Jessica Rydill's Blog, page 21
July 29, 2014
The Glass Mountain - Launch date
The Glass Mountain
Originally published by Orbit Books in 2002, The Glass Mountain received good reviews. Writing in The Guardian at the time, Jon Courtenay Grimwood said:
Rydill does clever things with fantasy, stripping away some traditional trappings and entering a dark and disturbing world that could be the far future or an alternative to our world, or might just be plain other.http://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/dec/21/featuresreviews.guardianreview30
The Glass Mountain was never published in the States. It will therefore be available there for the first time as an eBook from Amazon and of course Barnes and Noble, Kobo, the iBook Store and Google Play. I have revised it to some extent, mainly for continuity reasons.
I have now got a launch date for the book: 11th August. I'll be updating the blog with more info nearer the date.
This new edition is subtitled 'A story of power, magic and revenge.' Here is a teaser:
Grebenshikov sat down with his back to the window, behind a desk that seemed to rise like a slab of monumental stone. On its surface were a blotter, covered with ink blots and scrawls, a spelter inkwell and pen-tray, and a gun. With a murmur of embarrassment, Grebenshikov picked up the pistol before Annat had time to examine it, and slipped it into a leather holster that he wore over his shoulder, so that the weapon tucked under his armpit. A shaman with a gun! Annat knew many fighting shamans, and few of them deigned to arm themselves. It must mean that Grebenshikov had little confidence in his powers.
(Read more about the shaman world in my guest blog for Michael Patrick Hicks here: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/07/28/guest-post-jessica-rydill-author-of-the-shamanworld-series/ )
July 28, 2014
Speculative Fiction Blog Hop - new - and guest post over at Michael Patrick Hicks
There is a new post in the Writing Process/Speculative Fiction Blog Tour.
The latest blog on the writing process comes from Cora Buhlert: The Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
Cora was born and bred in North Germany, where she lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Visit her on the web atwww.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.
Here's a teaser!
Also, I'm delighted to be guesting on the blog of Michael Patrick Hicks, author of Convergence. Will update when the post goes live!
Convergence is an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2013 Quarter-Finalist, and a Kobo Next Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reads Selection, May 2014.
List of forthcoming author posts:
August 4 Kevin Hardman
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(Date to be arranged) Vincent Trigili(Date to be arranged) Carole McDonnell
(There are more authors scheduled!)
Previous posts:
Jessica Rydill: http://livinginthemaniototo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/speculative-fiction-writing-process.html
Jamie Maltman: http://www.jamiemaltman.com/2014/07/14/writing-process-blog-tour/
Marilyn Peake: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593691-speculative-fiction-blog-hop
Nic Wilson: http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
RJ Crayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://sandrakwilliams.net/?p=360
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Elle Chambers: http://indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
William D. Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
(Thanks to Sandra K. Williams for the updated list.)
The latest blog on the writing process comes from Cora Buhlert: The Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
Cora was born and bred in North Germany, where she lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Visit her on the web atwww.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.
Here's a teaser!
...speculative fiction has always been my first literary love, since it was the genre I latched on to, when I grew out of children’s books and made the switch to adult books (there was very little YA in those days and ever less worth reading). In particular, I fell in love with science fiction, mostly Golden Age classics as well as some 1980s works.
Also, I'm delighted to be guesting on the blog of Michael Patrick Hicks, author of Convergence. Will update when the post goes live!
Convergence is an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award 2013 Quarter-Finalist, and a Kobo Next Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reads Selection, May 2014.
List of forthcoming author posts:
August 4 Kevin Hardman
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(Date to be arranged) Vincent Trigili(Date to be arranged) Carole McDonnell
(There are more authors scheduled!)
Previous posts:
Jessica Rydill: http://livinginthemaniototo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/speculative-fiction-writing-process.html
Jamie Maltman: http://www.jamiemaltman.com/2014/07/14/writing-process-blog-tour/
Marilyn Peake: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593691-speculative-fiction-blog-hop
Nic Wilson: http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
RJ Crayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://sandrakwilliams.net/?p=360
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Elle Chambers: http://indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
William D. Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
(Thanks to Sandra K. Williams for the updated list.)
