I'm in Melbourne, doing a bit of sightseeing before Aussiecon4 . I love this city! Not only is there great public transit, but I could spend years exploring all the little arcades and side streets filled with all kinds of intriguing shops and restaurants. It's unusual to find a Central Business District as vibrant and bustling as this one. The weather's also been cooperating. Some cool and wet days, but most of them have been cool and partly sunny, and I can live with that.
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My Aussiecon 4 Schedule: Girl meets boy meets dragon: Romance in fantasy Fantasy and romance have always seemed natural bedfellows. What can romance bring to the fantasy story, and what do fantasy elements provide to the romance? What are the challenges of writing a story that combines both genres - neither of which seem to get the critical respect that they deserve? Is there a common element between the two genres that makes their combination work so effectively? Tracey O’Hara, Darlene Marshall, Fiona McIntosh, Nicole R. Murphy Saturday 1000 Room 219 Monster mash-ups Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Sense and Sensibility and Sea-Monsters. Little Vampire Women. Jane Slayre—it’s open season on the classics as well as the undead. Just what is going on here and where did it all start? Scott Edelman, Darlene Marshall, Chuck McKenzie, Faye Ringel, Damien White Saturday 1500 Room 207
I was at a review site today updating my info, and realized they were showing OOP editions of my books from my last publisher. Those novels have since been re-released by Amber Quill Press, but have the same covers. If any readers search for my books and come up empty, please let me know. All four of my published novels-- Pirate's Price, Smuggler's Bride, Captain Sinister's Lady and The Bride and the Buccaneer are very much in print and available in paper and ebook editions. Thanks for your interest!
I'm often asked which of my books is my favorite. Naturally, that's like asking me which of my sons I love the best (I prefer not to say, to keep them on their toes). I love each of my books for different reasons, but I always have mixed feelings about a book as I'm finishing writing it. Is it good enough? Pretty enough? Will the editors love it? I once heard a writer say that sending off your manuscript is like shoving your baby in the mailbox. If you're going to be a serious writer, you have to be able to listen to people say, "I'm sorry, but this baby's so ugly you'd have to tie a pork chop 'round his neck to get a hound to play with him." Then if they're the helpful people you need to listen to--your beta readers, critique partners and your agent and editor--they'll help you pretty up your baby so you can hear other people "Ooooh!" and "Aaaah!" over him too. It's a business, I keep telling mysel...
I checked the other day on Kindle editions of my books in the UK, and was pleased to see them all available. It seems like each week we're moving faster into the 21st century of publishing. I don't know where it will end, if it ever does, but having more people able to easily access my books around the world is a good thing for readers, and for me. I love to get fan email from far away. Knowing someone in Brazil or Germany is reading my books is exciting, and something that wouldn't have likely happened just a decade ago. We live in fascinating times.
EPIC Awards now open EPIC™ is currently open for eBook entries for their 2011 eBook Awards Competition until August 15, 2010. If you have works that meets this year’s criteria, I encourage you to enter! You can check out the current Competition Guidelines at: http://www.epicauthors.com/ebookawardrules2011.html.
