Helen Lowe's Blog, page 144
July 19, 2015
The Kind Of Books I Write: I Expand Friday’s Answer!
UK cover
On Friday, I made as start on answering the question:
“So what kind of books do you write?” (Anywayz…
) But then realised I had not provided any samples from the books.
Primarily, I talked about The Wall Of Night series as being ‘epic fantasy’ or ‘high fantasy’, although some people have called it ‘dark fantasy’ as well. It’s also been called ‘legendary’ or ‘mythic fantasy’ — so as you can see, in choosing a ‘handle’, there are several options. 
The two books currently published in...
July 18, 2015
The Kind Of Tweet Any Author Likes To Receive ;-)
~ Jan Turnbull
Received via Twitter a whiles back, but given the UK cover reveal this week, it felt like time to share.
July 17, 2015
“Books Are A True Kind Of Magic” — Kate Forsyth
“Books are magical gateway to other worlds and other times. For a while you walk around in someone else’s shoes, and you travel their journey of discovery with them. When you come back to your own body, in your own place and time, you have changed. You have grown. So books are a true kind of magic.”
Author of Bitter Greens (among many other works), winner of the ALA (American Library Association) Award for Best Historical Novel.
UK-Aus-NZ
And, of course, my own ‘true kind of ma...
July 16, 2015
“So What Kind Of Books Do You Write?”
Forthcoming: The Wall Of Night Book Three (UK-Aus-NZ cover)
A while back, someone asked me exactly that question; “So what kind of books do you write?”
Here are some of my possible answers:
I see The Wall of Night series, which I’m current working on, as “epic” and/or “high” fantasy in the tradition of works such as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar trilogy. It’s also been described as “dark fantasy,” which I would agree with to the extent that there is a great de...
July 15, 2015
Well, It’s Done: The (Great!) Daughter Of Blood Copyedit’s A Wrap!
“And” we haz a cover! (UK-Aus-NZ)
‘Great’ as in 3 weeks and 3 days of unremitting slog, at any rate! 
And during that time I not only agonised over comma placement (yeah, “I know”), but (far more importantly) rumbled an important “time and geography” issue, rousted out a potential deus ex machina, and resolved innumerable small scale, but nonetheless important, matters of logic, and sense, and continuity, all of which seem to have consequentials (grrgh-aargh.)
Not to mention patiently checkin...
July 14, 2015
Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Salem”
~ by Rebecca Fisher
.
For a number of reasons, I can’t bring myself to actually recommend a show like Salem. I’ve always had a grim fascination with the Salem Witch Trials, a dark period of American history in which twenty people were executed for crimes of witchcraft between February 1692 and May 1693, in the small community of Salem, Massachusetts. Its legacy serves as a striking reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria and religious fanaticism, and is ripe material for a tel...
The Tuesday Poem: “at night my dead mother appears wanting soup” by Frankie McMillan
at night my dead mother appears wanting soup
I search the town for ox tails
even the movie houses
there’s Clint Eastwood placing
a bridle on his horse
I need a bit of guidance, I say
and he turns to doff his hat
the way cowboys do and I ask
the approximate whereabouts
of the nearest ox
and he hands me a pistol
you can do this, he says
so now I’m in charge
of a Colt but how to load
or fire and time is running out,
you see light leak around the edges
the way you might if trussed up
in a haybarn...
July 13, 2015
Daughter Of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three: UK Cover Revealed!
And here it is, in all it’s goodness. I’ve also posted the updated synopsis below the image. And, ahem, according to Orbit’s post, you may also preorder…
A failing wall, a broken shield, and an enemy that will exploit every weakness . . .
Malian and Kalan have recovered two of the three legendary weapons of the Derai, but already it may be too late. The Wall of Night, fractured by centuries of blood feud and civil strife, is on the verge of falling.
Meanwhile, among Grayharbor backstreets,...
And The UK Cover For “Daughter Of Blood” Is LIVE!
Check it out in all its glory on the Orbit blog:
Daughter Of Blood The Wall Of Night Book Three: UK Cover RevealJuly 12, 2015
A Teaspoonful Of Anticipation …
Yes! As promised in Friday’s post, A Teaspoonful of Excitement, the joint USA/UK (HarperVoyager/Orbit) cover reveal for Daughter Of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three, is happening today.
Yes, that’s right: TODAY, Monday 13 July!
Because of time zones, though, the Voyager/Orbit posts will not be live until Monday rolls around in UK and/or USA time. (Probably USA, I’m guessing, because it’s the latest, timezone-wise.)
So despite NZ being the first country in the world to see the new day, I’m...
