tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51139504959792824512024-03-06T01:26:11.817+00:00Misa Buckleysci fi romance, steampunk and eroticaMisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-57702022586330872492011-10-10T09:00:00.049+01:002011-10-10T09:00:00.019+01:00World Mental Health Day: Cyclothymia<blockquote>Cyclothymia is a serious mood and mental disorder that causes both hypomanic and depressive episodes. It is defined medically within the bipolar spectrum. To be specific, this disorder is a milder form of bipolar II disorder, consisting of recurrent disturbances between sudden hypomania and dysthymic episodes.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclothymia">wikipedia</a></div></blockquote><br />
I have struggled with my mental health since 1996 and a prolonged episode of post-natal depression. Most of the time, I trundle along just under par; neither manic or overly depressed. It's very easy to slip off that fine line, though.<br />
<br />
My first major dysthymic episode came a couple of years ago in the form of a fully-fledged panic attacked. Before then (and thankfully since) my downs had simply resulted in lethargy and the odd crying fit.<br />
<br />
The difference between Cyclothymia and Bipolar is the longer swings. I will dip down when I'm on my cycle, but I recognise it as that and usually throw it off quite easily. My manic periods last longer and tend to result in a lot of fiction. If you know my LJ, you'll have seen the last one happen - four fanfics in three days, with me up as early as 3am because I simply couldn't sleep (insomnia is a side-effect of both manic and depressive blips, unfortunately).<br />
<br />
By September this year, I'll be "celebrating" fifteen years of being Cyclothymic. I'll be 38, which makes it a little under half of my life to date. I'm not extra-ordinary: I'm a wife and mother. I write as an escape and because I love doing so. I'm a fangirl and a geek. I love and laugh, I get angry. Hurt. Upset. I bleed when I stub my toe (more frequently than I'd like).<br />
<br />
People with poor mental health are normal. We're not freaks and it's not contagious. Please don't back away or cross the street. Please treat us as you would like to be treated - after all, one in six people will suffer from poor mental health at some point in their lives.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-82305014302281183452011-05-08T22:37:00.000+01:002011-05-08T22:37:50.090+01:00This is not the blog you're looking for...After some deliberation as to whether to buy a domain for this blog or get my own webspace and use WordPress, I've gone for the later and my blog can now be found at<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://misabuckley.com/">misabuckley.com</a></div>Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-72501264209956386552011-03-27T07:30:00.004+01:002011-03-27T07:30:00.154+01:00Six Sentence Sunday: 27 Mar '11Today's six (okay, seven) sentences come from <i>Flipside</i>'s chapter two. More of Johanna on the alternative Earth, though she doesn't know that yet. She's about to meet the MMC-- and some creatures a whole less pleasant...<br />
<blockquote>The crashed airship lay in a crumple of twisted metal some three hundred yards away. Smoke curled up from several points and the crackle of flames carried on the still air. Had anyone survived? Johanna couldn’t see how, but then she’d not even imagined such a craft five minutes ago.<br />
<br />
She’d not imagined the grey-skinned creatures that materialised from the rocky outcrops either. They resembled nothing familiar, were utterly alien, with large black eyes and protruding jaws that housed fearsome teeth. Their hides were wrinkled like an elephants, yet they walked with their weight on their hind legs and the long-clawed fingers of their front curled under like a gorilla.</blockquote>To those wanting to join in, the rules are simple:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>pick a project – a current Work in Progress, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published</li>
<li>pick six sentences</li>
<li>post ‘em on Sunday</li>
</ol>Further information (and more snippets) <a href="http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/"><b>here</b></a>.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-31434747191748890162011-03-22T23:50:00.000+00:002011-03-22T23:50:58.772+00:00From the bottom drawerA chance mention brought my very first WIP, To Recover the Satellites, to mind. I love the characters in this incomplete space opera epic, to the point I've never really been able to let them go even when I probably should have.<br />
<br />
Or maybe not. Reopening the first chapter in roughly a year, I realised that perhaps this messy NaNoWriMo creation isn't destined for the trunk pile after all.<br />
<br />
Let's see what you guys think:<br />
