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 fugitive who finds sanctuary in nature. The captain of a starship who'll do anything just to "keep her in the sky." Separated by seven centuries, their core emotions are perfectly captured in these two simple songs.
What I love about both these pieces is the emotional punch they pack while being both musically and lyrically so minimalist. When it comes to deep-seated feelings, give me understatement over histrionics any time. It's something I appreciate in lyrics, in acting, in books, in art, and because I'm British (at least, that's my excuse) in life.
In writing, I think I gravitate toward that mode naturally - I write characters who don't give long speeches about their feelings and who don't fly off the handle or declare undying love at the drop of a hat. There are exceptions, because drama requires highs and lows and a good mix of personalities. Cat Lancer tends to say what she thinks even if it gets her into trouble. Haller has his little temper tantrums. Liv Natesa's infamous poise can be shattered. But even these characters don't barge through every page screaming "Here I am, and here's what I'm currently feeling!"
Understatement is of course most effective when emotions are running the hottest. Love, lust, anger, grief - for me, scenes that show characters struggling to hold in these feelings (because they fear the consequences, or because public displays are unacceptable, or because they're trained to be that way, and many other reasons) are more powerful than big splashes of overt expression. Holding it inside also builds tension - for the character and for the reader - and that has other interesting consequences. When will the character finally break loose (if ever)? What does all that suppressed emotion do to a person (if anything)? Most importantly, how will those emotions find their way out? Because it's bound to happen. I'm reminded of Colin Firth's Darcy, as uptight and controlled as they come. He's enjoying a quiet, humorous moment with Elizabeth at the piano when his aunt's overpowering voice from across the room ruins the mood: "What are you talking of? ... I must have my share in the conversation!" He doesn't lose his cool and burst open with all that suppressed upper class frustration. But the way he rolls his eyes... You know exactly what he thinks of her intrusion. Better still, he thinks that way because Elizabeth Bennet is in his life and in his sights. Last week it might not have bothered him at all.
And for the reader, or viewer - as I learned in a screenwriting class a long time ago - the fewer tears a character sheds on screen, the more tears the audience sheds. If the reader knows from other clues what the character is feeling but the character reins it in, all that pent-up emotion has to find another outlet... it's released via the reader instead.
And now for the problem in all this: I'm not so sure that the majority of readers would agree with me. I'm not sure the majority of people in life are like this. Depending on their tastes and culture and gender, a lot of people evidently like to watch movies exploding with anger and violence, and soap operas drenched in melodramatic acting. A lot of people like to watch out-of-control displays of emotion in "real life" too - see Springer, Dr Phil, and any number of reality shows.
How far this translates to reading, where there are no additional clues from actors (whether talented or overwrought), I don't know. I like to think the reader should work just a little bit to extract emotion from the page, instead of having it handed to her on a platter by characters who act out (or describe) every last gram of what they're feeling. I think it makes the experience interactive.
And that's what happens when I listen to the two simple songs mentioned earlier. Because the lyrics are understated, the onus is on me to feel the emotions inferred by them.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Cover blurbs - where do they come from?
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 to be inundated with requests they can't handle. I have no insights there but my advice to new writers is to have faith in your work and bite the bullet - just go ahead and ask.
Firstly, ask your agent or publisher for contacts. They can approach their own clients and authors who may enjoy your book and will agree to blurb it. Kristin asked her client, successful SFR author Linnea Sinclair, on my behalf to read Song of Scarabaeus. Fortunately for me, Linnea was not only hugely gracious and agreed to read the book, but she gave me a fantastic cover blurb as well. Eos put it on the front of the book.
As my release date approached, the publicist at HarperCollins set me up with Borders' sci-fi blog Babel Clash. As luck would have it, Eos's bestselling fantasy author Robin Hobb had the same release date as me, so we were paired up for a discussion on the blog. HarperCollins sent us each other's books (hers was Dragon Haven, the sequel to the evocative Dragon Keeper - love those dragons!) and she emailed my editor with some thoughts on the book. We asked her if we could turn her email into a blurb, and she agreed. This came too late for the cover, of course, but was used in publicity material for the book.
I wrote to a couple of authors myself, completely out of the blue - they had no idea who this debut SF writer was asking them to read her book! As Kristin recommends, make the request personal - these should obviously be authors whose work you're familiar with, and who write a similar genre. In addition, think carefully about your wording: I didn't ask the authors to "please blurb my book." I asked them if they possibly had time to read it, and if they enjoyed it to consider blurbing it.
These authors could not, in the end, blurb the book due to their own deadlines. I told them I understood and that was that.
These authors could not, in the end, blurb the book due to their own deadlines. I told them I understood and that was that.
I did have one other contact of my own, but it was never planned that way. Years ago I joined the online critique group Critters.org. A call went out on behalf of a published author who had just converted her classic novel to ebook format, and she wanted proofreaders. With no idea who the author was, I volunteered my services - I was, after all, a book editor, and thought my skills would be useful.
The author turned out to be Vonda N. McIntyre and the book was the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Dreamsnake.This was one of those serendipitous moments that life sometimes throws your way. Dreamsnake, along with Vonda's other novels and short stories, had had a huge influence on me in the 80s. This was the author who made me realize that science fiction didn't have to be space battles and high-tech widgets and talking heads (I'd been reading 50s and 60s short story collections and really didn't know that anything else existed). Her books had talented female protagonists and quieter stories, and I loved them.
I (and several others, to my knowledge) did the proofreading work for Vonda and she thanked me, and that was that.
But a year or so later, I wrote to Vonda, reminded her who I was, and asked her if she would read the book I'd just sold to Eos. And, if she liked it, to please consider blurbing it. I have no idea whether or not she'd have done so anyway without the prior connection, but I don't think it hurt. She did agree to read it and gave me a lovely blurb that Eos used on the back cover of Song and the front cover of Children of Scarabaeus.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
“But that's not fair!”
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 I find appealing and the stories I'm interested in following.
A character might not know what's fair or she might be misled about what's fair -- she might have wrong or incomplete information, for example. She might have to revise her opinion about what's fair along the way. But to be appealing to me as a reader (or author), a character wants to do the right thing. If her world is small, she might only be concerned with doing the right thing for those in her immediate environment. As her knowledge of the universe grows, her priorities shift and she gains a wider sense of what "fair" can mean.
She has to be fair to herself, too, which may be how she avoids becoming overly self-righteous or self-sacrificing. We expect our heroes to make sacrifices, of course, even sacrificing their lives if it's "worth it", but only when they're backed into a corner with no options.
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 I find appealing and the stories I'm interested in following.
A character might not know what's fair or she might be misled about what's fair -- she might have wrong or incomplete information, for example. She might have to revise her opinion about what's fair along the way. But to be appealing to me as a reader (or author), a character wants to do the right thing. If her world is small, she might only be concerned with doing the right thing for those in her immediate environment. As her knowledge of the universe grows, her priorities shift and she gains a wider sense of what "fair" can mean.
