Monday, 14 May 2012, 9:05 am GMT
So I am rather behind in blog posts and news, and most of you who follow me on Twitter @glendalarke or on Facebook will know all this stuff already:
Stormlord's Exile, the final book in the trilogy, was shortlisted for the Best Australian Fantasy Novel of 2011 -- and it didn't win. Which is not exactly a surprise. After all, it's the seventh time I haven't won with a shortlisted novel! Aussie authors are a talented bunch, and the competition is stiff. So hurrah for Pamela Freeman's book Ember & Ash which did win, and if you haven't read it, go do so.
The results for all the Aurealis categories are here.
I had a lovely evening in Perth as the awards were being presented in Sydney, thanks to a friend, Helen M., who said I should have someone to celebrate with. Well, the celebration didn't happen, but so what -- we (six of us) drank the champagne anyway! Good company of like-minded people, tasty snacks and great conversation. What more could you ask?
Well...I guess a quenda.
 | | Quenda: Southern Brown Bandicoot |
It came onto the back porch and started in on Helen's cat's food...so I took a photo. You can see a fact sheet about the quenda here.
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Wednesday, 21 March 2012, 6:46 am GMT
Stormlord's Exile, that is. Not me, just my book.
Seven times I have had a book or two up for the award (Best Fantasy Novel of the year), and seven times a book has been shortlisted. So I am one happy camper.
I hasten to say I've also never won the award, having lost out to a selection of superb Aussie writers over the years: Sean Williams, Trudi Canavan, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Garth Nix, Juliet Marillier, Lian Hearn.
It would be nice to win one day, but believe me, it's GREAT to be shortlisted.
One of the special things about the Aurealis is that it is a judged reward and everyone involved is a volunteer. It is only possible because those people -- the organisers and the judges -- make it possible. So thanks to everyone involved.
Awards night is May 12th. In Sydney. Oddly enough, I will be in Perth (hoping to meet up with any interested others that night, to celebrate the winners and commiserate with those who didn't...)
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Saturday, 31 December 2011, 10:33 am GMT
In some ways, 2011 was an important year. Here are some of the things that happened, in no particular order of importance: - Stormlord's Exile was proofed and published in US, UK and Australia. It received excellent reviews from bloggers, Publishers Weekly and Romantic Times etc etc. and so another trilogy came to an end. Sales in Australia have not been good, but wonderful elsewhere! Talk about irony...
- Der Heiler (i.e. Gilfeather) came out in Germany
- Guerisseur (Gilfeather mass paperback) came out in France
- Corrumpue (The Tainted mass paperback) came out in France
- I wrote a whole book, called The Lascar's Dagger*
- I travelled to Cambodia (Siem Reap and Angkor Wat with my elder daughter and family, and my sister -- also met up with my nephew there), and twice to Thailand (Krabi and Pattaya)
- I travelled within Malaysia to Langkawi Islands, Penang, twice to Perlis State Park
- I went twice to Western Australia to settle on a place for our retirement (which will happen one day), and we put a deposit on a patch of land in Mandurah
- I had a book Stormlord Rising shortlisted for two awards (Aurealis and Ditmars). (As usual, it didn't win.)
- Much to my genuine astonishment, I had a trilogy (the Mirage Makers) voted as the second most popular completed Australian sf/f trilogy (after Sean Williams' The Books of the Cataclysm)
- I went to yet another fabulous Swancon. I look forward to going every year soon!!
- The birding tourism project was completed. This year included writing the final report, giving some birding courses to guides and stakeholders in Fraser's Hill and Lake Temenggor, and taking part in presentations of the material and in a seminar. In fact, this was probably my retirement year, as far as a "normal" working life is concerned ... although one never knows. I haven't ruled more work out, but there's none in the offing. Which is pretty damned big, come to think of it. I have not always worked full-time, but I don't think there's been a year since ... um... 1959 that I haven't worked at all. Wow, 2012 could be my first year of unemployment (if you don't count writing of course...).
And of course, every year has its downside stuff: - I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome
- I was unable to sell the present work in progress on the basis of a proposal (sign of the times? I'm not the only established author to come across this one of late!)
