L.R. Lam's Blog, page 8

2018: Let’s Make This Year Ours!

Photocredit

It’s an arbitrary fresh start for the new year.

I do like this time of year though. I like taking the opportunity to realign my goals and think about what I want to do this year.

Here’s some of the things I’m hoping to do next year. Creative things are not remotely set in stone, as a lot of what I work on will depend on factors that I can’t control. I tweeted my goals the other day, but there’s something about putting it in a blog post to make it feel more official.

Physical health: Weight lift 2 or 3 times a week. I have a gym buddy, P M Freestone, which makes it much more fun (and challenging). I also plan to keep up with running and maybe try something new and fun, like aerial. I’m also planning to cook at home more and eat more healthy, wholesome foods, and eat out less. I’m aiming to keep all things in moderation: not overdo it, and not underdo it. Consistency versus perfection.
Relating to that: Mental health. I’m aiming to take my meds at the same time every day, as I’m really bad at taking them in the morning one day, the evening the next, and so on. I’m also aiming to cut out social media before 1 pm and after 8 pm. I work best in the mornings, and social media is a distraction. In the evenings, I’d rather unwind by reading or watching things without constantly refreshing my phone. I also might treat myself to more massages, which is good for both physical and mental health. I also want to be better at scheduling actual days off.
Keep on trucking: This is my main goal for 2018. Creatively, I’m going to make sure I’m always working on something. I have a shortlist of projects I want to get on sooner than later. I know my process quite well now. I want to take more risks, try new things, be bolder.
Read 75 books. A little lower than last year, but I read a *lot* of student work and also beta read for friends, so this feels more achievable. I’ll keep to the same goals I post at the end of my monthly roundups.
Do more activism. Be better at calling or emailing reps. Go to marches. Don’t be silent.

And that’s what I’m aiming to do in 2018. What are you goals?

Books Read in October & November

Two months combined since I never got around to doing it last month.

October:

1. To Kill the President – Sam Bourne

A blockbuster thriller from No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sam Bourne, in which Maggie Costello uncovers an assassination plot to kill the tyrannical new president.

If a president is out of control

Who will take the ultimate step?

The unthinkable has happened. The United States has elected a volatile demagogue as president, backed by his ruthless chief strategist, Crawford Mac’ McNamara.

When a war of words with the North Korean regime spirals out of control and the President comes perilously close to launching a nuclear attack, it’s clear someone has to act, or the world will be reduced to ashes.

Soon Maggie Costello, a seasoned Washington operator and avowed liberal, discovers an inside plot to kill the president and faces the ultimate moral dilemma. Should she save the president and leave the free world at the mercy of an increasingly crazed would-be tyrant or commit treason against her Commander in Chief and risk plunging the country into a civil war?

2. Ten Days in the Madhouse – Nelly Bly

Ten Days in a Mad-House is a book written by newspaper reporter Nellie Bly and published by Norman L. Munro in New York, NY in 1887. The book comprised Bly’s reportage for the New York World while on an undercover assignment in which she feigned insanity to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island.

The book’s graphic depiction of conditions at the asylum caused a sensation, brought Bly lasting fame and prompted a grand jury to launch its own investigation, with Bly assisting. The jury’s report resulted in an $850,000 increase in the budget of the Department of Public Charities and Corrections.

3. The Last Hunt (Into the Land of the Unicorns #4) – Bruce Coville

Readers will be on the edge of their seats with this concluding episode of the riveting best-selling series by one of America’s most gifted fantasy writers.

In the center if Luster stands an enormous tree called the Axis Mundi, the Heart of the World. But now that tree is wounded, pierced through by magic. And through that wound marches an army of Hunters, led by the sinister and vengeful Beloved. And they are all determined to destroy each and every unicorn.

As the unicorns gather to defend their lives, the human girl, Cara, is sent on a mission to meet a ferocious and mysterious dragon. Faced with perilous danger, Cara must make a desperate decision that will change her life forever.

4. The Belles – Dhonielle Clayton

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

5. To Be a Machine: Adventures Among Cyborgs, Utopians, Hackers, and the Futurists Solving the Modest Problem of Death – Mark O’Connell

Once relegated to the fringes of society, transhumanism (the use of technology to enhance human intellectual and physical capability) is now poised to enter our cultural mainstream. It has found adherents in Silicon Valley billionaires Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis. Google has entered the picture, establishing a bio-tech subsidiary aimed at solving the problem of aging.

