tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-311450632012-01-27T19:55:07.258+11:00Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.comBlogger2681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-38455684276278633942012-01-27T17:19:00.000+11:002012-01-27T19:54:44.799+11:00

Who knows what the future holds? One thing is certain: if things get bad, you'll need a home that ensures your survival. Overpopulation is already wrecking the planet. Ekinoid homes are the solution! Sort of. These proposed spherical buildings on stilts leave the land underneath usable for other purposes. They are suitable for any environment and can be constructed by unskilled people. Light and

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-42040942180130685562012-01-26T16:14:00.000+11:002012-01-27T19:55:07.268+11:00

Remember the arcologies in Sim City? Those huge high-density enclosed cities with their built-in "stabilizer" jets to combat high winds? I always wondered if you hit some magic benchmark of development they would take off into space, becoming colony ships. Never happened while I played the game. Futuristic architecture gets me very excited. Enclosed habitats the size of cities, with

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-57961988466094827872012-01-24T10:48:00.000+11:002012-01-24T10:48:00.966+11:00

More on the nostalgic front, because we are what we were as children, are we not? I've been feeling crafty lately - actually, ever since I was pregnant, when I started making a collage alphabet frieze for my daughter's bedroom. Each letter is a 6" square. My retired school-teacher-mum made me change A for alien and O for owl because those words start with the letter name, not the letter

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-10374138732554432642012-01-15T14:05:00.000+11:002012-01-15T14:05:01.173+11:00

Another use for personality typing your characters is that it gives you clues on how they interact. With a large cast of main characters - 10 in my WIP - that's 45 different combinations of interactions! Now, of course some characters have little to do with each other - in fact, one of them has never met two of the others, which brings the combinations down to a measly 43. Once you get to know

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-77252340697702713022012-01-14T21:05:00.001+11:002012-01-14T21:05:37.628+11:00

Now that you know all about the 16 MBTI personality types, what next? These blog posts have really been a way for me to organize my thoughts, so I'll tell you what I did next. There are 10 main characters in my current WIP. I typed each character according to their general (and sometimes more specific) traits. I already knew what role each played and some idea of how they related to the main

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-18578457070260095192012-01-13T14:13:00.000+11:002012-01-13T14:13:51.965+11:00

This last group in the MBTI comprises 16% of the population. NF - VISIONARIES (16%) Here are the four Visionary personality types (with fictional examples), including the 7th character from Song of Scarabaeus. ENFJ – The Mentor (3%) The Mentor (also called the Envisioner-Mentor) is the compassionate supporter, teacher or leader, the most charismatic of the 16 types, who encourages

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-77321884337194975032012-01-12T17:35:00.000+11:002012-01-12T17:35:02.764+11:00

The third personality group according to MBTI comprises a mere 10% of the population... NT - INTELLECTUALS (10%) Here are the four Intellectual personality types (with fictional examples). Song of Scarabaeus has just the one intellectual and she's not happy. ENTJ - The Chief (2%) The Chief (also called the Strategist-Mobilizer), is the most ambitious of the types, a disciplined, independent

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-46333792765165264322012-01-11T16:18:00.000+11:002012-01-11T16:18:00.693+11:00

The second group of MBTI personality types we'll look at make up about a quarter of the population... SP - CREATORS (27%) Here are the four types in this group (with fictional examples). There are three Creators in Song of Scarabaeus. ESTP - The Persuader (4%) Entertaining, spontaneous and enthusiastic with a live-for-the-moment lifestyle, the Persuader (also called the

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-15884518781468026532012-01-10T14:07:00.000+11:002012-01-10T14:07:01.318+11:00

The first, and largest, of the four main personality groups of the MBTI is... SJ - PROTECTORS (47%) Here are the four Protector personality types (with somewhat random assignation of male/female pronouns, along with fictional examples): ESTJ - The Overseer (9%) The Overseer (also called the Implementer-Supervisor) lives in a world of facts and concrete needs. At work he is the stereotypical

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-33496298021874593602012-01-09T14:48:00.000+11:002012-01-09T20:47:40.604+11:00

Yesterday I listed the 4 pairs of traits that generate 16 personality types according to the MBTI. Tomorrow I'll start to go through the results. But first, why is it useful to type your characters? It helps you figure out how they'll react in a given situation (remembering that each trait is on a sliding scale, so they don't have to act in the extreme). Not just stressful situations and big

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-21999402296309228202012-01-08T14:48:00.000+11:002012-01-08T19:56:28.011+11:00

By now you've probably heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a tool for personality typing. Years ago, my school teacher mum was interested in it to help her understand the different behavior and needs of the children in her class. These days you'll often hear about it in relation to fictional characters. I've decided to use it in the development of the characters in my WIP. As well

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-37418177787239127542012-01-07T13:50:00.000+11:002012-01-07T13:50:00.090+11:00

This is the stuff of every sci-fi writer's dreams, except that it's true... Astronomers have discovered over 700 exoplanets (extrasolar planets), of which 120+ are in the habitable zone - not too far or too near their sun for life. Of these, most are gas planets the size of Jupiter or bigger, and won't support life ("as we know it"). One reason for this is that bigger planets are easier to

