Helen Lowe's Blog, page 310

New Reviews

A few new reviews have come through for The Heir of Night, from the USA, UK and Australia respectively:

—The newest, as of 17 January, from the USA here

—from The Bookbag Blog, UK, here; and

—a little older, from 10 November 2010 on The Road Well Travelled blog in Australia, here.

Enjoy—and I should have a guest post featuring on The Realm later today; I'll post again when it's "live."

What's Coming Up

In terms of what's coming up over the next few weeks-to-months, both here on "… Anything, Really" and in other places, I've got a few things on the go.

Blog Interviews:

On 1 February I'll be interviewing my friend and debut Romance author, Beth Anne Miller, on the Supernatural Underground and discussing her about-to-be released first novel, Into the Scottish Mist, with a follow-up interview here on 4 February.

On 15 February, I'll be doing another "… on Anything, Really" author interview with Mary Victoria, discussing (the again soon-to-be-released) Samiha's Song, which is the second in her Chronicles of the Tree series, which started with Tymon's Flight.

When I started blogging, interviews with other authors was one of the things I was keen to do, so it's good to be kicking off the new year with a few.

—

Guest Blog Post

As part of the celebrations around the launch of Samiha's Song, Mary Victoria has asked a some fellow SFF authors to guest post on her blog in a series on the theme of "Writing Strong Female Characters." (Just as a 'sneak preview', I am currently reading Samiha's Song and can tell you that Mary has an impressive representation of strong female characters in her story! )

My fellow guests will be (in alphabetical order, not necessarily order of appearance):

Blake Charlton; Kim Falconer; Tim Jones; Glenda Larke; Nicole Murphy; Gillian Polack and Karon Warren

I'll also have a series of guest posts coming up on the Orbit blog, ahead of the UK launch of The Heir of Night on 11 March.

—

NZ Book Month—Dan Davin Literary Foundation Guest:

I have been invited to present a series of workshops for high school students and an evening event as the NZ Book Month guest of the Dan Davin Literary Foundation, during the week of 21-27 March. The workshops will be held in Queenstown, Gore and Invercargill; the evening event will also be in Invercargill. I have long-standing ties to the Southland region and am delighted to be going back and to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with aspiring writers there. I will post more details as these are finalised, both here and on the News page on my website.

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Last But Never Least–UK Launch of The Heir of Night on 11 March!

Yup, it's finally almost here, the UK launch of the The Heir of Night (Orbit) on 11 March—so watch this space for more details of celebratory fun and goodness!

Of Retreats and Productive Writing Environments

Over on the Supernatural Underground, my fellow Supe Nicole Murphy has just posted about her two week writing retreat with fellow Fantasy writers in Australia (although New Zealander Russell Kirkpatrick is mentioned in dispatches, so we know there was at least one Kiwi there.) It sounds divine, two uninterrupted weeks just to focus on writing—and I'm not surprised that Nicole's usual weekly word count doubled during her time there.

On January 18, fellow Tuesday Poet, Janis Freegard, posted Taigyu Ryokan's (1758-1831) wonderful poem, You Do Not need Many Things, which begins with the line:

My house is buried in the deepest recess of the forest …

and concludes with:

… To enjoy life's immensity, you do not need many things."

Perhaps, in order to enjoy an immensity of writing, or any creative endeavour, we do not need many things either, except the space in which to create. Virginia Woolf famously said that in order to write one needed "a room of one's own" and the Finnish composer, Sibelius, is said to have built his country home, Ainola–which was also "buried in the … recess of the forest" in order to compose more productively. And I know that the thing I felt most in need of this past year while writing The Gathering of the Lost was uninterrupted time.

