In the middle of a busy week

After a very productive weekend editing Golden Triangle, this week my nights have been full of writing Damage Control (it's going well and I still love it at the halfway point, which is always a good sign) and my days full of Gabriel. Jackie's been running on vapour, so she brought him around here Monday and Tuesday for us to take the weight while she slept on the sofa. This evening we have him while she and Ash are at the cinema. First time they've been since he was born.


Sebastian's been a bit off-colour this week too, so Heather has had a few rough nights and days. He has colic, poor lamb, but she says he's having a better day today.


Bev started her new job yesterday. Her new boss is pleasant and her office is in possibly the most stunning location in the city. This is the building and this post on someone's blog shows the views she enjoys.

Plan for 2012

I don't do NY resolutions, but in January of 2010 and 2011 I made a list of firm goals for my writing. Those two years have been both my most productive and my most successful so far, and I think having a determined route map helped me make things happen, so here goes for 2012.

This will be the year I shift from fantasy author to science fiction and fantasy author.

January & February

Golden Triangle - Wild Times trilogy Bk2 for Carina. Got a brilliant (really, truly brilliant!) R&R from my new editor Rhonda Helms. Big work needed, mainly on series arc issues. Aiming to resub by the end of February. It stands at 72.5k and I expect this revision will take it to about 85k.

Damage Control - a ghost story in space, set on a generation ship 500 years out from Earth. My MC is an engineering officer/amateur astrophysicist geek called Kath and I love her to bits. Aiming to sub by the end of February.

March onwards

Full Circle - Wild Times trilogy Bk3 for Carina. Outline and write. Aim to sub autumn/winter.

May onwards
Tasker & Glass - co-written cyberpunk crime thriller with series potential. Emma Shortt and I have teamed up to write SF and this will be our first.

Quiet Fire - Bk1 in an "urban fantasy with romantic elements" series.

Project Zephre - SF thriller with series potential to be written with Emma.

Rock and roll!

I'm writing science fiction!

I've loved reading science fiction since I was a boy and still thrill with delight when I find a new SF author to enjoy. One of the Christmas presents my girls gave me this year is the entire Culture series by Ian M Banks. Yum!

But although I've loved reading SF forever, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to write it. It's that old confidence thing, with added science.

Well, I'm doing it. Emma Shortt and I started writing our cyberpunk crime thriller Tasker & Glass in December. And yesterday I started writing a ghost story in space, with the working title Damage Control. I'm absolutely loving them both.

And that confidence with added science thing? Psha. I've written enough fantasy (and will continue to do so alongside my SF) to have realised that the old "write what you know" bollocks some people trot out actually translates well to "write what you can research." I've always loved researching so this gig is perfect for me! Today's subject: quantum entanglement. :)

Best of 2011

My cultural favourites this year - not necessarily new to the world in 2011 but new to me - have been:

Books

SF - Chris Wooding's superbly bonkers Tales of the Ketty Jay steampunk series. I read Books 1 & 2 in the autumn and devoured my Christmas present of Book 3, The Iron Jackal, this week. It just keeps getting better and better. I finished it at 2am today. You know when you close a book with a happy sigh and wish you were only just starting it? That.

Contemporary - Inez Kelley's Sweet As Sin took my breath away.

Urban Fantasy - Kevin Hearne's Hounded is clever, pacy and chuckle-aloud fun with a unique new hero. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Film

Movie - Star Trek blew me away. An absolutely perfect adrenaline pumping SF adventure.

Documentary - Dangerous Days, a 3.5-hour dvd showing and discussing the making and legacy of Blade Runner (which is my favourite film of all time). This is inspiring.

Performance

Musical Theatre - The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. Bev's 30th wedding anniversary present to Janette and me was a trip to London and seats for this wonderful show. Spectacular.

Dance - I discovered this when my friend Jolene Oldham favourites it on YouTube. I've no idea who they are or what it's called, but this is simply beautiful. (Warning - nudity.)

Music

This year I discovered Melody Gardot, whose voice and songs are exquisite.

It's been a good year. How about you? What are your favourites?

Love

I don't care what you believe or don't believe, if you're reading this I love you and I hope you're happy. x

BIG Giveaway at Here Be Magic!

A group of us Carina fantasy authors on the Here Be Magic blog wanted to do something really special to celebrate the season of giving. From December 17th until December 24th commenters on the Giveaway post will be automatically entered to win one of three AMAZING prizes!


1. Kindle Fire (US residents only)
2. Basket of 26 Carina ebooks (Anyone anywhere on the planet)
3. $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble (Anyone anywhere on the planet)


To enter, post a comment on this Here Be Magic post and tell us what puts you in the holiday mood.


Good luck! :)

Our second grandson!

Our daughter Jackie had Gabriel early yesterday morning.

Isn't he gorgeous? :)

Congratulations, Jackie and Ashley!

And welcome, Gabriel!