A French Review of Clairvoyante

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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At Khimaira, an online sff magazine, you can read a review in French of Clairvoyante (that is, The Aware in its French translation) by Christophe Sambre.

He concludes by saying:

En matière de fantasy, par les temps qui courent, trouver une œuvre intelligente, innovante et passionnante à la fois relève du plus risqué des défis… Et pourtant, voici que J’ai Lu, dans sa toute nouvelle collection Fantasy Grand Format, nous gratifie du meilleur et du plus surprenant. Car ce livre, premier opus d’une trilogie qu’on devine bientôt rangée parmi les incontournables, loin de s’embourber dans la vase nauséeuse des poncifs du genre, nous promène sur les îles escarpées d’un univers d’une fabuleuse richesse, où, guidés par des personnages puissants mais aussi fragiles, porteurs de violentes brisures intérieurs et d’une subtile sensualité, le lecteur frémit, sourit et se délecte d’une intrigue sans faille ni lourdeur.

Née au pays des kangourous, Glenda Larke est sans aucun doute l’une des actrices majeures du renouveau de la fantasy… Que voilà une bien bonne nouvelle.

Which is lovely of him. (Merci, Christophe!)

And just in case you missed the last bit, my translation is: “Born in the land of kangaroos, Glenda Larke is without a doubt one of the major exponents of the renewal* of fantasy… This is good news indeed.”

Having just got back from a trip where we had kangaroos bounding out of the bushes bent on mass suicide – and possibly homicide and vehicular mayhem as well – I am inclined to think that, yep, this is indeed a land of kangaroos, as well as good fantasy (heh).

I even got a photograph to prove it.

*(Possibly referring to the new large format collection of the publisher J’ai Lu)

All good things come to an end

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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Swancon is over for another year.
It was just as much fun as I expected. I enjoyed the panels I was on – some were better than others. I enjoyed even more the panels I listened to. Robert Shearman and Ken MacLeod were great guests – knowledgeable, funny, friendly and extraordinarily approachable. Rob may have been a last minute replacement, but he did a great job.

My Oz Guest of Honour speech was a mish-mash of stuff – mostly about how my life has impacted my work, I guess. So lots of pretty rainforest pix…and others showing me writing in some unusual places.

The writing workshop I gave was fun from my PoV, and I just hope that some of those who attended will get some benefit from some of what I said.

Getting together with old friends was a highlight of course – Karen Miller and I had some interesting conversations in the middle of the night. Fabulous to see Trudi and Paul again; Satima and Helen Venn (first time I’ve seen the latter since we were in uni together, and that’s more years than I want to admit to.) Seeing people I know from other conventions in the past like some of the Swancon committee – Ju, Dave, Anna and Art, and Davina. Talking to other writers and editors: Cat Sparks, Jonathan Strahan, Joel Shepherd, Simon Haynes, Dave Luckett, Sean Williams, Ian Nichols, Bevan MacGuiness, Marianne de Pierres. Meeting Sue and Steve, the Duff guests, from Kentucky – who never did get all their luggage! Sara and Geneva, Danny, Dianne de Bellis – ah, I could go on and on. All in all, far too many interesting, intelligent, witty people to be able to mention them all.

It is hard to explain just how much I appreciate the opportunity to meet like-minded people. To talk about sff, and not feel that the audience is half-expecting you to apologise for having such a (weird) interest. I feel as if I have just had a dose of inspiration, and now I have to make it last until the next con I go to.

So my deep gratitude to the committee for inviting me as the Australian Guest and so enabling me to participate in the experience. I am honoured to have been part of Swancon 2008 – thank you. Thank you to everyone who came to my panels/workshop/speech prepared to listen to me rabbiting on…

Just: thank you.

More photos from Swancon

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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The Hugos shortlist has been announced – great news for West Australians! No less than 3 up for these prestigious international sff awards: Jonathan Strahan, ShaunTan and Greg Egan. Right now I am bursting with pride to be from W.A.