Yet, although the drive to produce a creative work may push toward withdrawal and retreat, I believe that the heart and fire of writing is also very much about being involved in life and "Mankind" (to paraphrase John Donne.)  So it may be that the essential nature of the writing life must always be to teeter on the tightrope between total immersion in life's  hustle and bustle  (where little or nothing gets written), and total seclusion, which if maintained or long enough, will also result in nothing being written …

Not always a comfortable tightrope on which to try and maintain one's balance. But what do my fellow writers say: Do you agree? Disagree? What is your most productive writing environment?

Book Recommendations

I had a post up on HarperVoyager over last weekend, in which I asked readers to "… let me know both your favorite book of the past decade and/or your top picks for 2011 Hugo Award nominations (from books published in 2010.)"

It turned more into a list of reader's favourites generally (which is just fine!), but here's the books posted (in alphabetical order by author's surname.) I've done YA as a separate list, but using the same format:

'The Long Price' quartet by Daniel Abraham

'The Windup Girl' by Paolo Bacigalupi

'Surface Detail' by Iain M Banks

'The Imago Sequence and Other Stories' by Laird Barron

'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay' by Michael Chabon

'Spellwright' by Blake Charlton

'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel' by Susanna Clarke

'The Malazan Book of the Fallen' series, by Steven Erikson

'The Court of the Air' by Stephen Hunt

'The Last Page' by Anthony Huso

'Thunderer' by Felix Gilman

'Bright of the Sky' by Kay Kenyon

'A Song of Ice and Fire' series by George RR Martin

'The City and the City' by China Mieville

'Lavinia', by Ursula Le Guin

'The Heir of Night' by Helen Lowe

'Cloud Atlas' by David Mitchell

'The Shadows of the Apt' series by Adrian Tchaikovsky

"Bitter Seeds' by Ian Tregillis

—

Young Adult:

'Feed' by M T Anderson

'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

'Verdigris Deep'  by Francis Hardinge

'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman

'Dreamhunter' & 'Dreamquake' by Elizabeth Knox

'Tales from Earthsea' by Urusla  K Le Guin

'Thornspell' by Helen Lowe

'Wicked Lovely' by Melissa Marr

'Abhorsen' by Garth Nix

'The Amulet of Samarkand' by Jonathan Stroud

'The Stone Crown' by Malcolm Walker

—

And with honorable mentions (because they're outside our 2000-2011 decade) for:

The 'Empire' trilogy by Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts

'It' by Stephen King

More Mish-Mash …

Of Lulls …

On Monday I posted about the mish-mash of things I've been up to since completing work on the ms of The Gathering of the Lost (The Wall of Night, Book Two)—the first round that is. I know the second round is already rolling my way, not unlike the wave front of a tsunami—have I mentioned that it is quite a big book? Well it is, around 200,000 words, which clocks in at just over 700 pages on my file setup, so Round 2 will also be a major writing campaign. (Note the use of military language, also continued on from Monday when I talked about my garden in terms of "stealth" weeds, "camouflage" foliage, spring "surges" and "rampages"—not to mention the recent writing experience being a "big push." )

Catch-ups and Eating Out …

This I could not have done better! Fine fare at Te Whau

So we take the lulls when we can and make the most of 'em! One big aspect of a post-writing lull is taking the opportunity to catch up with friends who may—ok, always will!– have been neglected during the writing furore. And although gardens may be patient (as my friend Rae says), people tend to be a little less so … They want their share in your life, you see, given that they are your friends. So the last couple of weeks have involved a fair few coffee, lunch, and evening engagements where—I am not at all sorry to say—both caffeinated and vinous beverages have been consumed, as well as food of varying standards. I say "varying" because although prices remain consistently high, the accompanying food is by no means always of comparable quality.

Fun with food!

You've probably gathered by now that I am a foodie, so it's likely that my standards are on the high side. Being a writer I also tend towards parsimony—or as I prefer to put it: I like to get value for money when I consume food that I've paid someone else to prepare. So it pains me, gentle readers, when something is put in front of me that I know I could have made much better at home—for flavour if not for presentation. Especially when the pricing thereof is so not at the cheap and cheerful end of the eat-out spectrum (in which case, imho anyway, you take your cheapskate chances and remain cheerful no matter what the outcome!)