She has to be fair to herself, too, which may be how she avoids becoming overly self-righteous or self-sacrificing. We expect our heroes to make sacrifices, of course, even sacrificing their lives if it's "worth it", but only when they're backed into a corner with no options.
"But that's not fair!" -- it's the eternal whine of children all over the world, but sometimes those children have a point. A character who considers what's fair, and is concerned with making things fair, is far more appealing to me than a character driven by selfish or petty motivations, including righteous revenge.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Author copies are here!
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.
... assuming they survive Babyzilla.
An octogenarian
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, and charting the fuel efficiency of his vehicles over the years).
He's a retired chemical engineer, able to build and fix anything. In fact he spent yesterday afternoon re-engineering croquet hoops with a blow torch and sander so the grandchildren could play a game when they came over for his party. He's put up more shelving and cup hooks for us than any man should have to in a lifetime. He dug up and leveled our entire quarter-acre lawn at the house in England. I do not know why, but I'm sure his engineer brain drove him to it.
I dedicated my first book to him because of his willingness to answer any question -- a child's curiosity and a parent's patient indulgence help imaginations to grow. If he didn't know the answer, he took a stab anyway using logic (working it out from first principles) and common sense (drawing on his vast engineering knowledge).
He's had a huge influence on my life, which becomes more and more apparent to me as I get older.
Happy birthday, daddy!
He's a retired chemical engineer, able to build and fix anything. In fact he spent yesterday afternoon re-engineering croquet hoops with a blow torch and sander so the grandchildren could play a game when they came over for his party. He's put up more shelving and cup hooks for us than any man should have to in a lifetime. He dug up and leveled our entire quarter-acre lawn at the house in England. I do not know why, but I'm sure his engineer brain drove him to it.
The above photo of the half-completed job was taken (in the late 70s) from the roof, which he was wont to climb on occasion to fix the tiling. No small task on a three-storey home. He climbed all the way up on a very long, narrow, scary ladder.
He's also an artist, lately expressed through photography, but he sculpted and painted when he was younger. When my sister, at a very young age, painted a face on the bathroom chair, he had to be angry, of course, but took a photo of it for posterity.
He's had a huge influence on my life, which becomes more and more apparent to me as I get older.
Happy birthday, daddy!
Me and my dad, on a beach in England with "Black Cindy"
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Kristin reading from my book
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 something that stood alone and made sense without an intro within that time frame. I also wanted to choose something technical rather than a plain action sequence. In the end I went with the same passage that's excerpted at the start of the book (although that's a cut-down version). And Kristin did a great job!
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 something that stood alone and made sense without an intro within that time frame. I also wanted to choose something technical rather than a plain action sequence. In the end I went with the same passage that's excerpted at the start of the book (although that's a cut-down version). And Kristin did a great job!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Kristin at Norwescon
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 Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, by another debut author, Mark Hodder. Congrats to Mark!
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 Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, by another debut author, Mark Hodder. Congrats to Mark!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Interview and Aussie giveaway at Kylie Griffin's blog
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 Scarabaeus and Song of Scarabaeus (Aussies only, closes 14 April)
Reading Between the Wines - win one of two signed Children of Scarabaeus bookmarks (closes 22 April)
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 Scarabaeus and Song of Scarabaeus (Aussies only, closes 14 April)
Reading Between the Wines - win one of two signed Children of Scarabaeus bookmarks (closes 22 April)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
A punk for every occasion
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 Runner.
We also have clockpunk, which uses clockwork power instead of steam. I have never read any stories in this genre but apparently they tend to be set in the Renaissance, using Leonardo da Vinci-style inventions.
Then came steampunk, which is currently a top trend. It features alternate (alternative, dammit!) historical settings, usually Victorian, where electricity was never invented. Anachronistic machinery and technology that we might recognize, such as computers and robots, run on steam power.
We also have clockpunk, which uses clockwork power instead of steam. I have never read any stories in this genre but apparently they tend to be set in the Renaissance, using Leonardo da Vinci-style inventions.
Biopunk is a term I only heard of this year but should have had a handle on sooner, because apparently my Scarabaeus books fit the bill. This subgenre focuses on biotechnology, genetic engineering and the like, and the consequences of such things going Horribly Wrong.
I heard about icepunk for the first time during DABWAHA last month, when Kate Elliott's Cold Magic was up against my book (she beat me, of course). It's "steampunk on ice" according to Kate. I've ordered this book and can't wait to read it.
And now we have bugpunk, thanks to Kameron Hurley and God's War -- which I must read even though it has a kickass female (I find kickass females a bit irritating). She uses this term in her tagline and, for all I know, invented it. The technology and fuel in God's War run on alien bug power, which sounds downright cool.
So did I miss any punks? What kind of punk should sci-fi writers turn to next?
Saturday, April 9, 2011
SpongeBob celebrates my new release
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...
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 their local store, please send along a pic.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Another interview and giveaway
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).
Thursday, April 7, 2011
I plotted it my way - guest blog and giveaway!
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!
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!
Mousepad: We have a winner!
Using random.org I've drawn a winner for the Edie & Finn mousepad, and the winner is...
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Science Fiction: What’s in it for Urban Fantasy fans?
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 signed bookmark.
Enter over there for the chance to win a set of both Song and Children of Scarabaeus, along with a signed bookmark.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Game's on!
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, mash, the leash etc. She's even written some additional history for the eco-rads and the Crib and more, and expanded on that world-building with a detailed caste system (somewhat prescient because one of the books I'm writing now takes place on a world with a strict social hierarchy).
I know some authors are a bit uncomfortable about the idea of readers using their characters in fanfic, and it's a discomfort that goes beyond copyright or other legal issues. (Jessica's game is for her personal use with friends, so she's not profiting financially.) As for me, I'm flattered and thrilled. I love it that people are talking about the characters and places and story that I created. Not only talking about these things, but using them as a springboard for their own creativity. Anyway, you read it here first: bring on the fanfic! (I think here I'm supposed to say "For legal reasons I can't admit to reading it.")
I'm not a gamer but MCP is, and is always threatening to write a sci-fi RPG set in a world much like the one I wrote, so that I'll have no option but to play it. For now, I'm just happy that someone out there has enjoyed my book and incorporated some of its ideas and "essence", as Jessica puts it, into her own creative outlet.
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, mash, the leash etc. She's even written some additional history for the eco-rads and the Crib and more, and expanded on that world-building with a detailed caste system (somewhat prescient because one of the books I'm writing now takes place on a world with a strict social hierarchy).