In To Be a Machine, journalist Mark O’Connell takes a headlong dive into this burgeoning movement. He travels to the laboratories, conferences, and basements of today’s foremost transhumanists, where he’s presented with the staggering possibilities and moral quandaries of new technologies like mind uploading, artificial superintelligence, cryonics, and device implants.

A contributor to Slate, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Magazine, O’Connell serves as a sharp and lively guide to the outer limits of technology in the twenty first century. In investigating what it means to be a machine, he offers a surprising, singular meditation on what it means to be human.”

6. We Were Liars – E. Lockhart

A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

7. The Moonstone – Wilkie Collins

“The Moonstone is a page-turner,” writes Carolyn Heilbrun. “It catches one up and unfolds its amazing story through the recountings of its several narrators, all of them enticing and singular.” Wilkie Collins’s spellbinding tale of romance, theft, and murder inspired a hugely popular genre–the detective mystery. Hinging on the theft of an enormous diamond originally stolen from an Indian shrine, this riveting novel features the innovative Sergeant Cuff, the hilarious house steward Gabriel Betteridge, a lovesick housemaid, and a mysterious band of Indian jugglers.

November:

1. Hold Back the Stars – Katie Khan

A startling and evocative novel, harkening to both One Day and Gravity, a man and a woman revisit memories of their love affair on a utopian Earth while they are trapped in the vast void of space with only ninety minutes of oxygen left.

After the catastrophic destruction of the Middle East and the United States, Europe has become a utopia and, every three years, the European population must rotate into different multicultural communities, living as individuals responsible for their own actions. While living in this paradise, Max meets Carys and immediately feels a spark of attraction. He quickly realizes, however, that Carys is someone he might want to stay with long-term, which is impossible in this new world.

As their relationship plays out, the connections between their time on Earth and their present dilemma in space become clear. When their air ticks dangerously low, one is offered the chance of salvation—but who will take it? An original and daring exploration of the impact of first love and how the choices we make can change the fate of everyone around us, this is an unforgettable read.

2. Untitled (2018 title) – Amy Alward

TBA!

3. Exquisite – Sarah Stovell

Bo Luxton has it all—a loving family, a beautiful home in the Lake District, and a clutch of bestselling books to her name. Enter Alice Dark, an aspiring writer who is drifting through life, with a series of dead-end jobs and a freeloading boyfriend. When they meet at a writers’ retreat, the chemistry is instant, and a sinister relationship develops. Or does it? Breathlessly pacey, taut and terrifying, Exquisite is a startlingly original and unbalancing psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

4. Lady Be Good (Rules for the Reckless #3) – Meredith Duran

The third searing novel in the Rules for the Reckless series by Meredith Duran, the USA Today bestselling author of sexy and evocative Regency romances in the tradition of Sarah MacLean.

Catching the Lady Red-Handed

Born to a family of infamous criminals, Lilah Marshall has left behind her past and made herself into the perfect lady. Working as a hostess at Eveleigh’s, London’s premier auction house, she leads a life full of art, culture, and virtue. All her dreams are within reach—until a gorgeous and enigmatic viscount catches her in the act of one last, very reluctant theft.

Chasing One Red-Hot Passion

Christian “Kit” Stratton, Viscount Palmer, is society’s most dashing war hero. But Kit’s easy smiles hide a dark secret: he is haunted by a madman’s vow to destroy anyone he loves. When his hunt for the enemy leads to Everleigh’s Auction Rooms, he compels Lilah to help him. But one tempting touch may be their undoing—for what Kit needs threatens all Lilah holds dear, and losing her may destroy Kit.