Secret confessions—sometimes it just pains me when the food is pricey, however good it may be, but that's just the parsimony kicking in and I try to keep that within bounds!

Some years ago now, a friend of my brother's who is a great home cook (I still remember his celery and walnut consomme with longing!) said that he had come to accept going out as being almost exclusively part of the social contract, i.e. something he did to be sociable, rather than for the food experience. And while I wouldn't go that far, because I still have some very enjoyable eat-out experiences, they are by no means as frequent as I would like.

On the other hand, there's the whole thing about not having to do the washing up. Sometimes that alone is worth the wails of outrage from the direction of my pocket!

As for the catching up itself, that part is always good. And although sometimes the news is not so good, as in jobs lost and family members or cherished pets unwell, there has also been catching up on jobs and promotions gained, children married, novels nearly completed, first houses being bought and anniversaries being celebrated—all the everyday stuff of life that keeps the world spinning around. (OK, OK, "I know",  it's really the juxtaposition of centripetal acceleration and gravity that makes the world go round, but hey, I wanted to talk in cliches—all right?! Sheesh!)

And What I'm Reading …

Other things in the mish-mash—well, I have finally finished reading William Gibson's Zero History, which I did enjoy, although maybe not as much as Spook Country. I felt Zero History was covering a lot of the same ground / material again and it wasn't as much fun the second time around … I also really query those fellow readers on Tor.com who posted William Gibson's loose trilogy—Pattern Recognition, Spook Country, and Zero History—as speculative fiction picks for the decade. As a William Gibson fan from wa-a-y back, I would say these books are classic Gibson, but the speculative elements are slight to non-existant. To me, all three read far more as off-beat thrillers with Spook Country my pick of the three.

In terms of what I have on my TBR pile right now, Mary Victoria's  Samiha's Song is still top of the list, ahead of our blog interview mid-February. And Dark Unicorn, the second in Meredith Ann Pierce's "Firebringer" trilogy, Justin Cronin's The Crossing, and the 3-book set of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, are still waiting from my last What I'm Reading post on January 7. My guilty secret though, is that Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan and Ian McDonald's River of Gods have just been added to the pile. Because you see, while walking home from one of those coffee/brunch/lunch catch-ups, I just happened (how did that happen?) to pass Scorpio Bookshop. And you know what, my wallet never howls in outrage when I open it up to buy books!

And here's the cat …

On January 14, John Scalzi posted the 6000th post on his Whatever blog and posted a photo of his cat.

I mean, 6000—how amazing is that! I celebrated when I passed the 250 mark on December 30 but this tells me what I long road I have yet to travel.

Here's a photo of my cat ...

I suspect the cat of being a Scalzi-esque in-joke (something to do with most blogs not getting past "hello world", followed by "not much has been happening here lately" with the final post of desperation being "here's a photo of my cat/dog/budgie") but it made me realise that I have been remiss! Over 250 posts now, and closing on 300, and I have not yet posted a photo of my little cat buddy, aka "Ignatz", "Iggy" or "the Igster" (plus a variety of other even more ridiculous 'handles', but these will do!)

Why "Ignatz"? Well, it's a long story but the short version is that he is named for the mouse, Ignatz, in the cartoon "Krazy Kat", first created by George Herriman in 1913.

Iggy-on-the-lawn

The slightly longer version expands on the shorter one by explaining that we found Ignatz when he was very small, about 5 weeks by my estimation, and brought him home when efforts to find out where he belonged failed. Needless to say, he had been dumped, and so the "bringing home" has lasted now for 18 years. But back then, I also had two other cats who were still quite young and disposed to be friendly. I had a chinese chest with lion dog feet, too, just high enough for a 5-week old kitten—who was not at all convinced of the friendliness of those overtures—to hide beneath and defend ferociously against all comers.