I know some authors are a bit uncomfortable about the idea of readers using their characters in fanfic, and it's a discomfort that goes beyond copyright or other legal issues. (Jessica's game is for her personal use with friends, so she's not profiting financially.) As for me, I'm flattered and thrilled. I love it that people are talking about the characters and places and story that I created. Not only talking about these things, but using them as a springboard for their own creativity. Anyway, you read it here first: bring on the fanfic! (I think here I'm supposed to say "For legal reasons I can't admit to reading it.")
I'm not a gamer but MCP is, and is always threatening to write a sci-fi RPG set in a world much like the one I wrote, so that I'll have no option but to play it. For now, I'm just happy that someone out there has enjoyed my book and incorporated some of its ideas and "essence", as Jessica puts it, into her own creative outlet.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
O mother, where art thou?
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 it, goes on a quest to get it, and succeeds or loses, is an age-old storytelling structure. It's used because it works. That is, it provides a satisfying experience for the reader.
The hero of these stories wants something -- wants it so badly that she's prepared to leave her safe world and venture into the unknown. Her adventures -- the plot -- are driven by the decisions she makes. Often, towards the end, she realizes the thing she wanted isn't as important as something else -- often an ideal such as love, honor, truth, or the greater good -- and her priorities shift. A dedicated hero will risk everything for this ideal, even her own life if she deems the sacrifice worthwhile.
Now imagine our heroine is a mother. A mother's first priority is her children. Assuming the character is going to remain sympathetic for the reader, can a mother ever change this priority? Can she put something else first? Can she ever risk her children? Even when the galaxy's at stake?
A compelling plot gives the hero difficult decisions. Each option has to tempt her -- for example, will she choose the safe option with little reward, or the risky option with greater reward? But when one choice is her children, the decision is easy. A mother chooses her children over option B, every time.
Of course, a heroine can be a mother whose children are not involved in the main plot. But in genre fiction, where a large amount of wordage is already needed for elaborate, imaginative world building, there isn't space to give your heroine attributes that aren't directly relevant. And even if her children are sitting safely at home, what mother is likely to risk her own life to save someone else or to promote an ideal, when her children need her?
So if we want a sympathetic heroine and she's a mother, we're telling the story of someone who always puts her children first, never changes that priority, and won't risk her own safety. In genre fiction, those aren't usually the ingredients for a memorable story.
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 it, goes on a quest to get it, and succeeds or loses, is an age-old storytelling structure. It's used because it works. That is, it provides a satisfying experience for the reader.
The hero of these stories wants something -- wants it so badly that she's prepared to leave her safe world and venture into the unknown. Her adventures -- the plot -- are driven by the decisions she makes. Often, towards the end, she realizes the thing she wanted isn't as important as something else -- often an ideal such as love, honor, truth, or the greater good -- and her priorities shift. A dedicated hero will risk everything for this ideal, even her own life if she deems the sacrifice worthwhile.
Now imagine our heroine is a mother. A mother's first priority is her children. Assuming the character is going to remain sympathetic for the reader, can a mother ever change this priority? Can she put something else first? Can she ever risk her children? Even when the galaxy's at stake?
A compelling plot gives the hero difficult decisions. Each option has to tempt her -- for example, will she choose the safe option with little reward, or the risky option with greater reward? But when one choice is her children, the decision is easy. A mother chooses her children over option B, every time.
Of course, a heroine can be a mother whose children are not involved in the main plot. But in genre fiction, where a large amount of wordage is already needed for elaborate, imaginative world building, there isn't space to give your heroine attributes that aren't directly relevant. And even if her children are sitting safely at home, what mother is likely to risk her own life to save someone else or to promote an ideal, when her children need her?
So if we want a sympathetic heroine and she's a mother, we're telling the story of someone who always puts her children first, never changes that priority, and won't risk her own safety. In genre fiction, those aren't usually the ingredients for a memorable story.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Somewhere between Cherryh and Czerneda...
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 second time around.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Another giveaway! - interview at Scifichick
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.
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.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
COSless
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 doing with other paperbacks in the house.
By the way, I really hate that the abbreviation for this book is CoS... Church of Sc_. Ugh. SoS was livable-with. Henceforth they will be SONG and CHILDREN.
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 doing with other paperbacks in the house.
By the way, I really hate that the abbreviation for this book is CoS... Church of Sc_. Ugh. SoS was livable-with. Henceforth they will be SONG and CHILDREN.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Reviews, interviews and giveaways
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 Sexy Books - 4 stars
Angieville
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 Sexy Books - 4 stars
Angieville
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Supernatural Underground - WIN book and signed bookmark
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.
Celebrate release day: WIN Finn & Edie mousepad
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.
Meanwhile, get yourself a copy of Children of Scarabaeus from your local bookstore or online store, and follow my blog tour (list on the right) for more chances to win.
Edie Sha'nim believes she and her bodyguard lover, Finn, could find refuge from the tyranny of the Crib empire by fleeing to the Fringe worlds. But Edie's extraordinary cypherteck ability to manipulate the ecology of evolving planets makes her far too valuable to lose. Recaptured and forced to cooperate - or else she will watch Finn die - Edie is shocked to discover the Crib's new breed of cypherteck: children. She cannot stand by while the oppressors enslave the innocent, nor can she resist the lure of Scarabaeus, the first world she tried to save, when researchers discover what appears to be an evolving intelligence.
But escape - for Edie, for Finn, and for the exploited young - will require the ultimate sacrifice... and a shocking act of rebellion.
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 AEST in Australia. I'll notify the winner by email and post their name. (Mouse not included!)
Meanwhile, get yourself a copy of Children of Scarabaeus from your local bookstore or online store, and follow my blog tour (list on the right) for more chances to win.
But escape - for Edie, for Finn, and for the exploited young - will require the ultimate sacrifice... and a shocking act of rebellion.
Monday, March 28, 2011
One/two days to go
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 - guest blog and Aussie giveaway
Dates to come:
Tez Says - guest blog
SciFi Chick - interview
Angieville - interview and giveaway
Book Chick City guest blog - Women of Science Fiction Week 23-28 May
29 March The Qwillery - interview
5 April Literary Escapism - interview and giveaway
7 April Reading Between the Wines - interview
11 April Kylie Griffin - guest blog and Aussie giveaway
Dates to come:
Tez Says - guest blog
SciFi Chick - interview
Angieville - interview and giveaway
Book Chick City guest blog - Women of Science Fiction Week 23-28 May
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Edward's second chance
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 parents on her 7th birthday. He was hiding in the cloakroom when she came home from school. She went to hang up her coat and there he was in the dark corner, waiting for her.
Edward is - was - a bright yellow bear about 4 feet tall. My parents bought him second-hand for five pounds sterling, so he's of unknown vintage but is in his mid-thirties, at the very least. His seams are coming apart, his stuffing is leaking out, his nose has gone completely flat, his ear is half ripped off... But he's Edward! And my sister was just throwing him out! No room, she said. Too many toys filling up the house already, and she didn't have time to repair him.