5. Gone Again – Doug Johnstone

‘It’s just to say that no-one has come to pick Nathan up from school, and we were wondering if there was a problem of some kind?’ As Mark Douglas photographs a pod of whales stranded in the waters off Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach, he is called by his son’s school: his wife, Lauren, hasn’t turned up to collect their son. Calm at first, Mark collects Nathan and takes him home but as the hours slowly crawl by he increasingly starts to worry. With brilliantly controlled reveals, we learn some of the painful secrets of the couple’s shared past, not least that it isn’t the first time Lauren has disappeared. And as Mark struggles to care for his son and shield him from the truth of what’s going on, the police seem dangerously short of leads. That is, until a shocking discovery…

6. The Silent Companions – Laura Purcell

nspired by the work of Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill and set in a crumbling country mansion, The Silent Companions is an unsettling gothic ghost story to send a shiver down the spine…

Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge.

With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself.

Total this year: 85 books

Loose reading goals:

Read more romance: Lady Be Good
Re-read some old favourites: None
Read more classics: The Moonstone
Continue to read diverse books/books by marginalised authors: The Belles, Amy Alward’s next book
Read nonfiction: To be a Machine, Ten Days in the Madhouse
Read women: Ten Days in the Madhouse, The Belles, We Were Liars, Hold Back the Stars, Amy Alward’s next book, Exquisite, Lady Be Good, The Silent Companions

 

Festive Offer: Buy a Book as a Present, Get a Bookplate!

For a few months, I’ve had the offer that if you leave a review of any of my books on a vendor site, I’ll send you a signed bookplate as a thank you.

From now until the end of the month, if you buy a copy as a present to yourself or anyone else, simply email the proof of purchase to lauralamauthor [at] gmail [dot] com, along with the address you’d like the book plate sent to. I may include a bookmark as long as stocks last, as well! For this offer, you don’t have to leave a review. However, if you do fancy taking a few moments to write a short review, I’d be so grateful, as it’s ridiculously helpful for midlist authors like me.

Example of a signed bookplate in False Hearts

I always (half) jokingly say my books would make excellent gifts for family and friends, and this way it can be signed to be that little bit more special. This is valid for Pantomime, Shadowplay, Masquerade, False Hearts, and Shattered Minds. Learn more about my books here.

Thank you and happy holidays!

Writing Update: September and October

A delayed bi-monthly writing update!

September: A pretty busy month. The start was spent in California, and then it was back to Scotland and getting ready for the new school year at Napier and starting a PgCert in Teaching and Learning. My main writing projects this month were finishing the edit of Frozen Book and also editing the Co-Written Book. Halved or thirded the total words edited, depending on how detailed the changes were. In Frozen Book, I was changing it from first person to past, and also changing one viewpoint to a dramatic monologue, as well as characterization and plot changes, so it ended up changing a fair amount. Likewise with Seven Devils, though mostly because we were deepening worldbuilding and ensuring each chapter was focalised to a specific character. I also did a bit of nonfiction/academic work, plus did a school visit and an editing workshop.

Fiction: 30,666

Non-fiction: 4,318

Total: 34,084

October: Another month of editing both books. I finished and sent off Frozen Book, and very nearly finished Co-Written Book. Bit of academic work as well. World count was lower as sometimes I was just doing readthroughs/little tweaks, which I don’t bother counting in terms of word count. Events: a library visit, a Shoreline of Infinity event.

Fiction: 13,918

Non-fiction: 4,900

Total: 18,618

Total this year: 237,655 words

And so my usual slow and steady pace adds up to a decent chunk of words. Just one more bi-monthly update this year to go. I’m hoping to finish my current projects and see what happens with them. I’m in that weird limbo state of being (hopefully) in between contracts, whic his always a bit stressful. Next month, I’ll probably be doing a lot of plotting of new projects, which will be a nice break from what has, at times, felt like eternal editing!

Pacifica Short Stories on Kindle; Bookish Game Night in Edinburgh Nov 22nd

A few months ago, I offered the Pacifica short stories for free to those who pre-ordered Shattered Minds. Now I’ve popped them up on kindle for 99 cents (or free for Kindle Unlimited) if you fancy! Covers and blurbs below. The short version is that Bluebirds is a taster of life in the cult, told from the POV of an outsider, and Creatures looks at the price we’ll go for celebrity obsession. Both are set in near-future California, and are fine read either before or after False Hearts or Shattered Minds. Try if you like: cults, the cult of celebrity, and cyberpunk.