<blockquote>The satellite hovered in space, an innocuous grey globe for all intents and purposes, but the red lights that flashed around its centre warned against passing. To defy that warning one would have to be mad, bad or desperate.<br />
<br />
Corin Arrack was none of those things, though he had a reputation for hard practicality that bordered on ruthlessness. He knew what he wanted and nothing – not even Protectorate Regulations – stood in the way of his getting it. His determination had gained him a handful of condemnations on his service record. It was also the reason he sat in the captain’s chair, Commander of a Protectorate Cruiser.<br />
<br />
“Have we anything further on the signal?”<br />
<br />
The young ensign, new to her position and nervous, gave him a frightened look. “No, sir; scans remain inconclusive.”<br />
<br />
“Hm.” He propped his chin on one hand, thumb stroking his close-cropped beard. “Send a message to Genesis. Inform the Directorate of our findings and advise that <br />
we are investigating further.”<br />
<br />
“Sir?” She stared at him, wide-eyed with shock. “Do you mean to cross the Boundary?”<br />
<br />
Corin rolled his eyes. “Yes, Ensign, that’s exactly what I mean. Or would you like to be the one to explain to the Directorate why we ignored a source of potential power?”<br />
<br />
“No, sir, but... crossing the Boundary is against regulation.”<br />
<br />
“Unauthorised, yes. Hence the need to send a damn message already. Have you done that?”<br />
<br />
She bobbed her head. “Yessir.”<br />
<br />
“Then raise the shields and proceed at mark two on a direct intercept course.”<br />
<br />
“Yessir.”<br />
<br />
The lights on the bridge turned yellow as the shields went up and the grating beneath Corin’s feet rumbled with the power of the ship’s engines. The Cruiser slid forward. At the second the boundary was breached, a siren wailed on the bridge.<br />
Corin threw the communications officer a look and the man silenced the alarm immediately. Corin snorted a breath through his nose and then turned his little attention back to the readout on the screen at the fore of the bridge.<br />
<br />
Results from the ship’s scan scrolled up one side, the rest was a projected view of the space in front of the ship. Stars, and nothing more. Not as far as he could see, but out there somewhere pulsed a source of undefined power.<br />
<br />
It could be nothing, he thought. Or it could be the most vital find in Protectorate history. Either way, he planned to be the one who found out. Either way, it would be the recommendation he required to demand the Directorate pull him off these long-range guardian runs.<br />
<br />
He smiled to himself, imagining their faces. They didn’t like him or his methods: he was too much of a loose cannon for their comfort. But those methods worked, as proved by the rods on his uniform.<br />
<br />
He was still smiling when the proximity siren screamed its warning.</blockquote>Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-11382778567340740292011-03-20T07:00:00.015+00:002011-03-20T07:00:06.716+00:00Six Sentence Sunday: 20 Mar '11Six sentence from <i>Flipside</i>, continuing from <a href="http://misabuckley.blogspot.com/2011/03/six-sentence-sunday-13-mar-11.html">last week's</a> snip:<br />
<blockquote>She thought of the earthquake. "I hardly think so."<br />
<br />
"No time to argue."<br />
<br />
With that, he grabbed her hand and dragged her back down into the excavation. Johanna tried to tug loose, but his grip was like iron. She tossed a nervous glance over her shoulder. The things swarmed to the edge of the pit... then stopped. She frowned in puzzlement, wondering why they'd done that, but a yank on her arm made her attention shift.</blockquote><br />
And six from the Steampunk Western that arrived in my head over last weeked (described as <i>Pride and Prejudice </i>meets <i>Wild Wild West</i>), simply because I want to share the fun:<br />
<blockquote>Steam belched into the sky like a twisted version of the Indians’ smoke signals. From her vantage point on the ridge, Samantha Bennett eyed the ugly black engine - and the parallel steel tracks that carved a scar through the countryside - with severe distaste. The foreign and unwanted sound of hammering as workmen fitted another length of rail echoed off the embankment, drowning out birdsong. <br />
<br />
Another tree crashed down, causing her roan mare to snort and paw the ground with one hoof. Sam patted the warm neck.<br />
<br />
“I know, Madison. I know.”</blockquote><br />
<br />
To those wanting to join in, the rules are simple:<br />
<ol><li>pick a project – a current Work in Progress, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published</li>
<li>pick six sentences</li>
<li>post ‘em on Sunday</li>