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-29697123774230227122012-01-06T09:50:00.000+11:002012-01-06T09:50:00.073+11:00

I repeat myself from yesterday, with a minor twist: Battle: Los Angeles is more enjoyable if you watch it as a war movie than as science fiction. It borrows relentlessly from ID4 and Aliens, the former in plot and the latter in that it focuses exclusively on one platoon of US Marines as they go into evacuated Santa Monica to rescue civilians, then blow up a lot of alien stuff. There are only two

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-39597839052598962812012-01-05T12:49:00.000+11:002012-01-05T12:49:00.708+11:00

We quite enjoyed this one as a popcorn movie. In fact we watched it on our wedding anniversary, so let's call it a great date movie. I think you have to watch it as a Western, not an SF movie, in order to appreciate it. There's really not much to it. There are some cowboys (and indians) and some aliens, and they duke it out. End of story. It's pretty to look at, fun and forgettable.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-75248909937274346692012-01-04T14:11:00.000+11:002012-01-04T14:11:00.485+11:00

Two films I've seen recently - one to recommend and one... not so much. The bad news first. Tomorrow, the good. I rented Far North because it has Sean Bean and it was MCP's idea to trek through his movies, he of LOTR and Game of Thrones. (The former we are rewatching on the Extended Blu-Ray I got MCP for Xmas, the latter we both enjoyed - incidentally, he has read both the LOTR and GoT series, I

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-55097246238353183392011-12-30T09:35:00.000+11:002011-12-30T09:35:01.432+11:00

Back to io9 for their list of the Ten plotlines you'll find in science fiction: my favorite is definitely interstellar travel, with post-apocalyptic world and alien invasion coming in at joint second place (as long as neither is too militarized). Stargate is given as a modern example of the interstellar travel subgenre, and while that was a fun show, I gotta say I prefer spaceships running

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-25630211691640634022011-12-29T10:34:00.001+11:002011-12-29T10:34:38.939+11:00

io9 lists their best and worst SF&F films of 2011. And, wow, I've seen only 1.5 of the 20! (Limitless and bits of Thor). So many remakes and sequels coming up in 2012. Here are some of the SF movies I intend to see (eventually) (on DVD) (because Aussie cinema is outrageously expensive): The Hunger Games (still  haven't read it, must read it) Prometheus (Ridley Scott's prequel to Alien) Men in

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-14300437183560495082011-12-15T22:39:00.000+11:002011-12-15T22:40:01.487+11:00

What's hot in adult SF books this Christmas? Let's take a look at Bookscan's top 50 bestsellers this week. With a tie at #50, there are actually 51 books on the list and they break down as follows: 16 older books published in the 1950s-1990s, including Snow Crash, 2 editions of Hitchhiker's Guide, 3 Ender's Game series editions and a box set, 2 Philip K. Dick novels, one classic each from

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-21239516360278763582011-12-14T16:39:00.000+11:002011-12-14T19:41:09.725+11:00

George Takei, who rivals James Earl Jones in the "I'd listen to him reading a shopping list" voice department, sends out a plea for Star Trek and Star Wars fans to unite against the mutual threat of... Twilight. "There are no great stories, characters or profound life lessons to be had in Twilight." He's right. I have read the first two books in the saga and last night watched the third movie,

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-25850696305464038982011-12-08T14:30:00.001+11:002011-12-08T14:33:11.060+11:00

Heidi Ruby Miller writes a column called Geek Girl Underground for Inveterate Media Junkies. Today she's blogging about the sci-fi romance genre: Set Your Phasers to Love. She asked me and some other authors about how we view the genre - and why it works for us!

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-42955807378992884062011-12-05T11:57:00.001+11:002011-12-05T11:59:40.259+11:00

Heather Massey at the Galaxy Express asked a bunch of us what being a Geek Girl means. Find out how other geek girls became geek girls and what it's like being a geek girl today.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-35925372450716273022011-12-01T21:19:00.000+11:002011-12-01T21:19:00.421+11:00

I've been hanging out for a good sci-fi show for nine years - ever since you know what was canceled. So I've been watching Terra Nova. It's 2149, the world is a horrible place to live, and a one-way time portal is discovered that goes back 85 million years. Dinosaurs - yay! (We are asked to ignore the point that living among big hungry dinosaurs without adequate weaponry to deal with them is kind

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-40108278023554626782011-11-30T20:35:00.000+11:002011-11-30T20:35:56.431+11:00

Mary Robinette Kowal writes an inspiring post on finishing up your NANOWRIMO novel. I agree with her that the important thing, whether or not you finished your manuscript or even reached 50,000 words, is that you're writing. Because writing is hard work! I thought I'd add some comments about what to do next with your NANOWRIMO creation. I hesitate to call it a novel, even if it has a beginning,

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-65198184571756014992011-11-23T21:36:00.001+11:002011-11-23T22:25:22.082+11:00

Earlier this year MCP and I got our first "smart phones". It was his first ever mobile phone, and my third. I got my first when I moved to the country and was worried about my 1980 Datsun breaking down and stranding me in the middle of Nowhere (Nowhere is a big place in Australia). I got my second in the US as a stranger in a strange land, and used it so infrequently that my $20-a-quarter

