L.R. Lam's Blog, page 11

New Young Adult Module on the Creative Writing MA at Napier University

This was announced last week, but I thought I’d put it here, too.

My day job is teaching part-time on the Creative Writing MA at Napier (and I help out with undergrad classes occasionally as well). Next year, we’re offering an entire module on Young Adult fiction, and it’ll be led by me! More information below:

 

We’re proud to announce an exciting new module in writing for young adult audiences on our genre fiction-focused MA Creative Writing programme  – and it will be led by Laura Lam, author of the acclaimed Micah Grey YA fantasy trilogy.

The MA at Edinburgh Napier University has always welcomed YA writers, especially those creating genre fiction. But a specialist moudle in YA writing practise is a bold new innovation.

Writing YA Fiction is launching in time for the 2017-18 academic year, with the optional module due to run in Trimester 2. Students will create narratives for YA audiences set in science fiction and fantasy worlds, but contemporary settings will also be part of the module.

 

It’ll look at science fiction, fantasy, contemporary realism, and probably romance and crime as well. I’m really looking forward to it. We’re a course that embraces and loves genre and young adult as well. We’re a professionalising course–there’s critical theory, writing practice, one on one mentoring, professional development experiences, and learning about the industry.

I’ve been loving my time at Napier since August and am excited to create my own module. It’s going to be a lot of work but so fulfilling! We’ve brought in several YA authors as guest speakers this year, such as Victoria Schwab and Dhonielle Clayton, and as we’re in Edinburgh, lots of authors come through for events, which we usually make optional field trips. This year: Leigh Bardugo and Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Katherine Webber, Catherine Doyle, Melinda Salisbury, Sara Barnard, Samantha Shannon, James Oswald, Ali Land, and Robin Hobb is coming at the end of the month.

Our part-time spaces for this year are waitlisted, but there are a couple of full-time slots left, but not many. More information about the course can be found on the Napier website or the Creative Writing MA blog.

April 18th: Waterstones West End event with Elizabeth May

Hey hey, in less than a week, Elizabeth May and I will be at Waterstones West End, on Princes St in Edinburgh! She’s interviewing me a bit about the False Hearts paperback and then we’ll probably generally talk about writing and such. Tickets are £2 but as part of that, you’ll get some refreshments. Please come if you’re local to the area!  Elizabeth and I did an event my first day of teaching, and now I’ve finished my first year of taught trimesters.

More information on the Waterstones website.

Location: Waterstones West End

Time: 18.30 to 20.00

Price: £2

Books Read in March

As usual, an eclectic mix.

1. 27 Hours – Tristina Wright

Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish.

But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them.

Nyx Llorca keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with Dahlia, her best friend. Braeden Tennant wants two things: to get out from his mother’s shadow, and to unlearn Epsilon’s darkest secret.

They’ll both have to commit treason to find the truth.

During one twenty-seven-hour night, if they can’t stop the war between the colonies and the monsters from becoming a war of extinction, the things they wish for will never come true, and the things they fear will be all that’s left.

27 Hours is a sweeping, thrilling story featuring a stellar cast of queer teenagers battling to save their homes and possibly every human on Sahara as the clock ticks down to zero.

2. Fool Me Twice – Meredith Duran

A Lady With a Secret

Running for her life, exhausted and out of options, Olivia Holladay wants nothing more than the chance to make a home for herself. So when she realizes that the infamous Duke of Marwick might hold the key to her freedom, she boldly disguises herself as the newest and bravest in a long line of the duke’s notoriously temperamental housekeepers. Little does she know that the wickedly handsome Alastair de Grey has very different plans for her.

A Man With a Passion—For Vengeance

As his new employee, Olivia is a fearless upstart. As a woman, the daring redhead is just what Alastair needs to rouse him from darkness to the siren call of revenge. He has suffered a betrayal so deep that he will use whatever means necessary to destroy his enemies—even his brazen and beautiful domestic. But his vengeful plan fails to account for his single weakness: an irresistible and growing passion for the enigmatic Olivia.