‘Through the Eyes of A Bluebird: A Pacifica Story’

Originally posted on tor.com

In the world of Laura Lam’s False Hearts, this mysterious little commune outside San Francisco exists in stark contrast to the biotech “perfection” of the not-too-distant future. It rejects outsiders and modernity both with irritating success, like a splinter beneath the skin, or a defiant middle finger. Those of the Hearth offer only the occasional glimpse of life within. But take care that you take nothing for granted during your visit. What you’re about to see is only the tip of a very, very deep iceberg.

Amazon US / Amazon UK (available in all territories)

Cover art design by Craig Lam.

 

‘Creatures of Celebrity: A Pacifica Story’

In the world of Laura Lam’s Shattered Minds, fame is a dream for many in the bright lights of futuristic Hollywood. The higher the social rank, the better your life. Isaac Clavell should have one of the best lives of them all–social rank in the top ten, a mansion floating above the sprawl of Los Angeles below. Yet the constant pretending has left Clavell hollow. It’s only when a fan becomes too obsessive, Clavell finds out just how much he has to lose.

Amazon US / Amazon UK (available in all territories)

Cover art design by Craig Lam.

 

If you do pick either of these up, pretty please consider leaving a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Next, I have an event with Julia Ember on November 22nd at Golden Hare Books! We will be having a great evening of literary fun and games. Please come along! It starts at 6.30 pm. More information over on Facebook.

Books Read in September

Every month I’m getting later at this. Oh well.

1. Dark Whispers (Unicorn Chronicles #3) – Bruce Coville.

In the much-anticipated third volume of the Unicorn Chronicles, Cara Diana Hunter journeys to the Valley of the Centaurs in quest of a mysterious lost story that could hold the key to the survival of the unicorns. But the price for that story may prove to be more than her heart can bear.

2. Perfume: Story of a Murderer – Patrick Suskind.

An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind’s classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man’s indulgence in his greatest passion — his sense of smell — leads to murder.

In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift — an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille’s genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the “ultimate perfume” — the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brillance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.

3. The Princess Saves Herself in This One – Amanda Lovelace.

“Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we’re off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales.”

A poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves as a note to the reader & all of humankind. Explores life & all of its love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, & inspirations.

4. Transmission and the Individual Remix: How Literature Works – Tom McCarthy (re-read)

Sub-titled “How Literature Works” this essay by the renown novelist is a provocative and entertaining work of postmodern theory that re-evaluates literature and literary meaning from Aeschylus to Kraftwerk. A VINTAGE EBOOK ORIGINAL.

Tom McCarthy is one of the most vital young voices in contemporary literature, and in this essay he identifies the signals that have been repeating, pulsing, modulating in the airspace of the novel, poem, play—in their lines, between them and around them–since each of these forms began. Tom takes us back to the Greeks and the origins of literary meaning to show that information, rather than being a natural or abstract phenomenon, is always based in artificial media–in ones and zeros, dots and dashes, signals and noise. He takes us through Ovid, Rilke, Conrad, Joyce, Beckett, and others to re-imagine the very idea of what a writer does, and what the act of writing is. Rather than praising individual creative genius, Tom re-tunes our ears to the crackle of information as it has passed through the feedback loop of literary culture.

5. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) – Leigh Bardugo

Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

After pulling off a seemingly impossible heist in the notorious Ice Court, criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker feels unstoppable. But life is about to take a dangerous turn—and with friends who are among the deadliest outcasts in Ketterdam city, Kaz is going to need more than luck to survive in this unforgiving underworld.

6. Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew – Ursula K. LeGuin

Ursula K. Le Guin generously shares the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime’s work.

7. I See You – Claire Mackintosh

The author of the award winning, smash bestseller, I Let You Go, propels readers into a dark and claustrophobic thriller, in which a normal, everyday woman becomes trapped in the confines of her normal, everyday world…

Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her…

It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her, a grainy photo along with a phone number and listing for a website called findtheone.com.

Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including rape and murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose…a discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. For now Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.