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-36806446089486180632011-11-20T12:25:00.000+11:002011-11-20T12:25:00.590+11:00

Today MCP and I arranged a babysitter for three days between Christmas and New Year. We are going to write for three days solid. That's our pre-new year's resolution. I am not placing any bets on whether we'll achieve it but we are very motivated. We have several works-in-progress between us, so the rule for this forthcoming writing "retreat" is Pick one! (The babysitter is, of course, my mum.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-26392186259132084062011-11-17T08:48:00.001+11:002011-11-17T09:51:49.690+11:00

I've done a quickie interview over at Heidi Ruby Miller's blog where I answer six questions: here. You'll notice I mostly didn't answer the writing questions. This is because my brain is still pretty much porridge these days and it's easier to talk abou food and cartoons.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-65127242243138321842011-11-16T22:02:00.001+11:002011-11-17T09:19:39.282+11:00

The Time Guardian is an 80s Australian movie starring the man from Snowy River, a pretty Aussie woman, and, for reasons unknown, Carrie Fisher. I never quite figured out what was going on in this movie and I'm not going to watch it again to find out. I think it was trying to be Australia's answer to The Terminator. In the far future, cyborgs have killed all of humanity except for some

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-38506807941502745902011-11-11T21:04:00.000+11:002011-11-17T19:42:54.483+11:00

At 11AM today I happened to be checking out at the supermarket when we stopped for a minute's silence, preceded by someone reading the ode over the PA system. She said "Lest us forget." What? Is this some new-fangled grammar-mangling version I don't know about? Am I wrong to have my editor's hat on at such a time?  Actually, I was more concerned with picking up the bits and pieces my

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-45222746413156517792011-11-10T10:42:00.003+11:002011-11-10T10:44:31.633+11:00

From the picture book Shopping Day (c) 1974, found on my mum's bookshelf. Click to enlarge, for it must be seen in all its glory.  And I haven't even taken it out of context.  Ah, the seventies! They were so awesome.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-5045893389473979232011-11-03T12:32:00.000+11:002011-11-03T12:34:39.764+11:00

Comics... not superhero stuff. I never read those and today I can't follow them when I try. I'm talking about comics for girls, or picture stories, which I think are just called magazines today. In fact, I'm not sure the comics of my childhood even exist any more. Today they're about make-up and pop stars. Then, they were mostly about orphaned girls enduring terrible hardships at the hands of

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-43659657619737407772011-10-30T21:45:00.000+11:002011-10-30T22:22:57.075+11:00

Been feeling nostalgic lately - perhaps brought on by Christmas shopping for my 16-month-old (she'll be 18 months at Christmas). Wow, have toys changed since I was a child! The best toy I ever had was a xylophone made from blocks of plastic. You could stack them with the metal xylophone keys in any order, then drop marbles down the middle of the tower. The marbles bounced back and forth as they

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-28724221663771785752011-10-21T22:43:00.003+11:002011-10-21T22:44:01.807+11:00

There are a few TV shows I don't miss - my favourite right now is probably The Big Bang Theory, which is unusual for me because I don't normally go for sitcoms. But this one is just so funny. I used to love House but it's getting repetitive. Incidentally, both shows provide evidence for my theory that overtly atheistic characters on TV must be portrayed as either grumpy old men or weirdo nerds (

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-83139087969992933772011-09-26T22:47:00.001+10:002011-09-26T22:47:32.798+10:00

Today I'm blogging over at Marie Treanor's Romantic Theme Party. Marie has a week of SF writers guest blogging, so don't forget to check back each day. I'm giving away my books as well as an exclusive Children of Scarabaeus bookmark - just comment over on that blog post (not here).

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-4520772606370119942011-09-10T13:25:00.001+10:002011-09-10T13:25:17.244+10:00

I found something today I thought must exist but couldn't previously find even though it's sort of in plain sight: the Judges' Report on the 2010 Aurealis Awards finalists, which is linked from the Aurealis Awards main page. I'm not sure when it went up but I only just stumbled upon it. Generally speaking I'm interested in what others think of my work, as I'm sure most authors are. In this case I

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-40804541867626954772011-08-19T14:29:00.004+10:002011-08-19T15:00:51.881+10:00

My mum is about to go overseas and has been persuaded by friends that buying an ereader would be a good thing. I've never met anyone who owns an ereader who didn't find it indispensable, which means of course that eventually I'm going to have to get with the times and buy one myself. There are loads of models around now, mostly around the $200 price range. I think my mum will end up with a Kindle

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-44714459204972831972011-08-17T21:50:00.008+10:002011-08-19T14:28:17.782+10:00

MCP and I took a short vacation (following our long vacation - did we deserve it?) this week with our agent Kristin Nelson and her husband Brian while they were in Victoria. MCP and Brian, it turns out, are in the same industry (environmental monitoring). (Also, Kristin's dad was a chemical engineer like mine, and of course we both married engineers.) We toured the wine country - the Yarra Valley

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-74874484192082793412011-08-14T14:28:00.003+10:002011-08-14T14:45:13.719+10:00

