Narrelle M. Harris's Blog, page 4

No such thing as an Alpha

My Mrs Hudson werewolf story is coming to its hairy conclusion over on my Patreon. I’ve had a lot of fun playing with the werewolf tropes as well as slipping in a lot of Sherlock Holmes references, and massively enjoying writing so many cool paranormal women: Audrey Hudson, NIck Murray, Myca Holmes and Irene Adler.

Even though a general werewolf mythology is widely known – the victims turn into a wolflike monster at the full moon, they tend to kill a lot of innocent bystanders, a bite or scratch from one will pass the curse on to survivors – I still like to throw in some of my own interpretations and the occasional curve ball.

In writing The She Wolf of Baker Street, I wanted to do a few different things with a 63-year-old woman who is a part time wolf and pack leader who begins this story packless.

I also wanted to explore some ideas around the violence of humans versus the violence of nature; about violence as it pertains to grief, to anger, to cruelty and to self control; and about the affect of the moon on a post-menopausal werewolf.

Or, as Audrey Hudson likes to say, “I am not the moon’s bitch,”

Naturally, in my pursuit of understanding a bit more about wolves in the wild, I found beautiful animals who are not much related to the slavering, often mindless cursed beasts of werewolf lore.

Sure, they’re wild animals. They are predators. They hunt for food, they defend their territory. The older studies showed that the pack mentality demands a strong, usual male, leader, who will fight to gain and maintain his position of authority in the pack.

Only, thanks to a serendipitous viewing of an episode of Adam Ruins Everything, I learned recently that this is 95% bunkum.

In fact, the most famous descriptions of wolf behaviour using the “Alpha” terminology comes from the 1970 Dave Mech book The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species,

The thing is, Dave Mech is kind of annoyed about that now. His massively popular book is still in print after 50 years, despite what he calls “numerous pleas to the publisher to stop publishing it”.

Because it turns out that most wolf packs are made of up a small group of related wolves. That is, they’re a family unit. What looked like an Alpha Male was…. a father. Or a breeding male, if you want to be clinical about it. His breeding partner, the Alpha female, is pretty much just a wolfy mum.

Mech doesn’t mention werewolves at all, which is a bit of a shame, but I’ll assume he means it can apply across the divide.

Or does it? Human use of the term doesn’t stop at wolves; it’s also applied to some groups of monkeys and has been co-opted to describe human behaviour. As Adam Conover mentions in the Alpha Male sketch, many people inaccurately apply the terminology to much more complex human relationships. I know that some kinds of romance novels refer to male protagonists as ‘Alpha’ or ‘Beta’, presumably as an aid for readers who prefer once type of male protagonist over another (I almost invariably find cocky, aggressive ‘Alpha’ heroes really annoying and off-putting; I definitely prefer the more the more socially and emotionally aware so-called “Betas”, or for the more taciturn leads to evolve in that direction.)

In any case, werewolves are only part wolf, and only some of the time, so there’s still plenty of story-room to explore the nature inherent in being a wolf, and in being a human, and in being a combination of the two.

News and reviews: “The Only One in the World”

Snapshot from Good Reading Magazine

Over the last few months I’ve been chatting all over the place about The Only One in the World – and I’m utterly delighted and proud of the work of its contributors, and mine in pulling the book together, and of Clan Destine Press for taking on the pitch and guiding its literary birth!

CDP’s fabulous publicist, Carmel Shute, was instrumental in co-ordinating radio interviews, library zoom talks, and review copies winging across the country and the world.

I wanted to share some of the chats and reviews in case you wanted to hear me, and some of the other authors, talking happily about the book, the stories, our inspirations and what Sherlock Holmes and John Watson mean to us.

My favourite review to date was by The Weekend Australian, which called our lovely little book “smart, entertaining and fresh”.

Other lovely reviews include this one from Arts Hub, who called the book “sheer, unadulterated fun” and this from Tasmanian Bibliophile, who also gives a shout out to the book’s artists, Judith Rossell (cover) and Andrea L. Farley (internal art).

Many of the radio interviews I’ve done over the last few months are no longer available, but here’s a great chat I had on ABC Overnights with Trevor Chappell (getting up at Oh God o’clock in the morning – around 4am to do so). Profiling the world’s only consulting detective Sherlock Holmes.