And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

Total books: 72

Loose reading goals:

Read more romance: none this month
Re-read some old favourites: Re-read Transmission for our theory class, but not sure I’d count it as a favourite…
Read more classics: Perfume
Continue to read diverse books/books by marginalised authors: Crooked Kingdom
Read nonfiction: Transmission, Steering the Craft
Read women: The Princess Saves Herself in This One, Crooked Kingdom, Steering the Craft, I See You

 

Napier Creative Writing MA Lecturer Vacancy & Sam Boyce Editing Plug

My colleague, Sam Boyce, is stepping aside from teaching on the Creative Writing MA at Napier with me and David Bishop to launch her own consultancy service. Sam is a genius (I’ve learned so much about writing from teaching alongside her for a year), so if any writers are wanting a rigorous helping hand, consider hiring her. If you’re based in Edinburgh, she’s doing two free taster sessions in Akva in November. More details here.

So, as Sam is leaving us (sob), we have a vacancy for a .5 of a full time post (direct link isn’t working for me for some reason–search for ‘lecturer’ and it’ll come up) at Napier at the Merchiston campus in Edinburgh. You’d be working with me and David in a genre-friendly, pretty darn excellent programme, if I do say so myself. More details on the role are here at the Napier website. This is our current MA Creative Writing blog (that will be transferred to the main Napier website soonish). The job advert closes on November 6th, 2017.

On the programme, we focus on theory, literary citizenship, SFF, crime, horror, YA, genre-blending, screenwriting, interactive fiction, graphic fiction, and more. Our new lecturer will help us deliver lectures and plan modules, provide one-to-one mentoring to students, participate in editorial masterclass feedback within class (instead of the traditional peer review method), and help with all that marking. So please, apply if this seems up your alley or share it with someone who would be perfect!

@Ver_acity: An interactive Halloween story

Halloween is one of my favourite times of year, and I love using it as an excuse to write something spooky. One of my older Halloween stories is “The Ghost of Gold and Grey,” which is both on Wattpad and as an audio recording through Pseudopod.

I wasn’t planning on doing anything this year, but then my friend and former student Emily Still and I were writing at the pub, and she showed me the Dear David tweets on Twitter, about a dude possibly haunted by a ghost of a child named David. We started talking about how fun it’d be to do an interactive, creepy story via Twitter, and we started brainstorming. A few days later, we did some psychogeography around Edinburgh at night, taking some creepy pictures, and then plotted out the story.

It ended up morphing into something like a Scottish Stranger Things, starring an angry, lonely queer girl named Ver, featuring witches, ghosts, tree roots, green lights, scratching behind graves, and more. Follow @ver_acity throughout October to see what she finds. If you interact with her, she’ll likely respond in character, and there’s a chance you can influence the story.

October Events

I have a few things coming up in October:

October 9th: Dunochter Library, 7 pm. For National Libraries Week, I’ll be in West Dunbarton, talking about False Hearts & Shattered Minds.

October 11th: Shoreline of Infinity, Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh, 7.30 pm. I’ll be doing a reading and also being interviewed by Ruth Booth. It’ll be a great lineup: Harry Giles, with Orcadian sci fi poetry, L-Space, with sci fi music, and Stephen Pickering on the task of a cover artist. Come along!

Writing Update: July and August

Bimonthly update! As usual, this is late.

July was pretty steady until the end of the month, when I travelled to London for YALC. I worked on: the co-written project, re-outlining Frozen Book for the second draft, and editing 18k of that next draft (word count for progress cut in half, as I usually edit twice as fast as I first draft). Very little nonfiction–jut some blog posts mainly.

Fiction: 16,652

Non-fiction: 910

Total: 17,562

August was not remotely steady, as I was travelling for most of the month (Helsinki for Worldcon, Stockholm for a few days, then California for two weeks). I managed to edit a bit of co-written project and Frozen Book but it was in a lot of fits and starts. I also read about 220,000 words of student Major Projects, which unsurprisingly cut into writing time! Nonfiction was exactly one blog post.

Fiction: 9,544

Nonfiction: 300

Total: 9,844

Total this year: 184,953 words

So far this month, I’ve still been editing away. The goal is to finish both of these projects soon and get them ready for submission. I also have to work up a couple of outlines for my next few books, and I’m also potentially pitching to write something in another medium. So lots on the burner that’ll hopefully result in more books and projects out in the world. Fingers crossed! Lecturing is also back in full swing, and I’ve also started a PgCert in Teaching and Learning. What is free time?

What are your projects over the next couple of months?