Met with my agent Kristin Nelson and her husband for lunch yesterday (both are, to use her word, exceedingly "nice") - Kristin is here in Melbourne for the RWA conference and after that on vacation, and what better place for a holiday than Australia (perhaps not in winter, but we are getting some sunny days at last). We didn't talk too much about writing, which is a good thing as I don't have too

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-75303908496993758922011-08-12T15:21:00.005+10:002012-01-09T10:14:59.216+11:00

On Sunday we returned from two weeks in the USA - a quick trip to visit family and friends. "Quick" sounds like "easy", doesn't it? Well, with a 1-year-old in tow everything was just a little more challenging, but she was an angel for the most part, adapting well to different locations, cribs, time zones and people. She's quite the social butterfly (unlike her mother) and had some wonderful new

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-49274368562639480642011-07-04T10:37:00.003+10:002011-07-04T10:41:36.206+10:00

I'm featured in the Writers Gone Wild Blatant Promo Weekend.Find out what five jobs I've had and never want to have again. A couple of them are even vaguely related to writing.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-80215026331010635012011-06-26T09:16:00.007+10:002011-06-26T09:55:25.954+10:00

I'm not sure I like it when the classics are meddled with. The Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? has been ruined.My mum has an old copy of this book. It's seen its way through ten grandchildren, from the oldest (now at uni) right down to my own daughter, and has managed to survive with the help of a little sticky tape. The first page has a big picture of a

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-44290313602320629992011-05-29T11:37:00.003+10:002011-05-29T11:57:41.263+10:00

Back in 2006, I sent my fledgling query letter for Song of Scarabaeus to Evil Editor, who snarkily savaged it. This is a free service provided by the sheer graciousness of the Evil One, for anyone who dares approach. Evil Editor just chose my query as the first in his new Classics line, and reposted it here. It's been almost five years since the original post - I've since got an agent, sold two

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-68576418858539472452011-05-28T09:52:00.003+10:002011-05-28T09:55:08.889+10:00

Book Chick City is having a Women in Science Fiction Week and I'm guest blogging there today about a few sci-fi movies I love that feature not only women, but my other favorite thing - grit. Head on over there and comment to let me know what sci-fi movies have stuck with you over the years. I'm always interested in hearing about movies other than the usual blockbusters, although I'm a sucker for

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-91767164956382172052011-05-27T23:55:00.004+10:002011-05-27T23:58:06.946+10:00

The RomCon blog has an excerpt of Children of Scarabaeus today, along with a brief intro by me and a giveaway. Head over there to check it out. (You know how hard it is to pick such a short excerpt that makes sense on its own and doesn't give away too much?) (Well, it's hard.)

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-57071820549882565162011-05-22T19:51:00.006+10:002011-05-22T22:12:31.277+10:00

Just got back from Sydney's Aurealis Awards - a very impressive event! Even MCP dressed up and he doesn't do that except for job interviews and his wedding. Caught up with some old friends from my Aurealis magazine days. Lost in my nominated category, best SF novel, but to the very worthy Marianne de Pierres who won for Transformation Space. It's the fourth in a series, so the first thing I did

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-37400587653731265292011-05-20T21:34:00.002+10:002011-05-20T21:35:32.746+10:00

Check out the Nelson Literary Agency's updated client web page. Scroll down to the P's!

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-35858726495694749812011-05-11T23:36:00.000+10:002011-05-11T23:36:26.843+10:00

Over the Edge interviewed me and is giving away two copies of Children of Scarabaeus. So, would I go forward or backward in time? (Duh!) Read all about it here.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-62094890823798374732011-05-10T23:06:00.000+10:002011-05-10T23:06:27.120+10:00

Our hard rubbish collection is this week - that's when the council picks up things like washing machines and sofas and old mattresses etc. Most people around our neighborhood have put out a pile of bits and pieces, everything from broken laundry baskets to strange unrecognizable sticks of metal that might once have been bar stools or bird cages or who knows what. I've noticed that every other

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-19390955349038716892011-05-08T13:10:00.119+10:002011-05-08T18:21:15.468+10:00

I got back from a walk today, pushing the sleeping baby, to find two children on bikes hanging around the house and peeking through a hole in the side gate. The boy, about 10, was initially very apologetic and nervous, but explained that they used to live here. He and his waif-like younger sister wanted to know where their sandpit was. I showed them the back to confirm that there was no sandpit.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-77637507957880575982011-05-07T16:37:00.009+10:002011-05-07T23:08:53.485+10:00

Finn is about two meters tall, for the record. On a related note, much genre fiction these days is written in first person or close third person. In this point of view, the character, not the author, is the narrator. It's as if the POV character sat down after the events unfolded and wrote what happened, as she experienced it, using either "I" as the main character, or describing herself as a "

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-19183304659715648862011-05-06T21:34:00.003+10:002011-05-06T23:52:00.622+10:00

I was listening to an old recording in the car today: Maybe by Thom Pace, the theme song for 70s TV show The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. There's a You Tube version here (if you can handle the beard and lip-syncing). Have a listen, and then listen to Firefly's theme song (written by Joss Whedon, performed by Sonny Rhodes) which you probably already know because how could you not? The

