Orbit are in the midst of redesigning my website. I've seen a few screenshots of it, and I love it. I can't wait until it goes live!
Blog posts from this site will be transferred over to the new site so, to prevent any comments made after the conversion being lost, I'm shutting down comments on all my posts. You can still send me emails and leave messages in the guestbook.
It's up! Go here to read it. Normally I have to carefully format the text and add html code, but this time the lovely bods at Orbit have done it all for me - and it's up a month earlier.
For the full story, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until the release in May. Only two months away. Wheeee!
Oh, I had so much fun writing this first chapter!
I'll be at Continuum 6 this weekend, in Melbourne. I love these smaller, local cons for their cosy atmosphere. It's much easier to get to meet the guests, for a start, and catch up with all my friends.
I'm on only one panel this time:
Sunday, 2pm:
Craftonomicon
Meet the new crafters and makers. What can
you do with a few materials? Why would you
do it? Why "But I'm not creative!" is not an
excuse. Be inspired by the creativity of other
fans.
Which is an entirely new kind of panel for me, but I'm really looking forward to it for exactly that reason. And it's amazing how many readers of sf are also knitters, or crocheters, or tatters, or sewers...
It was very nice of them to arrange for Australia Day to come right after the Aurealis Awards, because by the time I got home on Sunday and unpacked on Monday I needed a good long Tuesday relaxing in the sun and eating BBQ to recover.
Here are some pics of the weekend:
Kaaron Warren and I signing at Pulp Fiction Books. Thanks to Rhiannon and Andrew who brought their own books and a friend's to be signed. Kaaron and I were the first group of the day, and by the time we left for lunch the joint was jumping, full of authors and readers having a great time.
That night we glammed up and got ready to party. Here's a nice blurry pic of the audience.
And one of the stage.
And here's what I came home with. Couldn't have been more surprised. Of all the books I've written, the one that was the hardest is the one that wins an Aurealis Award. But then, I suppose it's also the one that had me doubting that all the hard work is worthwhile, so this is fantastic reassurance.
Now I'm back to work writing and all the various tasks surrounding it - like sending my publisher a features wish-list for the new author site they're going to put together for me. I'm very excited!
Trudi Canavan and Kaaron Warren at 10.30 - 11.30am
Sean Williams, Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier at 11.30am - 12.30pm
Karen Miller and Glenda Larke at 12.30 - 1.30pm
Pamela Freeman and Katie Taylor at 2.30 - 3.30pm
There's this weird time-warp thing that happens when writing books. Right now I'm working on the start of The Rogue, while waiting for the first pages of The Ambassador's Mission to arrive for proofing. So when I hear some news about The Magician's Apprentice, I can't help thinking 'but it's been years since I finished that one'. (Okay, a year and a half, but when your head is full of the latest book it seems like a lot longer since the previous one. And the previous one to that.)
But it's always pleasant when the news is something like this!
Thank you to the readers who voted over at SFcrowsnest. I'm flattered and utterly bowled over.
There's been nothing to report here lately. I've been proofing my way through the copy edit of The Ambassador's Mission, sniffling my way through a cold, writing my way through a short story, and plotting my way into The Rogue.
But last night something very reportable arrived in my email inbox - The Magician's Apprentice has been shortlisted for the fantasy novel category of the Aurealis Awards.
By happy coincidence, I've already booked myself flights and accommodation to Brisbane for the award ceremony, because I had such a good time at the awards last January. The Brisbane crowd really do a fine job of organising them and giving them the glitz and glamour they deserve. There may be a signing event, too - I'll let you know if that happens.
So, congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, editors and illustrators. Well done!
And the blurb can be found here (WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE BLACK MAGICIAN TRILOGY!)
So far I only have vague release time information suggesting maybe, possibly May 2010. I know I'll be working on edits right up to New Year.
