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Showing posts with label ARRA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ARRA. Show all posts

02 February 2012

Did 'ya miss me?




This is just a quick hello. I'm still without a computer and unable to blog frequently. I will however be trying to post a little bit of something on a more regular basis using library computers. I can't promise much however! My computer will hopefully be up and working again in a few months :)

My reading style has changed a lot now I am no longer buying books. I'm relying a lot on my local library and its fantasy/science fiction and paranormal romance/urban fantasy shelves are pretty basic. I've picked up some new authors I haven't read before, but generally the shelves are full of books I have already read or don't feel like reading. Instead I have been lured to the dark side with all the romance recommendations and been exploring that genre. My local library has an extensive (I think, anyway) collection of romance, and as most of my twitter friends and some of my close friends read romance, I've been finding new authors to read. I never ever thought I would read this much romance! However, relying on library books has meant I've been able to explore without bothering to read blurbs or pay attention to genres and subgenres. It has been really interesting actually. I've found that a lot of my own thoughts on romance aren't exactly founded. I had never realised what a snob I was! I mean, a lot of the books are as you'd expect, light entertainment, but some books are bloody brilliant :) I'll have to borrow some again and write up some reviews or something. My biggest disappointment, I have to say, is the lack of erotica. I know, it is a public library and anyone can borrow books, including children and teens. I know I was punching above my weight when I was a kid myself! But at the same time, now I can't afford to buy ebooks (or have a computer to do so) I am really missing the erotica. Just don't tell my mother LOL Ah, who am I kidding. After her overhearing conversations about romance and erotica I have had with my great aunt June, I'm sure she realises my reading content, even if it is a little too spicy for her own tastes! ;)

If you are in Sydney and a romance reader (including paranormal romance), ARRA is holding a flashmob at Pyrmont Bridge at 11am on the 12th of January to celebrate Romance Reading Day as part of National Year of Reading. It will be a lot of fun and a chance to network with other readers. I hope to see any local romance readers there! You can find out more information {here}.On that note, today is the first meeting of my paranormal romance book club for the year. I can't afford to buy books as they are recommended to me any more, however, my list of books to buy when I get a new job has gone into the high double digits! Damn you Galaxy girls, tempting me with your bookish wiles...

You want to know gossip from the real world? I've just cut off my turquoise fringe, cut bettie bangs and dyed my hair garnet and hope this will make finding a job in the corporate arena easier. I'm considering doing my postgraduate diploma in musuem studies next year, and I may be organising a sharehouse with friends in a few months. We all have ridiculously large book collections, so that is going to be interesting LOL
I hope you are all well, life is great, and you have some great books in your TBR piles! I miss you guys!!!

xx

30 May 2011

ARRC to Perth in 2013?


If you are a member of ARRA, you should check your email. There is a suggestion that ARRC 2013 could be held in Perth in conjunction with the RWA conference. It would obviously be cheaper for ARRA in terms of productions cost, but I suspect they will lose attendees if they do go ahead with it. ARRA has sent around a survey to gauge interest in this idea in an email this morning.

I personally wouldn’t attend ARRC 2013 if it was in Perth – unless I won the lottery, met a sugar daddy or got a substantial raise. None of these things are likely to happen in the next year and a half, so I can say with very little doubt I would not attend a Perth conference. The reasons for this are numerous, but the main one is if I had the money to go to Western Australia, I would spend it in a 4WD playing tourist, not paying for a conference and accommodation to spend the weekend in a luxury hotel. This, for me is about priorities. If I had the money to fly to Perth (approx $800 return), pay a couple of hundred in accommodation, another $200 or so for the conference, and then another $200 or so for clothes and accessories (there is a awards dinner and ladies need a chance to frock up!) I would need well over a thousand dollars! O.O I just don’t have that sort of money.

I have talked it over with my paranormal romance book club and we had tentatively decided to attend the next one and make group bookings for everything. You need ten people for that, but once you have that number, things get cheaper. One of our members is a travel agent and she knows these things. I very much doubt these ladies would go to their first ARRA conference if they needed to spend more than $1000 to spend a weekend in a hotel.

For the average member, I assume they would need to get some big names in the genre to attend for people to find it worth attending. By average member I mean someone without a lot of disposable cash. Yes, we have two years to think about saving, but that is A LOT of money for a two day event! O.O

If someone is going to spend that sort of money, they do so to see the sights and experience new environs. This is not me complaining that I never want to go to Perth. This is me saying when I go to Western Australia, I want to do a bloody good job of it. I would rather ARRC 2013 be somewhere accessible for most of the members, somewhere I could afford to go, and somewhere I could convince my friends to go. Let’s face it. ARRC 2011 was at Bondi Beach. How many attendees actually made it down to Bondi Beach? Maria and I went down for ten minutes or so while we were waiting for our bus home on the last day. No one would have made it to Bronte – and it is, by far, the better beach of the two! I am sorry ARRA, but if it is held in Perth, there is no way I will be able to attend, or would choose to attend. Which is sad, because I really enjoyed ARRC 2011!