When I was little, every stuffed animal I owned was a person with a soul. I loved them to bits, sometimes literally. I remember walking to school one day with my sister and seeing a garbage bin on the street overflowing with old stuffed toys that the local children's home was throwing out. We were devastated. We wanted to rescue them but didn't dare raid someone else's bins.
So I rescued Edward. I'm going to pull him apart, wash him and patch him, refill him with new stuffing (nice clean polyester from Lincraft instead of nasty foam chips) and stitch him up like new. Edward the giant teddy bear has suffered (in a good way, mostly) at the hands of my sister and her six children. Now he will be my baby's giant teddy bear so she can love him to bits all over again.
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 parents on her 7th birthday. He was hiding in the cloakroom when she came home from school. She went to hang up her coat and there he was in the dark corner, waiting for her.
Edward is - was - a bright yellow bear about 4 feet tall. My parents bought him second-hand for five pounds sterling, so he's of unknown vintage but is in his mid-thirties, at the very least. His seams are coming apart, his stuffing is leaking out, his nose has gone completely flat, his ear is half ripped off... But he's Edward! And my sister was just throwing him out! No room, she said. Too many toys filling up the house already, and she didn't have time to repair him.
When I was little, every stuffed animal I owned was a person with a soul. I loved them to bits, sometimes literally. I remember walking to school one day with my sister and seeing a garbage bin on the street overflowing with old stuffed toys that the local children's home was throwing out. We were devastated. We wanted to rescue them but didn't dare raid someone else's bins.
So I rescued Edward. I'm going to pull him apart, wash him and patch him, refill him with new stuffing (nice clean polyester from Lincraft instead of nasty foam chips) and stitch him up like new. Edward the giant teddy bear has suffered (in a good way, mostly) at the hands of my sister and her six children. Now he will be my baby's giant teddy bear so she can love him to bits all over again.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Aurealis Awards - SONG nominated!
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 stores (see here for a list of retailers that currently stock the book).
Two features about the SF Novel shortlist this year: there are only 3 nominees, the other two both being for books by the ever-prolific and popular Marianne de Pierres (her 6th & 7th nominations), and the fact that a woman therefore is going to win! Looking back over the 16-year history of the awards, only one other woman has ever won this category (Maxine McArthur in 2004, for Less Than Human -- NB. read her Time Future/Time Past books!).
For several years from about 1999 I worked on Aurealis magazine, as a copyeditor, slush pile reader, and eventually associate editor. It was a remarkable experience, helping me in both a writing/editing capacity, and in introducing me to the work of dozens of Aussie authors. Now that I'm back in Australia, I hope to reconnect with the SF community here -- when my little one deigns to give me time off -- and being nominated for an Aurealis Award is a fantastic way to come home.
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 stores (see here for a list of retailers that currently stock the book).
Two features about the SF Novel shortlist this year: there are only 3 nominees, the other two both being for books by the ever-prolific and popular Marianne de Pierres (her 6th & 7th nominations), and the fact that a woman therefore is going to win! Looking back over the 16-year history of the awards, only one other woman has ever won this category (Maxine McArthur in 2004, for Less Than Human -- NB. read her Time Future/Time Past books!).
For several years from about 1999 I worked on Aurealis magazine, as a copyeditor, slush pile reader, and eventually associate editor. It was a remarkable experience, helping me in both a writing/editing capacity, and in introducing me to the work of dozens of Aussie authors. Now that I'm back in Australia, I hope to reconnect with the SF community here -- when my little one deigns to give me time off -- and being nominated for an Aurealis Award is a fantastic way to come home.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Ideas and icicles
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 dirt and uncover hidden secrets to use against her. Instead I became sidetracked - nay, fascinated - by her idea of icepunk, or "steampunk on ice" as she defines it (the subgenre of her DABWAHA book Cold Magic). So much so that I spent much of the day researching ice sculpting, glaciers and the Icelandic horse, and had no time left for dirt-raking and secret-uncovering.
And the far-future story that I was intending to set in a hot barren desert? It now seems sooo much more romantic and interesting set on a frozen plateau in a glacial age.
Here's the kicker: I researched my opponent, as you do, aiming to rake through the dirt and uncover hidden secrets to use against her. Instead I became sidetracked - nay, fascinated - by her idea of icepunk, or "steampunk on ice" as she defines it (the subgenre of her DABWAHA book Cold Magic). So much so that I spent much of the day researching ice sculpting, glaciers and the Icelandic horse, and had no time left for dirt-raking and secret-uncovering.
And the far-future story that I was intending to set in a hot barren desert? It now seems sooo much more romantic and interesting set on a frozen plateau in a glacial age.
So thank you Kate for stirring my imagination with Cold Magic - and I haven't even read the book yet! (Just ordered it.)
DABWAHA Round 2
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 amazing and I'm losing the vote right now. Okay, that's the extent of my trash-talking. Here's something she doesn't have. She doesn't have LOLbabyz.
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 amazing and I'm losing the vote right now. Okay, that's the extent of my trash-talking. Here's something she doesn't have. She doesn't have LOLbabyz.
Click here to vote for Song of Scarabaeus. Tell your friends! Do it now!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Interview about writing, babies, and secrets in the cellar
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.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Help ME win!
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 noon, central time, Thursday 17th March, until midnight (I think that's about 4 AM - 4 PM on 18th, in Australia). You don't have to sign in or register or anything - it's anonymous.
Full disclosure: I'll win an iPad if my book wins. I don't actually know what an iPad is, but more importantly it's great exposure for my book as hundreds of readers are taking part.
If Song makes it through this round, I may bug you again for another vote. Until then... thanks in advance, and please spread the word!
UPDATE: Wheee! My book has progressed to Round 2. Whew. A long way to go, though... and I'm up against Kate Elliott in the next round *breaks out in nervous sweat*. Voting for Song will be noon to midnight on Saturday March 19th (CST) which is 4 AM Sunday 20th in Australia. Mark your calendars!
UPDATE: Wheee! My book has progressed to Round 2. Whew. A long way to go, though... and I'm up against Kate Elliott in the next round *breaks out in nervous sweat*. Voting for Song will be noon to midnight on Saturday March 19th (CST) which is 4 AM Sunday 20th in Australia. Mark your calendars!
Interview - and WIN!
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).
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Starting 'em young
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.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
DABWAHA - Vote!
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 who put me in the tournament - Song is in the "Crossover" category.
Secondly, there are simply oodles of prizes to be won, so get involved! Until 15th March you choose which book you think will get through to the next round, and you win stuff for being right. Then the books face off against each other in polls over the next few days, and you get to vote on your choice for Book of the Year.