July 26, 2014
The progress of a mediaeval murder mystery: David Coles and Jack Everett
I have known David Coles for some years, since we met on a writing course at Fen Farm, taught by the late, great David Gemmell and run by well-known author Sally Worboyes. The course on writing fantasy fiction was something of an epiphany for me and I kept in touch with several of the other attendees.
David writes several kinds of genre fiction with a friend, Jack Everett. They have a writing partnership of some years standing and have produced a number of titles. At the moment, they are published by Acclaimed Books, amongst others. They mainly write thrillers, science fiction and fantasy. Like many indie authors, they wear a number of different hats and appear under different pseudonyms.
In a new post on their blog. Archimedes Presse UK, David writes about the vicissitudes that have fallen one of their books, originally titled 'The Abbot and the Acolyte.' The novel is a mediaeval mystery like the Brother Cadfael stories written by Ellis Peters, but much more humorous.
The story is being brought out in a new, revised edition by Acclaimed Books, with the title 'Murderous Intentions'. It has been through a number of incarnations, but I read some of the early drafts and was struck by the dry wit that characterised the relationship between the Abbot and his younger apprentice.
You can read the full account of the book's genesis on David and Jack's blog here: A New Book and its history - a Cautionary Tale.
David writes several kinds of genre fiction with a friend, Jack Everett. They have a writing partnership of some years standing and have produced a number of titles. At the moment, they are published by Acclaimed Books, amongst others. They mainly write thrillers, science fiction and fantasy. Like many indie authors, they wear a number of different hats and appear under different pseudonyms.
In a new post on their blog. Archimedes Presse UK, David writes about the vicissitudes that have fallen one of their books, originally titled 'The Abbot and the Acolyte.' The novel is a mediaeval mystery like the Brother Cadfael stories written by Ellis Peters, but much more humorous.
The story is being brought out in a new, revised edition by Acclaimed Books, with the title 'Murderous Intentions'. It has been through a number of incarnations, but I read some of the early drafts and was struck by the dry wit that characterised the relationship between the Abbot and his younger apprentice.
You can read the full account of the book's genesis on David and Jack's blog here: A New Book and its history - a Cautionary Tale.
July 20, 2014
Speculative fiction writing process blog hop!
I've never done a blog hop before, and I found out about this one through KBoards, where there is an excellent thread called the Speculative Fiction High Five Circle in the Writer's Cafe. I have been posting links to all the previous 'hoppers' and now my time has come (argh).
I have been tagged by Jamie Maltman, author of Brush with Darkness . Jamie writes historically-inspired fantasy from his home near Toronto in Canada.
Brush With Darkness is Book I in his Arts Reborn series, which explores the impact of magic returning to a world a lot like the Mediterranean in the time of the Roman Republic.
Book II: Blood of the Water comes out later this month, and Jamie is also working on a short story for an anthology in the world of The Dream Engine .
The brief for writers doing the blog hop is as follows: in each post, the author will answer four questions about the writing process:
1. What am I working on?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. Why do I write what I do?
4. How does my writing process work?
1. What am I working on?
I'm writing a much-revised novel, Winterbloom, which is Book 4 in my Shamanworld series. It has been causing me problems because it started life as a Sherlock fan-fic, based on the BBC series written by Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat. I'm afraid fan-fic is not my strong suit and my attempt to merge it with my shamanworld 'verse didn't work.
Sherlock Holmes has been done too often and too well recently. I wanted to have Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Watson in my world, but they are too strong as characters. So I had to go back to the drawing board and find a new way of telling the story. In the end, I replaced them with Dido Trevelyan and Camilla Carfax, a pair of time-travelling female detectives, who disturb the main character in the middle of the night (something that keeps happening to her).
The main character is Yuste Vasilyevich, who first appears in Children of the Shaman. She's the twin sister of the more charismatic Yuda, and she has to deal with a lot of issues that result from being a twin, a shaman, and a woman. So when Camilla and Dido arrive, she's eager to go with them to assist in their quest - but ends up taking along her mother and her niece.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I suppose it's still slightly unusual to find fantasy with strong elements from Jewish culture and folklore. There are some outstanding examples - Michael Chabon, author of Kavalier and Klay, Helen Wecker, author of The Golem and the Jinni - which is historical fantasy.
