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Farewell 2011

One Minute Left by Comments Yard

It’s been one hell of a year. An out of control busy job, a spot of Army Reserve work, marginal work on my masters research project, half a dozen stories written and published, and two children nurtured for another year. Having so much responsibility has pushed me to the edge this year. It’s been a long haul. And there’s my long-suffering husband, who pretty much comes last these days! He gets the worn out, flopped out on the couch in front of the teeves version of me – not so satisfying for him, but he loves me regardless. That’s the essence of a long-term relationship, is it not?

I’m hoping 2012 will be a little more in control. I’m doing some work with a personal coach to learn how to distance my emotions from all the shit that goes down at work – to be more rational, less reactive. It’s working at work, but I’m not so good at applying these learnings in my personal life! That’s my resolution for 2012 – less negative reactivtiy and more understanding and positivity. Here’s my mantra for 2012:

I am not responsible for other people’s behaviour

I am solely responsible for my own happiness

I think that about covers it. If I can be less reactive, I should be less exhausted. I also have to learn that I am not responsible for the success of my organisation – there are 35 of us and the responsibility is shared. I have to find a way not to take it so personally (but that might have to wait until 2013!).

My other resolution for 2012 is to spend a little time each week writing. I have an idea for a novel that I’d like to start pursuing. It will be in the crime/noir style and will be set in Canberra/Queanbeyan/regional NSW, featuring a female protagonist. It’s going to be a long, slow burn, but one that should sustain me over the year ahead.

I just have to find a way to fit it all in.

What’s your goal for 2012? Whatever it is, I hope 2012 brings you health and enough happiness to make this crazy life worthwhile.

Well, if so, here’s an anthology for you  – The Dark Pages – Volume 1. In it, you’ll find 12 hardboiled/noir tales from around the world. I’m thrilled to have my story, ‘The Puppy Wrangler’, showcased alongside genre luminaries including Paul D Brazill.

Only $2.99 on Amazon for the Kindle version.

To find out more about the authors and the creative guy running the whole shootin’ match, head on over to Trestle Press.

 

Please join the Eighty Nine team as the Literary Mix Tapes Volume 3 is released. We are having another Amazon chart rush. Buy, or add the crowd-sourced anthology to your wishlist on 25 October 2011 and the writing gods will smile down upon you and shower you with karma and other sparkly soul-dust.

How very exciting – this awesome anthology (and I’m definitely not just saying that because I have a story in it) is finally availble in paperback and is open for pre-orders, with copies available from next week.

This very cool anthology contains two sets of ten stories joined by the same prologue and the same epilogue. Two parallel universes compete for your attention, bounce up against each other once or twice and speed the reader to a dramatic conclusion. Read this book and you’ll never view an airport the same way again. This book would be perfect to read on a plane (no crashes, I assure you, other than the airline…but that’s for me to know and you find out) or during a lazy holiday. It would make a great gift, although maybe not for your mother-in-law, as there’s a fair bit of language and a little bit of um-ah sex. It’s my kind of book!

You can find out more and lob your pre-orders here: http://chinesewhisperings.com/2011/10/pre-order-chinese-whisperings-anthologies/

Are you still here? What are you doing? Go on, scoot over to Chinese Whisperings…Now!

89 cover artUPDATE: Pre-orders are open now for all regions!

Pre-orders for Australian deliveries of Eighty Nine are now open. Other regions to follow soonest!

I’m very much looking forward to seeing my baby fly. My story is called ‘Chronicle Child’ and is a tale with a twist set in 20th Century Japan. I’m in very good company with some of the best emerging writers from around the world, who’ve been wrangled by Literary Mix Tapes editor and publisher, Jodi Cleghorn.

Buy it, buy it now!

Me with Jodi Cleghorn, holding eMergent Press books. Pic by Bothersome Words

I attended my first writing convention (‘con’ for those in the know) over the Canberra long weekend and what a hoot it was. I met some amazingly talented SpecFic authors, editors and fans and had a blast hanging out with my good friend Jodi Cleghorn, who came down from Brisbane for the event.