</ol>Further information (and more snippets) <a href="http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/"><b>here</b></a>.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-27818408194495359452011-03-15T09:43:00.004+00:002011-03-15T10:38:08.332+00:00Shades of GreyBonnie Tyler once sang "I Need A Hero" and I suppose it's the Great Romantic Fantasy - the tall, dark and handsome stranger on his white stallion - but it's not actually mine. Heroes are... well, predictable. Good guys are the ones your mother likes, and while they make great friends, they're not exactly lust fodder (that was almost something much ruder, lol).<br />
<br />
Guys that I <i>do </i>lust after have several things in common, but the largest factor is they're not portrayed as good. One of them not be a very long way, but I digress. They are antiheroes. Unpredictable, morally ambiguous, complex, complicated and deeply layered.<br />
<br />
The first character I remember being like that is one most people consider a hero - the Doctor. But he stood with his hand on the Big Red Button that would have wiped out the Daleks and considered genocide. Not particularly heroic, is it?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WNH3ok_vRXPEsg7XCFX7Fwcevhw-f7ZSaFuDd9o-EEaRX400McHaiORXc3TtivS3inNO-fwuCXsZG9-PiLXpZZacBuktmJjNECfJZi1di_OTOeaO-NO-fReKuc9JALhgrGGNRN_k0nE/s1600/315_cap438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WNH3ok_vRXPEsg7XCFX7Fwcevhw-f7ZSaFuDd9o-EEaRX400McHaiORXc3TtivS3inNO-fwuCXsZG9-PiLXpZZacBuktmJjNECfJZi1di_OTOeaO-NO-fReKuc9JALhgrGGNRN_k0nE/s320/315_cap438.jpg" width="320" /></a>However it's dealing with uncomfortable moral issues that makes the antihero so much greater than the gun-slinging hero who would cut a swathe through the Armies of Evil and come out the other side with his hair untouched (but his shirt torn) and the line "It's what I do."<br />
<br />
Oh, please. It might be, but kindly go and do it somewhere else. You are not the hero I'm looking for.<br />
<br />
Bialar Crais, however, is.<br />
<br />
I have mentioned him before, but I'm going to do it again because his character epitomises the antihero for me. His was the one that made me look for more than surface actions, that taught me that bad isn't monotone, that every character has a story they are the hero in.<br />
<br />
Up until his last moment, the viewer was never truly sure whose side he was on. His character arc is, in my opinion, the best in sci fi. Possibly in television history. He grows and develops and becomes complicated enough that even eleven years on, I still find aspects I've not seen before, that surprise me, that wrench my heart (Crais remains the <i>only </i>character to reduce me to a blubbering wreck)<br />
<br />
He was also indirectly responsible for my current crush.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiSW0VKseGtuG_VqYjjZ5jCohyGqaQyL4ZuwukUDx36rYm8CwqGfkc63rBoDPXFJygN06gDA6kBRXLv6dRqOY_CJROxtZN8_lajgOCtmgW0aQP-_No-HuMhUu4LPtauXP7ivc-ywH_cw/s1600/insidersAQOcap3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiSW0VKseGtuG_VqYjjZ5jCohyGqaQyL4ZuwukUDx36rYm8CwqGfkc63rBoDPXFJygN06gDA6kBRXLv6dRqOY_CJROxtZN8_lajgOCtmgW0aQP-_No-HuMhUu4LPtauXP7ivc-ywH_cw/s320/insidersAQOcap3b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Because without learning to see all the shades of grey in the dark characters, I'd not have realised how layered Baal truly is.<br />
<br />
He's <i>supposed </i>to be bad - hell, he's supposed to be evil. Fortuntely someone failed to read that memo and what we're given is a character that most definitely breaks out of the given box.<br />
<br />
Without a doubt, there are things Baal does that <i>are </i>bad. He is self-serving, determined to survive and quite frankly doesn't give a damn as to what measures that takes (which tends to be explosive).<br />
<br />
However there are a lot of things he does that, on reflection, pose questions not only on his motivation, but on the nature of his species. The bad things are a given, putting himself in the line of fire for the greater good of the galaxy really isn't. He's not supposed to do that, he's not supposed to care. But he does, and he does it more than once.<br />
<br />
The trick with the antihero is to make the audience think they know what's going on, then turn it on its head. It's Han Solo leaving the Rebels to fight the Death Star, only to charge in as the proverbial cavalry. It's Mr Darcy disappearing in a righteous huff, only to be shown to rescue Lydia. Bialar Crais apparently betraying Crichton, only to put into action the sacrificial plan to save his friends. Baal risking his life to help his "mortal enemies" save the galaxy.<br />
<br />