If anyone gets Good Reading Magazine, I wrote an article about my love for Sherlock Holmes and elements of the book, which featured some great photos and our stunning Judith Rossell cover.

The most recent zoom talk was with Geelong Regional Libraries, where Lucy Sussex and I discussed Lucy’s story, “Mistress Islet and the General’s Son”, the concept of what makes Holmes Holmes, even when Holmes is female, Russian, a medieval Viking or an AI.

New: Clan Improbable on YouTube

Clan Destine Press and its daughter, Improbable Press, have also begun a new YouTube channel, Clan Improbable. The channel contains author readings, writing and publishing advice, and (in future) panels and other video content. If you want to stay up to date and hear about new projects and get delicious little samplers of books and anthologies, subscribe!

Quintette of Questions: Julie Bozza

Quintette asks writers five quick questions. This week’s interview is with:

Julie Bozza

1. What’s the name of your latest book – and how hard was it to pick a title?

Writ in Blood. The title has been that for as long as I remember, so I guess it must have been easy to choose! I’m riffing off the poet John Keats’ self-chosen epitaph: “Here lies one whose name was writ in water.”

Back when I first started this novel, I only knew the legendary Johnny Ringo, and I assumed his epitaph was written in the blood of others. As I came to know more about the man himself, I decided it was more likely written in his own blood. The title remained as it was regardless

2. If you could choose anyone from any time period, who would you cast as the leads in your latest book?

That’s kind of tricky to answer because the three main characters are based on real people (John Ringo, Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp) and I was inspired by the film Tombstone, which had a superb cast (Michael Biehn, Val Kilmer, Kurt Russell). To add a third set of names seems a tad redundant!

On the other hand, the script of Tombstone and writer-director Kevin Jarre’s vision for it, were amazing! It was such a great film… but I am haunted by the thought that it could have been even better. The notion of a remake that would return to the original script is just so enticing… But who to cast? It’s tempting to go for Kurt’s son Wyatt Russell for Wyatt Earp. Then wouldn’t Ben Whishaw do a marvellous job as Doc Holliday? And… oh… this is tough… but let’s go for the best: Oscar Isaac for John Ringo

3. What five words best describe your story?

Historic. Hauntings. Hungers. Heroes. Hope

4. Who is your favourite fictional team/couple?

A different bunch of cowboys: Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers

5. What song reflects a theme, character, relationship or scene in your book?

“Buena” by Morphine. Anachronistic, of course, but it’s Johnny Ringo’s song.

About Writ in Blood

Courage. Honor. Loyalty. All fine things, but they’ve led John Ringo to kill a man. He was raised right and he knows he’s not a murderer, but otherwise he’s a mystery even to himself. Doc Holliday claims to have some insights, but Doc is too devoted to Wyatt Earp to spare much attention for the man who’s already lost his soul. Which leaves Johnny Ringo prey to the distractions of a demon. Imaginary or not, if this creature abandons him, too, then surely his sanity is forfeit – and what will his life be worth then?

This Queer Weird West novel follows these three along the complex trails that lead into and out of Tombstone, Arizona in 1881

Buy Writ in Blood

From the author’s websiteUniversal Buy Link

About Julie Bozza

Julie Bozza is an Aussie-Anglo hybrid empowered by writing, fuelled by espresso, calmed by knitting, overexcited by photography, and madly in love with Amy Adams and John Keats.

Social Media

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Narrelle M Harris at Terror Australis, 27-28 November 2021

I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the Terror Australis International Crime and Mystery Digital Festival on 27-28 November 2021.

Due to the pandemic, TAF2021 | CSI: TASMANIA is online again this year, which means it’s accessible to anyone with a laptop and a ticket!

Speaking of tickets…

The convenors of TAF2021 are offering a special Earlybird rate! Buy a Digital Weekend Pass soonand get a 25% discount to attend the festival.

That means it’s only $90 (AUD$90 / US$65 / UK£48) for access to

15+ in-depth Author Interviews and Author Discussion Panels4 festival-wide Book Parties13 exclusive Book Clubs^ with the authors of the books7 Writing Mini Masterclasses^35+ crime and mystery authors.

^Two complimentary clubs or classes per pass, subject to availability.

At that price, each of the 15 author interviews and panel discussions costs just $6 a session.

