Madeleine D'Este's Blog, page 16
February 17, 2017
Recent reads: Making of Gabriel Davenport by Beverley Lee
Today I’m talking horror (or sometimes known as dark fantasy) with The Making of Gabriel Davenport by Beverley Lee, published in 2016. (I have previously interviewed Beverley here on the blog.)
Beth and her husband Stu have moved to a new house in the idyllic English countryside to raise their baby, Gabriel. But one night, during a snowstorm, everything goes horribly wrong for the family and in the picture perfect setting, something ancient and evil emerges and changes all their lives and not...
February 16, 2017
Where we’re from, the birds sing a pretty song : rewatching Twin Peaks
While suffering a day of serious procrastination, I binge watched a bunch of Twin Peaks in a row and so messed up my plan for reviewing episode by episode. (Damn you Resistance! You got me that day but I’ve bounced back to get you. See here for more of my battles with Resistance.)
On that Sunday, I let Resistance get the better of me but who doesn’t love a guilty lazy afternoon on the couch? Especially watching something as clever, funny, spooky and weird as Twin Peaks Season 1.
In episodes 2...
January 31, 2017
Recent Reads: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Today I’m going to talk space opera with The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, first self-published in 2014 but now available through Hodder and Stoughton.
It’s time to talk spaceships.
The Wayfarer is a tunnelling ship, creating wormholes between planets, captained by a pacifist and crewed by a diverse group of characters from across the galaxy. In this ‘world’ (using the term loosely because there are many worlds), humanity is only one of a number of species all grouped to...
January 25, 2017
“She’s dead. Wrapped in plastic”: rewatching Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks Season 3 is coming out in May 2017 and I’ve been meaning to look back at Twin Peaks for a long time. I was sixteen when it was first on television in Tasmania, and it was a strong influence on me. So in anticipation of the new season, I’m committed to rewatching all 30 episodes, I’m doing it and I’m going to share my thoughts here.
There will be ***SPOILERS*** but come on, it’s been over 25 years since it was shown.
Let’s start with “Pilot” or “Northwest Passage”. Today I’m focusin...
January 23, 2017
Recent read – The Ritual by Adam Nevill
The Ritual
Today I’m going a little darker than usual. It’s time to talk horror with Adam Nevill’s The Ritual, published in 2011 through Pan Macmillan.
Horror is not a genre for everyone, but I like being scared. There is something about horror writing which makes my imagination go wild in a far more vibrant way than horror movies. Probably because I build my own images, creating something uniquely me from all of my fears.
Enough about me, let’s talk about The Ritual. Four middle-aged men ge...
January 16, 2017
Recent reads – To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Today, it’s all about time travel with To Say Nothing of the Dogby Connie Willis. First published in 1997 by Bantam Spectra and won two of Science Fiction’s major awards, the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1999.
As part of my speculative fiction reviews I am aiming to discuss as many female speculative fiction writers as possible. But of course, whether I like the book or not, comes first. No fear with To Say Nothing of the Dog.
Ned Henry is knackered and is on the verge of getting ‘time lag’, the...
January 6, 2017
The Smashed Avo Affair and trying new things
When I started taking my writing seriously, I was pig-headed. Or maybe I was “clear about my goals.” I said I’d only write my own stuff. Fiction.
And to date, my stuff has been long form novels and novellas in the speculative fiction genre. I didn’t want to write other stuff for other people, I wanted to focus on my “Art”.
But a few weeks back, I read this article –The Secret to Doing What You Love. This gave me a kick in the bum. The author James Altucher argues that you don’t know what the...
January 3, 2017
Recent Reads: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (published by Gollancz in 2011) is the first book in an urban fantasy series set in, you guessed it, London. But this book is also known as Midnight Riot in the US.
Peter Grant was a probationary constable in the Metropolitan Police Force (otherwise known as the Met). Peter was dreaming of being a detective but he’s not exactly the best policeman in the world and he’s mainly trying to avoid a transfer to the worst department with a lifetime of paper shuffl...
December 31, 2016
My 2017 writing goals – simple but not easy
Yes, yes, yes. It’s 1st January 2017 and just like everyone else,it’s time for me to declare my 2017 goals.
Here are my officialwriting goals for 2017.
I’ve decided to keep it simple and focused. But don’t get me wrong, they are big and scary goals too.
Publish two new Evangeline episodes (and a collection – The Antics of Evangeline Volume 1) Finish and query The Flower and the Serpent (YA horror novel) Finish and query The Ravens of Ambrovna (light-fantasy feminist novel)I’ll check on 30...
December 30, 2016
Thank you for 2016
As the last few hours of 2016 fade away, I’d like to thank everyone in 2016 for their support, feedback, purchases, laughs and reality checks.
THANK YOUTo the agents and publishers for thickening my skin.
To the buyers of the Evangeline novellas for your support, your reviews (good and bad) and making me feel like a real writer.
To my beta readers, cover designers, formatters, editors for your expertise.
To my writing community for your friendships, support and encouragement.
And to you dear...
