Dave Higgins's Blog, page 105

Going into the Nitty Gritty

This Saturday, I will be co-hosting the first ever episode of the Nitty Gritty Writing podcast with Simon Cantan. The show will be about writing and publishing from the perspective of people who aren’t big names in author-publishing. Over the weeks, we’ll be sharing our own journeys as authors, what we’re trying at the moment, […]

Skies Bring Calms and Storms

David Bowie’s death (hopefully) had a different resonance for me than many other fans of his art. I’ve spent the last week considering whether or not to talk about that. As it might help someone, I’ve decided to share my thoughts: it’s fine not to be feel something more deeply because of circumstances. My parents […]

Generation Why by Nicholas Gagnier

Defining a generation more by a feeling than by happenstance of age, Gagnier speaks to those who have grown into lives of comfort but not meaning. In an attack more melancholy than brutal – yet no less effective – he exposes both risk and solution without reducing individuals solely to their generation. This collection contains […]

Immerse or Die Story Bundle 2015

Originally posted on mishaburnett:
I’ve mentioned Jefferson Smith’s Immerse Or Die Report before. The concept is brutal in its simplicity.  Every morning he takes a self-published novel or story collection and gets on his treadmill for forty minutes. When he runs across something that breaks immersion–unclear syntax, wooden dialogue, boring exposition, pretty much anything that…

Mischief Continued

Last weekend was the third anniversary of them moving in. In celebration, they spent the day sleeping on us, bunting at us, and playing cat chess. So, much like any other day. As I was under cats, I couldn’t post on the day, so here’s a belated celebration of their first three years here. From […]

Darkfire by Garrett Robinson

Continuing his careful mixture of epic fantasy background with character-driven detail, Robinson has produced another tale that will appeal to both fans of high fantasy and low. This novel is the third in the Nightblade Volumes. As such the review contains probably spoilers. Following Xain’s public use of darkfire to overcome a group of Mystics, […]

To Travel Hopefully

This isn’t terrible; and the branding isn’t that noticeable. What he did omit of course was that much of the 5% of conversation that isn’t weather involves irony or understatement.

State of the Dave

The first post of January is a common time for posting a round-up of the previous year or resolutions for the coming one. And who am I to break with tradition? Especially as it was a good year for me last year. However, it is also a common time for people to suffer from depression. […]

It’s the Least Light Time of the Year

Happy Solstice, curious persons. Before the echoes of Solstice will have quieted, the arbitrary division of time will loom. So, barring exceptional events, the blog will be on holiday until January 2016. To fill the empty moments until then, I recommend Loren Eaton’s Advent Ghosts 2015; a collection of micro-stories, perfect for a quick festive […]

Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth

Layering nuances of historical behaviour and belief over a common core of human experience, Elizabeth creates a fantasy tale that focuses more on the search for wisdom than the search for power. This story interweaves three narratives, linked by Witchwood Hollow, but separated by hundreds of years: in the modern day, Honoria, recently moved to […]