13 April 2011

Just Breathe - why I haven't been blogging as much as I want

It has been busy these last few months. I keep telling myself I’ll be a good girl and write some reviews, but then something else comes up. If you want to know why I've been a bad bad blogging girl, this may help you understand:

  • Australian speculative fiction blog carnival: done and dusted.
  • ARRC: photos uploaded, key tweets collated, summary blogged
  • Article about ebooks for ARRA: submitted.
  • Review of Bite Club ARC: read preceding books, reading now, released May, review ASAP, highest priority.
  • Review for Galaxy blog: need to choose a book (maybe Navarro’s Promise?) and check with Mark, on hiatus for Bite Club.
  • Aussie Author Month: reading Genesis, writing Aussie themed Teaser Tuesdays, other things planned, but taking a back burner position for Bite Club. You can find any posts I do using my AAM tag. If you want to be a guest blogger and review an Australian author's work, please comment on this blog or email me at bookbites oz at gmail dot com *blows kiss*
  • Dead-Tossed Waves: review for Book Thingo, started reading, on hiatus for Bite Club.
  • Thyla: review for Book Thingo, TBR pile, Aussie Author Month?
  • Crazy TBR pile: I've not been buying books regularly since August. I’m slowly working my way through the pile, but every time I think I have made a dent in it, somehow there are more! I've decided to stop entering competitions unless I am absolutely in love with the author. I've worked my way through most of the ARRC books. I am working my way through the review copies. I’m not buying new books unless I absolutely need them. I can’t comprehend how I’m not buying books but my TBR pile is increasing. I think my books are having babies while I am at work. Books humping like bunnies! Seriously! There is no other explanation!
  • Bookshelf: I have a dentist appointment tomorrow that will probably take up most of my savings, but I am hoping there is $100 left to buy the bookshelf I want from Officeworks when my parents visit over Easter. I have the problem that for delivery I would need to take a day off work (not happening!) or hire a ute (seems pointless). My friends don’t have cars, and the one that does lives over an hour away. My parents have agreed to take me to Officeworks to purchase it, and I know I can con my daddy to put it together for me. I just hope I have the cash! I've decided it will be for romance and classics, which leaves the big bookshelf for fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and the other two bookshelves for everything else (mysteries, thrillers, horror, science fiction, general fiction, text books, children’s books and dictionaries). Wish me luck! I will probably have to rearrange my room, which I am NOT looking forward to.
  • Supanova costume: I've decided to go as Simi from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series. I can totally see myself as a goth demon, can’t you? My other option was Sara from Witchblade, but it would have taken a lot of effort to make the blades, and, well, she just doesn’t wear much when she is wearing the blades, does she LOL I need to buy a new corset, red contact lenses, make wings and hornays, buy new boots and either resurrect an old skirt, make a new one, or buy a new one. I need to reread the DH books to get the costume right.

Upcoming events:
  • Sir Terry Pratchett at the Sydney Opera House, 17th April
  • Sydney Writers' Festival,16-22nd May
  • Karen Miller at Galaxy, 21st May
  • Supanova at Sydney Olympic Park, 17-19th June


04 April 2011

ARRC2011 Wrap Up

Keri Arthur and myself at the Awards Dinner

Nalini Singh and myself at the Awards Dinner

Erica Hayes and myself at the Awards Dinner

I had this post languishing half-written in my drafts. I've rephrased some sections because I am no longer posting it on the Monday after ARRC. I apologise for the delay in posting.

I have uploaded my photos to flickr (yes, I now have an account and will be cross posting photos between my blog, fickr and facebook) and you can find these {here}. Kat has also uploaded a lot of photos to her flickr. You can find these {here}.

Anyone who followed me on twitter last weekend knows that I must have been at ARRC, as most of my tweets contained the #ARRC2011 hash. I couldn’t afford the meet and greet on Friday night, or the Saturday panels, but I did attend the Awards Dinner and the Sunday panels. Just that sneak peak into the ARRA world was enough to get me hooked. I only joined ARRA a month or so ago (after two years of loosing forms) and wish I had have been there from the start. The association is made up of so many amazing women (and a man or two) and it is such a positive environment. There were of course undercurrents, but nothing overt – as someone who has been a key member in organisations in the past, it was quite impressive not to see infighting or the like. Even the AGM ran smoothly! (I used to be VP for a university Archaeology society – that is damn impressive, okay?) I was bitching and moaning about the price of ARRC before I attended, even though I know it takes a lot of money to organise a conference and that ARRA is a not-for-profit member organisation. I will no longer complain about the cost.. I came away with free books. Lots and lots of free books! I now have the first 3 books of Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamer series and Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur. I actually already own Kissing Sin, however, I asked Keri to autograph it for Gail at the Awards Dinner ;D I was at table five with Lami, Maria, Marg and …. ERICA HAYES ^_^’ We had a number of other authors at our table but I wasn’t familiar with their work. Which isn’t really all that surprising considering my main subgenre of a romantic persuasion is paranormal romance, although I do dabble with category and contemporary. It was lovely meeting so many fans of the genre, conversing with authors (my friends and I monopolised Nalini for a while at the Awards Dinner) and just generally having fun! Christine Darcas won the blingoff. She was sitting opposite me at dinner and she keep distracting me with all her shine! I won’t go on about who won what. I suggest you read Book Thingo’s blog for the full run down: http://bookthingo.com.au/arrc11/

My favourite panel to attend was the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Futuristic Romance panel. It was quite interesting because it was my genre, the authors had similar reading backgrounds as myself, and, I also found out, nearly all of them have used Jungian theory to the writing (which is what I have been doing myself - fascinating man, fascinating theories!).

Karen Simpson Nikakis, Kate Cuthbert (MC), Keri Arthur, Erica Hayes, Denise Rossetti & Nalini Singh

A selection of my live tweeting from the Sunday panels at ARRC:











***

I didn't have time to draft a write up about our Sydney Book Blogger Meet Up at the Art House on the 24th, however Marg has written a great blog on the topic. You can find it here: {link}
It was lovely to finally meet @awritingjourney, @MargReads and @Vaveros, as well as catch up with other twitter friends and meet new ones. The last few of us actually got kicked out of the bar, and @bookthingo, @my_leage, @Hesitent_Sarah and I ended up standing on a street corner chatting until the cold chased us home.


