurealis Awards I was both delighted and surprised. In Australia the Aurealis Awards are our Big Thing.

 

Here are the short listed stories for the fantasy section:

BEST FANTASY SHORT STORY

“The Giant’s Lady”, Rowena Cory Daniells (Legends 2, Newcon Press)

“The Jellyfish Collector”, Michelle Goldsmith (Review of Australian Fiction Vol. 13 Issue 6)

“A Shot of Salt Water”, Lisa L Hannett (The Dark, TDM Press)

“Almost Days”, DK Mok (Insert Title Here, FableCroft Publishing)

“Blueblood”, Faith Mudge (Hear Me Roar, Ticonderoga Publications)

“Husk and Sheaf”, Suzanne Willis (SQ Mag 22, IFWG Publishing Australia)

 

And here is my KRK series rubbing shoulders with some of the best in the field.

SARA DOUGLASS BOOK SERIES AWARD

The Chronicles of King Rolen’s Kin [The King’s Bastard (2010), The Uncrowned King (2010),The Usurper (2010), The King’s Man (2012), King Breaker (2013)], Rowena Cory Daniells (Solaris Press)

The Watergivers [The Last Stormlord (2009), Stormlord Rising (2010), Stormlord’s Exile(2011)], Glenda Larke (HarperVoyager)

The Lumatere Chronicles [Finnikin of the Rock (2008), Froi of the Exiles (2011), Quintana of Charyn (2012)], Melina Marchetta (Penguin Random House)

Sevenwaters [Daughter of the Forest (2000), Son of the Shadows (2001), Child of the Prophecy(2002), Heir to Sevenwaters (2009), Seer of Sevenwaters (2011), Flame of Sevenwaters (2013)], Juliet Marillier (Pan Macmillan Australia)

The Laws of Magic [Blaze Of Glory (2007), Heart Of Gold (2007), Word Of Honour (2008),  Time Of Trial (2009), Moment Of Truth (2010), Hour Of Need (2011)], Michael Pryor (Random House Australia)

Creature Court [Power and Majesty (2010), Shattered City (2011), Reign of Beasts (2012)], Tansy Rayner Roberts (HarperVoyager)

 

Being shortlisted ‘made my day’.

Then, when Marianne and I were asked to co-host the awards I was both touched and honoured.  I figured I hadn’t won either award and this didn’t surprise me, not with such a strong field. Co-hosting the awards was a chance to ‘glam up’ for an evening and catch up with the friends I only see once a year. (Or in this case I haven’t been out in the ‘real world’  for over two years).

Here I am doing my Marilyn imitation (as a mother of six my life is not at all glamorous)

Here I am doing my Marilyn imitation (as a mother of six my life is not at all glamorous)

 

When I track down from photos (my camera has died) I’m going to do a separate post about the awards ceremony and the fun we had. But right now I’d like to say the things I didn’t say when I was so gobsmacked by winning the award.

I’d like to thank the team who organise the award for all their hard work. There was 55 entries (over 200 books) in the Inaugural Sara Douglas Fantasy Series Award and over 100 short stories in the fantasy section. I’d also like to thank Ian Whates for inviting me to submit to Legends 2, Stories in honour of David Gemmell. 

 

 

The full list of Aurealis winners is below. Many of these people are my friends and I am delighted for them. Others are up and coming writers and I wish them all the best with their careers. It is an honour to be included in such a talented group.

 

The Winners of the 2015 Aurealis Awards

 

By ventureadlaxre on

aurealis2016

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2015 Aurealis Awards!

BEST CHILDREN’S FICTION

A Single Stone, Meg McKinlay (Walker Books Australia) 

BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL / ILLUSTRATED WORK

The Singing Bones, Shaun Tan (Allen & Unwin)

BEST YOUNG ADULT SHORT STORY

“The Miseducation of Mara Lys”, Deborah Kalin (Cherry Crow Children, Twelfth Planet Press)

BEST HORROR SHORT STORY

“Bullets”, Joanne Anderton (In Sunshine Bright and Darkness Deep, AHWA)

BEST HORROR NOVELLA

“The Miseducation of Mara Lys”, Deborah Kalin (Cherry Crow Children, Twelfth Planet Press)

BEST FANTASY SHORT STORY

“The Giant’s Lady”, Rowena Cory Daniells (Legends 2, Newcon Press)

BEST FANTASY NOVELLA

“Defy the Grey Kings”, Jason Fischer (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Firkin Press)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORY

“All the Wrong Places”, Sean Williams (Meeting Infinity, Solaris)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVELLA

“By Frogsled and Lizardback to Outcast Venusian Lepers”, Garth Nix (Old Venus, Random House)

BEST COLLECTION

To Hold the Bridge, Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin)

BEST ANTHOLOGY

Bloodlines, Amanda Pillar (ed.) (Ticonderoga Publications)

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

In The Skin of a Monster, Kathryn Barker (Allen & Unwin)

BEST HORROR NOVEL

Day Boy,Trent Jamieson (Text Publishing)

BEST FANTASY NOVEL

Day Boy,Trent Jamieson (Text Publishing)

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

Illuminae, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Allen & Unwin)

SARA DOUGLASS BOOK SERIES AWARD

The Watergivers [The Last Stormlord (2009), Stormlord Rising (2010), Stormlord’s Exile(2011)], Glenda Larke (HarperVoyager)

THE CONVENORS’ AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

Letters to Tiptree, Alexandra Pierce and Alisa Krasnostein (Twelfth Planet Press)

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March 24, 2016 · 9:07 am

Squee

Only one sleep until the Aurealis Awards. And there’s an added reason to frock up. Marianne and I are going to be EMCeeing the awards.

This is a particular thrill for us as it is the 21st Aurealis Awards  night and the 20th anniversary of the Vision Writers group. 20 years ago Marianne and I escaped our families on Father’s Day (we have very patient husbands) and met at the very first Vision Writers group meeting.

After discovering that we had 9 children between us and that were both eager to pursue our dream of becoming published authors we buddy-ied up, going to workshops and events together.

 

Here we are hanging out at Melbourne Convention

Here we are hanging out at a Melbourne Convention

There were many times we were all set to go to Brisbane Writers Festival event then one of us would have to cancel because of a sick child.

Here we are at a Supanova event

Here we are at a Supanova event

Through the ups and downs of writing, getting rejected, writing some more, finding an agent and getting published we supported each other. Twenty years later, dozens of books and with our kids all in their twenties now, we have become the ‘establishment’ LOL.

Honestly, it is an honour to be asked to EMC the awards.

If you’re in Brisbane and you’d like to come to the Aurealis Awards tickets are available here.

And the national SF convention CONTACT is on in BrisVegas over the Easter weekend. You can find out more about CONTACT here. This is the place to be if you are interested in the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror this weekend.

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February 17, 2016 · 11:53 pm

Whoot Aurealis Award Shortlist

Had some lovely news yesterday. I heard from the Aurealis Awards organisers. Drum roll…

My story, The Giant’s Lady, that appeared in Legends 2, edited by Ian Whates, is a finalist in the Fantasy Short Story section. A big thank you to Ian for inviting me to submit to this anthology in honour of David Gemmell.

GEMMELL+COVER2d (2)

And, another drum roll…

My series, The Chronicles of King Rolen’s Kin, is a finalist in the Inaugural Sara Douglas Fantasy Series Award. This award was named after Sara Douglas who sadly passed away from cancer. There were 55 series entered in this section so I am really honoured to find my work in the shortlist with these wonderful authors.

72DPI_RGB_RCD_KingsMan

A big thank you to the team of hard working volunteers who make the Aurealis Awards possible.

And congratulations to everyone on the shortlist. The full list can be found here.

 

 

 

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August 27, 2015 · 8:22 am

Legends 2 Launched

Legends 2, the anthology in honour of David Gemmell, has been launched. Here are some of the authors at Nine Worlds signing books. (Ian Whates, Stan Nicholls, John Gwynne, Ed Cox, Gav Thorpe, and Gavin Smith).

15.08.08.12

 

Meanwhile, across the seas in Australia, I’ll be waiting for my author copies to make their way to my front door.

There are some good reviews up on Amazon already. I notice one of the reviewers mentions that they would like the stories to be longer. Writing fantasy in the short story format is really difficult. You need to give enough background and set up the world, while revealing character and motivation yet still drive the narrative forward. Parring back my story to the right length was a challenge.

GEMMELL+COVER2d (2)

I was chuffed to be asked to contribute and am honoured to be in such good company. Look out for a copy of Legends 2.

 

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June 15, 2015 · 10:47 pm

My Publisher is having a Sale

I just heard that Solaris are having a 25% off all Epic Fantasy.

Epic Fantasy Sale!

So if you were thinking of trying a new author or you’ve read one of my books and want to pick up the rest, drop over here.

I was trying to get a screen shot of my books, but it looks like they are all mixed up with other books, not sure why. Here’s they are in very good company!

saleSolaris

 

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