My books are set in alternative version of this world where magic is allied to steam-powered technology. My main characters are Wanderers and in their world they are the equivalent of the Jews. The world itself is out of sync in that there has been a Mini Ice-age (like the one that hit Europe in the late Middle Ages). So parts of the world are stuck in Mediaeval times, while other countries have reached the industrial revolution.
The books are a steampunk/mediaeval mash-up. There are no Dark Lords. There are bisexual and gay characters, and the characters are quite diverse. I didn't set out to make them that way deliberately - they just were. Because of the Ice Age - the Great Cold - lots of people from other countries ended up living in the south of Lefranu, which is like France.
3. Why do I write what I do?
It's a compulsion! I suppose I always wanted to write. My sister, the writer Sarah Ash, used to read me the stories that she wrote. And we used to play games and my Gran used to invent stories too. Our parents used to read a lot themselves, and they read to us.
I think I was doomed from the moment my sister read me The Hobbit when I was recovering from the measles, aged 7. When I was younger, the worlds of Tolkien and C S Lewis were pretty real for me. I've always invented worlds. To begin with they were about cars! (Based on Dinky Toys, not the Disney Cars). I think we create imaginary worlds in order to deal with (and escape from) difficult circumstances.
My first grown up stories were about King Richard III. Then in about 1976, a character called Sophie Vassilievich (spelled thusly) popped into my head. It wasn't until 1980, when I went on a volunteer work-camp restoring a church in the South of France that my characters - and world - started to crystallise. It took me a long time to work through the basis of the story, and it wasn't until 1999 that I found an agent and (gasp!) a publisher.
I write about the Vasilyevich family, who have been inhabiting my head since about 1980 - together with their friends, relations and enemies.
4. How does my writing process work?
This is a tricky question to answer. I tend to either write using a pen and a notebook (must be spiral bound) or to type on my laptop. I would like to say that I had a system but at the moment I tend to write in bursts. Things like depression and anxiety play merry hell with my writing abilities, and so far this year we have had a succession of disasters, from a landslide outside our house to my mother-in-law going into hospital with a stroke. So there have been lots of interruptions.
I like to have a rough idea of the scene that I'm planning to write. But the most important thing is imagination. One can sketch things out and amplify them afterwards.
The other, the most important thing, is editing. I sometimes forget how essential this is and have released things on an unsuspecting world that had been insufficiently edited. I am concerned about spelling and grammar, but beyond that I get upset by what I call 'plonking' prose. My own prose often plonks horrendously until edited. (Some might say it also plonks after, but I hope not!).
My main weakness is probably plotting. I know that there are writers whose style may not be brilliant, but whose plotting and ability to write a gripping yarn is unmatched. There are also people whose style is a pleasure to read in itself.
It's been great fun doing this and reading the other posts. There are very interesting writers coming up! Big thanks to Heidi Garrett for co-ordinating this on the Kboards.
Next in line is Cora Buhlert, who was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD. She has been writing since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Visit her on the web at www.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.
Her blog address is: http://corabuhlert.com and she will be taking up the thread on 27th July with her contribution to the Speculative Fiction writing process blog hop!
I have been tagged by Jamie Maltman, author of Brush with Darkness . Jamie writes historically-inspired fantasy from his home near Toronto in Canada.
Brush With Darkness is Book I in his Arts Reborn series, which explores the impact of magic returning to a world a lot like the Mediterranean in the time of the Roman Republic.
Book II: Blood of the Water comes out later this month, and Jamie is also working on a short story for an anthology in the world of The Dream Engine .
The brief for writers doing the blog hop is as follows: in each post, the author will answer four questions about the writing process:
1. What am I working on?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. Why do I write what I do?
4. How does my writing process work?
1. What am I working on?
I'm writing a much-revised novel, Winterbloom, which is Book 4 in my Shamanworld series. It has been causing me problems because it started life as a Sherlock fan-fic, based on the BBC series written by Mark Gatiss and Stephen Moffat. I'm afraid fan-fic is not my strong suit and my attempt to merge it with my shamanworld 'verse didn't work.