We all expect the hero to fight the dragon, rescue the princess and save the kingdom. Sometimes though, it's more fun to have the less heroic guy do it, grumbling all the way.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-54164917519709878712011-03-13T07:30:00.002+00:002011-03-13T07:30:01.904+00:00Six Sentence Sunday: 13 Mar '11Still with Flipside, my steampunk sci fi romance. So far, our heroine, Johanna, has accidentally discovered a portal to an Alternate Earth in the ruin of a temple in Giza. After witnessing a flying ship crash, she saves the pilot by fighting off creatures she's never seen before. But they're not giving up that easily:<br />
<blockquote>"We need to run," she said and started towards the Sphinx, not sure if Sir William would be there or not but having no idea what else to do.<br />
<br />
"No," gasped the pilot. He pulled away and looked at her. Half a head taller, he had short black hair, brown eyes and a vicious-looking gash down the left side of his face. "The temple is our only hope."</blockquote><br />
To those wanting to join in, the rules are simple:<br />
<ol><li>pick a project – a current Work in Progress, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published</li>
<li>pick six sentences</li>
<li>post ‘em on Sunday</li>
</ol>Further information (and more snippets) <a href="http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/"><b>here</b></a>.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-39823207715834888672011-03-10T19:20:00.001+00:002011-03-10T19:21:30.094+00:00Inspiration: Horse power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OOs4dKEyXJN-YH4CMMdSNahBOIsWvYBmez30afkCb5kMXVXVqa15-YzK-FlJQmgYuur2yX4TxZxq4AC7zxfSv3n7PEXg8Ppn67_U7MZN2vV1STlts4eGo0KcAUaL2kuwJE0Wzp1qSAc/s1600/Steampunk-Horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1OOs4dKEyXJN-YH4CMMdSNahBOIsWvYBmez30afkCb5kMXVXVqa15-YzK-FlJQmgYuur2yX4TxZxq4AC7zxfSv3n7PEXg8Ppn67_U7MZN2vV1STlts4eGo0KcAUaL2kuwJE0Wzp1qSAc/s400/Steampunk-Horse.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Trojan Horse III by Willie Bester at the Robert Bowman Gallery, London</div><div style="text-align: center;">{photo by Trey Ratcliff}</div>Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-48310605246613138812011-03-09T18:44:00.001+00:002011-03-09T18:44:56.821+00:00To boldly go...<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY9FlpLhSCaTkPd86oT4Amahgmaj9Ts1Ydm3D1nOF7MYm35qftKnwkL4N5c88duZMGYIGz1W5Gh-guKjvfXk_Rp8Scw9ISTRf6iT25LAcfYPIOsPrRcNi23WlGNkNIzAbdDiVtSuFFto/s320/discovery090311.jpg" width="320" /></div>Discovery landed toay at 11:57 EST (16.57GMT), touching down at KSC for the final time after 202 orbits around Earth and a journey of 5,304,140 miles.<br />
<br />
27 years and 39 missions, she now retires as the US starts the shutdown of its space program due to financial reasons.<br />
<br />
This makes me terribly sad. The space program has been a part of my life since I was a child, bringing that dream of seeking out life and new civilisations so lauded in Star Trek that little closer to reality. The idea of being able to reach out and touch the stars...<br />
<br />
It's not quite over - Endeavour and Atlantis will have their finales in April and June respectively - but the end is nigh and I wonder if we'll ever venture into space on such a scale again.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-2526071846316972322011-03-08T10:33:00.001+00:002011-03-08T15:22:58.951+00:00A life less ordinaryDuring a Twitter conversation with the very awesome Gini Kock, I decided that I not only need to formulate a writing plan but actually put it down on paper. Well, the screen, but you know what I mean. So here goes.<br />
<br />
This month:<br />
<ul><li><s>Edit my erotic short and sub it somewhere</s> - done!</li>
<li> Finish a rough draft of Flipside</li>
<li>Finish, edit and sub Undercurrent</li>
</ul><br />
In the next six months:<br />
<ul><li>Deal with Ironhaven as appropriate</li>
<li> Edit and sub Flipside</li>
<li>Finish a rough draft on at least one outstanding WIP</li>
</ul>By March next year:<br />
<ul><li>I will have at least one novel published</li>
<li>I will have at least five short stories sold</li>
<li>Be inquiring / have an agent</li>
</ul>Big goals without a doubt, but I know I have it in me to do it.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-40025722807010904342011-03-06T08:00:00.005+00:002011-03-06T12:37:02.852+00:00Six Sentence Sunday: FlipsideFor this week's Six Sentence Sunday, I'm posting more on the in-progress Flipside. Here, Johanna has fled an underground temple after an earthquake only to fiind things outside are no longer the same:<br />
<blockquote>Johanna bolted for the exit, feet tripping one over the other in her haste to be outside in the open air.She stumbled out and crashed against the wall of the excavation pit, gasping and heart pounding. A shadow blotted the sun. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up.<br />
<br />
A dirigible flew over the desert on a faint rumble of a steam engine and a billow of grey smoke, its silver-white sides gleaming. Though she’d seen them before, none had been quite this big... and it was not the only one.</blockquote><br />