What's up for next year? Who knows? Here are some things on the cards that might happen, all being well: - Due out: Die Magieren in mid-January (The Tainted in German)
- Due out: L'Ombre de Tyr in February(?) (Shadow of Tyr in French)
- Sell the new trilogy Sorcery and Spice*
- Re-publish Havenstar
- Start building the house in Mandurah and sell the present house in Malaysia
- Have both daughters visit us in Malaysia
- Take a road trip to the Murchison/Gascoigne with husband and sister
In the meantime: Happy New Year!!
*Working titles
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Tuesday, 6 December 2011, 1:33 am GMT
I have always maintained that I can write anywhere. If I was the kind of writer who could only create in a silent study with the door closed, I'd never have been published.  | | Me with my Mac in Perlis State Park a few days back |
The formative writing years crafting my skills were to the background of children's squabbles, and constant interruptions. Later, the years as a published writer coincided with my career working on projects to do with the ornithological component of the Malaysian rainforest. That meant loads of travel -- by boat, plane, car or on foot with a backpack; staying everywhere and anywhere, from 5 star accommodation complete with imported Dead Sea salts in the marble bathroom (I kid you not), to a tent in a peat swamp complete with bears raiding the food in the middle of the night (not kidding there, either); from bathing in a stagnant water pool half a kilometre away down a steep slope, to sleeping on bare concrete floors in a hut full of sandflies.  | | This the the row of chalets where we were staying In Perlis State Park |
Fortunately or unfortunately, editors in far off places don't care what an author does in other facets of her life -- they want manuscripts handed in on time, copy edits done in a turn around of two weeks, proof reading completed in a couple of days. So, a wise writer with another job learns not to be too picky about writing environments and to write in airports or trains if that's what it takes, copy edit by candlelight if need be, and do the proofs at lunchtime in Starbucks. Or worse. (I seem to remember reading somewhere that Jane Austen wrote at boring family gatherings by standing at the mantelshelf scribbling in her notebook, but I can't remember the reference to check it...)  | | The view out of the back door after rain |
Luckily, our recent trip to Perlis State Park up near the Thai border was a lovely place to write. My husband was taking students on field work; I tagged along and wrote.  | | The chalet in the evening |
What better place than on that little porch overlooking the stream? (Usually the water is clearer than that, but it was raining.)  | | The view out of the front door |
The journey to Perlis is long -- more than 500 kms -- but most of it is straight highway and a smooth run. so when I wasn't driving, I wrote, achieving about 1,000 words going up and a similar number on the way back. | | From the back porch |
 | | View from the bedroom window |
 | | Sometimes seats and table for writers are provided... |
Ok, so on this trip I lucked out! It's not always so good. But learn to use a few minutes here, and a few minutes there. Learn to shut out the noise and the curious glances. Learn to write when you aren't necessarily comfortable, when you have to watch out for the leeches (yeah, Perlis State Park after rain was rife with them, even in the chalet!). Becoming a published writer isn't easy, especially for someone who already has a job. It takes time and effort. So learn to use the moments in between here and there, between now and next... They mount up, those minutes -- and so do the words.2 Comments
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Saturday, 19 November 2011, 4:12 am GMT
Well, the last lot of titles had a pretty resounding "No way!" So I am trying another title poll (see sidebar on the left) -- this one would be for the first book of the trilogy.
"THE LASCAR'S DAGGER"
It's possible some of you may not know the word 'lascar' as it is something specific to the Asian region, or to British history. Feel free to answer the poll anyway.
AFTER doing the poll, if you don't know the word, come back and read the definition below, adapted from the Wikipedia article if you want...
____________________________________ LASCAR Also Lashkar, Laskar. A sailor or militiaman from the Indian Subcontinent or other countries east of the Cape of Good Hope, employed on European ships from the 16th century until the beginning of the 20th century. The word comes from the Persian language, meaning military camp or army, and the Arabic word for a guard or soldier. The Portuguese adapted this term to lascarim, meaning an Asian militiaman or seaman. Lascars served on British ships under 'lascar' agreements. These agreements allowed shipowners more control than was the case in ordinary articles of agreement. The sailors could be transferred from one ship to another and retained in service for up to three years at one time. The name lascar was also used to refer to Indian servants, typically engaged by British military officers.
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Thursday, 1 September 2011, 7:30 am GMT
There's been a bit of an internet discussion, sometimes quite heated, and some of it incredibly silly, about George R.R. Martin's world as portrayed in his series that starts with Game of Thrones. You can read the main posts and comments here and here if you feel so inclined.
