This Writer’s Space: Jennifer Anderson
Posted: February 26, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, Turquoise Morning Press, writing 8 Comments
Is this thing on *taps microphone*…*loud feedback* *covers ears*. Good! Hey, I’m Jennifer Anderson, author of the Honey Creek Royalty series, Spider and My Brother’s Wedding. *waves*
Where I Write
Back when I was a newbie, thinking writing would solve all my problems, I wrote wherever my butt would fit (I don’t actually have a big butt!). Usually, you’d see me plopped between my two children at the kitchen counter while they did their homework.
Then, the best thing ever happened. Ice Princess was picked up by Turquoise Morning Press! Overjoyed and high on writing accomplishment, I was determined to have a place of my very own. So I turned our playroom into a writing room/kid TV room. I cleaned out the toys, added a desk (an old one stored in our basement) and decorated it with all the funny things I could find. I had baskets, cup of pens, my red laptop and an assortment of Angry Birds (my son’s contribution).
Life was good. Great! TMP picked up Prince Charming, Queen Mean and King of the Lake, all from that very special spot.
Then I found out I was pregnant with my third kid (with an eight-year difference with middle kid). And about seven months later, gone was my desk (the curb), my Angry Birds (my son’s room), my baskets (storage) and even my red laptop shot craps. I tried setting up shop in the living room with a TV tray and my baby glider, since I’d be nursing every few hours (she was a pig) but alas, that never felt right either.
Now I’m saddled with a new laptop (plain black) and I’ve returned to the kitchen counter. Instead of my kids flanking my sides, I’m joined by a high chair, baby snacks and a countertop littered with everything imaginable.
But I don’t let this stop me. I have a submission at Swoon Reads, one waiting to be edited and one in the works.
Where I’m Inspired
Where do I find my inspiration? Actually, even though I have an amazeballs view, I find the one spot that is sure to conjure up a plot bunny is tightly snug beneath my covers in bed!
And more often than not, I have to jump from a plot dreaming stupor to find a piece of paper (often an old stray receipt) and jot down my idea.
To Be Read
My taste in books run all over the place. But a must is a HEA (Cass: that’s a happily ever after, if you’re not up on your TLAs, or three letter acronyms). I’m in the middle of several series and with 13 books some of them, I’m not in any rush. There are also books that I think I’ve read and forgotten to review! What can I say, mom of three!
You can tell me if I’m successful or not at my countertop writing and check out my latest, My Brother’s Wedding (contemporary romance) or Spider (YA suspense). I’d also love to hear what you think of my Swoon Reads submission, Need To Know. A New Adult fiction that involves a summer hunt, a hot guy on the side of the road and a bestie with an unusual name.
I’m always around to chat on Twitter. Thanks for listening to me ramble and I wish you luck on your writing endeavors!
Author Bio: Mommy, wife, cat owner, review coordinator for Turquoise Morning Press and author. Needless to say, my plate is full. I call the Midwest my home and that’s where I find inspiration. I didn’t grow up wanting to be an author but knew I needed to do something creative. After many years of moving from one job to the next and not finding happiness, I set pen to paper and began work on a young adult novel that will never see the light of day. And that’s okay.
Character Interview: Anamae Gilbert from ‘Forget Me Not’
Posted: February 25, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: Interview, small presses, young adult 3 Comments
Today I’m interviewing Anamae Gilbert, the main character from FORGET ME NOT by Stacey Nash. Welcome to the blog, Anamae!
Image by Lindsey Sprague
1. Anamae’s an unusual name. What are its origins?
The Ana part of my name is a bit of family tradition. My mom’s name was Anabelle and her mother was Analeise. Then my parents tacked Mae on the end. It’s for my birthday, which is May 5th. I guess they just liked the sound of it.
2. Tell us about your friends. Is there anyone special in your life?
I’m a bit quiet, and don’t make friends easily, or maybe it’s more that I don’t keep them. Who knows? I sure as heck can’t figure it out. It’s really just me and Will. It’s always been that way, I mean other friends have come and gone, but he’s my rock.
Anyone special? Do you mean like a boyfriend? Not right now there’s not.
3. What do you want to do when you finish school?
I’d love to be a professional photographer, but money is tight and that’s a dream that will never pay the bills. For now I work part-time in the diner on weekends and after school. I haven’t really decided on a career yet though. There’s plenty of time for that, right?
4. I understand your mother vanished when you were nine. That must have been hard. Did they ever discover what happened to her?
That’s, ah, kind of difficult for me talk about. She, umm…look, I was young. I’m not certain I was ever told the full story, but technically the police classified her as a missing person. No leads.
