Helen Lowe's Blog, page 325
September 21, 2010
Revised Countdown to "The Heir of Night" Release
US Cover
Yesterday, I thought I had 10 sleeps to go until official publication of The Heir of Night, but today my US editor, Kate Nintzel, told me that although the official date is still the 1st October, at HarperCollins USA they always release on a Tuesday—so it's the 28th September. Not many sleeps at all, at all!
So now onto the newly revised 6-day countdown:
Heir has just had its second blog review, this time from Rising Shadow in Finland. You can read the review here.
And I have a guest p...
September 20, 2010
Tuesday Poem: "In A Station of the Metro" By Ezra Pound
In a Station of the Metro
The apparition of these faces in the crowd,
Petals on a wet, black bough.
Ezra Pound, 1885-1972
—
Last week I posted a haiku by Bassho as my Tuesday poem. This week I have chosen a very short poem by Ezra Pound, a poet greatly influenced by Chinese and Japanese verse, to complement the haiku. In a Staion of the Metro is not a haiku, but I believe it encapsulates much of what the haiku form seeks to accomplish, chiefly the capture of that single "a-ha" moment in the most ...
September 19, 2010
Countdown to "The Heir of Night" Release
There are just 10 days to go now until the release of The Heir of Night on 1 October in the USA and Australia/New Zealand. (The UK release is scheduled for March 2011.) So I am now seriously into countdown mode and will be focusing more exclusively on Heir and my books and writing over the next 10 days.
To celebrate the realse of Heir, I will be posting more regularly on both the Eos (USA) and Orbit (UK/AU/NZ) blogs, as well as my regular Supernatural Underground spot on the first of each...
September 18, 2010
Avast Me Hearties!
Original 1922 Cover
Today is international "Talk Like a Pirate" day and to join in the fun I thought I'd list some favourite pirate reads:
Captain Blood Rafael Sabatini
Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson
Peter Pan J.M. Barrie
The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate Margaret Mahy
The Princess Bride William Goldman
Missee Lee Arthur Ransome
The Hotel Under the Sand Kage Baker
How about you? What are your favourite pirate books?
September 17, 2010
Zombie Love
Terri Garey
As you may know, I post once a month on the Supernatural Underground, a blog for HarperCollins USA speculative fiction authors. On Tuesday, fellow Supe author, Terri Garey, posted this this fun piece of zombie flash, titled "Love Stinks and So Does Your Breath":
"Is that a femur in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
Donna snuggled in closer to Derek, brushing the dark hair from his eyes with one hand. Unfortunately, a clump of it remained in her fingers, and she knew...
September 16, 2010
Being A NZ SpecFic Writer
As I've already mentioned in earlier posts this, this is NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week and there have already been several interesting posts on what it means to write speculative fiction in New Zealand and as a New Zealander. (By the way, you can check this week's blog posts out here.)
I don't think I have a lot of profound insights to offer, but the theme of the week has caused me to pause and reflect. For a start, I am a writer (check), I am a New Zealander (check) and I write...
September 15, 2010
Heir of Night Interview on Podcast
US Cover
AU/NZ Cover
Before going to Worldcon in Australia, I prerecorded this interview with Ruth Todd of Women on Air, Plains 96.9 FM ahead of the Christchurch Writers' Festival, then scheduled for 9-12 September.
Sadly, the festival had to be cancelled because of the earthquake and its aftermath, but the interview is currently available on podcast.
To listen, click here, then either click on the play icon or download the mp3 (it's free.)
September 14, 2010
UNconventional: Worldcon & Me
Lord of the Rings Panel with Alison Croggan (l) & Rose-Marie Lillian (r)
Still in the spirit of NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week, I have just blogged about my experiences at Worldcon on the blog of my UK publisher Orbit—so do check it out!
As with the Out of this Eos post on the Hugo Awards, the accompanying photos are by fellow SpecFicNZ member, Joffre Horlor. (The one with this post, sadly, is just a "snap", but you can click to enlarge.)
Out of this Eos & NZ SpecFic Blogging Week
This week is NZ speculative fiction blogging week and you can find out more by visiting the Speculative Fiction Writers of New Zealand (SpecFicNZ) blog, here—as well as linking through to many great posts.
In the spirit of NZ SpecFicNZ, I am providing a link through to the final in my series of articles on this year's Hugo Awards, which was published yesterday on the Out of this Eos blog of my US publisher, Eos.
The photos that accompany the article are by fellow SpecFicNZ member, Joffre Horlor.
September 13, 2010
Tuesday Poem: "In the midst of the plain …" Bassho
In the midst of the plain
sings the skylark
free of all things
Matsuo Bassho 1644-1694
—
Haiku is such a popular form, both in New Zealand and internationally, that I felt it was time to include one as a Tuesday Poem. This poem, by the Japanese master, Matsuo Bassho, is a personal favourite, both because of its simplicity, but also the way it "speaks" to the deeper yearnings of our humanity. Despite that, it's also very "zen", which resonates with my martial arts background.