Yesterday there was a HarperCollins launch for new books from Sean Williams and Karen Miller (writing as K.E.Mills). There was also another panel for me, some book signing, and the masquerade…


PHOTOS:

  • Theresa and me and one scary character…
  • Me.
  • Sean Williams and Karen Miller.
  • Karen Miller and Sean Williams sign books







At the book launch: Karen Miller

At the book launch: Karen Miller, Theresa Anns, Stephanie Smith, Jonathan Strahan, Sean Williams.

Karen Miller talks to HC rep Theresa and Associate Publisher Voyager HarperCollins, Stephanie Smith.

Karen Miller with HarperCollins rep Theresa Anns – the best rep we authors could have!

Bevan MacGuiness, Voyager author.

Book signing from Rob Shearman.

More from Swancon

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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At dinner: Karen Miller, Trudi Canavan, Joel Shepherd, Paul Ewins, Stephanie Smith
Having too much fun to blog much…! It has been terrific to see old friends, and make new ones. Lovely to catch up with fellow authors/editors like Karen Miller, Trudi Canavan, Dave Luckett, Bevan MacGuiness, Ian Nicols, Cat Sparks, Jonathan Strahan, Joel Shepherd, Sean Williams and others…


On a panel: Ju Landeesse, Satima Flavell, Juliet Marillier and self.

Great to see my Voyager editor, Stephanie Smith and the HarperCollins rep here in Perth, Theresa Anns.

At breakfast (?): Theresa Anns, Bevan MacGuiness and Karen Miller

Then there’s old friends like Satima Flavell and even someone I haven’t see since we were at University together back in the 1960s, Helen Venn. Wow. That’s going back a bit…

I was on a panel today with the very talented writer Juliet Marillier. And after that I gave a workshop for some 20 people. Workshop is a bit of a misnomer. More that I just talked about writing and answered questions…wasn’t half long enough! I just keep my fingers crossed that there may have been something of help there to someone. I remember only too clearly the ache to be published and how I wished I could have talked to someone who had got there.

At a panel: Voyager authors Karen Miller and Bevan MacGuiness, with Lee Battersby (left).


Here at Swancon

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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Photo: Rob Shearman talking to Elaine, Karen Miller.

Arrived safely in sunny Perth – over 30 celsius – and the city looks bright and clean-cut against that brilliant sky, just as it usually does. I get that feeling that I am home.

Karen Miller and I have done one helluva lot of talking ever since, even thought she is deep in the page proofs of book three (Hammer of God) of her latest trilogy, Godspeaker. Great to see her again.

She blew me away with something she did. I still can’t believe it. She’s dedicated her book 2 (The Riven Kingdom) to me (it’s already out in the shops. If you haven’t bought it, do so. Now. And read the dedication. What a great lady…)

Photo: Ken MacLeod and wife Carol

Last night was the pre-con dinner – a chance to meet the international guests: Ken MacLeod (author of such great sf books as “Newton’s Wake”) and Rob Shearman (writer for media – including a particularly brilliant Dr Who episode) , catch up with old friends…talk books, talk films and TV shows and. Well, just talk… What a great evening.

A bargain if you live in Australia

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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If you live downunder, Feist’s “Wrath of a Mad God” is just released. If you drop into a Dymock’s bookshop, you should be able to get a real bargain – it is being wrapped together with “Heart of the Mirage“, at – I think – a two-for-the-price-of-one bargain.

So how about it? Go on, make me happy…and then make me happier still by buying the other two books in The Mirage Makers trilogy: The Shadow of Tyr and Song of the Shiver Barrens.

I don’t think you’ll regret it, honest.

Les Iles Glorieuses, Tome 1 : Clairvoyante

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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When I put up the cover of the French edition of The Aware, they didn’t have the blurb on Amazon. Now they do, and I’ve pasted it below.