5. What has it been like, being raised by your father?
He’s a good father and I love him more than anyone else in my life, but he was a little absent emotionally. The birds and the bees…yeah, he didn’t go there. Thank god. My best friend, Will lives next door and in many ways, his mom and I are close. Then there was the housework, the garden… and don’t get me started on the dishes that are forever piled in the sink.
6. Let’s finish up with a fun question: if you could have one superpower, what would it be?
You know, that question is kind of irrelevant considering all the cool tech around. Anyone can be a superhero if you know where and how to find it. Just don’t let the Collective catch you. Yeah, that wouldn’t be very good. All of that aside though, I wouldn’t mind being able to travel through time. There sure are some things I’d do differently.
Buy Forget Me Not on Amazon or Barnes & Noble today!
Blurb for FORGET ME NOT:
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
Fiction is Fact. Know the Truth.
Stacey grew up in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards. Full of history and culture, it provides wonderful writing inspiration. After dabbling with poetry during her teen years, Stacey stopped writing until after university when she was married with young children. Now she loves nothing more than spending her days with her children and writing when inspiration strikes.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
Seeing the world through a writer’s eyes
Posted: February 23, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, muses 4 CommentsSomething has happened to me. Something that is both a good thing (from the point of view of my craft) and a little unnerving. Also probably inevitable.
You understand, I’ve always done it. But it’s getting worse.
I’m talking about the part of my brain that views people I meet in terms of their potential to be characters in a book. (Only new people, not ones I’ve known for ages. Friends and family, you are safe. Mostly.)
I write young and new adult, so this phenomenon happens primarily when I’m talking to young people. I suppose I should be grateful it’s not every single human being I encounter.
I first noticed it when I met the girl renting the house next door. I say “girl” but she’d be a NA character — maybe mid-20s. She was tall, fit and blonde, with an elegant Celtic-knot tattoo across both her shoulders and several piercings (that I could see). Polite, tanned and gorgeous. She struck me as someone who’d get on with Melaina, the main character in Lucid Dreaming, like a house on fire.
I don’t go out of my way to eavesdrop on the conversations next door, but let’s just say that if they’re in the yard talking when I’m hanging the washing out, I can’t help but overhear them. And I have a lot of washing.
Does that make me a bad person?
Another example was a week or so ago. I went into a telecommunication shop to buy a dongle (don’t laugh — yes, I know it’s a funny word!). The staff were all in their early 20s. The one who served me had this amazing auburn hair that I assume came straight out of a bottle. The other girl was plump with a very pretty face. The third was a tall guy, broad across the shoulders, with a mop of sandy curls.
They were chatting away, including me in the conversation, and I could feel the “muse” part of my brain taking notes. The auburn-haired girl would be the main character, with the other two her best friends (and the plump girl, like Samwise Gamgee, would be the real hero). The boy would have a secret crush. All I needed was for a brooding vampire to walk in the door and it would’ve been perfect.
Unfortunately all we got was a shaggy fellow asking for directions to a rival telecommunications shop. If he was a brooding vampire, he hid it well.
I do the same thing with songs now too. Which is silly, because most songs have a romantic theme, and I don’t write romance. And when I see a spectacular weather phenomenon or breathtaking view, I start thinking about how to pin it down with words on a page.
For those of you who are writers, do you do the same thing?
Book launch, giveaway and excerpt: ‘Forget Me Not’ by Stacey Nash
Posted: February 21, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book launch, contests, small presses, young adult Leave a comment
So, continuing with the Forget Me Not love — yay, book launch! The book was supposed to launch on 17 February, but it has just gone live RIGHT NOW. I’m assuming this has to do with a chain of events involving a stolen USB, a car chase and a gun fight involving Amazon blackops and a chimpanzee disguised as a mailman. Is that just me?
Also, I feel kinda weird launching a book today that I reviewed already. But weird in a smug sort of way, you understand. 😉 Anyway, here it is. With an excerpt to get you hooked like I was hooked.
Title: Forget Me Not (Book I in the Collective series)
Author: Stacey Nash
Release Date: February 17, 2014 February 21, 2014
Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Rush
Genre: YA speculative fiction
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
Buy Forget Me Not on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!
Add Forget Me Not on Goodreads!
Enter the book launch giveaway!
“I certainly won’t be forgetting Nash’s debut, FORGET ME NOT! A vividly fast-paced tale with adventure, secrets, and kissing!” — Kimberly P. Chase, Author of THE APOLLO ACADEMY.