3. Royal Assassin (Farseer #2) – Robin Hobb (re-read)

Fitz has survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family.

Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.

4. Surviving AI: The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence – Calum Chace

Artificial intelligence is our most powerful technology, and in the coming decades it will change everything in our lives. If we get it right it will make humans almost godlike. If we get it wrong… well, extinction is not the worst possible outcome.

“Surviving AI” is a concise, easy-to-read guide to what’s coming, taking you through technological unemployment (the economic singularity) and the possible creation of a superintelligence (the technological singularity).

5. For Keeps – Skylar Hill

Lily Adler has a big problem: just weeks after moving in with her boyfriend, she finds him in bed with another woman! She’s washed her hands of the cheating jerk, but now she’s hard up for a place to live.

Enter Wes Cartwright, the guy who’s subletting the loft Lily’s slimeball ex convinced her to lease out. Ever since Wes adopted his infant niece, Dawn, his life’s been complicated. The sexy architect is trying to be the best Daddy he can be, but he’s out of his element with diapers and bouncy swings.

When he finds out Lily spent three years working as an au pair, he sees an opportunity and offers her a deal: They can share the apartment in exchange for help with Dawn and a crash course in Daddy 101 for Wes. Lily’s between jobs, and the last thing she wants to do is apartment hunt, so she agrees.

As Lily weaves herself into Wes and Dawn’s lives, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to the perky blonde and her optimistic spirit. Her killer curves don’t hurt, either. Falling for the nanny is such a cliché, but after Wes accidentally walks in on Lily in the shower, all bets are off.

Cliché or not, she will be his.

And he’s playing for keeps.

6. The Wrath and the Dawn – Renee Ahdieh

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

7. Successful Television Writing – Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin

Do you dream of a job as a successful television writer on a hit show? Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin give you practical but essential advice to help make your dreams a reality. They teach you how to discover the “Franchise” or structure of a television show in order to write a successful and eye catching spec script. The four-act structure is covered, along with the elements that go into telling a good story. After you’ve blown them away with your spec script, learn how to pitch confidently and concisely. You’ll also find invaluable information on how to work with producers, how to handle your first writing assignment, and tackle revisions. Also included are Writer’s Guidelines, and beat sheets, from several television shows to help you familiarize yourself with the way writer’s work.

Total books: 23/100

Loose reading goals:

Catch up on books I own but haven’t read (none, most were borrowed, new buys, or ARCs given)
Read more romance (Fool me Twice, For Keeps)
Re-read some old favourites (Royal Assassin)
Read more classics (none)
Read more books by my friends and peers (27 Hours, For Keeps, Royal Assassin)
Continue to read diverse books (The Wrath and the Dawn, 27 Hours)
Read nonfiction (Survivng AI, Successful Television Writing)
Read women (27 Hours, Fool me Twice, Royal Assassin, For Keeps, The Wrath and the Dawn)

Dutch Comic Con & Super Relaxed Fantasy Club

Last weekend I flew down to Utrecht for Dutch Comic Con. I went with authors Vic James and Zen Cho and met up with other authors there like N J Simmonds, Jurgen Snoeren, and Sam Maggs. We were hosted by the American Book Center, especially Tiemen Zwaan. I flew in late Friday night and made my way back to the UK on Monday morning, and had a lot of fun in between.

Saturday we arrived at the con, and when we first walked into the convention center, Gates McFadden AKA Beverley Crusher from Star Trek the Next Generation was right there. Zen Cho and I were super excited.

We went to the ABC stand, which was absolutely mobbed with readers! We had a lovely front table with a bunch of our books!

They were giving away proofs of Shattered Minds. I posed.

 

Lots of cosplay!

And a silent rave at the Guardians of the Galaxy Booth.

I was on three panels. Day one was Worldbuilding Using History and Gender and Genre. Day 2 was Writing as Craft.

 

At the end of day 1, went into Utrecht with Tiemen, Zen, Sam, Vic, Marieke Nijkamp, and Corinne Duyvis. Here’s a photo of me and Corinne with some bikes and canals because the Netherlands.