Sherlock Holmes has been done too often and too well recently. I wanted to have Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Watson in my world, but they are too strong as characters. So I had to go back to the drawing board and find a new way of telling the story. In the end, I replaced them with Dido Trevelyan and Camilla Carfax, a pair of time-travelling female detectives, who disturb the main character in the middle of the night (something that keeps happening to her).
The main character is Yuste Vasilyevich, who first appears in Children of the Shaman. She's the twin sister of the more charismatic Yuda, and she has to deal with a lot of issues that result from being a twin, a shaman, and a woman. So when Camilla and Dido arrive, she's eager to go with them to assist in their quest - but ends up taking along her mother and her niece.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I suppose it's still slightly unusual to find fantasy with strong elements from Jewish culture and folklore. There are some outstanding examples - Michael Chabon, author of Kavalier and Klay, Helen Wecker, author of The Golem and the Jinni - which is historical fantasy.
My books are set in alternative version of this world where magic is allied to steam-powered technology. My main characters are Wanderers and in their world they are the equivalent of the Jews. The world itself is out of sync in that there has been a Mini Ice-age (like the one that hit Europe in the late Middle Ages). So parts of the world are stuck in Mediaeval times, while other countries have reached the industrial revolution.
The books are a steampunk/mediaeval mash-up. There are no Dark Lords. There are bisexual and gay characters, and the characters are quite diverse. I didn't set out to make them that way deliberately - they just were. Because of the Ice Age - the Great Cold - lots of people from other countries ended up living in the south of Lefranu, which is like France.
3. Why do I write what I do?
It's a compulsion! I suppose I always wanted to write. My sister, the writer Sarah Ash, used to read me the stories that she wrote. And we used to play games and my Gran used to invent stories too. Our parents used to read a lot themselves, and they read to us.
I think I was doomed from the moment my sister read me The Hobbit when I was recovering from the measles, aged 7. When I was younger, the worlds of Tolkien and C S Lewis were pretty real for me. I've always invented worlds. To begin with they were about cars! (Based on Dinky Toys, not the Disney Cars). I think we create imaginary worlds in order to deal with (and escape from) difficult circumstances.
My first grown up stories were about King Richard III. Then in about 1976, a character called Sophie Vassilievich (spelled thusly) popped into my head. It wasn't until 1980, when I went on a volunteer work-camp restoring a church in the South of France that my characters - and world - started to crystallise. It took me a long time to work through the basis of the story, and it wasn't until 1999 that I found an agent and (gasp!) a publisher.
I write about the Vasilyevich family, who have been inhabiting my head since about 1980 - together with their friends, relations and enemies.
4. How does my writing process work?
This is a tricky question to answer. I tend to either write using a pen and a notebook (must be spiral bound) or to type on my laptop. I would like to say that I had a system but at the moment I tend to write in bursts. Things like depression and anxiety play merry hell with my writing abilities, and so far this year we have had a succession of disasters, from a landslide outside our house to my mother-in-law going into hospital with a stroke. So there have been lots of interruptions.
I like to have a rough idea of the scene that I'm planning to write. But the most important thing is imagination. One can sketch things out and amplify them afterwards.
The other, the most important thing, is editing. I sometimes forget how essential this is and have released things on an unsuspecting world that had been insufficiently edited. I am concerned about spelling and grammar, but beyond that I get upset by what I call 'plonking' prose. My own prose often plonks horrendously until edited. (Some might say it also plonks after, but I hope not!).
My main weakness is probably plotting. I know that there are writers whose style may not be brilliant, but whose plotting and ability to write a gripping yarn is unmatched. There are also people whose style is a pleasure to read in itself.
It's been great fun doing this and reading the other posts. There are very interesting writers coming up! Big thanks to Heidi Garrett for co-ordinating this on the Kboards.
Next in line is Cora Buhlert, who was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD. She has been writing since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Visit her on the web at www.corabuhlert.com or follow her on Twitter under @CoraBuhlert.
Her blog address is: http://corabuhlert.com and she will be taking up the thread on 27th July with her contribution to the Speculative Fiction writing process blog hop!
July 14, 2014
New week - next Speculative Fiction Blog Hop! Updated list
There is a new post in the Writing Process/Speculative Fiction Blog Tour.