24 March 2011

The next three days: Sydney meet up and the Australian Romance Readers Conference


I have a lovely few days planned, and it all starts tonight! Tonight is the meet up we have organised for the online book community! I get to meet some lovely people I've been talking too online, some times for years. I've met people in the real world through book clubs, signings and writing groups, but that isn’t quite the same as 30 odd bookish people chatting over cocktails at a bar LOL There is an impromptu book swap, so if you have any books you wish to offload, please feel free to bring them along! I was distracted by the internet last night and forgot that I was going to do a cull around the edges of my collection *blushes* Anyway, if you plan on coming, you will need to RSVP, and if you wish to watch for updates, please follow me on twitter on @obsidiantears83. I should be turning up some time between 6pm and 6:30pm, so I shall see you there! If in doubt, look for the people with books! (It takes a special breed to take a book or three into a bar LOL)

This weekend is ARRC, or the Australian Romance Readers Convention. I couldn’t afford to go for the entire weekend (it kicks off with drinks tomorrow night) but I will be attending for the Awards Dinner on Saturday night and the Sunday sessions. For all the goss, follow me on twitter, or follow the #ARRC2011 hashtag!

I really wanted to attend the morning session on Saturday. Lexxie Couper, Nalini Singh, Maggie Nash and Rhian Cahill talk about Paranormal Romance and why it is “so damn seductive”. It would have been interesting. Instead, I decided to attend the Sunday sessions (I could only afford the one day) and am really looking forward to the session with reader Kate Cuthbert (@katydidinoz) and writers Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, Denise Rossetti, Erica Hayes and Karen Simpson Nikakis. It is entitled Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Futuristic Romance: Our world, otherworlds – romance in the realms of the imagination. Looks interesting!

I do have the problem of where to sit for the dinner. You get to choose your tables Saturday morning, but I won’t be there until the Awards Dinner later that night. I am at a friend’s Divorce High Tea (definitely worth celebrating!) most of the day, voting in the morning (why is the election the same weekend as ARRC?!), and live too far away to pop in to write my name on the seating plan *sigh* We talking about having a twitter table (two actually) but I am not sure if we are going ahead with that. My friend Maria is attending for the first time too, but she only knows our book club members attending There are four of us, so Maria and I wanted to sit together. I know a number of people in the community now, and will know more after tonight’s drinks, but that isn’t the same as a close friend to hang with. If we don’t have a twitter table, I am thinking of asking one of my other friends to pencil us down for the same table. But at the same time, I like the idea of bonding over books with a random set of people I would not have normally talked to. I don’t know. I guess I’ll bring it up at the meet up tonight.

Have you attended readers or writers conventions before? I don’t mean cons like Supernova or Dragon*Con, but more serious affairs where the focus is on the books, the authors and the writing rather than cosplay and actors? I haven’t! This should be interesting!!

If you are attending either our meet up tonight, or ARRC this weekend, I hope to see there. Come and introduce yourself if we haven’t already met! I’ll be the one wearing a lot of black and with a pink* stripe in my hair LOL






*Oh yes, the pink! The red faded, the lovely metallic magenta faded, and now it is a rose colour… I hate pink! But I guess this colour isn’t too bad LOL

16 March 2011

Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival 1.0

I took over the reins of the Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival for March, run by the A Writer Goes On A Journey arm of the Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.  From the 15th of February to the 15th of March I collected all the snippets I could find regarding the Speculative Fiction world in Australia. This is the collated final version for the blog carnival.

If you are so inclined, you can read my previous Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.



Blogs & Reviews
Librarian In Black: "Library eBook Revolution, Begin" {link}*
Adventures of a Bookonaut: "Yellowcake and Burn Bright hit the shelves" {link}
Mary Victoria: "Writing Strong Women round-up", includes posts by Australian speculative fiction authors {link}
Bothersome Words: "The stigma of working in fantasy" {link}
MyShelf.com: "Review: Death's Sweet Embrace by Tracey O'Hara" {link}
Dark Side DownUnder: "Darklight On...Mel Teshco Q&A" {link}
Adventures of a Bookonaut: "eBook Review: Realmshift by Alan Baxter" {link}
Booktopia: "Fiona McIntosh answers Five Facetious Questions" {link}
Alan Baxter: "The Borders and A&R collapse" {link}*
Galaxy Bookshop: "Special on Fantasy - ABC TV" {link}
ARRA: "Author spotlight: Tracey O’Hara" {link}
Horrorscope: "2010 Judge's Report: Stephanie Gunn" {link}
Ripping Ozzie Reads: "Is Fantasy a bit of a Boy’s Club?" {link}
Book Bites: "A guide to ebooks in Australia" {link}*
Bookin' It: "Full Moon Rising - One Of The Best Paranormal Romance Werewolf Books" {link}
Bookish Ardour: "Discovering Ebooks and The Sony eReader" {link}
Mel's Random Reviews: "The Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody" {link}
Book Thingo: "Aussie Author Month 2011 – Come and join us!"{link}
Galaxy Bookshop: "Pamela Freeman: What makes a favourite author?" {link}
Nicole Murphy: "Swancon: Romancing the West" {link}
Tez Says: "Six New Covers" {link}
Book Bites (via Book Thingo): "ARRC 2011 and what it has to offer Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy readers" {link}
Boomerang Books: "The Devil’s Diadem by Sara Douglass" {link}
ARRA: "Feature book: Archangel’s Consort" {link}
Tez Says: "Thyla – Kate Gordon" {link}
Zena Shapter: "Times have changed for fantasy writers… or have they?" {link}