To vote in the polls (after Tuesday night), go to the DABWAHA blog or click the link below, which is the icon I'm proudly displaying as a DABWAHA finalist.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Zombies: I don't get it
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.
I really don't get it.
That is all.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Ask me anything!
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 comes to thinking up topics, but I'll give it a shot if you can't think of anything.
The creative juices for my book(s) on the other hand are flowing freely. New mothers are advised to "sleep when the baby sleeps", and I certainly need to do that, with exhaustion a constant battle these days (make that these past 18 months). But instead of napping I find myself thinking up more weird and wacky plot lines for my WIPs.
Anyway, don't forget you can read the first chapter of Children on my website!
Or you could just look at this cutie, who was 9 months old this week and is cutting her first top tooth. Hard to write with this clinging to your knee.
The creative juices for my book(s) on the other hand are flowing freely. New mothers are advised to "sleep when the baby sleeps", and I certainly need to do that, with exhaustion a constant battle these days (make that these past 18 months). But instead of napping I find myself thinking up more weird and wacky plot lines for my WIPs.
Anyway, don't forget you can read the first chapter of Children on my website!
Or you could just look at this cutie, who was 9 months old this week and is cutting her first top tooth. Hard to write with this clinging to your knee.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Where Twitter led me today
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 Dubai Diaries), writes about meeting bestselling Aussie author Bryce Courtney, who gave her some advice on being a writer. Write commercially, he says, if you want to make money. It seems self-evident. But the fact is that many people want to be writers for the sake of the art. Cynical as it sounds, if you want to give up the 9 to 5 then writing commercially increases your odds of achieving that goal rather than writing a marvelous piece of literary genius (unless said piece of genius ends up on the state's high school curriculum). Of course, doing both at the same time would be nice!
And my most go-to site io9 has a trailer for Super. I don't really like the whole superhero genre but this is a parody, suitably due for release on 1st April (in the US), and it stars Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight from The Office) and Nathan Fillion (playing another superhero) - two great reasons to put Grandma on babysitting duty and take MCP to the movies for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. (I can't find a release date for Australia, which makes me nervous...)
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 Dubai Diaries), writes about meeting bestselling Aussie author Bryce Courtney, who gave her some advice on being a writer. Write commercially, he says, if you want to make money. It seems self-evident. But the fact is that many people want to be writers for the sake of the art. Cynical as it sounds, if you want to give up the 9 to 5 then writing commercially increases your odds of achieving that goal rather than writing a marvelous piece of literary genius (unless said piece of genius ends up on the state's high school curriculum). Of course, doing both at the same time would be nice!
And my most go-to site io9 has a trailer for Super. I don't really like the whole superhero genre but this is a parody, suitably due for release on 1st April (in the US), and it stars Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight from The Office) and Nathan Fillion (playing another superhero) - two great reasons to put Grandma on babysitting duty and take MCP to the movies for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. (I can't find a release date for Australia, which makes me nervous...)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Why I don't believe
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 whatever warm & fuzzies the romance angle of the story is attempting to generate. But plenty of people evidently disagree.
I'm pretty sure you don't have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a ghostly romance, but the fact is that twenty-seven percent of Americans do believe in ghosts (disproportionately women and young people). The figure is even higher for Brits. I can't find a recent figure for Aussies (MCP says "Why don't you ask your spirit guide?") but I suspect it's in the same ballpark. It would take more than one blog post to list all the many things I don't believe in, but today I'm here to state that I don't believe in ghosts.
While I don't find stories of hauntings and the like remotely interesting, I do find it interesting to look into why people interpret certain very real personal experiences as "I see dead people."
This article by Richard Wiseman from New Humanist (UK) summarizes some research (oh nose! science!) explaining why people may have ghostly experiences. A brief excerpt:
I'm pretty sure you don't have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a ghostly romance, but the fact is that twenty-seven percent of Americans do believe in ghosts (disproportionately women and young people). The figure is even higher for Brits. I can't find a recent figure for Aussies (MCP says "Why don't you ask your spirit guide?") but I suspect it's in the same ballpark. It would take more than one blog post to list all the many things I don't believe in, but today I'm here to state that I don't believe in ghosts.
While I don't find stories of hauntings and the like remotely interesting, I do find it interesting to look into why people interpret certain very real personal experiences as "I see dead people."
This article by Richard Wiseman from New Humanist (UK) summarizes some research (oh nose! science!) explaining why people may have ghostly experiences. A brief excerpt:
In one study [researcher James Houran] took over a disused theatre that had absolutely no reputation for being haunted, and asked two groups of people to walk around it and report how they felt. Houran told one group that the theatre was associated with lots of ghostly activity and the other that the building was simply undergoing renovation. Those in the “this building is haunted” group reported weird sensations all over the place, while the other group experienced nothing unusual.Blame psychological suggestion. Even I've been known to scare myself silly, alone in a dark house. Mind you, I always attributed the strange noises to someone trying to break in, which I think you'll agree is about a million times scarier than a bit of wandering ectoplasm.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A common language
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. When I moved to the US, I switched Word to American English and changed the manuscript from top to tail, including the laborious process of changing all the single speech marks to double.
Now I'm back in Australia, and Microsoft Word gives me those red squiggly lines under all the American spellings in my new SF manuscript. I'm also writing a fantasy set in England and really feel like sticking with British spelling. More than that, I want to use English words and phrasing. The problem there is that I'm starting to forget exactly which terms are English, which are Australian, and which are American. Where does "dob someone in" come from? My American friends had no idea what this means. Australians dink and hoon and eat pavlova and pikelets, but I don't think the Brits do. They're busy eating crumpets and English muffins, which of course they call just muffins. American kids play with Legos (Lego) and put their babies in diapers (nappies) and cribs (cots) and give them a pacifier (dummy) to keep them quiet. Brits and Aussies have cars with bonnets and boots, not hoods and trunks, and they run on petrol not gas (except when they run on gas).
Here we live in flats and bedsits, or houses with nature strips. Water comes out of the tap (faucet) and we keep our clothes in a wardrobe (closet). We pay rates and wait in a queue to tick boxes and go on the dole. We barrack for our footy team (well, I don't).
What exactly is that thing that runs alongside the road (which is made of asphalt there, tarmac in Britain, bitumen here)? Aussies call it a footpath, Brits a pavement, Americans a sidewalk. The first floor of a building is one up from the ground, not on the ground. At parties we bring a plate and at pubs we shout (when it's our turn). We cook (bake) with self-raising flour and castor sugar, neither of which I could find in American shops (stores). Is it fairy floss, candy floss, or cotton candy? What is catsup? What's a freshman? And what the hell is a hoagie?