The latest post on the writing process comes from Jamie Maltman, whose web-site is here: www.jamiemaltman.com
Here is Jamie's blog on the writing process! http://www.jamiemaltman.com/2014/07/14/writing-process-blog-tour/
Jamie is the author of the historical fantasy series, Arts Reborn, which explores the impact of magic returning to a world a lot like the Mediterranean in the time of the Roman Republic. Brush With Darkness is book I in the series.
I will be posting myself next week...watch this space! And on 27th July, Cora Buhlert will take up the baton.
List of forthcoming author posts:
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th Cora Buhlert
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(Date to be arranged) Vincent Trigili
(Date to be arranged) Carole McDonnell
(This is not a definitive list - there are more authors scheduled!)
Previous posts:
Marilyn Peake: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593691-speculative-fiction-blog-hop
Nic Wilson: http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
RJ Crayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://sandrakwilliams.net/?p=360
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Elle Chambers: http://indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
William D. Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
(Thanks to Sandra K. Williams for the updated list.)
The latest post on the writing process comes from Jamie Maltman, whose web-site is here: www.jamiemaltman.com
Here is Jamie's blog on the writing process! http://www.jamiemaltman.com/2014/07/14/writing-process-blog-tour/
Jamie is the author of the historical fantasy series, Arts Reborn, which explores the impact of magic returning to a world a lot like the Mediterranean in the time of the Roman Republic. Brush With Darkness is book I in the series.
I will be posting myself next week...watch this space! And on 27th July, Cora Buhlert will take up the baton.
List of forthcoming author posts:
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th Cora Buhlert
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(Date to be arranged) Vincent Trigili
(Date to be arranged) Carole McDonnell
(This is not a definitive list - there are more authors scheduled!)
Previous posts:
Marilyn Peake: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593691-speculative-fiction-blog-hop
Nic Wilson: http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
RJ Crayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://sandrakwilliams.net/?p=360
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Elle Chambers: http://indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
William D. Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
(Thanks to Sandra K. Williams for the updated list.)
New week - next Writing Process Blog Hop! Updated list
There is a new post in the Writing Process/Speculative Fiction Blog Tour.
The latest post on the writing process comes from Jamie Maltman, whose web-site is here: www.jamiemaltman.com
Here is Jamie's blog on the writing process! http://www.jamiemaltman.com/2014/07/14/writing-process-blog-tour/
Jamie is the author of the historical fantasy series, Arts Reborn, which explores the impact of magic returning to a world a lot like the Mediterranean in the time of the Roman Republic. Brush With Darkness is book I in the series.
I will be posting myself next week...watch this space! And on 27th July, Cora Buhlert will take up the baton.
List of forthcoming author posts:
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th Cora Buhlert
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(This is not a definitive list - there are more authors scheduled!)
Previous posts:
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Elle Chambers: www.indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Bill Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://www.sandrakwilliams.net/writing/2014/writing-process-blog-tour/
RJCrayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Nicolas Wilson: http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
Marilyn Peake: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593691-speculative-fiction-blog-hop
The latest post on the writing process comes from Jamie Maltman, whose web-site is here: www.jamiemaltman.com
Here is Jamie's blog on the writing process! http://www.jamiemaltman.com/2014/07/14/writing-process-blog-tour/
Jamie is the author of the historical fantasy series, Arts Reborn, which explores the impact of magic returning to a world a lot like the Mediterranean in the time of the Roman Republic. Brush With Darkness is book I in the series.
I will be posting myself next week...watch this space! And on 27th July, Cora Buhlert will take up the baton.
List of forthcoming author posts:
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th Cora Buhlert
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(This is not a definitive list - there are more authors scheduled!)
Previous posts:
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Elle Chambers: www.indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Bill Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://www.sandrakwilliams.net/writing/2014/writing-process-blog-tour/
RJCrayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Nicolas Wilson: http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
Marilyn Peake: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593691-speculative-fiction-blog-hop
July 11, 2014
Review of 'Wind Follower' by Carole McDonnell
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book so much. The writing is outstanding. It pulls you through the narrative, but is never tired or derivative. I very much liked the main characters, particularly Satha, the heroine. The story does not pull its punches, and there were points when I found the narrative too painful to read and put it aside. This is a tribute to its power; I became fond of the central characters, Loic and Satha, who face some harsh tests in their quest.