Events
24th Febuary, Keri Arthur, Library Lovers Lunch @ Belgrave Library {link}
1-31st March, Open Door Month @ Angry Robot Books**, accepting manuscripts from "unagented authors" {link}
2nd March, Fiona McIntosh, Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}{link 3}
5th March, Nicole Murphy, Infinitas Bookstore, Parramatta {link}
5th March, Nicole Murphy,  Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
19th March, Animania, Sydney {link}
21st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Ultimo Library, Sydney {link}
23rd March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
24th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Kinokuniya, Sydney {link}
25-27th March, Australian Romance Readers Convention (with Paranormal Romance authors Erica Hayes, Karen Simpson Nikakis, Keri Arthur, Nalini Singh (NZ), Nicole R Murphy, Tracey O'Hara), Sydney {link}
29th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Strathpine Library, Brisbane {link
29th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Narangba Library, Brisbane {link
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Redcliffe Library, Brisbane {link}
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Victoria Point Library, Brisbane {link}
27th March, Writing the Fantastical with Kate Forsyth, course {link}
27th March, Nominations close for the Chronos Awards {link}
1st April, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Pulp Fiction, Brisbane {link}
1-3rd April, Supernova, Brisbane {link}
3rd April, Voting opens for the Chronos Awards {link}
6th April, Robin Hobb, Dendy Theatre, Sydney {link}
6th April, Jennifer Fallon, Galaxy Bookshop {link}
8-10th April, Supernova, Melbourne {link
9-10th April, Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival includes Sophie Masson & Ian Irvine {link}
15th April, 2010 Australian Shadows Awards winners announced {link}
15th May, Voting closes for the Chronos Awards {link}
21st May, Aurealis Awards, Independent Theatre, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}
25th May, Leanne Hall & Cassandra Clare, Palace Westgarth Theatre, Melbourne {link}
21-25th April, Swancon, Sydney {link}
17-19th June, Supernova, Sydney {link}
24-26th June, Supernova, Perth {link}

Competitions
Win Above & Below by Stephanie Campisi & Ben Peek, closes 24th Febuary {link}
Win The Seventh Wave by Paul Garrety, closes 25th February {link}
Win The Company Articles of Edward Teach & The Angaelian Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer & Matthew Chrulew, closes 28th February {link}
Win Power Unbound by Nicole Murphy, closes 28th February {link}
Win the Kim Falconer book of your choice, closes 1st March {link}
Win The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee, closes 6th March {link}
Win Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres, closes 28th March {link}

News*
Bookbee eBooks: "Dear HarperCollins, Why Should Library Ebooks Only be Lent 26 Times?" {link}
Library Journal.com: "HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations" {link}
Bookseller+Publisher: "RedGroup administrators: staff owed $7.8 million, unsecured creditors $44 million" {link}
Horrorscope: "2010 Bram Stoker Award finalists" {link}
The Courier Mail: "Dark fantasy burns brightly" {link}
Horrorscope: "2010 Australian Shadows Awards finalists" {link}
Bookseller+Publisher: "Dymocks attempts to woo A&R/Borders loyalty card holders" {link}
Bookbee Ebooks: Further news regarding Borders US filing bankruptcy and how it effects the Australian Market {link}
SMH: REDgroup (Borders Au, Angus & Robertson and the Whitcoulls) goes into administration {link}
Bookseller+Publisher: Industry reacts to REDgroup news {link 1} {link 2}
Bookbee Ebooks -  Borders and A&R not honouring Gift Vouchers {link}
ABC News: Internet spells the death of bookstores {link}
Murdoch University: "Funds needed to preserve unique science fiction collection" {link}

Editorial*
Harper's Magazine: "Staying awake: Notes on the alleged decline of reading by Ursula K. Le Guin" {link}

Advice & Discussions**
Patty Jansen: "How the size of a planet determines its atmosphere" {link}
Stepcase Lifehack:"10 Reasons You Should Write Something Each Day" {link}
Patty Jansen: "So you want to be a space farmer?" {link}
Bothersome Words: "How stories are distilled" {link}
Erica Hayes: "Chapter breaks and pacing" {link}
Patty Jansen: "How to punctuate dialogue" {link}
Lillith Saintcrow: "Avoiding the 'hard sell'"  {link}
Ripping Ozzie Reads: "‘Words’ a writer’s tools" {link}
Rachelle Gardner: "Myths About Agents" {link}
The Voyager Blog: "Emerging Writers: don’t give up the ghost" by Kim Falconer {link}
Plotting Made Easy: "The Complications Worksheet" {link}
Blood and Barricades: "Writing well versus writing (and tweeting) for the market" {link}
Blood and Barricades: "Bloggers, writers and ‘negative’ reviews" {link}
Patty Jensen: "What to put in a cover letter" {link}


*Reading culture. May not pertain to speculative fiction.
**May not be Australian, but may be of interest to Australian writers.

Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival 0.4

I am taking over the reins of the Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival for March, run by the A Writer Goes On A Journey arm of the Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.  From the 15th of February to the 15th of March I will be collecting all the snippets I can find regarding the Speculative Fiction world in Australia, with a focus on the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres (because, let’s face it, that is where my niche is these days). At the end I will be collating and summarising a final version for the blog carnival. I do have to warn you, I plan to extend this over to late March on my blog only, as the Australian Romance Reader’s Conference  is taking place on the 25th – 27th of March and that is big news in the Paranormal Romance and sexy Urban Fantasy calendars. These won't be included in the official summary for the blog carnival, as someone else will be taking care of March 16th and onwards, but I think, with the lead up to ARRC there will probably be a lot of news to share.