<br />
For those new to this, the rules are simple:<br />
<br />
1) pick a project – a current Work in Progress, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published<br />
<br />
2) pick six sentences<br />
<br />
3) post ‘em on Sunday<br />
<br />
Further information (and more snippets) <a href="http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/"><b>here</b></a>.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-29887520968382551412011-03-04T14:25:00.001+00:002011-03-04T14:27:04.762+00:00Outline time again!<i>Flipside </i>has throw up half a dozen questions that I don't know the answer to, meaning I'm going to have to figure out what is actually going on.<br />
<br />
Outlining is a new venture for me - the first time I did it was for <i>Ironhaven </i>and was a steep learning curve. First thing I discovered was that I could actually hammer out an outline. Second was that the Perfect Outline is pretty much a myth. Thirdly I found that writing an outline did not kill my desire to write the story, probably because of how I wrote the outline down.<br />
<br />
That was simply a breakdown of scenes and plot points. During writing those equated to everything from a paragraph to entire chapters. Some ended up dumped (and lo! outlines *can* be changed!) while others were adapted as the story evolved.<br />
<br />
This is my advice - use the outline to work out your rough plot but let the story guide you. Your characters might not do that thng you thought sounded so awesome, or you might realise that Plot B is going to make things too complicated (especially if you're writing to a prescribed word count). Make those changes - do a degree an outline should adapt to your story, rather than the other way around.<br />
<br />
But don't lose the plot! Whatever changes you make, don't lose sight of where you want the story to go. Your outline is a map, but you're allowed to make detours... as long as you make your destination.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-83568467862863499712011-02-28T12:15:00.000+00:002011-02-28T12:15:18.153+00:00WhoaOh you guys! 42 comments on my opening paragraph - I'm utterly overwhelmed!<br />
<br />
For those wondering: yes, I really did write that down in five minutes, though I was much longer in planning. That's still ongoing, and there's an outline sorely in need of writing as I get my head around the details.<br />
<br />
Professor Flinders-Petrie is (or was) a real person. An English Egyptologist, he was responsible for discovering sites such as Naukratis, Tanis and Abydos (the Egyptian city not the planet, heh).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinders_Petrie"> More on Flinders-Petrie</a> for the curious.<br />
<br />
I know very little about archaeology, so this is going to be an interesting learning curve. Especially as what I <i>do </i>know comes from Stargate SG1. It has something to do with magnets...<br />
<br />
Joking! I know more than that, I swear.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-70343173169275350252011-02-27T00:12:00.002+00:002011-02-28T13:00:29.823+00:00Six Sentence Sunday: FlipsideHere we go again! Flipside is a Steampunk Sci Fi Romance, set in Egypt 1880 and the world of the (as yet) unnamed aliens that our heroine Johanna Seymour encounters.<br />
<br />
For Six Sentence Sunday, here's the very rough opening paragraph, as written about five minutes ago:<br />
<blockquote>Thirty degrees in the shade felt hotter than it sounded. Johanna took the pith helmet off and wiped her forehead with a handkerchief that was already damp with sweat. She would not complain – she'd fought so hard to accompany the great Professor Flinders-Petrie, faced so many disparinging voices about her gender, her lack of expertise. Only Sir William had valued her enthusiasm and linguistic ability. So no complaints: she would not be the little woman, the fragile flower that wilted in the heat.<br />
<br />
Even if the heat <i>was </i>so very draining.</blockquote><br />
Read more SixSentenceSunday <a href="http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/"><b>here</b></a>.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-67007357492796283572011-02-25T15:47:00.001+00:002011-02-25T15:47:46.432+00:00Off into the WildWith major thanks to <a href="http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com/">Lori</a>, <i>Ironhaven </i>is now subbed to Samhain. Now to wait and see if I made the grade.<br />
<br />