Day 2! The highlight of my day was meeting Gates McFadden and being a flailing fangirl. She was so nice!

Author photo as the con came to a close.

I bought a mirror of Erised necklace and realised that 3 years ago to the day, I was freaking out wondering if anyone would want that book I was editing. It was False Hearts. If I’d looked into the Mirror of Erised that day and saw that last day at Comic Con, I’d be pretty damn happy.

 

After leaving Comic Con, I flew up to London. I collapsed once I reached my friend Kim Curran’s house. The next day I went around to six bookstores in London with my publicist to drop off False Hearts paperbacks and Shattered Minds proofs, and also chocolate. Cake helped keep us going. Then I went ot Pan Macmillan’s offices for the first time and signed some more paperbacks!

Photo credit: Alice Dewing

Then that night was Super Relaxed Fantasy Club, which was hosted at Gollancz’s office. I read from Masquerade and answered some questions. Also featured: Magnus looking amazed by whatever I was saying (probably a bad joke).

Photocred: Bella Pagan

The other reader was Nate Crowley, author of Tomes of the Dead: The Sea Hates a Coward. Here we are posing. If you live in London, SRFC is a great event to go to!

Photocred: Super Relaxed Fantasy Club

After that, I went out for dinner with my editor, Bella, and Phoebe, editorial assistant. But my day was not done! I took the sleeper train from London back up to Edinburgh overnight, and then went straight into a full day of teaching. I taught again today, and I am so, so looking forward to a day of puttering about in my pyjamas tomorrow.

I had a lovely few days and am super grateful to all who helped make it happen! Looking forward to the cons later this year.

Books Read in February

1. Nasty Women – edited by 404 Ink (Bias disclaimer: I have an essay in this)

‘An essential window into many of the hazard-strewn worlds younger women are living in right now.’ – Margaret Atwood (Twitter)

With intolerance and inequality increasingly normalised by the day, it’s more important than ever for women to share their experiences. We must hold the truth to account in the midst of sensationalism and international political turmoil. Nasty Women is a collection of essays, interviews and accounts on what it is to be a woman in the 21st century.

People, politics, pressure, punk – From working class experience to racial divides in Trump’s America, being a child of immigrants, to sexual assault, Brexit, pregnancy, contraception, identity, family, finding a voice online, role models and more, Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!, Zeba Talkhani, Chitra Ramaswamy are just a few of the incredible women who share their experience here.

Keep telling your stories, and tell them loud.

2.  The Arabian Nights – Anonymous

Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Shahrazad, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Shahrazad always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever.

3. Smut – Karina Halle

What happens when the kink between the pages leads to heat between the sheets?

All Blake Crawford wants is to pass his creative writing course, get his university degree, and take over his dad’s ailing family business. What Amanda Newland wants is to graduate at the top of her class, as well as finally finish her novel and prove to her family that writing is a respectful career.

What Blake and Amanda don’t want is to be paired up with each other for their final project, but that’s exactly what they both get when they’re forced to collaborate on a writing piece. Since Amanda thinks Blake is a pushy asshole (with a panty-melting smirk and British accent) and Blake thinks Amanda has a stick up her ass (though it’s a brilliant ass), they fight tooth and nail until they discover they write well together. They also may find each other really attractive, but that’s neither here nor there.

When their writing project turns out to be a success, the two of them decide to start up a secret partnership using a pen name, infiltrating the self-publishing market in the lucrative genre of erotica. Naturally, with so much heat and passion between the pages, it’s not long before their dirty words become a dirty reality. Sure, they still fight a lot, but at least there’s make-up sex now.

But even as they start to fall hard for each other, will their burgeoning relationship survive if their scandalous secret is exposed? Or are happily-ever-afters just a work of fiction?

4. Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb (re-read)

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.

As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

5. Masquerade – Laura Lam (yes, I will count it once out of the 20 or so times I’ve read it!)

The gifted hide their talents, but dare they step into the light?