I haven’t spoken French since 1994, which is when we left Tunisia, so my French is a bit shaky. But I think they said that this trilogy has identified me as a rising star of the Antipodes. Wow.

I have a strange reaction to the translation of Blaze Halfbreed, though. Somehow Braise Sangmêlé sounds – to my English-attuned but vaguely-French-conversant ears– like a rare steak. You know, braised mixed blood.

Présentation de l’éditeur
Braise Sangmêlé s’était juré de ne jamais remettre les pieds à la Pointe-de-Gorth, repaire de tout ce que les îles Glorieuses comptent de désespérés, de trafiquants, d’escrocs et de criminels sans foi ni loi prêts à tuer père et mère pour quelques setus ou une choppe de bineille. Mais les Vigiles, qui règnent en maîtres sur l’archipel, ne l’entendent pas de cette oreille. Braise est la seule à pouvoir mener à bien une mission délicate pour leur compte : ramener le plus discrètement possible la castenelle de Cirkase en fuite. Et on ne lui demande pas son avis. Mais à peine débarquée, braise se rend compte que quelque chose ne tourne pas rond : son enquête se heurte au mutisme des matelots et une odeur inquiétante de magie carmine semble s’attacher au moindre de ses pas. Car en plus d’être une combattante hors pair, armée d’une épée aux proportions exceptionnelles, Braise Sangmêlé possède le don de Clairvoyance qui lui permet de sentir la magie à l’œuvre. Quoique pratique, ce talent fait d’elle une cible de choix pour les sorciers de tout poil qui n’apprécient guère qu’on se mêlent de leurs projets de domination du monde. Bref, Braise s’est encore mise dans de sales draps.

Biographie de l’auteur
GLENDA LARKE. Elle est née au pays des kangourous mais vit en Malaisie. Bien plus ambitieuse qu’elle n’y paraît de prime abord, la trilogie des îles Glorieuses l’a consacrée comme une des étoiles montantes de la fantasy des antipodes.

Another cover

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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Getting a new cover is always a buzz.

Sometimes it’s also a surprise.

Here is my rugged no-nonsense intelligent swordswoman heroine Blaze Halfbreed from The Aware, Book 1 of The Isles of Glory, now called CLAIRVOYANTE, as seen by the artist for Jai Lu, the French edition trade paperback. Have no idea of the artist’s name as yet, as I haven’t seen the book and I pinched this photo from the French Amazon page.

But hey, look, my name’s bigger than the title…

Yeah, I know. I’m shallow. I love things like that.

My name up in lights??

Posted on by March 13, 2021
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I love my Russian publisher. They pay up no problems, and each book I sell, they pay more than the time before. And looking forward to what they put on the cover is part of my enjoyment of being a writer.

Now I know I have put up the cover of the Russian translation of “Gilfeather” before, but that was when I pinched it off a Russian online booksellers website and it was a poor res pix.

Yesterday I received a copy of the book, and I just can’t resist putting it up again in all its glory.

First let me point out that the printing at the top is actually in glittery glossy red, and the two gentlemen are equally shiny glitz – they look as if they have been stuck on. Unfortunately the shine didn’t scan very well.

And that top text is my name. Yep, that’s right, I have my name in BIG SHINY print. The bottom little print is the name of the book which translates – I believe – as Smell Evil .

Let me tell you about Gilfeather. The hero is a simple country doctor who spends most of the book chasing assorted villains through the countryside and across seas for rather complex reasons, and generally having a harrowing time. He does briefly land up in the ruling house of a island (hardly more than a rock stack covered in nesting birds and sheep) where the ruler is a woman, and I guess there are a few uniformed guards scattered about. They certainly aren’t dressed like space opera dudes, or 19th century military regimes, and there’s no guy sitting on a throne, it’s a gal.

I guess I should be glad that I didn’t get a pole dancer, like Jenny Fallon did on one of her Russian titles…