I’m taking part in the fabulous crime and mystery book shenanigans with:

Day 1 – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: a panel discussion on the many versions of Sherlock Holmes, with fellow panelists Atlin Merrick, Clan Destine Press publisher, Lindy Cameron, and wonderful Tasmanian crime authors L.J.M. Owen and Tansy Rayner Roberts.Day 2 –Mini Masterclass: Writing and Editing Anthologies: come and ask me anything about commissioning, editing and writing for anthologies.

I’m not vain enough to think you’d sign up just for me! As an attendee, wherever you are in the world, you can pick the delicious brains of over 35 Australian, New Zealand and international crime authors! These include:

David Heska Wanbli Weiden; Ann Cleves, Val McDermic, Liz Nugent, Garry Disher, Abir Mukherjee, Candice Fox, Anita Heiss, Sulari Gentill, Meg Keneally, Naomi Hirahara, Katherine Kovacic and more!

For writers, you can have access to some terrific mini masterclasses as well, from ways to get published, writing action scenes, and crowdfunding for writers.

But wait… there’s more!

As an extra special enticement, TAF2021 | CSI: TASMANIA is offering special booklover gift packs for the first 100 people who buy a Digital Weekend Pass to the Festival.

There is so much to love at this online festival, and it would be delightful if you’d join us there, whether you want to pick up writing tips at the mini masterclasses, or listen to some of the world’s best crime writers talk about their craft.

Get your Earlybird ticket while you can at Sticky Tickets!

Introducing: Narrelle Harris Writing Services

I’ve been offering writing services – including talks and workshops, editing and proofreading, manuscript assessment and mentoring – for a few years now. With the changing work landscape I’ve decided to formalise all the different services I can provide in a new business.

Narrelle Harris Writing Services

Even if you’re not in the market for an editor or mentor, I’ll be blogging regularly at the site about writing matters, from grammar issues to dealing with the business of writing. Recent posts include:

Flash FictionWriter InsecurityMaritime-based language

You can sign up to be notified when a new post comes out.

You can also sign up at the site or right here for the quarterly Notes in the Margins newsletter – and as a thank you, you get a free copy of Wording: a compilation of some of my essays on writing, editing, research and getting published. It also includes some step-by-step guides on using research tools like Evernote and My Google Maps.

So pop on over to Larking and see if anything there can help to spark your writing – and please leave a comment here or at Larking if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover!

Cover reveal – Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging, Volume Blue

I’m so happy to share with you the cover of the new Improbable Press anthology, Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging, Volume Blue! 

The anthology is due out in December, but it’s available for pre-order now.  

I have a lovely little flash fic in this volume called “The Volcano and the Butterfly”.  I’ve seen a few of the other stories too, which are amazing. I recommend them both!

The Blurb

Tales for those who never outgrew goosebumps

Here are stories for lovers of el chupacabras and hulders, griffins and gargoyles.

Here be darkly cheery tales of ancient creatures beneath still waters, in the attic, or the shadows right by the bed.

Herein an autistic hiker meets a cryptid who wants her camera; a Japanese tanuki seeks his fox daughter; and two women fall in love, never mind one’s a swamp monster.

Here be stories of changelings, nix, and demons adopted, of hungry kraken and cryptids we’d see if only, if only we looked into treetops, behind doors, or in our own back gardens.

Here there be monsters.

Thank all the gods.

But wait, there’s more!

It has a companion volume, Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging, Volume Silver, which will come out in February 2022 and it too can be pre-ordered.  

In fact, if you pre-order both volumes in hardback or paperback, you will even get a discount!

Buy both Dark Cheer volumes in hardback or paperback and receive an automatic 20% discount!

So if you enjoy cryptids, and a little cheeriness with your darkness, get in early and discover your creepy, happy place!

Quintette of Questions: Gillian Polack

Today I ask Gillian Polack five questions about her new book!

1. What’s the name of your latest book – and how hard was it to pick a title?

The Green Children Help Out. It was sadly simple to find this title. I actually asked the publisher if it needed changing, because it was my working title (as a joke, to myself) and I never expected that it would be the final title. I often change the titles of novels as I work on them, to reflect what I’m thinking at the time. Its first draft title was Tsarfat.