Micah’s Chimaera powers are growing, until his dark visions overwhelm him. Drystan is forced to take him to Dr Pozzi, to save his life. But can they really trust the doctor, especially when a close friend is revealed to be his spy?

Meanwhile, violent unrest is sweeping the country, as anti-royalist factions fight to be heard. Then three chimaera are attacked, after revealing their existence with the monarchy’s blessing – and the struggle becomes personal. A small sect decimated the chimaera in ancient times and nearly destroyed the world. Now they’ve re-emerged to spread terror once more. Micah will discover a royal secret, which draws him into the heart of the conflict. And he and his friends must risk everything to finally bring peace to their land.

6. A Burglar’s Guide to the City – Geoff Manaugh

Encompassing nearly 2,000 years of heists and tunnel jobs, break-ins and escapes, A Burglar’s Guide to the City offers an unexpected blueprint to the criminal possibilities in the world all around us. You’ll never see the city the same way again.

At the core of A Burglar’s Guide to the City is an unexpected and thrilling insight: how any building transforms when seen through the eyes of someone hoping to break into it. Studying architecture the way a burglar would, Geoff Manaugh takes readers through walls, down elevator shafts, into panic rooms, up to the buried vaults of banks, and out across the rooftops of an unsuspecting city.

With the help of FBI Special Agents, reformed bank robbers, private security consultants, the L.A.P.D. Air Support Division, and architects past and present, the book dissects the built environment from both sides of the law. Whether picking padlocks or climbing the walls of high-rise apartments, finding gaps in a museum’s surveillance routine or discussing home invasions in ancient Rome, A Burglar’s Guide to the City has the tools, the tales, and the x-ray vision you need to see architecture as nothing more than an obstacle that can be outwitted and undercut.

Full of real-life heists-both spectacular and absurd-A Burglar’s Guide to the City ensures readers will never enter a bank again without imagining how to loot the vault or walk down the street without planning the perfect getaway.

7. Getting Started in Writing Young Adult Fiction – Juliet Mushens (my agent!)

Practical guidance, advice and tips to make your Young Adult Fiction writing stand out and get noticed.

This is an authoritative and engaging introduction to writing young adult fiction for the complete beginner. It will help you understand how the genre works, the big do’s and don’t’s – as well as giving you the inspiration and motivation you actually need to write. Written by a leading literary agent who knows what it takes to make it in this market, this book will give you the advice and tips you need to stand out. An essential book for anyone hoping to emulate the success and addictive qualities that characterize books like The Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars.

Total books: 16/100

Loose reading goals:

Catch up on books I own but haven’t read (Arabian Nights, Juliet’s book)
Read more romance (Smut)
Re-read some old favourites (Assassin’s Apprentice)
Read more classics (Arabian Nights)
Read more books by my friends and peers (Juliet’s book, Nasty Women)
Continue to read diverse books (Nasty Women, Arabian Nights)
Read nonfiction (Burglar’s Guide to the City, Juliet’s book, Nasty Women)
Read women (Nasty Women, Smut, Assassin’s Apprentice, me lol, Juliet’s book)

Writing Update: January & February

I’ve switched to doing bimonthly updates. I find them helpful to keep myself accountable, but productivity can vary from month to month.

January saw me writing 21,372 words of fiction, 6,010 of nonfiction, and a total of 24,072 words. I worked on my newest near-future thriller and my co-written book with Elizabeth May. I also proofed Shattered Minds, which isn’t included in the word count. February saw 23,658 words of fiction, 8,037 of nonfiction, and a total of 31,695 words. I worked primarily on my co-written book with Elizabeth (we finished the first draft, yaay!) and another project. I also started re-reading the draft and planning edits. January’s writing was helped by a writing retreat in Northumberland–I wrote 10k in 4 days. Victoria Schwab and Dhonielle Clayton also came to visit, and I also met Megan Shepherd briefly, so that was lovely. February had a few events in addition to the usual teaching–I had an Inspiration Point reading in Aberdeen, where I read from Shattered Minds for the first time, and a school visit to Milne’s High School up in Forres.