Today I made flapjack. I know that means something else to Americans, although I'm not quite sure what, but I think it's the same thing to Aussies and Brits. To me, anyway, flapjack (never plural) is rolled oats, golden syrup, melted butter and brown sugar. MCP called it a "granola bar" (muesli bar) although it's really not. I'm pretty sure most Americans don't know what golden syrup is but here's the recipe anyway.
British (Aussie?) Flapjack
125 g butter
1/4 cup* golden syrup (I use half golden syrup, half treacle)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2.5 cups rolled oats
Melt butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in oats. Press firmly into greased 20cm square tin. Bake 20 mins at 180C. Cool completely before turning out. Cut into squares.
*A British/Australian cup measure is 250 mL, which is a couple of teaspoons more than the US cup measure, so Americans might want to use a bit more butter.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Jon Armstrong interviews... me
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.
Go on, laugh at my funny accent.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Made-up words
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 context or that I give sufficient explanation. This is just for reference.
It seems the words fall into four categories:
Words that sound made-up but aren't (lag, shiv, slater)
Real words that I've appropriated or redefined - consider them futuristic mutations (such as spur, drub, leash, the Reach)
Classic sci-fi words that someone else made up, or made up something similar (gravplating, magkey, nodespace, wet-teck, medfac)
Invented words (biocyph, nanofinds, neuroxin)
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 context or that I give sufficient explanation. This is just for reference.
It seems the words fall into four categories:
Words that sound made-up but aren't (lag, shiv, slater)
Real words that I've appropriated or redefined - consider them futuristic mutations (such as spur, drub, leash, the Reach)
Classic sci-fi words that someone else made up, or made up something similar (gravplating, magkey, nodespace, wet-teck, medfac)
Invented words (biocyph, nanofinds, neuroxin)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Firefly returns
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 scientific terms? In fact, the last thing Firefly had going for it was science. It had gritty ambience and lovable characters. It had Nathan Fillion. It had funky props and an actual dining room table - on a spaceship, for god's sake. It had life. Did I mention it had Nathan Fillion? Once, it even had naked Nathan Fillion.
If you've never seen Firefly, you must watch it now. No excuses. It's that shiny. Standout episodes are "Serenity" (created as the first episode, although it aired out of order), "Out of Gas", and "Ariel". Then of course there's the movie Serenity. It's a real shame this show belonged to Fox instead of a minor channel that would've accepted its lower ratings and given it a chance. When he should've been writing season six of Firefly, Joss Whedon was instead writing Dollhouse, which was kind of nasty.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
How crazy is this?
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 book from America so shipping time is 2 weeks, but as you can't even buy the book in Australian stores (other than, allegedly, a couple of city stores), it's a good trade-off.
No idea how long this will last, but their list price is $22.99. Yes, that's outrageous, but we Aussies are used to paying ridiculous prices for our books and CDs. (My sister used to order text books from the UK because it was cheaper than buying them here, even after paying shipping.) Actually, you can get it cheaper from some of the other online stores listed in my blog post here, anywhere from $10-$16, but you may have to pay extra for shipping.
Also, if you're the first person to review the book on Fishpond and write 50+ words, you get 20 cents store credit.
They have to order the book from America so shipping time is 2 weeks, but as you can't even buy the book in Australian stores (other than, allegedly, a couple of city stores), it's a good trade-off.
No idea how long this will last, but their list price is $22.99. Yes, that's outrageous, but we Aussies are used to paying ridiculous prices for our books and CDs. (My sister used to order text books from the UK because it was cheaper than buying them here, even after paying shipping.) Actually, you can get it cheaper from some of the other online stores listed in my blog post here, anywhere from $10-$16, but you may have to pay extra for shipping.
Also, if you're the first person to review the book on Fishpond and write 50+ words, you get 20 cents store credit.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thrice upon a time
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.
Still two too many.
And how does one write with a baby anyway? I haven't figured that one out.
Still two too many.
And how does one write with a baby anyway? I haven't figured that one out.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Up
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.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Marketing departments need editors too
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 ingenious blending of rich characterization, breathtaking science fiction adventure, fascinating speculation, and engrossing romance in the vein of Linnea Sinclair and Ann Aguirre. Children of Scarabeaus cements Creasy’s reputation as one of sf’s most exciting new practitioners—as cypherteck Edie Sha’nim and her bodyguard lover Finn uncover an insidious scheme by the tyrannical Crib empire that involves the enslavement of children and the destruction of worlds.
OTT or what! :) Guess I should write to them about the spelling errors in the books' titles.
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 ingenious blending of rich characterization, breathtaking science fiction adventure, fascinating speculation, and engrossing romance in the vein of Linnea Sinclair and Ann Aguirre. Children of Scarabeaus cements Creasy’s reputation as one of sf’s most exciting new practitioners—as cypherteck Edie Sha’nim and her bodyguard lover Finn uncover an insidious scheme by the tyrannical Crib empire that involves the enslavement of children and the destruction of worlds.
OTT or what! :) Guess I should write to them about the spelling errors in the books' titles.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Who's Hans Gruber anyway?
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 husband 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 husband representation.)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
My first podcast - coming soon
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 cheating, huh? He has an lurvly "radio voice" and put me at ease for my first ever voice interview.
Check out his other podcast interviews - some really interesting people in there from across the publishing industry. My interview will be up in a month or so.
Check out his other podcast interviews - some really interesting people in there from across the publishing industry. My interview will be up in a month or so.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The singularity
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 unthinkable that it can't be explained to you and me. Hmm, if it can't be thought of it can't be imagined, but of course that's what SF writers try to do.
The typical hypothetical event is the emergence of artificial intelligence - not because we can't imagine it, but because we can't really predict what effects it will have on society and, Star Trek TNG notwithstanding, on our very definition of what it means to be human. What would self-programing intelligence that surpasses human intelligence get up to in its spare time? Would it rather take over the world or play with Lego?
The typical hypothetical event is the emergence of artificial intelligence - not because we can't imagine it, but because we can't really predict what effects it will have on society and, Star Trek TNG notwithstanding, on our very definition of what it means to be human. What would self-programing intelligence that surpasses human intelligence get up to in its spare time? Would it rather take over the world or play with Lego?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Children of Scarabaeus giveaway
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
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Where in the world I am
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.
I've also written my monthly blog post at Supernatural Underground - read it here.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Presenting: The Hoi Polloi
A (long) while back I posted a pathetic illustration of one of the decks of the Hoi Polloi, the rover ship from Song of Scarabaeus. I worked from illustrations like that to keep the layout of the ship straight in my head (although there's a goof at the end that slipped through editing and proofreading - my only excuse is that the scene as written was a late addition to the book).
I've since made some not-quite-so-pathetic illustrations and it's time to share. If you, like me, are truly obsessive about this sort of thing, behold and enjoy. (Click to enlarge.)
I've since made some not-quite-so-pathetic illustrations and it's time to share. If you, like me, are truly obsessive about this sort of thing, behold and enjoy. (Click to enlarge.)