“I highly recommend “Forget Me Not” for people who love story-driven YA. Five stars!” — Me 🙂
Excerpt:
Easing the door closed, I climb out of the attic and head to the bathroom to clean my dust-covered hands. Water rushes from the spout and splashes against the sides as the basin fills. A reflection of me stares back from the mirror, my dirty hand clutching my aching chest. Today everything feels so raw, open, and fresh, like it only just happened. Why isn’t she still here?
Rubbing my hands clean, I delve into my pocket for the jewelry. Bringing it to my collar, I pin it into my blouse and the hard edges of the brooch prick my skin. My thumb brushes over the smooth, round sides of the pendant and when I pull it over my head, the chain catches on my hair. After I twist it through the tangle so it finally falls cool against my skin, it nestles in the hollow of my throat. I pick it up between my fingers and with reverent slow strokes, rub my thumb over the shiny yellow center—the pendant Mom never took off.
A shiver shoots up my spine and out through my limbs like an electric current, zapping every cell, every fiber, every part of my being. Walking on graves, that’s what Mom would have said. Maybe it’s an omen about her.
I plant my palms on either side of the full basin and peer into the still water taking a moment to collect my thoughts. The water reflects only the cream ceiling. That can’t be right. I do a double take and look again.
My chest tightens. I hold my hand up, but I can’t see it—not my arm, not my chewed fingernails, not my leather watch on my wrist. Where am I? Mouth gaping, I look into the mirror again, but I see nothing.
Not even my face.
I dip my finger into the warm, reflection-free water. Circles ripple in ever growing rings, but there’s no image. My gaze flits to the mirror, but I see only the open door. I have no reflection.
Stacey grew up in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards. Full of history and culture, it provides wonderful writing inspiration. After dabbling with poetry during her teen years, Stacey stopped writing until after university when she was married with young children. Now she loves nothing more than spending her days with her children and writing when inspiration strikes.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
Limiting your superpowers
Posted: February 21, 2014 Filed under: On the Isla's Inheritance trilogy, On the Lucid Dreaming duology | Tags: protagonists, urban fantasy 2 CommentsI’m a huge fan of superpowers—special abilities beyond the norm—having downsides or weaknesses. There’s nothing more boring (IMO YMMV ETC) than Captain Cheesecake, the speculative fiction superhero main character who can do anything. I’m looking at you, Superman—although he had kryptonite, his day-to-day abilities are over the top compared to other superheroes.
The contemporary equivalent of Captain Cheesecake is, of course, Ms Mary Sue (or Mr Mary Stu), the beautiful, talented and charming main character who seems to get whatever she wants and has men falling all over her. You particularly see her in fan fiction—and that’s where the term Mary Sue came from—but she crops up in traditional publishing from time to time as well.
Forgive me for saying it, Twilight fans, but Bella is a good example of a Mary Sue.
If a main character is going to have a supernatural ability, it’s important to me as a reader that it have clearly articulated limitations. It’s important as a writer too, because it’s hard to convolute your character’s life if he or she can just wave a magical doodad and unkink the twists in your plot.
And life is always more fun with a little kink.
Did she just say…?
Vampires become weak from lack of blood, and usually can’t go in the sun. Mages burn their own internal reserves, an act that limits their magical capacity. Wizards have wands, which can be lost or broken, or need special ingredients that are hard to find. Werewolves have issues with silver and hairy palms. Physically enhanced characters have limitations on how much damage they can take or how far they can push themselves before they keel over (except Captain Cheesecake Superman).
I’m a big fan of an energy limitation because it can be applied in so many different ways—vampires’ requirement for blood is a good example. I’ve used these types of limitations with the main characters in both my novels/series to date: Isla (of Isla’s Inheritance, funnily enough) and Melaina (from Lucid Dreaming).
In Isla’s case particularly, I also wanted to show the consequences of misusing special powers: what happens when they get out of control. It’s hard to give examples—because hello, spoilers—but think Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Or Renfield in Dracula.
(It’s really like neither of those things except only peripherally, but that’s the best I can think of.)
Also, another thing to consider is this: moral dilemmas are fun. Just because you can do a thing, should you? This subject could be a whole other blog post (and probably will be one day)—but a character’s morals can impose as much of a limitation on the use of a power or talent as any other, more-physical impediment to their use. (I guess this is where Superman redeems himself. Ok, fine, you can come out of the naughty corner, Clark.)
If you’re a speculative fiction writer, how have you stopped your main characters or bad guys from using their special abilities to wreak complete havoc with your plot and the world around them? And for the readers, what are your favourite examples of a writer putting the breaks on a power?