So, 1/6th into the year and that’s over 55k. Again, I log all words, so not all of those 55k will translate into finished work. It’s still good progress.

I haven’t written anything in March, hardly, as I had a book deal and more events and prepping for another potential project. I notice I get progressively itchier if I go too long without writing, so I’m hoping to steal some time with me and the manuscripts soon.

What are your writing plans?

Upcoming Events!

March is a busy month. Just a reminder I’m out and about a few places over the next 2 weeks:

March 6th: Nasty Women Launch, Glasgow, Waterstones Argyle Street, 7 pm. More details here.

March 8th: Women in SF Event with Shoreline of Infinity, The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh, 7.30 pm. More details here.

March 13th: Masquerade Launch, Waterstones Union Street, Aberdeen, 6.30 pm (7 pm start). More details here.

March 22nd: Nasty Women Launch, Edinburgh, Waterstones West End, 6.30 pm. More details here.

I’m also at Dutch Comic Con in Utrecht and at Super Relaxed Fantasy Club in London, but I’ll do another post with details closer to the time.

Please come if you’re local or let others know about them! Though just a note that both of the Nasty Women launches are sold out (!), but they might still be taking names for a waiting list.

 

Books Read in January

First month of 2017 reading down! Here’s what I got through last month.

1. The Write Crowd: Literary Citizenship and the Writing Life – Lori A. May

Writing may be a solitary profession, but it is also one that relies on a strong sense of community. The Write Crowd offers practical tips and examples of how writers of all genres and experience levels contribute to the sustainability of the literary community, the success of others, and to their own well-rounded writing life. Through interviews and examples of established writers and community members, readers are encouraged to immerse themselves fully in the literary world and the community-at-large by engaging with literary journals, reading series and public workshops, advocacy and education programs, and more.

In contemporary publishing, the writer is expected to contribute outside of her own writing projects. Editors and publishers hope to see their writers active in the community, and the public benefits from a more personal interaction with authors. Yet the writer must balance time and resources between deadlines, day jobs, and other commitments. The Write Crowd demonstrates how writers may engage with peers and readers, and have a positive effect on the greater community, without sacrificing writing time.

2. Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction – edited by Brit Mandelo

Speculative fiction is the literature of questions, of challenges and imagination, and what better to question than the ways in which gender and sexuality have been rigidly defined, partitioned off, put in little boxes? These seventeen stories explore the ways in which identity can go beyond binary from space colonies to small college towns, from angels to androids, and from a magical past to other worlds entirely, the authors in this collection have brought to life wonderful tales starring people who proudly define (and redefine) their own genders, sexualities, identities, and so much else in between.

3. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath’s shocking, realistic, and intensely emotional novel about a woman falling into the grip of insanity.

Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.

4. Duke of Shadows – Meredith Duran

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything…and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.

From exotic sandstone palaces…

Sick of tragedy, done with rebellion, Emmaline Martin vows to settle quietly into British Indian society. But when the pillars of privilege topple, her fiancé’s betrayal leaves Emma no choice. She must turn for help to the one man whom she should not trust, but cannot resist: Julian Sinclair, the dangerous and dazzling heir to the Duke of Auburn.

To the marble halls of London…

In London, they toast Sinclair with champagne. In India, they call him a traitor. Cynical and impatient with both worlds, Julian has never imagined that the place he might belong is in the embrace of a woman with a reluctant laugh and haunted eyes. But in a time of terrible darkness, he and Emma will discover that love itself can be perilous — and that a single decision can alter one’s life forever.

Destiny follows wherever you run.

A lifetime of grief later, in a cold London spring, Emma and Julian must finally confront the truth: no matter how hard one tries to deny it, some pasts cannot be disowned…and some passions never die.

5. Saga: Volume 5 – Brian K. Vaughan

Multiple storylines collide in this cosmos-spanning new volume. While Gwendolyn and Lying Cat risk everything to find a cure for The Will, Marko makes an uneasy alliance with Prince Robot IV to find their missing children, who are trapped on a strange world with terrifying new enemies.

