Last weekend I ran a stall at CanCon for three days. It’s Canberra’s biggest board game gathering, and this was the 40th year. I wore corsets! It was so exciting! And there was a T-Rex. I’ve already booked the exact same stall location for January 2019. I also wore my pretty pretty princess outfit:Continue reading “A little piracy”
Category Archives: Daily Awesomeness
My 2017: No wonder I need a lie down
What an epic year. I spent over 15 years of my life writing novels that nobody would touch, and now that it’s started to rain it’s pouring (which is a wonderful thing). I spent vast amounts of time on the Tin Man Games “Choices That Matter” app (Google Play and iOS). It’s a story hub forContinue reading “My 2017: No wonder I need a lie down”
Dear Star Wars: Here is Your Script
I don’t often write fan fiction. So this kind of happened as I wrote my thoughts after seeing “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (I had so many feels it took me days to write and is 3000 words long.) It’s a VERY interesting film for writers, and so of course I analysed it in thatContinue reading “Dear Star Wars: Here is Your Script”
Pirate Ball
It’s official. I can wear corsets again. And with three book launches this year, it’s not a moment too soon. Do you live in Australia? Do you live reasonably close to Canberra? Do you love the Narnia books? Do you love pirates? Do you love live music? Do you love dancing (and/or watching others dance)?Continue reading “Pirate Ball”
Murder in the Mail
I wrote a guest post here about how I fell in love with steampunk. And it’s part of a series by a bunch of steampunky types. I’m working on a new story called “Murder in the Mail: A Bloody Birthday” which will be released by Publisher Obscura, Odyssey’s imprint for “beautiful and unusual novelty andContinue reading “Murder in the Mail”
Gift Guide for Ages 3-6ish
I loooove buying presents for my kids. As in, I’ll cheerfully buy presents in June (like budget experts tell you to), and then continue buying presents for the entire rest of the year (which budget experts do not recommend). Having said that, we don’t do stocking presents in our house, and likely never will. IContinue reading “Gift Guide for Ages 3-6ish”
Shiver Me Timbers!
I said I had big news. This is it. My middle grade (age 9-14ish) trilogy, all about fantastical pirates and monsters, has just been officially accepted for publication by Odyssey Books. The first book is called THE MONSTER APPRENTICE, and will be launched in February 2018 (in time for Goulburn ComiCon). It’s set in aContinue reading “Shiver Me Timbers!”
Whatever & Ever Amen
My “Big Idea” post is now live on John Scalzi’s blog. I talked about Australia, and what it means to me to set my steampunk tales in my own beautiful, deadly, complicated country. At Conflux, and then again today at the Goulburn Waterworks Steampunk & Victoriana Fair, I was talking to a lot of peopleContinue reading “Whatever & Ever Amen”
Goulburn Waterworks Steampunk & Victoriana Fair
…is awesome. I’ll be there in a few hours. Ditto Tara Moss. And Gallery Serpentine (excellent corseteers). And dancers. And makers. And lots of people in simply glorious steampunk attire. Also the waterworks steam engine, which featured in my first book trailer. The event page is here, and the regular page (still for the fair)Continue reading “Goulburn Waterworks Steampunk & Victoriana Fair”
Welcome
One of the blogs I like is Whatever.Scalzi.com, the site of Big-Time Scifi Author & Generally Pretty Decent Human Being John Scalzi. Feel free to go take a look at his blog and/or writing. I’ll wait. Oh, and go ahead and read the comments. His readers are smart and interesting and polite (thanks in large partContinue reading “Welcome”
It’s the same blog! Calm down!
The blog looks different, but it’s still me. Probably.
Conflux 13: Day 4
I have only the haziest recollections of today, the shortest day of the conference. There was the dealer room (taken here in a quiet moment): There was food (this is the asparagus and avocado salad with optional chicken): (That’s right. I ate salad, y’all.) There was much cheering, especially at the launch of theContinue reading “Conflux 13: Day 4”
Conflux 13: Day 2
It’s 7:05pm as I begin writing, bleary-eyed and rocking a banquet-sized hunger (in related news, the official Conflux 13 banquet begins in twenty-five minutes). First things first: after a panicked search and paying a suitable bribe to Miss Five, I have the GOOD tiara, and have been wearing it all day. I’m also wearing anContinue reading “Conflux 13: Day 2”
Conflux 13: Day 1
Conflux is Canberra’s annual Speculative Fiction conference, run each year by members of the excellent and enormous writing group, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSFG). It runs over the October long weekend, which this year and last year has included September. Because life is confusing. This year for the first time the venue is theContinue reading “Conflux 13: Day 1”
The countdown is on
The second book in the Antipodean Queen trilogy is at the printer and will be ready for the book launch this Sunday (almost definitely). You can pre-order the hard copies through the publisher here, and it’ll be on Amazon, Kobo, B&N, etc etc in a couple of weeks. You can use the ISBN to orderContinue reading “The countdown is on”
Books, Food, and the Dangers of Combining the Two
I’ve hurt my back (again) so for the last two days I haven’t been able to do much. I wasn’t even sure I was okay to drive, so yesterday my partner Chris worked from home, and today my father-in-law brought the kids home after school. Today was a whole lot better than yesterday, pain-wise, andContinue reading “Books, Food, and the Dangers of Combining the Two”
Playing Fast and Loose with History
It’s possible you’ve heard that after ten glorious months, “And Their Souls Were Eaten” is just about to have its final release posted. It’s an interactive serial story that ran for ten months with (roughly) weekly updates. The total word count is around 370,000 (you get about a quarter of that per read-through) so I’mContinue reading “Playing Fast and Loose with History”
Storytelling by Mr 2
TJ is almost 3; older now than Louisette was when he was born. A couple of days ago he said, “I tell stories to you.” “Oh good,” I said. “I’m listening.” “This story called: Little-Big!” he said. “I biiiiiiiiiig dinosaur, and Mummy little dinosaur.” “Oh!” I said. “I like this story. What happens next?” “IContinue reading “Storytelling by Mr 2”
Ooh! Ooh! Shiny Shiny New Show!
I just watched the first episode of “Killjoys” on Netflix. (Don’t worry; a review for a one-hour show is sure to be shorter than a review of a show that ran for eight season… right?) Mild spoilers to follow! Like Firefly? Like Joss Whedon (ie clever dialogue, strong female characters, exciting plots)? This is theContinue reading “Ooh! Ooh! Shiny Shiny New Show!”
Review of Gilmore Girls: yes, all of it
I recently watched the new “Year in the Life” Gilmore Girls mini-series. (It’s on Netflix.) Then I had to go back and watch all of “Gilmore Girls”, from the very beginning to the very end. Yes, there will be spoilers here. There were three really awful things in this show that I love: There areContinue reading “Review of Gilmore Girls: yes, all of it”