I'm really nervous about this one, probably because it was written so quickly. That and the fact I want to crack Samhain (even though they isn't on SFWA's little list).Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-38632195952578493722011-02-22T15:58:00.003+00:002011-03-04T18:47:06.283+00:00Review: Touched by an Alien, Gini Koch<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsIe7th7OTL7pDqdSvmi5XDfW4Xojy-OyfbxXNCafZnEXv35cXywRdHXCzDXxBbiWuspOmwBXGlP5Qh5XTYF-_ckC-UE_sDiPSBLQ8q8Is44pZRkHiReN74ElUDrOJLNlf8dNy8ylRnI/s400/avatar_TBAA.gif" /></div></div>I have to admit it - I put off buying Gini Kock's first novel because I thought the title was cheesy. Add to that a character nicknamed Kitty? Hm, no.<br />
<br />
But I'd seen rave reviews on Twitter and, after a sci fi chat in which I discovered that Gini is a geek after my own heart, I decided to get over my personal forbiles and buy it.<br />
<br />
<i>Touched by an Alien</i> arrived yesterday, just before lunch. I'm sat here typing this at a little after 3pm, having finished it. I swear the paper of this book is made from crack. It's that or the writing.<br />
<br />
In retrospect, it's definitely the writing.<br />
<br />
First thing is <i>Touched by an Alien </i>is written in first person. I like this POV, because it makes the story very immediate. And when the story is immediately into the action... it's terribly easy to get caught up and swept off your feet. I warn you - Gini Kock can write hooks better than most fishermen can bait. Seriously.<br />
<br />
So the infamous "Kitty" Katt. If you want a mousey heroine who needs the handsome, strong hero to prop her up, this is so not the book for you. Kitty kicks ass. She takes names. She is the HBIC with bells on (and a Glock stuck in her pants). But she remains utterly believable and, yes, even breakable. She gets emotional, she gets teary. She gets it wrong on several accounts. But I rooted for her because of those things.<br />
<br />
Martini... his attraction to Kitty is immediate and... grating at first. He clearly thinks he's charming, what with the repeated demand that Kitty marries him. I just wanted her to slap him or deliver a stinging put down. And okay, it comes down to his alien abilities and being emphatic, but it was seriously annoying. Fortunately, there was enough other stuff going on that I read on in spite of that.<br />
<br />
And he does develop as the story finds its pace. I stopped wanting her to smack him and actually grew to like the guy. He's not as relatable as Kitty, but maybe that's the alien macho thing he has going on.<br />
<br />
As for the bad guys... I had to Tweet Gini, because parasites that live inside a human host hit a very geeky part of me and I wanted to know if their eyes glowed. Turns out they do, but red and not white-gold. I am unclear if their voices are phlanged. But the head bad guy is old and ugly and doesn't look like Cliff Simon, so it stopped being overly important.<br />
<br />
Did I like this book? Um, I finished it in just over a day, so yeah I think so. No, I know so. The end is satisfying while leaving enough open for the sequel (already on my Amazon saved list) and setting up for what I do believe is going to be a stonking series.<br />
<br />
Go. Buy. Read. Do it now, because you won't be disappointed. <br />
<blockquote>Gini's website is <a href="http://www.ginikoch.com/">here</a> and <i>Touched by an Alien </i>can be bought on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Touched-Alien-Gini-Koch/dp/0756406005/">amazon.com</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0756406005/">co.uk</a></blockquote>Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-39864136538446673192011-02-22T08:14:00.000+00:002011-02-22T08:14:24.147+00:00One DownWell, it's been a long time coming since I starting writing original fiction in '07, but I finally have a completed rough draft. It might only be just over 21K, but it's one down.<br />
<br />
I expected to feel more accomplished. I... don't.<br />
<br />
Confused now.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-29328279698175362011-02-20T22:00:00.002+00:002011-02-20T22:34:30.149+00:00Six Sentence Sunday: 20 Feb '11<i>Ironhaven<br />
Sci fi romance<br />
WIP</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Dusk brought the already cold temperature down even further as the sullen red sun sank beyond the horizon, taking the scant heat of day with it and freezing the snow-covered sidewalks. It made them precarious unless one had the right footwear.<br />
<br />
The spikes on the underside of Lucian's boots broke through the crust of ice, the echo of the crunch rebounding off the surrounding buildings. It was the only sound that broke the still air, but he paid it no attention: too wrapped in misery at his parents' betrayal and despair at his fate.<br />
<br />
A freezing fog billowed, chilling his lungs. Night was not a good time to be abroad, but he had nowhere to go since he refused to return to his ancestral home, empty now except for memories he did not want to revisit. He had no plan, no hope.<br />
<br />