I will be finding a lot of these links, blog posts, news items, etc., on twitter,  so if you think I am missing something whilst in my little bubble world, please let me know! I will be updating this frequently, although I am not sure yet if I will post updates weekly or bi-weekly. A lot of these links (to competitions and signings, etc.) can be time sensitive which is why I have decided against posting them all at once in mid-March. Rather than listing the dates in the title, I will be including these as instalments. I'll be writing up one large post at the end of my share of the Blog Carnival to be submitted to the A Writer Goes On A Journey listing after the 15th of March.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.

I am compiling all four lead up posts this afternoon. I'll post them within the next 24 hours.

Blogs & Reviews
Book Thingo: "Aussie Author Month 2011 – Come and join us!"{link}
Galaxy Bookshop: "Pamela Freeman: What makes a favourite author?" {link}
Nicole Murphy: "Swancon: Romancing the West" {link}
Tez Says: "Six New Covers" {link}
Boomerang Books: "The Devil’s Diadem by Sara Douglass" {link}

Events
24th Febuary, Keri Arthur, Library Lovers Lunch @ Belgrave Library {link}
1-31st March, Open Door Month @ Angry Robot Books**, accepting manuscripts from "unagented authors" {link}
2nd March, Fiona McIntosh, Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}{link 3}
5th March, Nicole Murphy, Infinitas Bookstore, Parramatta {link}
5th March, Nicole Murphy,  Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
19th March, Animania, Sydney {link}
21st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Ultimo Library, Sydney {link}
23rd March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
24th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Kinokuniya, Sydney {link}
25-27th March, Australian Romance Readers Convention (with Paranormal Romance authors Erica Hayes, Karen Simpson Nikakis, Keri Arthur, Nalini Singh (NZ), Nicole R Murphy, Tracey O'Hara), Sydney {link}
29th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Strathpine Library, Brisbane {link
29th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Narangba Library, Brisbane {link
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Redcliffe Library, Brisbane {link}
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Victoria Point Library, Brisbane {link}
27th March, Writing the Fantastical with Kate Forsyth, course {link}
27th March, Nominations close for the Chronos Awards {link}
1st April, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Pulp Fiction, Brisbane {link}
1-3rd April, Supernova, Brisbane {link}
3rd April, Voting opens for the Chronos Awards {link}
6th April, Robin Hobb, Dendy Theatre, Sydney {link}
8-10th April, Supernova, Melbourne {link
9-10th April, Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival includes Sophie Masson & Ian Irvine {link}
15th April, 2010 Australian Shadows Awards winners announced {link}
15th May, Voting closes for the Chronos Awards {link}
21st May, Aurealis Awards, Independent Theatre, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}
25th May, Leanne Hall & Cassandra Clare, Palace Westgarth Theatre, Melbourne {link}
21-25th April, Swancon, Sydney {link}
17-19th June, Supernova, Sydney {link}
24-26th June, Supernova, Perth {link}


Competitions
Win Above & Below by Stephanie Campisi & Ben Peek, closes 24th Febuary {link}
Win The Seventh Wave by Paul Garrety, closes 25 February {link}
Win The Company Articles of Edward Teach & The Angaelian Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer & Matthew Chrulew, closes 28th February {link}
Win Power Unbound by Nicole Murphy, closes 28 February {link}
Win the Kim Falconer book of your choice, closes 1 March {link}
Win The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee, closes 6 March {link}
Win Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres, closes 28 March {link}


News*
Murdoch University: "Funds needed to preserve unique science fiction collection" {link}



Editorial*


Advice/Discussion**
Rachelle Gardner: "Myths About Agents" {link}
The Voyager Blog: "Emerging Writers: don’t give up the ghost" by Kim Falconer {link}
Plotting Made Easy - The Complications Worksheet" {link}
Blood and Barricades: "Writing well versus writing (and tweeting) for the market" {link}
Blood and Barricades: "Bloggers, writers and ‘negative’ reviews" {link}
Patty Jensen: "What to put in a cover letter" {link}



*Reading culture. May not pertain to speculative fiction.
**May not be Australian, but may be of interest to unpublished Australian writers.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.

14 March 2011

Guest Post: Australian Romance Readers Convention 2011 and what it has to offer Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy readers

I have invited one of my friends to write about the ARRA conference I am attending in two weeks. I have not been to ARRC before, although last year I sat by my computer watching tweets and checking my text messages for the latest updates. If you are attending ARRC, please let me know, and we can grab a flute of champagne together at the dinner!

Decadence has been a romance reader for a decade, mainly paranormal, urban fantasy and Regency romance. Follow her on twitter (@my_lheage) or read her reviews at Book Thingo. As a member of the Australian Romance Readers Association, she wants to let other paranormal and urban fantasy readers know what's they can look forward to when love comes to town.



With some of the best local talent in attendance, paranormal romance readers are in for a real treat at the Australian Romance Readers Convention overlooking stunning Bondi Beach on 25-27 March. Keynote speaker Nalini Singh is an awesome addition to the mainly Australian line-up; her speech kept everyone well-entertained at last year's Australian Romance Reader Awards, where she revealed the title of her third Archangel book for the first time.

