Cate Gardner's Blog, page 56

Triangulation: End of the Rainbow

Jamie Lackey has announced the TOC for the forthcoming anthology, Triangulation: End of the Rainbow. (Thanks to Marshall Payne for the info). I'm super excited about this one, not least because Aaron Polson's previously published, The World in Rubber, Soft and Malleable, is in it. One of my favourite stories of 2009.

The Rainbow Vendor by David Sklar
Tourist Trap by Mark Onspaugh
Making Friends by Kylie Bullivant
A Test of Spirit by Brenta Blevins
David is Six by Amanda C. Davis
The Stickball Witch...

Dear Time Traveller

I think my time travel short story might be done... Shush! We don't want to disturb it. I'm going to let it stew for another day and have a final read before submitting.

On the subject of time travel, if a hole opened up in the sky above me right about now, I'd instruct it to hoover me back to 1974 so that I could buy 'Rowntrees Tiger Tots', I have a curious craving for them and they disappeared from stores in the late 1970s. Not magically disappeared at least I don't think they did... Ooh, I...

WIP Wednesday - Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Miss Pleasance swirled up through a hole in the sky for the fifth time today,  and she's getting a little time-travel sick.

Her story has to be finished by Sunday latest and she wants to know why it isn't done already. If she has to whirl around another helter skelter or fall in another damn pit, she's going to burn the headmaster's carpet slippers and hand in her resignation.

Time is catching up with my WIP - A World of Cardboard Houses - it has to be prettied up and sent out by Sunday latest...

Six Red Pennies

Releasing a major-squee. My short story, Postcard Wings above Blackpool Sands, is to appear in issue one of KV Taylor's The Red Penny Papers - I should book a train seat and celebrate atop the legendary Blackpool Tower.

Beware, champagne corks (or more likely candy floss sticks) expected to tumble down mid party.

*Side Note: When the tower opened in 1893 it cost sixpence - I wonder if they were red?

Wimbledon, Orange Juice and Buzzing Flies

I do believe the originator of the term 'lazy summer days' took a photo of a writer snoring in a garden chair, pen rolling about the paving, their story pages scattered across the grass.

My summer holidays (at least this portion - I have another week off at the end of July) are almost over - I'm now counting in hours. I haven't spent all of the time asleep though (just most of it - and I have the lobster skin and heat rash to prove it.) Pretty.

I finished a short story Postcard Wings above...

Scarborough on Alert, Me spotted on Beach

Walking along Scarborough's waterfront, thinking of the time travel story I'm working on (A World of Cardboard Houses - one draft down, several more to go), and Doctor Who's tardis lands in front of me. Well, it is a little in disguise, but I wasn't fooled. I looked in the window and saw the dude in there fiddling with his controls. Well, I hope it was the Doctor...

I suspect the town went on high alert the moment I stepped off the train, although I'm pleased to say that mostly it was a beauti...

Viva La Espania

I blame Aaron Polson and his blog about Googling his name. I just found a Spanish review of my story 'Uncle Eric's Leather Bound Tale' which appeared in issue 2 of Arkham Tales.

I quote:

The secret to melt humans and turn them into trunks.


Very strange text, but fun to read.

That'll do me. Much appreciated.

Hail the King

I love it when a plan falls apart... Erm, sorta.

So I'm outling shorts - blah, blah, blah - and of course I'm deviating from said outlines, which makes me question the use of them at all (for shorts - I always have one for my novels). Finished the first draft of the tentatively titled A World of Cardboard Houses at the weekend, which deviated from plan within the first 200 words and never went back. Apart from a ride down a Helter Skelter that dropped our unfortunate MC in a pit, nothing staye...

Seymour!!!

I need a hit man (and boy am I concerned how people will find my blog now). My inner voice has gone all whiny this week...





A pretty (size below) skirt and a top that has been hanging in my wardrobe forever helped me fight it off today, but I fear with my birthday looming this weekend, I'm going to need a professional to sort Miss I. Voice out.

Still, at least she's not busy telling me my writing sucks this week. Although, she is letting me plot for a lot longer than I should. Time to put on my...

Five Fingers

I almost sold one of my books yesterday. If I'd decided to take the buyer up on the offer, I probably would have sold The Poisoned Apple which was relegated to the Cupboard of Doom some time ago. But, I thought it unfair to unleash zombies on the purchaser, despite their method of payment. Plus, one day I might resurrect (ouch - pun) my Dead Feet and have them shuffle through a different plot.

When I told my seven-year-old cousin, Ben, that I hadn't sold any books yet because no one wanted to...