Cover reveal: ‘Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty’ by Katie Hamstead
Posted: February 20, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book covers, small presses 1 CommentTitle: Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty (Kiya Trilogy Book #3)
Author: Katie Hamstead
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Genre: New Adult Historical Romance
Release Date: February 25th 2014
Tut has grown into his position as Pharaoh, but he is a wild young man. Naomi fears for him, not only because of his recklessness, but because he has put his trust in Ay–the man determined to destroy Naomi—despite her and Horemheb advising against it.
Meanwhile, death and slavery hang over Naomi and her family. With fear of the booming Hebrew numbers causing talk of enslaving them, conscription is reinstated and Naomi fears for the lives of her other children. Especially since Ay’s children are now adults, and just as dangerous as their father. They threaten to take Itani, conspire against Tut, and push for power.
But Tut is in trouble. While Ay’s daughter draws Horemheb’s attention, and Naomi deals with the struggles of her family, everyone’s distraction could spell death for the young Pharaoh.
Add Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty to your Goodreads shelf today!
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing. After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
You can find Katie on her blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.
This Writer’s Space: a new blog series
Posted: February 19, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing Leave a comment
Today I’m launching a new weekly blog series, where I ask writers (published or unpublished) to show us photos of three things: where they write, where they are inspired, and their to-be-read pile—with a few words on each, and including an author biography and any links they want to include.
The reason for the idea is simple; I’m a self-confessed stickybeak. And here’s an example—my writer’s space!
Where I Write
I promised myself that, when I downsized my house last year, the one thing I’d get myself would be a proper study. Our new townhouse is two storeys, which gives me the advantage of being on a different floor to the television! (Yes, I did clean up some old receipts and things before I took the photo.) Having two monitors feels decidedly decadent. Theoretically it’s so I can have a reference page such as wiki up while I’m drafting but, let’s be honest, that right-hand monitor is usually home to Twitter.
The most important things in this photo other than the PC (and photos of my son) are that little red notebook, where I write ideas and sometimes scenes, and the notepad beside it, where I keep track of scheduled blog posts.
Where I’m Inspired
A more honest photo would be of my shower, but ain’t nobody needs to see that! Besides, I love my bathroom. I find the drumming of warm water on my head helps my mind to drift, and tackle any problems at hand. No wonder my water bill is so high… 😉
To Be Read
This photo hasn’t changed much since the last time I took a photo of these shelves. Except now my Kindle is front and centre, because the next few books I plan on reading (Immagica by K.A. Last, The Problem With Crazy by Lauren McKellar and Gifted by Ingrid Alexandra) and my current read (Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash) are all on there. How very 21st century of me!
I haven’t included a bio of me because it feels a little weird given this is my blog… But hopefully you get the idea. It’s not meant to be massively onerous—although if you want to write half a page on each photo, feel free!
If you’re interested in taking part, drop me an email at cassandrapage01[at]gmail[dot]com.
Review: ‘Forget Me Not’ by Stacey Nash
Posted: February 17, 2014 Filed under: Reviews | Tags: aussie-owned, AWW, reviews, small presses 5 Comments
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. In the interests of full disclosure, though, I confess I requested the ARC because I’ve read one of Stacey’s other, unpublished manuscripts and really love her writing. Also, as I’m sure you’ve figured out from my participation in the blog tour, I’m a bit of a fan. 😉
But trust me when I say “Forget Me Not” didn’t disappoint. I intend to buy a paperback copy once it becomes available, which is a sign of how much I loved it.
Most of the young adult fiction I read is urban fantasy, so the science-fiction angle was somewhat new to me – but, like all good sci-fi (and fiction in general), this book was character-driven. I didn’t feel like I needed a physics degree to know what was going on, which is the main thing that puts me off sci-fi reads.
“Forget Me Not” is set somewhere in Big City America — it’s never stated conclusively (or if it is I missed it), but it’s somewhere with a president. At first I assumed because Stacey is an Aussie author that it might be set here but, given the scale of events in the story, it makes sense that it be set in the global powerhouse that is the US. (Sorry, Australia, but it’s true. I still love you, though.)
The romance between Mae and Jax is well-developed and, even though I’m firmly Team Will (Mae’s best friend), by the end I thought Mae and Jax were a cute and above all realistic couple. Unfortunately for Team Will, the poor guy never had a hope — he’s so firmly in the friendzone that Mae can’t see his attraction to her, not even when it’s spelled out in so many words by a third party.
