Category Archives: Genre

Covers!

Here’s the cover for Marianne’s new YA book Burn Bright. Verrrry cool!

Burn Bright is the first books of marianne’s new YA series.

In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute . . .

Retra doesn’t want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom.

But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother.

When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?

Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness?

Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.

Burn Bright is due to be published early 2011.

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Filed under Australian Writers, Children's Books, Covers, Dark Urban Fantasy, Fun Stuff, Genre, Promoting Friend's Books

Fancy becoming a hobbit?

According to BBC New Entertainment & Arts, Peter Jackson is looking for short people to play hobbits in the movie of the same name. (Following on from yesterday’s post ‘hobbit’ is another word created by an author that has made it into the Oxford dictionary).

So if you are a keen on the hobbit or film making, here’s an opportunity to do both. When watching the special features on Lord of the Rings (extended version) the one thing that came through clearly was how dedicated everyone behind the scenes was to getting the film just right. Clearly it was a life changing experience for many and they were sorry when the making of the films was over.

There just aren’t enough opportunities for creative people to work on something great.

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Filed under creativity, Fun Stuff, Genre, Movies & TV Shows, The World in all its Absurdity

You know you’ve made it when …

As a writer, you know you’ve made it  when one of your invented words ends up in the Oxford Dictionary. eg.

(Photo from Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition)

Here’s the Oxford Dictionary definitnon of Steampunk (See here for the origin of the word)

My definition of Steampunk – A reason to wear really cool costumes and celebrate intricate and elegant machinery from a time when things were not designed to wear out in 2 years to force you to buy the next model.

See my article on the Allure of Steampunk here.

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Filed under Fun Stuff, Genre, Steampunk, Story Arc

My book trailer

If you like the book trailer my (long suffering) husband did for King Rolen’s Kin you may like to drop by this site and vote for it. (You vote in the side bar).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U5uZbt052w]

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Filed under Book trailers, Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Genre, Publishing Industry

Pratchett Insight

I came across a blog post on Pratchett’s books which says, much more eloquently, how I feel about his works. Here’s where you can find the full post.

‘Pratchett’s use of dwarfs, trolls, vampires and numerous other species as denizens of the Discworld epitomizes this. They started off as standard fantasy archetypes, reflecting the earlier Discworld novels’ genesis as a parody of fantasy cliché, but as the series progressed, they are developed into people, so that readers forget they have rocky hides for skin or fangs’

I love the way Pratchett uses the fantasy world to make us look at ourselves. Fantasy is the perfect medium for this. I did my Masters on Discrimination and Persecution in Fantasy Books. When you take a reader into an invented world and give them a character to identify with, they feel what the character feels (if you’ve engaged the reader).

So, I raise a glass of cyber champers to Terry. By the way that is an excellent cover.

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Filed under Covers, Fantasy books, Genre, Readers, The World in all its Absurdity

More on SF World Con

Over at the ROR blog, Leanne C Taylor has shared her insight with us after attending a World Con for the first time. Unlike me, she approached it very seriously, took her lap top to panels and made notes.

Now we can all benefit from her diligence …

Thanks, Leanne!

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Filed under Conventions, Fun Stuff, Genre

Conquest … (cue the suitably dramatic music)

In October I will be  a guest at the Conquest 2010 Convention. For info on Conquest see here.

There will be:

  • Fan Auction
  • Panels
  • Discussions
  • Competitions
  • On-the-Spot Quizzes and Prizes
  • Separate Dealers’ Room
  • Saturday Night Dinner Event

And for those of you who were at the World Con panel on Pitching and asked when I was doing a workshop, I will be running one on the Sunday at 2pm. So feel free to rock up.

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Filed under Conventions, Fantasy books, Genre, Movies & TV Shows, Nourish the Writer, Pitching your book, The Writing Fraternity, Writing craft

Drop by and say Hi

On Saturday the 28th of August, I’m going to be at Logan North Library so drop by and say Hi.

I’ll be with the romantic by cynical Trent Jamieson, author of Death Most Definite, the pocket rocket Kylie Chan, author of the Dark Heaven series, the lovely Louise Cusack author and mentor, and Anthony Puttee author of the Johnny Marsh books.

We’ll be talking about promoting your books and this is all part of Logan North Library’s month of Speculative Fiction. So you are sure to see Darth Vader and a Storm Trouper or two!

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Filed under Australian Writers, Dark Urban Fantasy, Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Genre, Mentoring, Promoting Friend's Books, Publishing Industry, Specialist Bookshops, The Writing Fraternity

Coffee and a chat

If you are coming to World Con and you’d like to share a coffee with me, or any of the fabulous authors who are there, here is the link to the World Con KoffeeKlatsche page. It’s a chance to talk about books, the publishing industry, writing and anything that interests you.

Coffee makes the World go Around … the World go Around … sung to the tune of Money Makes the World go Around from Cabaret!

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Filed under Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Genre, Publishing Industry, Writing craft

Kings, Five of a kind!

Over at the SOLARIS blog they are doing a give-away.

‘In honour of the releases of Paul Kearney‘s The Monarchies of God omnibuses (Hawkwood and the Kings, out now, and Century of the Soldier, due out next month) and Rowena Cory Daniells‘ The Chronicles of King Rolen’s Kin trilogy (The King’s Bastard and The Uncrowned King, out now, and The Usurper, due out next month), we’re holding an all-kings-themed competition.’

All you have to do is name your favourite king. So drop over and try your luck!

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Filed under Book Giveaway, Fantasy books, Fun Stuff, Genre, Promoting Friend's Books