Panels

Lexxie Couper asks Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, Maggie Nash and Rhian Cahill why we love creatures of the night and when they stopped being the monsters that scared us and became our darkest fantasy heroes. Urban fantasy readers are not left out either. Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, Denise Rossetti, Erica Hayes and Karen Simpson Nikakis answer readers' questions in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Futuristic Romance panel.

Some of these authors also appear in other panels to discuss the crazy side of being a published author (think crazed fans, how far they go to bring their books to life and what they do in their non-existent free time) and the sexy side of romance.

Awards Dinner

These awards are voted for by real Australian romance readers and the paranormal crowd can always be relied upon to bling it. It's just like the Oscars, only without the bad jokes.

Silent Auction

In the wake of the flood disaster in Queensland this year, the Australian Romance Readers Association is holding a silent auction with all proceeds going to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal. Generous authors from all over the globe have donated some amazing items to bid on including a signed House of Night set from PC Cast, a Kiss of Snow ARC from Nalini Singh, canvas prints of photographs taken by Keri Arthur. There are also book bundles and ARCs from authors including Charlaine Harris, Christine Feehan, MaryJanice Davidson, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lynn Viehl, Tracey O'Hara, Rachel Caine and many more. The auction has so much on offer and supports such a worthy cause.

For a full list of items you can bid on, check out http://australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/silent-auction/

Book Signing

We all know that personally signed books are amazing, but even better than that, the book signing session also offers a little face time with your favourite authors. Ask that burning question about their series or your favourite characters.

There is another highlight from the convention that we can't find the right place for in the program and that is the atmosphere. You can just feel something in the air when you're surrounded by other readers just like you, all celebrating the books you love, swapping recommendations and discussing your favourite authors with other people who share your love of paranormal romance and urban fantasy that you simply can't find anywhere else.

To register or find out more, please visit us at http://www.australianromancereaders.com.au/2011.html

Membership has its perks. For discounts on entry and books from a number of independent bookshops, a monthly newsletter and access to our online romance reading community, join the Australian Romance Readers Association. With membership currently only $10 a year, you get real bang for your buck. Find out more at http://www.australianromancereaders.com.au/join.html


08 March 2011

Sydney Book Bloggers Meet Up


We are having a book blogger meet up in Sydney! It will be lovely to meet up with all the people I've met online and waxed lyrical about books with. We can discuss books, the ins and outs of blogging, twitter and the like over a few drinks at a fabulous location. If you are attending ARRC, this will be a great opportunity to meet some people before the dinner.

If you are in Sydney on the 24th of March and are part of the online book community, would you like to join us? If so, please RSVP below.


When: Thursday, 24 March from 6pm
Where: Arthouse Hotel*, 275 Pitt St, Sydney 2000 http://thearthousehotel.com.au
Who: Book bloggers, tweeters, Facebookers, Goodreaders, Shelfarians or anyone who
is part of the online book community
Dress Code: http://thearthousehotel.com.au/#/About_Us 

If you are interested in attending, please fill out this google form to RSVP


If you plan to go I’d love to hear about it :) If you are an out of towner and need directions, let me know.

*Subject to change, depending on RSVP numbers.

Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival 0.3

I am taking over the reins of the Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival for March, run by the A Writer Goes On A Journey arm of the Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.  From the 15th of February to the 15th of March I will be collecting all the snippets I can find regarding the Speculative Fiction world in Australia, with a focus on the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres (because, let’s face it, that is where my niche is these days). At the end I will be collating and summarising a final version for the blog carnival. I do have to warn you, I plan to extend this over to late March on my blog only, as the Australian Romance Reader’s Conference  is taking place on the 25th – 27th of March and that is big news in the Paranormal Romance and sexy Urban Fantasy calendars. These won't be included in the official summary for the blog carnival, as someone else will be taking care of March 16th and onwards, but I think, with the lead up to ARRC there will probably be a lot of news to share.

I will be finding a lot of these links, blog posts, news items, etc., on twitter,  so if you think I am missing something whilst in my little bubble world, please let me know! I will be updating this frequently, although I am not sure yet if I will post updates weekly or bi-weekly. A lot of these links (to competitions and signings, etc.) can be time sensitive which is why I have decided against posting them all at once in mid-March. Rather than listing the dates in the title, I will be including these as instalments. I'll be writing up one large post at the end of my share of the Blog Carnival to be submitted to the A Writer Goes On A Journey listing after the 15th of March.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.


Blogs & Reviews
Librarian In Black: "Library eBook Revolution, Begin" {link}*
Adventures of a Bookonaut: "Yellowcake and Burn Bright hit the shelves" {link}
Mary Victoria: "Writing Strong Women round-up", includes posts by Australian speculative fiction authors {link}
Bothersome Words: "The stigma of working in fantasy" {link}
MyShelf.com: "Review: Death's Sweet Embrace by Tracey O'Hara" {link}
Dark Side DownUnder: "Darklight On...Mel Teshco Q&A" {link}
Adventures of a Bookonaut: "eBook Review: Realmshift by Alan Baxter" {link}


