Over the last six days I’ve been in Auckland at the National SF Convention. It was a great trip, (although as usual the bus companies were so incompetant that they left me wondering how they make a living. Last year I went to and from the con down in Wellington entirely by bus but had …
April 2014 archive
Upcoming – USE ONLY AS DIRECTED anthology
Use Only As Directed, an anthology of original speculative fiction edited by Simon Petrie and Edwina Harvey, and published by Peggy Bright Books, will launch at Continuum X, in Melbourne, June 6-9. I’m delighted to note that once again, I’ll be sharing a stage with Dave Freer. Here’s the lineup: ‘Large Friendly Letters’ — Stephen …
DON’T ALWAYS BELIEVE YOUR DOCTOR
I notice that in recent issues of a magazine I read each week, that there have been a number of contributors saying that when they or someone they know were ill or hurt, the doctor brushed off the problem as nothing major. The person later discovered that whatever the problem was, it was very definitely …
And the Rain Continueth
Not that I’m complaining, unlike some others. To date since Saturday the the 8th, we’ve had 220mm. Or around 9 inches. It hasn’t been pouring for most of that, just a steady rain/drizzle that has soaked in deeper and deeper. And with temperatures still staying up, it means that we should get the benefit of …
BRUTE STRENGTH by Susan Conant.
Softcover Severn House, 2011. I was introduced to this author in 1990 when her first book (A New Leash On Death) appeared. A friend recommended it and I’ve been buying them ever since. However in late 2007 after All Shots, there appeared to be no more. I looked until late 2010, and found that she …
Very Happily, it’s Raining.
In fact it has been for some time. It began on Saturday with patchy light drizzle, 2mls by Sunday morning, and again by Monday morning. 4mls to date. After that it stepped up, to steady drizzle, with occasional heavier showers but not stopping at all. It didn’t feel like a huge amount until I checked …
And Another Story Accepted.
I’m really happy to announce that my story, Fetch Me Down My Gun is sold, with contracts now signed, for the forthcoming Australian anthology USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. Which, so I hear, should be out around May if nothing goes wrong. (Often add that proviso because so often things do… As in an email this …
Royal Airs by Sharon Shinn
hardcover, published Ace November 2013. Sequel to Troubled Waters but would I should think, be perfectly readable as a stand alone. I was delighted to receive this as a birthday present since I’d really enjoyed the previous one about Zoe Andelay and hoped she be in this one. She was, as were two of the …
Autumn is a time to Prepare
I’ve done this by starting to get in winter firewood. First load of old man pine landed on the lawn last weekend. It is now all inside the shed and I’m awaiting the next load. This weekend is bringing the sheep in to check them over. Next weekend will hopefully be departure to a bookrama …
- 1
- 2
It Was a Magpie Summer.
30 April 2014
The past 2-3 years I’d noticed that there seemed to be fewer of the Currawongs about (called White-backed Magpies here in Hawkes Bay, probably because they too are black and white.) Normally my shelterbelts are filled with their medodic warbling but the last couple of years I haven’t heard so much of that. Not this …
Continue reading