2. If you could choose anyone from any time period, who would you cast as the leads in your latest book?

Data: Millie Bobby Brown or Margot Robbie

David: Lawrence Ong

Ari: Eva Green

Big Ben: Hermione Gingold

3. What five words best describe your story?

Superheroes, magic, daft, folkstuff, love

4. Who is your favourite fictional team/couple?

Harriet Vane and Lord Peter WImsey (from the books by Jill Paton Walsh), purely because of the Latin.

5. What song reflects a theme, character, relationship or scene in your book?

Disturbed’s cover of The Sound of Silence.

About The Green Children Help Out

In an old tunnel under France, a door leads to a tiny pocket universe called Tsarfat. If you survive the passage through that door, you will become an Envoy to an Earth that’s just a bit different from ours. Earth2 not only has many kinds of magic, it has government offices to regulate that magic.

Once you’re through the door, people will call you a Green Child, or a superhero. So many of your dreams will come true.

Something is very wrong on Earth2. The Green Children are dying. Pits full of fire and brimstone are opening in churches. Doors into a Nazi-ruled universe are appearing.

The Green Children and their friends at the Offices of the Non-Natural Environment have two new tasks: to save themselves … and the world.

Buy The Green Children Help Out

Madness Heart PressAmazon Australia

About Gillian Polack

Dr Gillian Polack is a Jewish-Australian science fiction and fantasy writer, researcher and editor and is the winner of the 2020 A Bertram Chandler Award. The Green Children Help Out is her newest novel. The Year of the Fruit Cake won the 2020 Ditmar for best novel and was shortlisted for best SF novel in the Aurealis Awards. She wrote the first Australian Jewish fantasy novel (The Wizardry of Jewish Women). Gillian is a Medievalist/ethnohistorian, currently working on how novels transmit culture. Her work on how writers use history in their fiction (History and Fiction) was shortlisted for the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review.

Social Media

Website: https://gillianpolack.com/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gillian.polack/Twitter https://twitter.com/GillianPolackPatreon https://www.patreon.com/GillianPolack

New Release: Who Sleuthed It?

I’m delighted to announce that the Clan Destine Press anthology has hit the stands! Who Sleuthed It? is full of delightful stories about animals solving puzzles, mysteries and crimes – sometimes with a human companion!

Along with writers like Kerry Greenwood, Meg Keneally, Livia Day, Fin J Ross and GV Pearce, Who Sleuthed It? contains my story “Blood and Bone”, a sequel to “Virgin Soil”, which appeared in And Then… Volume 1.

The entire ToC includes:

Atlin Merrick
Chuck McKenzie
CJ McGumbleberry
Craig Hilton
David Greagg
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Fin J Ross
GV Pearce
Jack Fennell

Kat Clay
Kerry Greenwood
Lindy Cameron
Livia Day
LJM Owen
Louisa Bennet
Meg Keneally
Narrelle M Harris
Tor Roxburgh
Vikki Petraitis

With this gorgeous wraparound cover illustrated by Judith Rossell

You can get the anthology in hardback, paperback or ebook directly from Clan Destine Press, or check your preferred online bookseller.

And if you’d like some sneak previews, head on over to Clan Destine Press and Improbable Press’s new YouTube channel – Clan Improbable – where you can find authors reading extracts of this and other anthologies, and writers and editors alike will share advice on writing, editing and publishing.

Irish author, Jack Fennell, is the first author to read from Who Sleuthed It? with an extract from “The Phantom and the Fox”!

Quintette of Questions: Tim Richards

Cover of Heading South

Today I’m asking Tim Richards 5 questions about his new book!

1. What’s the name of your latest book – and how hard was it to pick a title?

Heading South: Far North Queensland to Western Australia by Rail. The Heading South part came to me as a synonym for the failing career which had fuelled the desire to do the journey. I had to fight for it with the publisher though (well, justify it with more ‘south’ references in the text. There’s quite a lot of westward travel too).

2. What five words best describe your story?

Trains, people, landscapes, cities, history.

3. What historical time period/fictional world would you most like to visit?

‘Marvellous Melbourne’, that is Melbourne in the 1880s. It was at the height of its powers then, Australia’s pre-eminent city and a place of outstanding wealth and confidence. It’d be good to be back there, strolling ‘The Block’ in my finest threads on a Saturday, then dropping into EW Cole’s extravagant Book Arcade before ending up at the palatial Grand Coffee Palace (now the Hotel Windsor) on Spring Street for coffee and cake.