In the annals of my cats, I  like to call this the "saga of the growling chest", although hissing and the brave swipe of tiny claws also featured. Suffice it to say that the other two cats—who really were just being friendly—were bemused and all other observers amused. If not familiar with the cartoon, I will let you click on the Krazy Kat link above to work out why, given this episode,  I might have chosen to name the kitten "Ignatz" …

The happy ending, in this case, was that even though I went off to work with some misgiving on the Monday, when I came home and looked into the outbuilding where the cast had their daytime basket, three heads popped up from above the rim and feline amity remained the norm thereafter. In fact, the phenomenon of the three in one basket, or together on the one rug or sofa, became so much the norm that it got its own name: the "catterole."

Tuesday Poem: "Putting in the Seed" by Robert Frost

Putting in the Seed

You come to fetch me from my work to-night

When supper's on the table, and we'll see

If I can leave off burying the white

Soft petals fallen from the apple tree.

(Soft petals, yes, but not so barren quite,

Mingled with these, smooth bean and wrinkled pea);

And go along with you ere you lose sight

Of what you came for and become like me,

Slave to a springtime passion for the earth.

How Love burns through the Putting in the Seed

On through the watching for that early birth

When, just as the soil tarnishes with weed,

The sturdy seedling with arched body comes

Shouldering its way and shedding the earth crumbs.

by Robert Frost, 1875-1963

as published in The Penguin Book of English Verse, ed. John Hayward, Penguin Books Ltd, 1956

—

A four-time Pulitzer Prize winning American poet, teacher and lecturer, Robert Frost is one of America's best-known poets; his work has remained popular since his death in 1963.

I chose this poem (which is a sonnet, by the way) … even though it is not one of Frost's best-known works, because I was talking about my own enjoyment of gardening in yesterday's post, and this poem is very much "on theme" in that respect. And also because we have been remembering fellow Tuesday Poet, Harvey McQueen, who recently died, and gardening and nature were very much central to his writing, as underlined in Mary McCallum's tribute last week.

What I've Been Doing … Or of Glossaries, Catch-Up, Contracts, Gardens & TV Viewing!

A funny mish-mash of things, is the answer …

Last week I finished off the glossary for The Gathering of the Lost (The Heir of Night Book Two)–or "gross-ary" as I prefer to call it, both because it is large (i.e. 'gross'—get it?!) and full of monsters. Although not so-o-o many monsters as in The Heir of Night … Or not new monsters … Anyway, it's done and away to my publishers.  And then, "of course", I have had to start playing catch-up on all those jobs that piled up in the intray while the big writing push was on.

Most of the catch-up is what I call "writing administration": memberships and renewals, sales statements, responding to correspondence about events coming up, updating my website—all that sort of thing. I also had a contract, with Luitingh-Sitjhoff in the Netherlands for the Dutch translation rights, to go through, which is something that always takes  bit of time. I remember when I read my first publishing contract—for Thornspell—which comprised fourteen foolscape pages of legalese: I think it would be fair to say that my hair stood on end. And as I have quite a lot of hair, I leave it to you to imagine what a scary sight that must have been! Almost as scary as the contract! But I'm getting more used to reading them now, so generally the hair stays in place (as much as it ever does!)

Mind you, another writer friend said that he resolves that dilemma by simply not reading his contracts at all: 'sign and send back' is his motto. Sometimes I think he might be very wise, but unfortunately I'm just not that kind of a gal—I feel compelled to read them through 'cover to cover.'