The imaginary world, with its four tribes and languages, is imagined in vivid detail. I was apprehensive about the strong Christian theme that animates the book, but for me it formed an organic part of the narrative. Though there were occasions when I was not always in agreement with the book's themes, they never detracted from my enjoyment.The characters, heroes and villains, were complex and believable. The trickiest part for me was the paradox that the Angleni, the colonial invaders, were the ones who brought the truth with them. But the book does not shy away from the paradox; the Angleni themselves are not a good thing.
But the story never becomes a simplistic allegory. The African world of the fantasy is striking and original and avoids the over-used tropes of some traditional fantasy. I rather wish it had gone on longer. I would have liked to read more! I would recommend this book to any fans of fantasy, but also to those who would hesitate to read books bearing the fantasy label. The strength of the prose and the characterisation alone should make it more widely read. Hoping to read the author's next book, 'The Constant Tower'.
(I wish I could give it 4.5 stars!)(review also posted on Amazon).
View all my reviews
July 6, 2014
Latest on the Speculative Fiction Blog Hop on 6th July
The Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
I've updated the list of Writing Process Blog Hoppers. If I have left anyone out, or made any mistakes, please let me know.
Quoting from Heidi Garrett, who has hosted the Blog Hop:
The latest post is from writer Nicolas Wilson, who talks about his writing process here:
http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
Many thanks to Sandra K Williams for regularly updating the list of hoppers over at the Speculative Fiction High Five Circle thread on KBoards and also to Sheila Guthrie who has been keeping a tally of all the writers involved over at her blog, News from Sheila's World.
Sheila has just brought out a new book of Zombie short stories, Zombie Town.
Main hop hub: http://www.indiespecfic.blogspot.com.au/
List of forthcoming author posts:
June 30th Nicolas Wilson
July 7th TBA
July 14th Jamie Maltman
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th TBA
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(I will update this list as I get new info).
Previous posts:
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Elle Chambers: www.indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Bill Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://www.sandrakwilliams.net/writing/2014/writing-process-blog-tour/
RJCrayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
I've updated the list of Writing Process Blog Hoppers. If I have left anyone out, or made any mistakes, please let me know.
Quoting from Heidi Garrett, who has hosted the Blog Hop:
The writing process blog tour is a popular blog meme that I've seen attributed to several sources. ... In each post, the author answers these four questions:
1. What am I working on? 2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? 3. How do I write what I do? 4. How does my writing process work?
Each new release post will feature the book's cover, description, and an excerpt selected by the author.
The latest post is from writer Nicolas Wilson, who talks about his writing process here:
http://nicolaswilson.com/index.php/announcements-1/spec-fic-blog-hop
Many thanks to Sandra K Williams for regularly updating the list of hoppers over at the Speculative Fiction High Five Circle thread on KBoards and also to Sheila Guthrie who has been keeping a tally of all the writers involved over at her blog, News from Sheila's World.
Sheila has just brought out a new book of Zombie short stories, Zombie Town.
Main hop hub: http://www.indiespecfic.blogspot.com.au/
List of forthcoming author posts:
June 30th Nicolas Wilson
July 7th TBA
July 14th Jamie Maltman
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th TBA
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(I will update this list as I get new info).
Previous posts:
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Elle Chambers: www.indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Bill Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://www.sandrakwilliams.net/writing/2014/writing-process-blog-tour/
RJCrayton: http://www.rjcrayton.com/2014/06/02/speculative-fiction-writing-method-blog-hop/
Cherise Kelley: http://size12bystpatricksday.blogspot.com/2014/06/speculative-fiction-blog-hop.html
Travis Hill: http://www.angrygames.com/?p=699David Pagan: http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
July 3, 2014
My father, Louis Rydill, and the aircraft carrier that never was - article on the BBC
My Dad was a ship designer who worked on many projects. At the time he worked for the Admiralty, the civil service had an in-house design team, many of whom belong to the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors.
Nowadays, I believe the government retains a much smaller in-house team of designers and constructors.