4. What kind of transport – fictional or real – would you most like to try?

I’ve been in many trains from fast to slow, buses, ferries, ships, aircraft, seaplanes, helicopters, and on horses and camels – but I’ve never been in a hot-air balloon. Probably should do that one next.

5. What song reflects a theme, character, relationship or scene in your book?

For Heading South, has to be Don’t Stop Believing by Journey – particularly for the line:

He took the midnight train goin’ anywhere.

About Heading South

Freelance travel writer and Lonely Planet guidebook contributor Tim Richards decides to shake up his life by taking an epic rail journey across Australia. Jumping aboard iconic trains like the Indian Pacific, Overland and Spirit of Queensland, he covers over 7,000 kilometres, from the tropics to the desert and from big cities to ghost towns. Tim’s journey is one of classic travel highs and lows: floods, cancellations, extraordinary landscapes and forays into personal and public histories – as well as the steady joy of random strangers encountered along the way.

Buy Heading South

Fremantle Press

About Tim Richards

Tim Richards is a freelance travel writer whose work has appeared in publications around the world, including Lonely Planet’s guidebooks. He fell into travel writing after living and teaching in Egypt and Poland, and is especially drawn to the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. He’s a light-packing obsessive, and loves chasing down a story with a historical angle. He lives in Melbourne’s lively central business district with his novelist wife, Narrelle M. Harris.

Social Media

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Bunch of Fives with L.A. Larkin

This is a Quintette of Questions for a crime novel, and today’s guest is L.A. Larkin!

1. What’s the name of your latest crime book – and how did you come up with the title?

Widow’s Island is the title of my new crime-thriller. The decision on the title was a hard one and I was lucky to have a publisher happy to discuss it with me. I have always wanted to set a thriller on an island because it’s a great way to isolate the main character. It is also important to the story that Stephanie Miller is a grieving widow who moves to the island with her teenage daughter to make a new start. But as soon as they arrive there, sinister things start happening. Hence we arrived at the title Widow’s Island.

2. Which of your characters do you want to have your back in a fight?

T.J. Samson, for sure! He’s a special agent with the FBI. A thoughtful man, with a conscience and a good heart, as well as the skills needed to hunt serial killers.

3. Which one would you pull a heist with?

I wouldn’t!

4. In your dream film of the book, which one actor would you like to cast, and in which role?

Stephanie Miller is 39 years old and shy, but she will find a courage she never knew she had when she must save the life of her daughter. As Widow’s Island is set in America I would like suggest

5. What should be this book’s theme song?

The theme song for Widow’s Island should be The Police – Every Breath You Take:

About Widow’s Island

Her heart beats fast in her chest as she cautiously opens the front door and takes in the smashed plates on the floor and the upended furniture. She follows the trail of red droplets on the floor, knowing what she’s about to find. Knowing that something terrible has happened…

Stephanie Miller is an average working mom. She isn’t perfect, but when her war hero husband dies and her work as a scientist puts her in news headlines, her past laid bare for all to see, she’s determined to make a new life for herself and teenage daughter, Amy. But she fears it’s only a matter of time before the biggest mistake of her life is revealed.

As Stephanie and Amy take refuge on a remote island in Washington, it feels like they’re learning how to live again. But then they come home to graffiti on their garage door, there’s no escaping the hate online, and Stephanie is sure someone is watching from the shadows outside their house.

When someone close to Stephanie is murdered in cold blood, she knows her worst fears have come true. Someone knows the truth. And she must become the fighter her husband always knew her to be if she is to protect her daughter, and everything left in the world that she loves.

Buy Widow’s Island

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08Z3WJGWPsocial Apple: http://ow.ly/7YhP50E0DhN  Kobo: http://ow.ly/FF9u50E0TmmGoogle: http://ow.ly/YrRi50E0Tns 

About L.A. Larkin

L.A. Larkin’s crime-thrillers have won her fans all over the world. Described as a superb ‘chiller thriller’ writer by Marie Claire magazine, and praised by the king of crime, Lee Child, Louisa likes to write stories with lots of plot twists and characters that surprise. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and teaches creative writing with the Australian Writers’ Centre. She has been on the organizing committees of the prestigious Ned Kelly Awards and Sisters In Crime NSW.

Louisa also writes dog detective mysteries under the pseudonym of Louisa Bennet.

Social Media

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