Nothing.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-59527623015720971272011-02-17T18:12:00.000+00:002011-02-17T18:12:58.997+00:00HalfwayI reached the halfway point of <i>Ironhaven </i>today - a lofty accomplishment since I've <b>never</b> been able to say that before *g*<br />
<br />
In celebration, have a snip! The story so far: Lucian has missed the last starship off a dying Earth after his parents revoked his pass. He's been given the address of someone that might be able to help, with no idea he's about to open a whole can of worms...<br />
<br />
<blockquote>He tried the handle. It turned easily. Okay, then. Pulling it open, and wincing at the screech of the hinges, Lucian poked his head through the gap. “Hello? Is anyone home?”<br />
<br />
A faint shout came from somewhere within the tangle of machinery and littered benches. Taking it as an invitation, Lucian stepped in out of the cold and wandered around the workshop.<br />
<br />
Most of the benches groaned under the weight of a variety of heaters, all in various stages of assembly or disassembly – Lucian wasn't sure which – but there was one given over to an intricate, clockwork-driven device that he could not make head not tail of. He picked up a roll of paper and unwound it to find a blueprint. That made no sense either.<br />
<br />
He shook his head: he'd been to university and had education in every science and theory going but the level of intelligence indicated by the blueprint was still far beyond him.<br />
<br />
Putting the roll down, he called again. “Hello?”<br />
<br />
“One moment.”<br />
<br />
Her voice was husky; mid-range feminine with a hint of smoke. It also carried a note that Lucian thought he recognised yet couldn't quite place. A shadow shifted on the opposite wall, shortening as she came into the workshop, nose buried in a thick book.<br />
<br />
She wore leather trousers spotted with burn marks and grease, and a tightly-fitted blouse under a heavy apron. Her hair was swept up and gathered into a loose bun atop of her head, and the hands that held the book wore gauntlets. She looked up and her mouth dropped open, her eyes widening in shocked recognition.<br />
<br />
“Lucian?” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.<br />
<br />
He could only stare. It had been so very long since he'd last seen this woman. Long enough that it had taken seeing her face to recognise her fully. Five years too long.<br />
<br />
“Genevieve,” he murmured, watching the shock on her face turn to hurt and then anger. A hollow ache spread through him. “I didn't know, didn't realise...”<br />
<br />
He stopped from babbling further. Unwilling to make more of a fool of himself. Genevieve closed the book with a snap and then tossed it onto a bench. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.<br />
<br />
“What the hell are you doing here, Hoyt? I thought I wasn't good enough for your type.”<br />
<br />
The way she stressed <i>type </i>made it sound dirty, demeaning. He bristled even as a part of his brain pointed out she had every right to be angry at him. He'd not even had the courage to face her...<br />
<br />
“I-I need your help.”</blockquote>Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-27201704779519347762011-02-10T22:21:00.001+00:002011-02-10T22:22:58.160+00:00Progress and PlottingLook at my progess bar! Looooook at it! One week in and I'm a third of the way through <i>Ironhaven</i>. The deadline is looming (in my mind) though I'm trying my best to ignore it and just write.<br />
<br />
Of course, hiccups occur. Today I realised that from tomorrow, my eldest three kids are off school. This is a Problem. It's much harder to concentrate on writing when there's bouncing off the walls and playing on the Wii going on around me.<br />
<br />
As I chatted to the awesome <a href="http://navywifeadventures.blogspot.com/">Lori</a> this morning and purused my outline, I also realised that I had a sex scene looming. If writing normal scenes is hard with kids asking for toast/a drink/a smack then writing sex scenes is nigh on impossible.<br />
<br />
So, with outline in hand, I skipped ahead. The build up is full of angst (my FMC is scarred and scared of rejection) and the actual sex scene is more emotional than explicit. I knew that I needed to have full concentration to make both scenes work. I've written the build up and started on the actual sex. That'll be completed tomorrow, before the kids finish an hour earlier than they should do (nicely jabbing a hole in the plans to Go Out and have a Meal with Hubby).Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-52590563327352822712011-02-02T16:37:00.000+00:002011-02-02T16:37:57.154+00:00WIP: Ironhaven<b>Working title: </b>Ironhaven<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Apocalyptic Science Fiction<br />
<br />