Events
24th Febuary, Keri Arthur, Library Lovers Lunch @ Belgrave Library {link}
1-31st March, Open Door Month @ Angry Robot Books**, accepting manuscripts from "unagented authors" {link}
2nd March, Fiona McIntosh, Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}{link 3}
5th March, Nicole Murphy, Infinitas Bookstore, Parramatta {link}
5th March, Nicole Murphy,  Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
19th March, Animania, Sydney {link}
21st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Ultimo Library, Sydney {link}
23rd March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
24th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Kinokuniya, Sydney {link}
25-27th March, Australian Romance Readers Convention (with Paranormal Romance authors Erica Hayes, Karen Simpson Nikakis, Keri Arthur, Nalini Singh (NZ), Nicole R Murphy, Tracey O'Hara), Sydney {link}
29th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Strathpine Library, Brisbane {link
29th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Narangba Library, Brisbane {link
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Redcliffe Library, Brisbane {link}
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Victoria Point Library, Brisbane {link}
27th March, Writing the Fantastical with Kate Forsyth, course {link}
27th March, Nominations close for the Chronos Awards {link}
1st April, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Pulp Fiction, Brisbane {link}
1-3rd April, Supernova, Brisbane {link}
3rd April, Voting opens for the Chronos Awards {link}
6th April, Robin Hobb, Dendy Theatre, Sydney {link}
8-10th April, Supernova, Melbourne {link
9-10th April, Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival includes Sophie Masson & Ian Irvine {link}
15th April, 2010 Australian Shadows Awards winners announced {link}
15th May, Voting closes for the Chronos Awards {link}
21st May, Aurealis Awards, Independent Theatre, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}
25th May, Leanne Hall & Cassandra Clare, Palace Westgarth Theatre, Melbourne {link}
17-19th June, Supernova, Sydney {link}
24-26th June, Supernova, Perth {link}


Competitions
Win Above & Below by Stephanie Campisi & Ben Peek, closes 24th Febuary {link}
Win The Seventh Wave by Paul Garrety, closes 25 February {link}
Win The Company Articles of Edward Teach & The Angaelian Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer & Matthew Chrulew, closes 28th February {link}
Win Power Unbound by Nicole Murphy, closes 28 February {link}
Win the Kim Falconer book of your choice, closes 1 March {link}
Win The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee, closes 6 March {link}
Win Glitter Rose by Marianne de Pierres, closes 28 March {link}


News*
Bookbee eBooks: "Dear HarperCollins, Why Should Library Ebooks Only be Lent 26 Times?" {link}
Library Journal.com: "HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations" {link}
Bookseller+Publisher: "RedGroup administrators: staff owed $7.8 million, unsecured creditors $44 million" {link}
Horrorscope: "2010 Bram Stoker Award finalists" {link
The Courier Mail: "Dark fantasy burns brightly" {link}   
Note: I decided not to report every link on the REDgroup troubles. Sadly that is all that seems to be in the news at the moment. Please contact me if you have other news items I should be sharing!



Editorial*


Advice**
Patty Jansen: "How the size of a planet determines its atmosphere" {link}

*Reading culture. May not pertain to speculative fiction.
**May not be Australian, but may be of interest to unpublished Australian writers.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.

28 February 2011

Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival 0.2

I am taking over the reins of the Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival for March, run by the A Writer Goes On A Journey arm of the Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.  From the 15th of February to the 15th of March I will be collecting all the snippets I can find regarding the Speculative Fiction world in Australia, with a focus on the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres (because, let’s face it, that is where my niche is these days). At the end I will be collating and summarising a final version for the blog carnival. I do have to warn you, I plan to extend this over to late March on my blog only, as the Australian Romance Reader’s Conference  is taking place on the 25th – 27th of March and that is big news in the Paranormal Romance and sexy Urban Fantasy calendars. These won't be included in the official summary for the blog carnival, as someone else will be taking care of March 16th and onwards, but I think, with the lead up to ARRC there will probably be a lot of news to share.

I will be finding a lot of these links, blog posts, news items, etc., on twitter,  so if you think I am missing something whilst in my little bubble world, please let me know! I will be updating this frequently, although I am not sure yet if I will post updates weekly or bi-weekly. A lot of these links (to competitions and signings, etc.) can be time sensitive which is why I have decided against posting them all at once in mid-March. Rather than listing the dates in the title, I will be including these as instalments. I'll be writing up one large post at the end of my share of the Blog Carnival to be submitted to the A Writer Goes On A Journey listing after the 15th of March.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.


Blogs & Reviews
Booktopia: "Fiona McIntosh answers Five Facetious Questions" {link}
Alan Baxter: "The Borders and A&R collapse" {link}*
Galaxy Bookshop: "Special on Fantasy - ABC TV" {link}
ARRA: "Author spotlight: Tracey O’Hara" {link}
Horrorscope: "2010 Judge's Report: Stephanie Gunn" {link}
Ripping Ozzie Reads: "Is Fantasy a bit of a Boy’s Club?" {link}
Book Bites: "A guide to ebooks in Australia" {link}*

Events
24th Febuary, Keri Arthur, Library Lovers Lunch @ Belgrave Library {link}
1-31st March, Open Door Month @ Angry Robot Books**, accepting manuscripts from "unagented authors" {link}
2nd March, Fiona McIntosh, Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}{link 3}
5th March, Nicole Murphy, Infinitas Bookstore, Parramatta {link}
5th March, Nicole Murphy,  Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
9-10th April, Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival includes Sophie Masson & Ian Irvine {link}
19 March, Animania, Sydney {link}
21st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Ultimo Library, Sydney {link}
23rd March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
24th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Kinokuniya, Sydney {link}
25th February, 2010 Australian Shadows Awards finalists announced {link}
25-27th March, Australian Romance Readers Convention (with Paranormal Romance authors Erica Hayes, Karen Simpson Nikakis, Keri Arthur, Nalini Singh (NZ), Nicole R Murphy, Tracey O'Hara), Sydney {link}
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Victoria Point Library, Brisbane {link}
27th March, Writing the Fantastical with Kate Forsyth, course {link}
6th April, Robin Hobb, Dendy Theatre, Sydney {link}
15th April, 2010 Australian Shadows Awards winners announced {link}
21st May, Aurealis Awards, Independent Theatre, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}
25th May, Leanne Hall & Cassandra Clare, Palace Westgarth Theatre, Melbourne {link}