But I am not getting into the discussion except to say a few general things that astonish me. In fact, I'm a bit taken aback that they need to be explained.
Firstly, don't be a reader who confuses the story with the author in odd ways. For such readers, I have some news: a writer who portrays a misogynist world in his story, is not necessarily a misogynist. In fact, s/he may be quite the contrary. Such a writer may be trying to say quite uncomplimentary things about misogynists, or about the society that allows them to have power.
The selection of the setting for a story says nothing whatsoever about the writer's beliefs in his or her own life. Really. If I set a book in France, I'm not necessarily Francophile. If I write a story that is set entirely within an army at war, it doesn't mean I am pro-military. Or pro-war. If I set a book in a matriarchal society, it doesn't necessarily mean I think a matriarchal society is a good thing.
Secondly, do not confuse a reader's desire to read certain types of books with their desire to visit the setting -- or to hanker after a past that is no more, or to think it was a better world, or to live on the other side of the world. I am jaw-droppingly astonished that anyone has to actually SAY that.
If a reader likes reading war stories -- do you REALLY think that says they want to be dropped into a war setting? Let alone one with swords and no modern medics? Do I hanker after medieval Europe because I like reading fantasies set in that world? I'd run a mile rather than be dumped in the middle of the real Wars of the Roses, even if I had a stack of magic at my disposal!
Nor do I want to work in a morgue/police station/hospital/space ship because I watch TV programmes about pathologists/detectives/doctors/spacemen, ok?
Thirdly, this icky question of rape. Believe me, I understand if you don't want to read a book which has rape inside the pages, let alone several rapes. But please, don't tell a writer what s/he should and should not write about. Rape and sexual assault is part of -- probably -- every society on the planet right NOW*. To write a book about war, or about medieval times, and leave sexual assault out of the scenario, and you might just be viewing a story through rosy glasses... My Stormlord Rising was criticised because it portrayed quite a bit of sexual assault (most of it during war and invasion) against both men and women. If you don't want to read about it, put the book down. Don't blame the author for being realistic.
Fourthly, don't assume a medieval society has the same mores as your own, and is only different because they use swords and horses instead of bombs and cars. Some folk were saying Martin was writing about rape and paedophilia. By our standards, yes, he did. But - and it's a big but - transpose a 13-year old bride to another society, forced to oblige her husband whether she likes it or not, and it is neither paedophilia nor rape. In fact, there are societies right here in the present day (even in Malaysia) where people think of this as normal. Sorry to disallusion those critics who want to think they have a handle on what's morally right and wrong. It's not so easy. And be careful about you own sins before you jump down my throat on this one.
Yes, to us, the handing over of a 13-year-old girl to a mature man as his bride is horrific. But for most of history, including YOUR own, children were adults long before we nowadays think of them as adults today. A boy of eleven or even younger was expected to work the same length of day as his father, doing the same sort of physical work, and he didn't get paid for it, moreover.
A boy milked cows for a neighbour, starting at 5 a.m., before he walked the long distance to school. He was eleven and the year was 1901. At 12 he left school altogether (he had no choice in the matter, even though the legal age to leave was 14 in Australia at the time) and he started farmwork in earnest, all day, every day of the week, every week of the year. No holidays. Cows and harvests and farmers don't take holidays. That was the 20th century -- and he was my dad.
Back to medieval times. A woman became marriageable the moment she had her menses. And once married, there was no question of EVER legally refusing her husband his conjugal rights. Of course, one hopes most men are a lot nicer than that, even back in 1135, but legally? He had the right. And this is still so in many societies today. You can close your eyes to it, if you like, but don't tell a writer s/he's being crappy to write those sort of things into his/her story. They are real.
Fifthly, don't think that if a writer portrays a dark skinned people as having a different culture from that of white Westerners, they are portraying them as barbaric. In actual fact, the commentator is identifying themselves as an arrogant Westerner who believes that any culture -- other than their own, of course -- is barbaric.
I've got news for that kind of reader too. Every culture is barbaric. In the wonderful enlightened West, we hound gay kids to suicide, murder transwomen, sell our teenagers drugs that will kill them, and drop bombs on civilians and call it collateral damage, refuse medical treatment to the poor because they can't afford to pay.
So dark-skinned "barbarian" metes out some horrible punishment to another he perceives as a threat. No lawyer, no trial, no regular sentence, no chance of appeal. And in the West we stick them in Guantanamo. No lawyer, no trial, no regular sentence, no chance of appeal.