Notes:
These drawings are not remotely to scale, but FYI there is a reference in the book to the main corridor on Deck 3 being 40 meters long. You have to assume there are all sorts of little cubbies and access tubes and other Very Important Spaceship Stuff and whatnot in between the crew quarters, for example, because I'm here to tell you: those rooms are not each 10+ meters on a side.
Alpha Skiff airlock is where Edie is momentarily trapped with some serfs during the fight in the equipment hold.
Beta Skiff is the one Edie and Finn are marooned in, halfway through the book, and to get there they take the shortcut to its airlock via the extra ladder.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Astronomical goofs
Phil Plait has written about the five biggest astronomical goofs in sci-fi movies here: http://blastr.com/2011/01/5-biggest-astronomical-mi.php
I've seen all these movies (although I paid no attention while Attack of the Clones was on) and didn't notice any of these. I think I'm much more tolerant of science goofs in movies than in books, and much less tolerant of biology goofs than physics ones anyway.
I've seen all these movies (although I paid no attention while Attack of the Clones was on) and didn't notice any of these. I think I'm much more tolerant of science goofs in movies than in books, and much less tolerant of biology goofs than physics ones anyway.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Family obligations?
My sister is reading my book. This may not sound so very amazing to you, but it's pretty phenomenal. She doesn't read much of anything, but she's reading my book! Now, my dad, he doesn't read fiction at all either and he read my book, but he was kind of obliged to seeing as how it's dedicated to him. But my sister?!
She texted me some questions about it, like "What happened to the boy who never got his lunch?" If you'd read the first three chapters of Song that got axed (written before I learned that a story should start where the story starts), you'd know what that meant. Which reminds me, she must've read a very early draft of at least the first chapter about 10 years ago.
Anyway, my sister is reading my book! She wants to know what happens in the sequel and will there be more books and will Finn and Edie get it on?
She texted me some questions about it, like "What happened to the boy who never got his lunch?" If you'd read the first three chapters of Song that got axed (written before I learned that a story should start where the story starts), you'd know what that meant. Which reminds me, she must've read a very early draft of at least the first chapter about 10 years ago.
Anyway, my sister is reading my book! She wants to know what happens in the sequel and will there be more books and will Finn and Edie get it on?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Selling Song
My editor Diana Gill at Eos gave a nice quote to Omnivoracious about why she bought Song of Scarabaeus:
"It’s smart science fiction about biotechnology, with a strong heroine, and reminds me of the C. J. Cherryh books I read and loved growing up."
Speaking of C. J. Cherryh, I can't recommend Merchanter's Luck highly enough. Love LOVE that book.
"It’s smart science fiction about biotechnology, with a strong heroine, and reminds me of the C. J. Cherryh books I read and loved growing up."
Speaking of C. J. Cherryh, I can't recommend Merchanter's Luck highly enough. Love LOVE that book.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Nominated!
Song of Scarabaeus has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award. To say I'm in shock is an understatement. My li'l ol' book?!
Congratulations to the other nominees. I will rush out to buy Elizabeth Bear's Chill. I haven't read anything by the other five but their titles look interesting. The full list:
YARN by Jon Armstrong (Night Shade Books)
CHILL by Elizabeth Bear (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS by Alden Bell (Henry Holt & Co.)
CHILL by Elizabeth Bear (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS by Alden Bell (Henry Holt & Co.)
SONG OF SCARABAEUS by Sara Creasy (Eos)
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK by Mark Hodder (Pyr)
HARMONY by Project Itoh, translated by Alexander O. Smith (Haikasoru)
STATE OF DECAY by James Knapp (Roc)
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK by Mark Hodder (Pyr)
HARMONY by Project Itoh, translated by Alexander O. Smith (Haikasoru)
STATE OF DECAY by James Knapp (Roc)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Poster-sized inspiration
Check out my new wall art... I had posters made of both my covers and they're now hanging over my desk. They look all glossy and amazing. I included some surrounding bits of my workspace for scale. (To the right is baby's mobile that's too delicate for her to be near, much as she loves to tug on the emu's foot, so it goes on the wall as well.)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Being on a list
SciFiChick.com has listed Song of Scarabaeus at #4 on her Top 10 Science Fiction Novels for 2010. Wow! Her original review of the book is here.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2010 SF&F movies
Today I'm blogging at Supernatural Underground about 2010's sf&f movies - help me decide what to see, because I saw almost nothing this year!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Games for the season
A lot of people are posting their Best of 2010 reading lists, but since I didn't read much this year I'll post my favorite games of the year instead. These didn't come out in 2010 and I didn't necessarily play them for the first time in 2010 either, but they stick in my mind.
If you're a huge fan of Monopoly and other "roll the dice and move" games, you might not like these. Then again, I grew up playing Monopoly and now love the new German board games from the likes of Rio Grande. These games often include the mechanic whereby everyone in turn chooses what to do and then everyone does it, rather than everyone doing something different based on their dice roll. Many also include an element of cooperation as well as competition. We taught my 12- and 15-year-old nieces to play the first three games on the list this week, and they picked them up quickly and enjoyed them a lot.
Carcassonne - Use hex pieces to build roads, fields and cities; cooperate or conquer for points.
Kingsburg - Influence the king's advisors to obtain resources, build buildings and hire soldiers that help you defend the realm against annual monster attacks.
Bohnanza - A deceptively simple card game in which you plant bean fields and harvest them at just the right moment for maximum profit.
Settlers of Catan - Another very simple but addictive resource-based game (there is a sci-fi version of this that I haven't played but I've read that each player gets a 6" tall mothership - yowza!).
Puerto Rico - Produce crops on your island plantation using slaves... ahem, colonists, and ship the goods back to the old world.
Age of Empires - Choose actions, collect resources and colonize countries in the new world; convert or conquer to expand your colonies.
And some sci-fi ones...
Race for the Galaxy - Explore and settle new worlds, produce and sell goods (a neat little card game that MCP always wins).
Ad Astra - Explore and mine planets for resources to build spaceships and colonies.
Galaxy Trucker - Silly but fun game where you build a spaceship out of jigsaw pieces, then face various dangers to see how it holds up.
If you're a huge fan of Monopoly and other "roll the dice and move" games, you might not like these. Then again, I grew up playing Monopoly and now love the new German board games from the likes of Rio Grande. These games often include the mechanic whereby everyone in turn chooses what to do and then everyone does it, rather than everyone doing something different based on their dice roll. Many also include an element of cooperation as well as competition. We taught my 12- and 15-year-old nieces to play the first three games on the list this week, and they picked them up quickly and enjoyed them a lot.
Carcassonne - Use hex pieces to build roads, fields and cities; cooperate or conquer for points.