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-42578471658214104252011-05-04T23:19:00.002+10:002011-05-06T23:55:15.907+10:00

With a baby-addled brain these days it's sometimes hard to come up with blog ideas, so once again I'm cribbing an idea from agent Kristin Nelson's Pubrants. This week she's posted about blurbs - those words of praise from other writers that you see on the cover of a novel. This can certainly be a tricky area, with successful authors wanting to help new authors while at the same time not wanting

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-25993064482009324952011-05-03T10:53:00.003+10:002011-05-04T12:46:34.374+10:00

Using the word morality in fiction is dangerous -- it conjures up images of high horses and religious dictates, which aren't really things we want in our fiction. To me the word means just one thing: fairness. Life, as they say, isn't fair, but that's not an excuse for people to not be fair. In fiction, protagonists who prioritize fairness are people I want to root for. Those are the characters

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-58947899651135521512011-05-01T20:42:00.000+10:002011-05-01T20:42:38.228+10:00

I finally got my big box of author copies of Children of Scarabaeus this week, so I'll be sending out signed copies to the people who have won them over the past month or so... ... assuming they survive Babyzilla.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-28629025195804546952011-05-01T17:38:00.005+10:002011-05-02T21:56:19.074+10:00

This weekend was my dad's 80th birthday. We four children put together a little booklet with 80 things in it -- our childhood memories of him (like the huge bonfires he built every year on Guy Fawkes Night), his pearls of wisdom ("Never leave a wingnut in the gutter";  "Hamsters don't go to heaven"), and his little quirks (such as his obsession with logging every penny and cent spent on petrol,

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-14831700433339193112011-04-27T17:52:00.000+10:002011-04-27T17:52:47.042+10:00

Norwescon has put up some videos from the Philip K. Dick award - see/hear Kristin Nelson reading an excerpt from my nominated book Song of Scarabaeus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOnT7oVdB74 It was kind of hard choosing an excerpt - it was supposed to be only 2-3 minutes (although some did go much longer, but I was being a good little nominee and sticking to the request) and I wanted

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-24714949865800828442011-04-23T17:13:00.001+10:002011-04-23T17:14:59.751+10:00

Well, I didn't win the Philip K. Dick Award but Kristin sent me this awesome pic from Norwescon, where the ceremony took place today (noon my time - I watched it via their live video stream). Doesn't she look great? I was honored to have her represent me and she did an amazing job with the reading excerpt from Song. And, of course, I was honored to have been nominated. The winner was The

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-6571077033182998942011-04-12T14:40:00.001+10:002011-04-12T14:41:11.147+10:00

Today there's another Aussie giveaway of Children of Scarabaeus over at Kylie Griffin's blog, along with an interview with yours truly. Don't forget these giveaways that are still running: SciFiChick.com - win Children of Scarabaeus (closes 15 April) Literary Escapism - win Children of Scarabaeus, Song of Scarabaeus, and a signed bookmark (closes 12 April) Tez Says- win signed Children of

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-33593034293039469142011-04-10T16:55:00.082+10:002011-04-10T16:55:00.321+10:00

So many punks! It all started with cyberpunk, which comes from cybernetics and punk. Wikipedia tells me one Bruce Bethke wrote a short story with that title in 1983, and the term was coined. These stories feature high technology and broken-down societies, with marginalized main characters who tend to be hackers of some sort. Well-known examples are William Gibson's Neuromancer and the movie Blade

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-77300411819097275552011-04-09T21:45:00.003+10:002011-04-09T21:47:59.133+10:00

At the Mall of America Barnes & Noble in Minnesota, celebrations are ON for the release of Children of Scarabaeus. As you can plainly see, SpongeBob SquarePants is jumping for joy, while Dora the Explorer and friends can hardly contain their excitement. And here's my book among the new releases... Many thanks to Lynn for snapping these shots! If anyone else sees Children of Scarabaeus in

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-55078052788246688272011-04-08T08:00:00.004+10:002011-04-08T08:00:02.676+10:00

Crystal at Reading Between the Wines has interviewed me for her blog - check it out, and comment over there to go into the draw to win one of two signed Children of Scarabaeus bookmarks! Ends April 22. Crystal has included a couple of bits of artwork that I did from Song of Scarabaeus (portrait of Cat, and diagram of the Hoi Polloi).

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-17997579970433170402011-04-07T17:50:00.001+10:002011-04-07T17:51:50.204+10:00

Tez Miller has a great UF & Futuristic review blog and she's kindly hosting my guest blog today. The topic is plotting and how I did (or didn't) plot my Scarabaeus books. Aussie readers can enter to win a set of signed books, Song of Scarabaeus and Children of Scarabaeus. These books aren't readily available in Australia so here's your chance!