Many of George R.R. Martin's main characters are white-skinned and sort of Western in a Middle Ages sort of way. They are also -- by our present Western standards -- brutal, undemocratic, living in a world lacking any legal recourse for the wronged (especially if they are poor or don't have a sword).
In Martin's world, the dark-skinned are ... brutal, undemocratic, living in a world lacking any legal recourse for the wronged. So tell me, just which were the barbarians again?
My point?
If you don't like a book, any book, then criticise the writing or simply say, it's not my kind of story. Don't attack it by attacking the author because s/he must be like the characters. Don't attack it because the world doesn't match up to the one you think it ought to be (unless it's supposed to be a historical novel). If you think a book promotes sexism/racism/monarchism/homophobia or whatever then be careful of how you illustrate your case.
Otherwise you end up saying more about yourself, than about the book and the writer you wanted to condemn.
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*I think decent men have a hard time understanding how prevalent it is. I've never been raped, but I have been physically assaulted in a sexual way, twice, by complete strangers. Once when I was fifteen, once after I was married. Both times I immediately launched an attack on the attacker, they skedadled and nothing much really happened. (The second time, I clobbered the guy with a heavy pair of Zeiss binoculars ... threaten a birder when they are biridng, and that's what happens!)
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Monday, 15 August 2011, 7:42 am GMT
...will be on 17th-21st August, just couple of more days. I wish I could be there, but I couldn't afford it. Instead I sent a bit of myself.
Last year, the con was in Melbourne and I did go. And during the course of the con I won a book in the Brotherhood Without Banners Charity Raffle.
Don't know who the Brotherhood are? Well, I can tell you they run GREAT con parties, but they are a lot more than that. This is a brief descrition from their website:
The Brotherhood Without Banners is a George RR Martin fan group. Our primary mission is to bring together fans of GRRM’s writing for fun and discussion. Oh, and parties. Membership is open to everyone who is a fan of GRRM...
You can read lots more at the website.
Last year they had a whole stack of great books from authors as prizes in the charity raffle, but I remarked to one of the organisers that there wasn't a single book there written by a woman. Now, as they are a great bunch of guys who really care about George R.R. Martin, about SF in general, and the reputation of the Brotherhood, they took my comment to heart. So this year, there is -- at the very least -- one woman writer represented in the raffle prizes! There is a complete set of the Mirage Makers trilogy, which has never been available for sale in the USA.
This year the raffle is in support of the Joplin tornado disaster relief fund. So if you are at Worldcon, support the raffle! You ever know what you might win!
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Thursday, 11 August 2011, 4:43 am GMT
...for all my German readers, from Blanvalet.
Der Heiler in the trilogy Die Inseln des Ruhms.
That's The Healer (i.e. Gilfeather) in The Isles of Glory
Happy reading!
Kelwyn Gilfeather was one of my own favourite characters ever. I so enjoyed writing that man! And yeah, I dunno what he's doing walking around with a spotlight on the end of a staff, either. The third book, Die Magierin is due sometime in January!
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Tuesday, 26 July 2011, 5:34 pm GMT
 | | USA Orbit edition |
Sometime in the next week, you should be able to get your hands on a copy of Stormlord's Exile, the final volume in the trilogy. That's half a million words all together by the time you arrive at the end of volume three! And Publisher's Weekly did say - twice in the same paragraph - that this last book is exciting, and so I hope you will enjoy the ride.  | | British edition -- Orbit |
I am already getting news about readers who have got their hands on a copy already, so now I am waiting to see just who puts up the first reader review on one of the Amazon sites, or Good Reads or the Barnes and Noble. And yeah, I am one of the pathetic authors who does indeed hang around looking for reader feedback.  | | Australian covers - Voyager HarperCollins |
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Tuesday, 12 July 2011, 12:50 pm GMT
The final book in the trilogy. Two weeks or thereabouts... Now's the time to order!! And here are what has been said about it so far: Fast-paced read, full of action-adventure and danger...... (The) characters, especially Shale and Terelle, shine brighter than the sun. ------(Romantic Times)Families are divided, heroes are made, and the fate of the world is decided in the exciting conclusion... Themes of family and identity dominate a story line that is both intimate and world-spanning ... exciting action and well-developed characters. ------(Publishers' Weekly)
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