Helen Lowe's Blog, page 267
March 3, 2012
My Excellent Adventure
Hector's dolphins, Akaroa
So finally, after tweeting about this several times, here is the post on my excellent adventure—which basically involved having a visitor (always good) and using that as the spur to actually have a holiday.
Basically, I haven't had a real holiday for quite some time—they're always 'busman's holidays" where I'm doing something for the book or have an event, and even with family and friends, events are not exactly restful as we all know!
The Giant's House, Akaroa
And...
March 2, 2012
It's NZ Book Month! Two Events Coming Up
March 1 marked the start of NZ Book Month and I'm very excited to be participating in two events:
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18 March: Flights of Fancy—Kiwi Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror
SpecFicNZ have organised a Book Month Event on Sunday 18 March, with seven speculative fiction authors reading at the Air Force Museum in Harvard Avenue, Wigram, from 1-3 pm. The line-up, in alphabetical order, is Diane Berry, Jennifer Fallon, Amanda Fitzwater, Liz Gatens, Jane Higgins, Helen Lowe and Paul Mannering.
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Starting 19 March:
March 1, 2012
The Aotearoa Affair Blog Carnival Launches—"Crossings"
New Zealand will be the featured country at this year's Frankfurt Book Fair and as part of the run up the "Aotearoa Affair—from Kiel to Kaitaia" blog is now up and running. Part of the "Affair" will be a monthly blog festival—and the first festival, around the theme of "Crossings" has just launched!
My contribution, featuring excerpts from The Heir of Night—which is to be published as Die Erbin Der Nacht (Blanvalet) this year—features under "Word Trails" and also
February 29, 2012
27 Days — & Counting Down to "The Gathering of the Lost"
US cover
UK cover
Only 27 days left now to release day for The Gathering of the Lost, The Wall of Night Book Two.
To mark the countdown, I am posting a series of excerpts from the book. On Monday 27, I featured the USA/Canada back cover text for the story, with the UK/AUS/NZ introduction yesterday, on Wednesday 29.
As of today, I am beginning extracts from The Gathering of the Lost story itself, and since the beginning is traditionally regarded as the very best place to start, I shall commence...
February 28, 2012
The Countdown Is On For "The Gathering of the Lost"
UK cover
US cover
As of Monday it was exactly 1 month to the release of The Gathering of the Lost The Wall of Night Book Two in the USA, Australia and New Zealand on 27 March—and just 1 week later in the UK on 5 April.
(Please note the date update here, with Australia and New Zealand coming forward to 27 March and the UK going back 1 day to 5 April.)
And because I am very excited about seeing The Gathering of the Lost finally out there in the world I am marking the countdown with a series of...
February 27, 2012
Tuesday Poem: Haiku—"May Day"
May Day –
the last hydrangea bends
under snow
(c) Helen Lowe
Published in the taste of nashi, the Third NZ Haiku Anthology, Windrift, 2008
Submitted by E Berry, NZ selector, for the Red Moon (US) international haiku anthology 2008
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On Saturday I posted some photos of hydrangeas in my (currently) summer garden, here. And Steve B commented to say that he was very jealous–and currently his garden was "under a foot of snow." So I promised I would post this haiku today, as a commemoration of when m...
February 26, 2012
27 February — & The Final Countdown Begins
US cover
UK cover
Exactly one month from today, on 27 March, The Gathering of the Lost will be officially 'out' in the US and Canada—followed very shortly thereafter on 4 April for the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Publication day is always a big deal, because it marks the completion of a process that began with a single word—the so-necessary first word on a blank page. In the case of The Gathering of the Lost there have been a few more than the usual hurdles to be overcome along the way...
February 25, 2012
Some Books To Give Away
I have a few books to give away, including two proof copies (where it says 'proof' after the title below!) I've also noted the broad genre context for each book as well.
If you're interested in any of them, just post a comment below letting me know which book you want. (And if there's a lot of interest in a particular book I'll do a draw next weekend—look out for the result to be posted Sunday 4.)
So here's what we've got (in alphabetical order by title):
Echo City by Tim Lebbon (Dark...
February 24, 2012
Photos From My Garden
Last weekend I tweeted that:
"In my world today: the sun is shining, agapanthas flowering, cicadas chorusing–feel like I've woken up reincarnated as Pollyanna." 
It's not quite so warm this morning after a night of rain, but it is clear and promises to fine up even more later — & I thought what better for the blog today than a photo of those agapanthas. I have blue ones as well but I always think these white ones are extra special.
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And then I thought–why not go all the way? Here's some blue...
February 23, 2012
Just Arrived: 'The Prince Of Soul And The Lighthouse' by Fredrik Brounéous
The newest book in my "just arrived" box—from which it will promptly move to the TBR table—is "The Prince of Soul And the Lighthouse" by Swedish-New Zealand author, Fredrik Brounéous. It's published by Steam Press, a New Zealand speculative fiction publisher.
Now I think this is "probably" a YA book—but here's the back cover blurb, so you can read and decide what you think for yourself on that score:
"What happens when we die?
This has been the third question on mankind's faq list since the...