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-78100472910596052392011-04-07T07:52:00.000+10:002011-04-07T07:52:43.847+10:00

Using random.org I've drawn a winner for the Edie & Finn mousepad, and the winner is... Sheila Dorsey Sheila, I've emailed you for your mailing address and will send out the mousepad as soon as I receive it. Happy mousing. Thanks to everyone who entered! I have a couple more cool giveaways coming up, so stay tuned.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-31340092658444897002011-04-06T19:51:00.005+10:002011-04-07T17:50:46.546+10:00

I'm guest blogging at Literary Escapism today. The theme du jour is "Science Fiction: What’s in it for Urban Fantasy fans?" If you're put off sci-fi by the impression that it's all tech-talk and ray guns, think again. UF fans may find much to like about gritty, action-packed, character-driven SF. Enter over there for the chance to win a set of both Song and Children of Scarabaeus, along with a

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-65395610982335949452011-04-06T19:06:00.005+10:002011-04-06T22:29:57.505+10:00

I like holograms as much as the next person. I find them intriguing. Not only do they look pretty, but my dad tells me that if you cut one up, each piece retains the entire image. I don't believe him, but it's probably true because he's an engineer. I liked the holographic Doctor on Star Trek Voyager and the cool floating holograms you can flick across the room in Star Trek (latest movie). I

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-38028526945574579232011-04-05T10:48:00.000+10:002011-04-05T10:48:07.272+10:00

Reader Jessica Basset sent me just about the coolest thing last week. She read Song of Scarabaeus and was inspired to write a role playing game (based on Ars Magica 5th edn) using ideas from the book such as biocyph technology and the Crib and Fringe. She's written up a player guide and it's wonderful. It includes lots of flavor images along with her unique take on biocyph, infojacks,  the Saeth

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-66481694449307663922011-04-03T08:22:00.000+10:002011-04-03T10:29:42.084+10:00

Supernatural Underground and HarperCollins author Helen Lowe has just blogged about Three Fabulous Moms of SFF. It got me thinking about why there aren't more heroines with children in character-driven SFF and SFR. I think the answer might be found in the Hero's Journey, which most genre writers follow to some degree -- even if subconsciously. The tale of someone who wants something, can't have

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-41963680847742662392011-04-02T08:00:00.009+11:002011-04-02T08:00:02.141+11:00

Okay, as I can't be in North American bookstores right now, I need your help. If you see my book in your local store, please take a moment to snap a photo and email it to me (saracreasy@gmail.com). When SONG came out, I went to my local stores and signed copies and took pictures and generally hung around the area feeling special. I desire the vicarious pleasure of seeing my name on the shelves a

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-76884668290579863682011-04-01T09:09:00.000+11:002011-04-01T09:09:18.290+11:00

Scifichick.com has an interview with me and a Children of Scarabaeus giveaway: here Don't forget to read the posts over the last few days for other links to giveaways, and for my mousemat giveaway too. Follow the blog link tours on the right for interviews and stuff.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-75858104364068828972011-03-31T17:54:00.002+11:002011-03-31T17:57:31.726+11:00

Once upon a time I had three copies - yes three (my big box of author copies hasn't arrived yet) - of Children of Scarabaeus. Now I have none. My mum took one. I sent one off as a prize. And MCP stole the last one to give to his boss, who is in the middle of book 1 at the moment. So now I have no copies of my own book. At least there are none for my baby to rip off its cover like she's started

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-85956203158765915422011-03-30T08:51:00.004+11:002011-03-30T19:14:11.936+11:00

The Qwillery has an interview with me along with a Children of Scarabaeus giveaway, where I talk about research and favorite characters. Angieville has an interview too, and another Children of Scarabaeus giveaway, with a discussion of my book covers and how I met my writer hubby (MCP). And don't forget my mousepad giveaway (posted below). Some early reviews: My Bookish Ways - 5 stars Dirty

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-81237870049217233672011-03-29T21:38:00.000+11:002011-03-29T21:38:54.527+11:00

I'm blogging at Supernatural Underground today. Head over there and answer a simple question for the chance to WIN a copy of Children of Scarabaeus along with a signed bookmark.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-317473491079359892011-03-29T11:51:00.002+11:002011-04-06T10:17:58.721+10:00

Five hours to go until Children of Scarabaeus goes on sale in North America. To celebrate I'm giving away a Very Cool Thing! For your chance to win a fabulous round mousepad of Finn and Edie, email me saracreasy@gmail.com with MOUSEPAD CONTEST in the subject line. I will choose one random winner. The contest is open internationally and closes Tuesday 5th April (11:59PM EST) or Wednesday 3PM

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-9112199444018957102011-03-28T18:10:00.000+11:002011-03-28T18:10:08.546+11:00

Tomorrow is sort of Children of Scarabaeus release day, except that due to the time zones it's really not until the day after. I can't wait! Meanwhile, here are the dates for my upcoming blog tour. I'll post actual links once each post is up. 29 March The Qwillery - interview 5 April Literary Escapism - interview and giveaway 7 April Reading Between the Wines - interview 11 April Kylie Griffin -

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-33616229339383485482011-03-26T16:24:00.002+11:002011-03-26T16:27:44.454+11:00

And now for something completely different. The other day I was at my sister's place. She lives in the country with her 6 children, 2 goats, 2 cats, squillions of chickens, 1 husband and a rusty old dog. I was surprised - nay, shocked - to see someone she once loved lying on top of a pile of junk that was headed for the rubbish tip. It was Edward the giant teddy bear. He was a gift from our

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-29746700967614667492011-03-22T14:44:00.001+11:002011-03-22T14:46:04.889+11:00