Interesting things do come in the catch-up pile though (and yes, no matter how necessary contracts may be, I don't think anyone of sound mind would describe them as "interesting"), like the brochure for this year's World Fantasy Convention, Sailing the Seas of Imagination, October 27-30 in San Diego. As one who sails those self-same seas, I would so love to "be there", especially as  the guest list includes authors of the calibre of Neil Gaiman and Connie Willis. But as with Worldcon, I shall at least be taking out a Supporting Membership …

Photo from my garden; taken by J Church

And then, when the inbox is clearish, there's the  garden. (First time round, 'garden' accidentally came out in capitals, which may in fact be appropriate …)  I do have a garden, largely of the wild, rambunctious, woodland-y kind—as opposed to sedate herbaceous borders—that has some ability to look after itself (if you don't mind a lot of self-seeding), which is a Very Good Thing when a big writing push is on. Winter in particular is good, because not a lot grows in winter and you can fool yourself that really, it doesn't  matter so much if you put off those winter maintenance jobs this year—but when this year becomes every year, well then things get a little tricky … And no matter what, come spring, all those stealth weeds that have been creeping up beneath the camouflage of more stablished plants suddenly put on a surge and are stealthy no longer, but rampaging everywhere.

Garden close-up; photo by J Church

Spring is long gone now, so since finishing Gathering I have been working my way around the perimeter dealing to the most rampage-y of the weeds and those showing imminent signs of seeding everywhere. It is quite a lot of work and the weather has been so hot that the only practical time to work is in the very early morning; i.e. it's up at 'crack of doom' (not to be confused with the 'butt-crack of doom', which is something entirely else again) and into the great outdoors—and over the the past few weeks, even when stepping out at 6 am the air is already warm. (If this keeps up, I might have to try for 5 am …) But all that aside, I do enjoy gardening: I find it relaxing (so long as I don't let myself think about how much there is to do, or how far behind I've got with it all) and it provides a great contrast to the writing.

Entrance to Rockingham Castle, which features as "Arnescott castle" in "By the Sword Divided"

In the evenings I've been having a bit of time out and watching a  great BBC period drama from early 1980s, called By the Sword Divided, which is set during the English Civil War.  I caught a few eps at the time it was made and have remembered it ever since, so was very pleased to get both the first and second seasons in my Christmas stocking. We have just finished watching the first season and it has not disappointed. Something else I noticed: a great deal of the violence—and it was a very violent time—is not shown in gruesome, graphic detail and yet it is still compelling viewing. Perhaps something to reflect on given the need our film and tv makers, and so one must assume, by extension, we as an audience, feel for ever-increasing levels of violence, and graphic depiction thereof, in our viewing. Realism? Maybe. But By the Sword Divided feels very real and yet it did not take that path.

So there you are, that's my mish-mash!

Sir Julius Vogel Award Nominations: Best Artwork

On Thursday 12 I alerted you all to the  Sir Julius Vogel Awards being opened for nomination on 1 January and closing on 31 March, 2011. I also encouraged you to support NZ artists and writers by nominating the works you've loved—and also works of merit, generally—created by a New Zealander and first published or released in the 2010 calendar year. And then mentioned a few adult and YA SFF novels published in the past year that immediately 'sprang to mind', just to help the process along.

Generally speaking I am fairly printed-word focused, but last night I thought—what about that Best Artwork Award then? Two potential nominees that immediately sprang to mind (although I am sure there are many more out there) were:

Frank Victoria for the cover of Tymon's Flight (penned by his wife, Mary Victoria); and


Peter Fitzpatrick for the map in The Heir of Night (penned of course by me!)

Here they are—and definitely both worth a nomination for the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Artwork 2011, in my humble opinion!

Cover design by Frank Victoria

Map design by Peter Fitzpatrick

Guess What I Found in My PO Box This Morning?

Answer: a very interesting parcel that—when I felt around the edges—felt like a book. And when I opened it up, it was a book: Mary Victoria's Samiha' Song, which is the second in her Chronicles of the Tree series.

I am so looking forward to reading SONG and interviewing Mary Victoria here on 15 February (the very day the book is in the shops, here in NZ.)

I'll also be guest posting on Mary's blog sometime in February, so loads of fun to come: do stay posted!