Conflux is held every year in Canberra, except when WorldCon gets in the way. This year was Conflux number 7 and was chaired by the fabulous Karen Herkes and featured a dinner aboard the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ with an authentic 1929 dinner created by Gillian Polack. We had a great time dressing up. I even made a dress (see below)!

Other, more organised Conflux folk have beaten me to a comprehensive wrap, so here are some links you should check out:

Zena Shapter

Alan Baxter

Bothersome Words

Nicole Murphy

Me with Jodi Cleghorn and Patty Jansen. Photo by Bothersome Words

Let me know if I’ve missed any!

So how did I enjoy (aka survive) it? Lots of yakking, a little bit of reading, a little bit of eating and a little bit of drinking. I’m reliably informed that the more cons I attend, the more yakking, reading, eating and drinking there will be. I must work on my con-stamina before the next one approaches at the end of September 2011. That will be but one leap-frog away from Conflux 9, which is double-hatted as NatCon13. Looking forward already to seeing all my new-found writer friends again next year. Until then, there’s Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.

Devin, Lawrie, John and me. Pic by Bothersome Words

Gosh. A book in which I have a story (Literary Mix Tapes: Eighty Nine) has a book trailer. I feel like I’m growing up as a writer. This is cool.

Devin Watson, yeeha.

89 cover artThe next instalment of Literary Mix Tapes, Eighty Nine, now has a cover and is mere weeks away from hitting the streets (artwork by Blake Byrnes). I’m very excited my SF outing ‘Chronicle Child’ will be published – it’s one of my favourites – alongside a bunch of fine emerging writers. The paper copies won’t be ready in time for Conflux, but you’ll be able to pre-0rder soon. More to follow when the release date draws near. A number of the authors will be in attendance, including yours truly and LMT maestro Jodi Cleghorn. So, if you’re heading to the event, be sure to look me up.

Round rockLike a freaking tombstone (a round one), crushing the will to write. Exhaustion seems to be the main culprit, oh, and that life-thief called Time. I have all kinds of story ideas passing through my grey matter, but none of it makes it out the tips of my aging fingers. They connect to the keyboard (so often I’ve erased the E, L, and N key faces), but nothing useful escapes. It’s all tweets and moans. Fortunately I’m not the only one for whom productivity levels are less than desired. The two forthcoming anthologies containing my stories ‘Chronicle Child’ (LMT Eighty-Nine) and ‘The Brewer’s Son’ (Stories for Japan – New Sun Rising) are delayed…hopefully for not too long…but long enough that I can still look forward to seeing my name in print (I’m not discerning paper from digital anymore) twice over before the year’s end. Perhaps then I can settle into my creative grave in comfort…or, like Lazarus, live to see/write another day.

Life just keeps on getting in the way, doesn’t it? I have barely had a chance to write these past six months; work has been totally consuming and not in a good way, rather, in an ‘eat you up and spit you out’ way. Fortunately I had signed up to another Jodi Cleghorn writing challenge, which forced me to do some writing. With quite stringent constraints, I was forced to come up with a fairly simple story that touched history, gave a nod to some song lyrics and met the spec fic brief. After struggling with the concept for a while, it came to me while I was away for work two weeks ago. The first line came to me perfectly formed. The rest? Not so easy, but I pinched it, pulled it and pushed it into shape.  A couple of wonderful beta readers confirmed what I knew about my story and helped me make it so much better. I am indebted to Rob Diaz II and Stacey Larner for turning a ‘good’ story into something so much more. Well, I hoped it was more, and today Jodi confirmed it for me, which was such a relief! Hopefully I’ll be able to coerce work into the background in the coming months to give my brain the headspace I need to develop some more story ideas. Until then, the cupboard is pretty bare!

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