The Aurealis Awards shortlists were announced today, and the judges have put Song of Scarabaeus on the Science Fiction Novel shortlist! These are Australia's big SF&F&H literary awards, started in 1995 by the publishers of Aurealis magazine. There's a gala event in Sydney on 21st May to announce the winners. Song of Scarabaeus is not (yet?!?) published in Australia but you can find it in online

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-5638366467933650502011-03-20T21:28:00.002+11:002011-03-20T21:40:27.742+11:00

Well, I didn't make it through to round 3 of DABWAHA, but I'm astonished and grateful at such a respectable voting turnout! In the end, only two out of three people didn't vote for me - and when one is up against Kate Elliott, one clutches to one's heart (for dear life) every vote one gets. Thank you everyone! Here's the kicker: I researched my opponent, as you do, aiming to rake through the

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-24998817240839555102011-03-20T07:15:00.001+11:002011-03-22T21:04:33.024+11:00

So I made it through round 1 of DABWAHA, but round 2 is even tougher: I'm up against Kate Elliott, mega-author. This is David and Goliath, folks, and I ain't Goliath. Kate Elliott has written tons of books with beautiful covers. She has a fancy website with interesting articles. (Seriously, they are really interesting.) She has an author pic on the beach, for heavens' sake. So she's kind of

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-73515036289307590352011-03-19T08:56:00.000+11:002011-03-19T08:56:14.575+11:00

AmyBeth Inverness has started a new writing blog, and I'm happy to be her first interviewee. She sent me 20 questions and I rattled off some answers - read them here.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-69354683295664367812011-03-18T08:44:00.005+11:002011-03-22T21:04:10.526+11:00

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Song of Scarabaeus is DABWAHA's reader-picked nominee in the "Crossover" category of this 64-book showdown. The other 7 books in each of the 8 categories were picked by the Dear Author and Smart Bitches ladies, and Dear Author's review of the book can be found here. If you've read the book and liked it, please vote for it. Voting for this round is open from

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-69709387417727549872011-03-18T08:40:00.001+11:002011-03-18T08:40:28.841+11:00

My Bookish Ways has a review of Song of Scarabaeus as well as an interview with yours truly and a giveaway. I'll send a signed copy of both books (Song and Children of Scarabaeus) to one winner - enter on that site (not here).

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-15288799579500389352011-03-16T10:01:00.002+11:002011-03-16T10:05:16.570+11:00

I got some author copies of Children of Scarabaeus in the mail yesterday - it's such a thrill to hold my book in my hands! My daughter was moderately impressed until she got stuck on the first word, and threw the book across the room.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-19341796826908404512011-03-15T16:25:00.000+11:002011-03-15T16:25:52.550+11:00

Now here's a nice surprise: Song of Scarabaeus is a nominee in the 2011 DABWAHA Tournament. And it got there because readers put it there! DABWAHA is a showdown between 64 romance novels. There are 8 categories, each with 8 novels. One novel in each category is nominated by readers, the other 7 by Jane and Sarah of Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. So first, a huge thank you to those

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-73130792271587372132011-03-13T23:01:00.000+11:002011-03-13T23:01:22.766+11:00

Zombies: I don't get it. I don't get the appeal. I just understand why they're "it" right now. Is it because that's all that's left to explore in the monster-of-the-week Urban Fantasy/Paranormal genre? I really don't get it. That is all.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-27402725115627682432011-03-11T20:20:00.001+11:002011-03-11T20:32:34.020+11:00

With the release of Children of Scarabaeus less than three weeks away, my publicist at HarperCollins has been helping me line up some guest blogs and Q&As. I already have a few in the works, but if anyone would like me to appear on their blog, go ahead and ask me: saracreasy@gmail.com. I prefer Q&As/interviews or specific ideas for guest blogs, because truly I'm all out of creative juices when it

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-62879312789648214072011-03-05T16:09:00.002+11:002011-03-13T11:30:13.991+11:00

A few tweets today led me to some interesting blogs and websites: Trudi Canavan mentioned The Book Depository Live, where you can see what books people all over the world are ordering. Very cool, very addictive. If you care that someone in Belgium just bought The Early Rock Guitar Bible, then this is the place you need to hang out. Bex Wicks, fellow HarperCollins author (Burqalicious - The

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-76585611380380827922011-03-03T21:53:00.002+11:002011-03-03T21:57:54.324+11:00

Paranomal romance is hot stuff in the publishing world (and I don't mean science fiction romance, although that genre has been unfortunately lumped into the paranormal category). While vampires and werewolves still seem to be the hottest, there are quite a few ghosts in the mix. For me, a ghost as hero or heroine will never be anything other than creepy, and by that I mean too creepy to overcome

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-1249221247581053612011-03-02T23:34:00.001+11:002011-03-04T10:21:43.535+11:00

Living in three different English-speaking countries at various times of my life has been confusing, linguistically. You'd think not, given that English is English. (Should I use US or British spelling on this blog?) I wrote my first novel using British English spelling because I had no idea it would end up with an American publisher, and because Microsoft Word is set up for British spelling.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-90566722519279509592011-02-28T10:00:00.003+11:002011-02-28T11:27:36.830+11:00