Kingsburg - Influence the king's advisors to obtain resources, build buildings and hire soldiers that help you defend the realm against annual monster attacks.
Bohnanza - A deceptively simple card game in which you plant bean fields and harvest them at just the right moment for maximum profit.
Settlers of Catan - Another very simple but addictive resource-based game (there is a sci-fi version of this that I haven't played but I've read that each player gets a 6" tall mothership - yowza!).
Puerto Rico - Produce crops on your island plantation using slaves... ahem, colonists, and ship the goods back to the old world.
Age of Empires - Choose actions, collect resources and colonize countries in the new world; convert or conquer to expand your colonies.
And some sci-fi ones...
Race for the Galaxy - Explore and settle new worlds, produce and sell goods (a neat little card game that MCP always wins).
Ad Astra - Explore and mine planets for resources to build spaceships and colonies.
Galaxy Trucker - Silly but fun game where you build a spaceship out of jigsaw pieces, then face various dangers to see how it holds up.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Galaxy Express holiday blitz - win!
Galaxy Express is having a holiday blitz giveaway. Head over there for two chances to win signed copies of my debut novel Song of Scarabaeus. To give readers down under a chance to read the book, which isn't easily available here, this portion of the contest is open to Australia/New Zealand residents only. Just comment on the blog post to be entered.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Books from childhood
My 12-year-old niece is staying with us for a few days. She's a big reader who's ploughing through Harry Potter a second time because she ran out of books. This got me thinking about the books I enjoyed before high school English lessons spoiled reading for me. To be honest I was generally more interested in Lego than in books, but here are a few I remember:
- The Little Grey Men by B.B. (gnomes stuff marshmallows into the hold of a toy ship and go on a quest)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (loved the first book, lost interest in the rest)
- Baby Island (sisters aged 12 and 14 are shipwrecked on a desert island with four babies)
- Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards (orphan spruces up an abandoned cottage) (written by the Julie Andrews)
- Naughtiest Girl in the School and Malory Towers by Enid Blyton (boarding school heaven)
- Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Thursday, December 9, 2010
My other job
My other job... no, not being a mum, although that takes up more time than anything else I do... I work/telecommute part-time for an online 3D art company that sells 3D models to create images and animations - mostly aimed at hobbyists. The professional version of this you've seen in movies like the underrated Final Fantasy, which is wholly computer generated, or Alvin and the Chipmunks, which combines CGI and live action in a fairly obvious way, unless you believe in talking chipmunk actors.
(The company is DAZ3D and its rendering software DAZ Studio is free, for anyone who's interested.)
Anyway, these days I have little time to render computer art, and in fact I just deleted (temporarily) the software from my PC because it was taking up so much room I couldn't defrag. But I thought I'd show off some of my work that's gathering cyberdust on my hard drive. These are random images from as far back as 2002, and don't relate directly to my writing. Click to enlarge.
(The company is DAZ3D and its rendering software DAZ Studio is free, for anyone who's interested.)
Anyway, these days I have little time to render computer art, and in fact I just deleted (temporarily) the software from my PC because it was taking up so much room I couldn't defrag. But I thought I'd show off some of my work that's gathering cyberdust on my hard drive. These are random images from as far back as 2002, and don't relate directly to my writing. Click to enlarge.
I saw the movie Grey Lady Down in the 1970s, when I was probably too young because a certain scene has haunted me ever since. This is a sci-fi interpretation.
"Not Long Now"
"New England Cannibal"
"Pest Control"
"Strike"
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Resolutions
Nathan Bransford writes about the physical and creative benefits to writers of exercise.
Unfortunately exercise just makes me bored. Mind-numbingly, excruciatingly bored. This is hardly conducive to creativity, right?
Unfortunately exercise just makes me bored. Mind-numbingly, excruciatingly bored. This is hardly conducive to creativity, right?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Chicken Licken was right
It was a dark and stormy night... Well, afternoon, and neither dark nor stormy but what we English call "close" - overcast, humid, drizzling on and off, too cool to be classified as "muggy". Baby and dad were playing together and all was right with the world (except for the weather).
The sky fell in.
Scary stuff for any parent. That chunk of wet plasterboard on the left flew across the room and it was heavy. Now we have a 2 x 3-foot hole in the ceiling, a laundry full of washed-up toys and teddies, and a Man coming tomorrow to assess the damage. (MCP has a pic of the hole itself on his blog.)
(She's always trying to walk but at 6 months old it's not quite working out yet.)
Just half an hour later, when they were still in almost the same spot...
The sky fell in.
Scary stuff for any parent. That chunk of wet plasterboard on the left flew across the room and it was heavy. Now we have a 2 x 3-foot hole in the ceiling, a laundry full of washed-up toys and teddies, and a Man coming tomorrow to assess the damage. (MCP has a pic of the hole itself on his blog.)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Children of Scarabaeus - read chp 1
It's up! Read chapter 1 of Children of Scarabaeus on my website as well as the back cover blurb. The book will be out March 2011.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Aussies - where to buy
Want to buy Song of Scarabaeus in Australia? The following online stores are listing it (just in time for Christmas). Check each link for the best price (don't forget to include shipping) and whether they actually have it in stock. In some cases they have to order it from the US and that takes a couple of weeks.
Borders
Fishpond
Emporium Books
QBD
Galaxy Books
Dymocks (they claim it's in stock at the Collins St, Melbourne store and Rundle Mall, Adelaide, but call first to check)
Booktopia
Angus Robertson
Seek Books
Book Depository (in the UK not Australia, but tends to have super cheap books even with shipping)
John Scalzi is giving authors the opportunity to mention their books on his blog - see the comments section for tons of gift ideas. (I'm #100.)
And io9 has a list of ten SF&F book ideas for Christmas. I haven't read a single one of them because I'm about 4 years behind on my reading list, but I like the sound of these four in particular:
For the Win, by Cory Doctorow
The Dream of Perpetual Motion, by Dexter Palmer
Digital Domains: A Decade of Science Fiction & Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow
Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay
Borders
Fishpond
Emporium Books
QBD
Galaxy Books
Dymocks (they claim it's in stock at the Collins St, Melbourne store and Rundle Mall, Adelaide, but call first to check)
Booktopia
Angus Robertson
Seek Books
Book Depository (in the UK not Australia, but tends to have super cheap books even with shipping)
John Scalzi is giving authors the opportunity to mention their books on his blog - see the comments section for tons of gift ideas. (I'm #100.)
And io9 has a list of ten SF&F book ideas for Christmas. I haven't read a single one of them because I'm about 4 years behind on my reading list, but I like the sound of these four in particular:
For the Win, by Cory Doctorow
The Dream of Perpetual Motion, by Dexter Palmer
Digital Domains: A Decade of Science Fiction & Fantasy, edited by Ellen Datlow
Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay
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