Collecting: Saga 25-30

6. The End of the Wasp Season (Alex Morrow #2) – Denise Mina

When a notorious millionaire banker hangs himself, his death attracts no sympathy. But the legacy of a lifetime of selfishness is widespread, and the carnage most acute among those he ought to be protecting: his family.

Meanwhile, in a wealthy suburb of Glasgow, a young woman is found savagely murdered. The community is stunned by what appears to be a vicious, random attack. When Detective Inspector Alex Morrow, heavily pregnant with twins, is called in to investigate, she soon discovers that a tangled web of lies lurks behind the murder. It’s a web that will spiral through Alex’s own home, the local community, and ultimately right back to a swinging rope, hundreds of miles away.

The End of the Wasp Season is an accomplished, compelling and multi-layered novel about family’s power of damage-and redemption.

7. Ghost Talkers – Mary Robinette Kowal

Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force.

Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence.

Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she’s just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing…

And lastly, yes I am including my own novel because proofing it takes 3x as long as reading any other book!

8. Shattered Minds (Pacifica #2) – Laura Lam

She can uncover the truth, if she defeats her demons

Ex-neuroscientist Carina struggles with a drug problem, her conscience, and urges to kill. She satisfies her cravings in dreams, fuelled by the addictive drug ‘Zeal’. Now she’s heading for self-destruction – until she has a vision of a dead girl.

Sudice Inc. damaged Carina when she worked on their sinister brain-mapping project, causing her violent compulsions. And this girl was a similar experiment. When Carina realizes the vision was planted by her old colleague Mark, desperate for help to expose the company, she knows he’s probably dead. Her only hope is to unmask her nemesis – or she’s next.

To unlock the secrets Mark hid in her mind, she’ll need a group of specialist hackers. Dax is one of them, a doctor who can help Carina fight her addictions. If she holds on to her humanity, they might even have a future together. But first she must destroy her adversary – before it changes us and our society, forever.

9. Tiny Pretty Things – Dhonielle Clayon and Sona Charaipotra

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette’s desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best

Total: 9

Last year I did break down of character/author diversity each month. I’m not going to this year, simply from lack of time, plus the occasional awkwardness of assuming an author’s identity.

Loose reading goals:

Catch up on books I own but haven’t read
Read more romance
Re-read some old favourites
Read more classics
Read more books by my friends and peers
Continue to read diverse books

Have you read anything good lately?

News Update: Locus Recommended Read, Women in SF event, Inspiration Point & more

Happy Monday!

Quick roundup of things:

This weekend I’m going to be up in Aberdeen for Inspiration Point’s Creative Literary Salon. It’s on February 18th at 7 pm at The Lemon Tree Lounge. More details here. I’ll be doing a reading.
I’m also going to be at the Women in SF event on March 8th run by Shoreline of Infinity at the Banshee Labyrinth in Edinburgh at 7.30 PM. More details here.
There’ll also be a Nasty Women Launch at some point, I think in Glasgow–more details on that to come. I’m also a guest of honor at a convention in March, but it hasn’t been announced yet. Keep an eye out on social media and I’ll yell about it when I can.
There might be a Masquerade launch sometime around March 9th, which is official release day. I should probably start organising that. I need more hours in the day.
I’ll also be at Super Relaxed Fantasy Club in London on March 28th. Come say hi if you’re local!
False Hearts is a Recommended Read for Locus Magazine, which is very exciting. They’re now running their annual poll where people vote on their favourites. If you read False Hearts, please consider giving a vote, or in any case vote for some of the other great books listed!
A reminder that my pre-order campaign for Masquerade is still live! Give it a look if you missed it. Free swag! A free 10k story, with the chance of 60k of fiction if you buy all three books.
Book proofs of Shattered Minds arrived today. So pretty.

And I think that’s it for now. Author yelling about things over and out.

The Masquerade Pre-Order Drive!