So, "jamesfilms" on eBay is auctioning a story idea with bids starting at $3,000,000. The seller of this "really great story" that will "topple Star Wars" wants a professional writer to complete the story and promises "endless fame and money". Since I sold my first book, two people have asked me if I would consider turning their fantastic story ideas into books because they "can't write". (No

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-46824165018774293642011-02-22T15:33:00.000+11:002011-02-22T15:33:03.053+11:00

My first talking interview (yikes!) with Jon Armstrong, fellow Philip K Dick nominee - is up on his blog If You're Just Joining Us. Jon is doing a special series and interviewing all the nominees over the next few weeks. Go on, laugh at my funny accent.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-38553729721506766202011-02-19T10:51:00.002+11:002011-02-19T11:15:36.730+11:00

Been meaning to do this for a while - I've just uploaded a wordlist for Song of Scarabaeus to my website. I tend to get a little disheartened to find a glossary in the back of novels. Even worse, a cast of characters, which is just a warning there are too many to keep track of. So I'm glad this list doesn't appear in my book. I would hope that the words I use are either self-explanatory in

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-86916426265688832592011-02-18T22:55:00.003+11:002011-02-18T23:16:24.475+11:00

Firefly is airing on the Science Channel starting March 6th. EW has a brief interview with star Nathan Fillion, who says "yes, yes" he would make more Firefly goodness if he could. The series will air with science comments by physicist Dr. Michio Kaku... Not sure that's really necessary. I mean, come on, how is Dr. Kaku going to explain Kaylee's super-duper twisty-turny engine thingy in

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-82349181211672662122011-02-17T17:28:00.000+11:002011-02-17T17:28:51.229+11:00

Fishpond, a book, toy and game online store in Australia, is selling Song of Scarabaeus for only $7.95. That's 4 cents cheaper than Amazon (well, it's actually only 1.3 cents cheaper, taking into account today's exchange rate). And Fishpond has free shipping with no minimum purchase. They say free shipping is for a limited time, but it's been free since before Christmas. They have to order the

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-4866626063283556262011-02-15T20:17:00.000+11:002011-02-15T20:17:14.105+11:00

I'm in idea-overload mode this week. It should be a good place to be, and it certainly feels good because I love this stage of the writing process. But it doesn't increase word count. I already had four completely different stories in three genres competing for my attention. Now I have a fifth. There's a chance I can merge a couple of the older ones with this new one, which takes me back to three

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-62612971385526871742011-02-12T11:59:00.002+11:002011-02-12T12:08:20.082+11:00

For geeks like me who are into futuristic technology, io9 has an article on space elevators. I only mention it because Children of Scarabaeus features a space elevator, as a minor plot point.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-31158438289448886542011-02-11T20:07:00.000+11:002011-02-11T20:07:38.983+11:00

Ooh, here's HarperCollins's marketing department's description of Children of Scarabaeus: Sara Creasy burst onto the sf scene with The Song of Scarabeaus—prompting Publishers Weekly to praise her as, “a significant new talent,” and her novel as, “a brilliantly conceived debut,” in a starred rave review. With Children of Scarabeaus she returns us to her boldly imagined universe for another

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-15521832860280534452011-02-10T09:39:00.000+11:002011-02-10T09:39:02.677+11:00

AB Keuser, a formerly fellow Arizonan who has an interesting blog about her writing life, has interviewed me. Find out why I love Hans Gruber and why I almost didn't answer the phone when agent Kristin Nelson called to offer representation. (Meanwhile, who would interrupt a feeding newborn to answer the phone? Um, me. That was two years later, and it was Kristin again, this time offering my

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-64614384142315530422011-02-06T11:58:00.003+11:002011-02-06T12:10:52.391+11:00

Yarn author Jon Armstrong is doing a series of Podcast interviews with his fellow PKD Award nominees for his blog If You're Just Joining Us. This morning he interviewed me! I think I worked my way around the technology, recording my voice with my webcam while speaking on the phone, while he did the same at his end. He edits the two halves together so it sounds like we're in the same room. That's

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-65477148035375152972011-02-04T10:39:00.000+11:002011-02-04T10:39:55.637+11:00

io9, my favorite site for all things sciencey and science ficitonal, has an article on the singularity - not the gravitational singularity that created space-time, but the technological one, the future event beyond which technology becomes incomprehensible to our current selves. The example they give is trying to explain the internet to a medieval peasant. Imagine a future technology so

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-23518894042986056492011-02-01T07:44:00.003+11:002011-02-06T12:10:07.332+11:00

Want to read Children of Scarabaeus early? Harper Voyager is giving away advance reader copies (presumably e-books) to those willing to write a short review. For your chance to grab a copy, see this blog post and email them toot sweet: Eos Blog Giveaway

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31145063.post-87247646375346423652011-01-30T13:21:00.000+11:002011-01-30T13:21:59.456+11:00

If you're on Goodreads, Song of Scarabaeus is this month's Book of the Month for the SFR group read. Join the discussion here (I've been popping in with a few bits of trivia). I've also written my monthly blog post at Supernatural Underground - read it here.

Sara Creasyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09398837332152581447noreply@blogger.com0