Despite the romance subplot, the story is action- and character-driven, whisking you along. I did see the plot twist coming, but only by about a chapter, so I didn’t get frustrated that Mae and the others didn’t see it coming. (It always annoys me when I as a reader figure something out ages before the characters do. I’m all, COME ON! IT’S RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU!)
The only tiny niggle I had with “Forget Me Not” was that, after Mae and Will flee the baddies and take refuge with the resistance, she spends a lot of time worrying about her dad, but almost no attention is given to Will’s family — seemingly including by him. It may just be that, because the story is from her perspective and Will is determined to be stoic, he never talks to her much about his worries — but I felt like his parents and sister were kinda forgotten. But this is only a minor observation and didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book.
I highly recommend “Forget Me Not” for people who love story-driven YA. Five stars!
Love at first sight
Posted: February 14, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: romance Leave a commentI hate love at first sight.
Love is a rollercoaster. Also a battlefield. (Thank you, Pat Benatar.)
I don’t mean the emotion. This isn’t one of those bitter Valentine’s Day posts where I insert animated gifs of broken hearts while swilling wine flavoured with my own salty tears.
I’m talking about the use of it in fiction.
It’s a controversial issue, because I know people who say that they experienced love at first sight in their own lives. They vehemently defend it as a thing that can happen to a person. And maybe it can, especially when you’re a teenager and feel emotions in a way that is much more all-consuming than it is for your average adult. I certainly remember developing crushes on people, especially celebrities, with a speed that would leave an Olympic sprinter stunned.
But most of the time, I think what people assume is love at first sight is usually lust at first sight—a fixation on the physicality of a person. Their hair, their eyes, the way their breath smells amazing (hello, Bella, and also ewww). Maybe I’m an old cynic. Maybe that’s why I don’t read pure romance, or most paranormal romance.
However, before you imagine me never enjoying a whirlwind romance, I have seen love at first sight work for me in fiction, and recently—but only when it’s actually a symptom of some other element of the plot.
For example, in Sleeper by S. M. Johnston, Mischa falls madly in love with her university professor the moment she lays eyes on him, an act that causes her to break up with the boyfriend she loved but wasn’t necessarily in love with yet. Her friends tell her that it’s crazy and she even knows it on some level, but she can’t deny how she feels. The revelation of what’s going on there is one of the pivot points of the book.
In Running Home by Julie Hutchings we see a similar instant love between Ellie and the delicious-smelling Nicholas (of whom Bella would no doubt approve), but although she doesn’t really question how she feels, it becomes apparent that he understands the supernatural cause of her strong emotions and is worried about it. She in turn realises he’s holding out on her about something and gets frustrated by that.
To me, love is a connection built between two people, based on mutual understanding and respect. It requires attention. And time.
Your mileage may, of course, vary.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, check out Tim Minchin’s song “You Grew On Me”. It’s about that creepy uppy kind of love. 😉
Where in the world is Cassandra Page?
Posted: February 13, 2014 Filed under: On parenting, On social media | Tags: aussie-owned, guest post, scheduling 4 Comments(Ok, the title is a reference to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, which you’re all no doubt too young to get. With your clothes. And your music. *shakes walking stick*)
Carmen Sandiego – straight from the 1980s. Woo!
The last week has been big with the crazy around my place. My son started preschool, and the same day we drove to Sydney so he could have his eyes tested at the eye hospital there. The results were a bit of a shock: it turns out he’s night blind.
Sort of explains why he’s afraid of the dark. 😦
He’s fine and it’s not degenerative, so it could be much, much worse. But it took me a day or two to adjust my thinking to the whole idea.
Also, my phone line and ADSL have been down. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this they are back, but I’m drafting this post using a 3G dongle I just bought. It feels as slow as dial up did back in the day, although without that charming screech when it connects. (Speaking of the stone age…)
Anyway, I have been kicking around the rest of the internet during my absence here. Spefically there are three places I’ve been lurking this past week — in case you missed me trying and mostly failing to share the links on my phone.
Today I posted the Aussie Owned and Read Valentine’s Day poll. (Yes, I know it’s a day early — shush.) You may recall that I had a blog post up last month calling for nominations. Well, this is where the final battle will be fought. With heart-shaped pillows and arrows made of chocolate. Or something.
On Sunday I made a cameo at Laura Catherine’s blog, talking about the many wonders of scheduling everything from tweets to emails to blog posts (ahem).
And on Monday I was K. A. Last’s guest over at her blog. I talked about using the everyman, familiar cultures and familiar myths as a way of grounding your speculative fiction reader.
I’ll try to be more organised in future. I promise. xo
Cassandra Page 