Ironhaven is a WIP that I started worldbuilding for at the start of January, with the intention of writing a full-length novel. However, after being advised of Samhain Publishing's <a href="http://www.samhainpublishing.com/special-calls/#End">End of Days Anthology Call</a> I've decided to aim the final word count lower and write it for this submission.<br />
<br />
Writing 30K to order by the end of February is a big ask in some respects, but I just need to focus and stick with it. Today, I've actually written out a fairly detailed outline. This is a first for me and I'm pleased with myself for sticking with it. Now to get to writing it.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-52631802017754278972011-01-28T15:48:00.003+00:002011-01-28T15:56:45.768+00:00Twenty Five Years OnI was thirteen years old in July 1986. Fascinated with space and space travel, watching shuttle launches was something I always did, even staying up late when necessary. On Tuesday 28th January, I got home from school and settled down in front of newsround, the children's news show on BBC One, to watch Challenge rocket into space.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Challenger_flight_51-l_crew.jpg/220px-Challenger_flight_51-l_crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Challenger_flight_51-l_crew.jpg/220px-Challenger_flight_51-l_crew.jpg" /></a></div>I don't think I'll ever forget the stunned disbelief as, 73 seconds into its launch, Challenge exploded. I just sat, unable to take it in. Feeling utter horror at the deaths of those on borad: people I didn't know but felt such an affinity for.<br />
<br />
So to Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik I say good night and God bless.<br />
<br />
You are not forgotten.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-23073219262299345832011-01-18T07:00:00.003+00:002011-03-08T00:46:05.958+00:00The Importance of Audience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftvklbdRrhL_JBADCUhQTPGfI3SdECvqIgekAaat2B26lWFQciS8MDj9Z5V8HkSLzrPPp5WUlqoEL99_05NggEc1WDZlVZuCoaj5hF9idVCx0Ss6zPhlY-eFJ9THaTyxkn66vUqVhRYI/s1600/cliff1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cliff Simon" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftvklbdRrhL_JBADCUhQTPGfI3SdECvqIgekAaat2B26lWFQciS8MDj9Z5V8HkSLzrPPp5WUlqoEL99_05NggEc1WDZlVZuCoaj5hF9idVCx0Ss6zPhlY-eFJ9THaTyxkn66vUqVhRYI/s200/cliff1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>On Sunday afternoon, I listened to an interview with actor Cliff Simon that was recorded sometime in 2009. Amongst the giggle-worthy statements, he came out with something quite profound:<br />
<blockquote>"Without someone watching us, we're not actors."</blockquote>No matter how good the script, how amibant the lighting, how polished his performance, unless someone's watching then it's wasted.<br />
<br />
Discussing this with <a href="http://navywifeadventures.blogspot.com/">Lori</a>, I realised that the same applies to me - unless my writing is read, then it's just words on a page. It doesn't <i>live</i>. And I remain a writer.<br />
<br />
So this is my belief. That writing doesn't matter, nor editing, nor subbing. Not even being published, though that helps. But it's not until someone picks up my book and <i>reads </i>it that I become an author.<br />
<br />
It was that new-found belief that inspired me to take up the <a href="http://write1sub1.blogspot.com/">Write 1 Sub 1</a> challenge, and to sub a short story to Tor. I'm going to hold those words in front of me, to remind me of the most basic fact that stories are supposed to be read.<br />
<br />
Just like a performance is meant to be watched.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-91569012677780461002011-01-17T16:18:00.003+00:002011-02-05T12:46:20.708+00:00W1S1: Submission<i>To Reach the Dawn</i>, edited via the very handy <a href="http://editminion.com/">EditMinion</a> and now on submission to <a href="http://www.tor.com/">tor.com</a> (playing with the Big Boys, lol).Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113950495979282451.post-28928961649177910012011-01-17T08:00:00.002+00:002011-01-17T08:00:02.888+00:00Write 1 Sub 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://write1sub1.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRJRg8yba5Emw7RgHpstKRn1xr8iC_Z5fHTCCRP-a8B-EoKBVEfDsjyxRiFczvdF6AKFJkBP4Naq3qj_R2sdaion2gpqX1F_6AN2PTs2_rKY7KLjZfVYSQl2OHjt7IITYvX-cwdJLi94/s1600/Write1Sub1Monthly.jpg" /></a></div>I have gone insane. Though I've said that I want to write more short stories this year, yesterday I went and did something about it - I've signed up for <a href="http://write1sub1.blogspot.com/">Write 1 Sub 1</a>.<br />
<br />
I'm aiming for writing and subbing a fiction a month (not that insane to choose the weekly option) and I'm going to start with editing and subbing <i>To Reach the Dawn </i>which, despite statements to the contrary, remains un-resubbed on my hard drive.Misahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14078445234042437694noreply@blogger.com4