So Masquerade, the third book in the Micah Grey series following Pantomime & Shadowplay, is out in just over a month (wow!). Official release date is March 9th (North America–it’s closer to June, but the book can be ordered via Book Depository or also pre-ordered). This is a book I’ve been wanting to come out for years. I originally thought it’d be out in early 2015, but as many of you know, it switched publishers and publishing the series over the last five years has been a bit of a roller coaster, but the end is here! I wanted to celebrate and say thank you to both those who have been patiently waiting for a few years or those who just stumbled onto the series recently.

So, pre-order incentive time! This is my first time doing one, and I’m very curious to see what the results are.

So, by EITHER pre-ordering Masquerade (at any retailer and in any format, and this is not date specific–if you already pre-ordered you can claim it. Again, if you’re North American and want the paperback copy in March, Book Depository is your best bet) OR if you’re new to the series, buy Pantomime (from today’s date, any retailer and in any format), you get:

1. An e-book of the FREE, 10k, brand-new Vestigial Tale called “The Mechanical Minotaur”

Cover copy:

Cover art by Dianna Walla

Untold centuries ago, the Archipelago was ruled by the Alder—mysterious beings who vanished, leaving behind only scattered artefacts of unknown power, called Vestige. Sometimes, a person will be lucky or unlucky enough to discover that each piece of Vestige has its own tale to tell . . .

The Mechanical Minotaur

Evander’s father locks him in the cellar on his twelfth birthday. Their house in the Emerald Bowl is cold and empty, far from the warm home in Imachara where he lived with his parents back when his mother was alive. Yet down in the dim, dark cellar is a trunk with Evander’s name on it, and within is an automaton that says it can lead the boy back to his mother . . .

Vestigial Tales are stories set in the world of the award-winning Micah Grey series. Step behind the circus ring from Pantomime, the theatre of Shadowplay, and the court magic of Masquerade.

 

It’s sort of like Boy Cinderella meets The Indian in the Cupboard (without the cultural appropriation). It does have some events that tie into the climax of Masquerade, so it’s best read after the series is finished. No characters overlap, really.

This will eventually go up on Amazon for purchase, but you’d have access to it months earlier and as a bonus for pre-ordering or starting the series.

In addition, you can receive:

2. A custom, double-sided bookmark (Micah Grey on one side & Pacifica on the other), a signed custom playing card (chosen at random). There’s 32 stickers left, so it’s first come, first served for either a Pantomime, Shadowplay, or Snake Charm sticker (with the old Micah Grey covers).

Ooh, pretty. Bookmarks were designed by Craig Lam.

BONUS (like that part of the infomercial where the announcer goes BUT WAIT):

If you buy Pantomime, Shadowplay, and Masquerade (new Pan Macmillan editions–even if you bought P & S back in November/December), I’ll also send you the other Vestigial Tales (“The Fisherman’s Net”, “The Tarot Reader”, and “The Card Sharp”) as ebooks. “The Snake Charm” can be read up on Wattpad to get a sense of what they’re like, as well as the first 6 chapters of Pantomime.

To Claim:

Buy your book(s) of choice.
Email receipt(s) to lauralamauthor(at)gmail(dot)com. Scans, photo of the receipt on your phone, or email receipts are all fine as long as I can read it. (NOTE: I originally put an incorrect email because of course I did. The lauralamauthor one is correct).
If you want the bookmarks/stickers/signed card, include your mailing address. Yes, this is open internationally.
Tell me if you prefer “The Mechanical Minotaur” (or the other Vestigial Tales) in .pdf, .epub, or .mobi format.
Enjoy the story and swag!
(Optional) Leave a review on a vendor site or Goodreads after reading!

Just as a warning, I might send these out in bunches depending on admin time, so you might have to wait a day or two before receiving the story.

Pre-ordering is very good for book series, especially the third. It helps signal to the publisher that there’s a waiting audience. So thanks again everyone for the support for this series–it really means a lot to me, and so these bonuses are the least I can do.