Competitions
Win Above & Below by Stephanie Campisi & Ben Peek, closes 24th Febuary {link}
Win The Seventh Wave by Paul Garrety, closes 25 February {link}
Win The Company Articles of Edward Teach & The Angaelian Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer & Matthew Chrulew, closes 28th February {link}
Win Power Unbound by Nicole Murphy, closes 28 February {link}
Win the Kim Falconer book of your choice, closes 1 March {link}
Win The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee, closes 6 March {link}

News*
Horrorscope: "2010 Australian Shadows Awards finalists"{link}
Bookseller+Publisher: "Dymocks attempts to woo A&R/Borders loyalty card holders" {link}
Note: I decided not to report any more on the REDgroup troubles. Sadly that is all that seems to be in the news at the moment. Please contact me if you have other news items I should be sharing!

Editorial*
n/a

Advice**
Stepcase Lifehack:10 Reasons You Should Write Something Each Day {link}
Patty Jansen: So you want to be a space farmer? {link}
Bothersome Words: How stories are distilled {link}
Erica Hayes: Chapter breaks and pacing {link}
Patty Jansen: How to punctuate dialogue {link}

*Reading culture. May not pertain to speculative fiction.
**May not be Australian, but may be of interest to unpublished Australian writers.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.

21 February 2011

Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival 0.1

I am taking over the reins of the Australian Speculative Fiction Blog Carnival for March, run by the A Writer Goes On A Journey arm of the Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association.  From the 15th of February to the 15th of March I will be collecting all the snippets I can find regarding the Speculative Fiction world in Australia, with a focus on the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres (because, let’s face it, that is where my niche is these days). At the end I will be collating and summarising a final version for the blog carnival. I do have to warn you, I plan to extend this over to late March on my blog only, as the Australian Romance Reader’s Conference  is taking place on the 25th – 27th of March and that is big news in the Paranormal Romance and sexy Urban Fantasy calendars. These won't be included in the official summary for the blog carnival, as someone else will be taking care of March 16th and onwards, but I think, with the lead up to ARRC there will probably be a lot of news to share.

I will be finding a lot of these links, blog posts, news items, etc., on twitter,  so if you think I am missing something whilst in my little bubble world, please let me know! I will be updating this frequently, although I am not sure yet if I will post updates weekly or bi-weekly. A lot of these links (to competitions and signings, etc.) can be time sensitive which is why I have decided against posting them all at once in mid-March. Rather than listing the dates in the title, I will be including these as instalments. I'll be writing up one large post at the end of my share of the Blog Carnival to be submitted to the A Writer Goes On A Journey listing after the 15th of March.

You can follow these Blog Carnival posts using the “ASFFWA” tag below.


Blogs & Reviews
Bookin' It: "Full Moon Rising - One Of The Best Paranormal Romance Werewolf Books" {link}
Bookish Ardour: "Discovering Ebooks and The Sony eReader" {link}
Helen Lowe:  "Here It Is - the UK Cover for 'The Heir of Night'!" {link}
Mel's Random Reviews: "The Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody" {link}

Events
24th Febuary, Keri Arthur, Library Lovers Lunch @ Belgrave Library {link}
1-31st March, Open Door Month @ Angry Robot Books**, accepting manuscripts from "unagented authors" {link}
2nd March, Fiona McIntosh, Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link 1}{link 2}
5th March, Nicole Murphy, Infinitas Bookstore, Parramatta {link}
5th March, Nicole Murphy,  Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
9-10th April, Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival includes Sophie Masson & Ian Irvine {link}
21st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Ultimo Library, Sydney {link}
23rd March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Galaxy Bookstore, Sydney {link}
24th March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Kinokuniya, Sydney {link}
25-27th March, Australian Romance Readers Convention (with Paranormal Romance authors Erica Hayes, Karen Simpson Nikakis, Keri Arthur, Nalini Singh (NZ), Nicole R Murphy, Tracey O'Hara), Sydney {link}
31st March, Marianne de Pierres (aka Marianne Delacourt), Victoria Point Library, Brisbane {link}

Competitions
Win Above & Below by Stephanie Campisi & Ben Peek, closes 24th Febuary {link}
Win The Seventh Wave by Paul Garrety, closes 25 February {link}
Win The Company Articles of Edward Teach & The Angaelian Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer & Matthew Chrulew, closes 28th February {link}
Win the Kim Falconer book of your choice, closes 1 March {link}

News*
Bookbee Ebooks - Further news regarding Borders US filing bankruptcy and how it effects the Australian Market {link}
SMH - REDgroup (Borders Au, Angus & Robertson and the Whitcoulls) goes into administration {link}
Bookseller+Publisher - Industry reacts to REDgroup news {link 1} {link 2}
Bookbee Ebooks -  Borders and A&R not honouring Gift Vouchers {link}
ABC News - Internet spells the death of bookstores {link}

Editorial*
Harper's Magazine - Staying awake: Notes on the alleged decline of reading by Ursula K. Le Guin {link}

Advice**
Avoiding the "hard sell" by Lillith Saintcrow {link}
‘Words’ a writer’s tools by Rowena Cory Daniells {link}


*Reading culture. May not pertain to speculative fiction.
**May not be Australian, but may be of interest to unpublished Australian writers.


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