The BBC's Nick Childs has written an article about CV0-1, the aircraft carrier design that Dad worked on in the 1960s until it was cancelled by the then (Labour) government. Nick Childs discusses the internal politics behind the decision, including a suggestion that it was due to in-fighting between the Navy and the Royal Air Force.
You can read the article, The aircraft carrier that never was, on the BBC web-site here.
The relevant piece about Dad is as follows:
Of course the argument about defence spending in this country is a much broader and more significant one. But it was interesting to see a piece about the historical situation in relation to the current aircraft carrier project.
Nowadays, I believe the government retains a much smaller in-house team of designers and constructors.
The BBC's Nick Childs has written an article about CV0-1, the aircraft carrier design that Dad worked on in the 1960s until it was cancelled by the then (Labour) government. Nick Childs discusses the internal politics behind the decision, including a suggestion that it was due to in-fighting between the Navy and the Royal Air Force.
You can read the article, The aircraft carrier that never was, on the BBC web-site here.
The relevant piece about Dad is as follows:
I interviewed the last chief designer of CVA-01, Louis Rydill, just before he died, and he confirmed that he had said that the day the project was cancelled was the happiest of his life. However, that was not because he did not believe in the carrier case. It was because he felt that he had been forced to make so many compromises, and introduce so many risky design elements, because of size and budget restrictions, that the whole project had become a nightmare.I'm so glad that this represents the subtlety of what Dad said about the cancellation of the project. I believe that the team had a tie designed to 'celebrate' the cancellation; there was an image of an aircraft carrier with an axe through it.
Of course the argument about defence spending in this country is a much broader and more significant one. But it was interesting to see a piece about the historical situation in relation to the current aircraft carrier project.
June 26, 2014
Latest on the Speculative Fiction Blog Hop on 26 June
The Speculative Fiction Blog Hop (new)
Quoting from Heidi Garrett, who is hosting the main blog Speculative Fiction Showcase:
There is a new post from David Pagan
http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Thanks muchly to Sandra K Williams for regularly updating the list of hoppers over at the Speculative Fiction High Five Circle thread on KBoards!
Main hop hub: http://www.indiespecfic.blogspot.com.au/
List of forthcoming author posts:
June 23rd David Pagan
June 30th Nicolas Wilson
July 7th TBA
July 14th Jamie Maltman
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th TBA
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(I will update this list as I get new info).
Previous posts:
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Elle Chambers: www.indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Bill Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://www.sandrakwilliams.net/writing/2014/writing-process-blog-tour/
RJCrayton: Speculative Fiction Writing Method Blog Hop
Cherise Kelley: Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
Travis Hill: Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
Quoting from Heidi Garrett, who is hosting the main blog Speculative Fiction Showcase:
The writing process blog tour is a popular blog meme that I've seen attributed to several sources. ... In each post, the author answers these four questions:
1. What am I working on?2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?3. How do I write what I do?4. How does my writing process work?
Each new release post will feature the book's cover, description, and an excerpt selected by the author.
There is a new post from David Pagan
http://davidpagan.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Thanks muchly to Sandra K Williams for regularly updating the list of hoppers over at the Speculative Fiction High Five Circle thread on KBoards!
Main hop hub: http://www.indiespecfic.blogspot.com.au/
List of forthcoming author posts:
June 23rd David Pagan
June 30th Nicolas Wilson
July 7th TBA
July 14th Jamie Maltman
July 21st Jessica Rydill
July 27th TBA
...
August 11th Ceinwen Langley
August 25th Sheila Guthrie
(I will update this list as I get new info).
Previous posts:
Heidi Garrett: http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html#blog
Cat Amesbury: http://catamesbury.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Michael Patrick Hicks: http://michaelpatrickhicks.com/2014/05/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour/
Elle Chambers: www.indiespiritpress.com/2014/05/12/the-writing-process-blog-hop/
Bill Richards: http://blog.williamdrichards.com/2014/05/the-writing-process-blog-tour.html
S. Elliot Brandis: http://selliotbrandis.com/2014/05/18/the-speculative-fiction-blog-hop/
Sandra K. Williams: http://www.sandrakwilliams.net/writing/2014/writing-process-blog-tour/
RJCrayton: Speculative Fiction Writing Method Blog Hop
Cherise Kelley: Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
Travis Hill: Speculative Fiction Blog Hop
