Aphrodite’s Dawn published

It’s true, folks. This dastardly bod of similar moniker has had the effrontery to actually publish this Aphrodite’s Dawn’, and it apparently available on Amazon. Click here if you don’t believe me.

Now I’m told it’s actually quite reasonable. At least its science fiction, so it can’t be all bad, and even though it’s written for the ‘Young Adult’ reader, I’m assured it is  suitable for readers from 9 to 99. The tale is about a young man and his friends who have their world turned upside down when they find they are really living inside a dying starship, and that they have to decide if they want to keep things as they are, or help the ship take them to the new home they set out for.

If that tickles your fancy, grab a very reasonably priced copy onto the e-reader of your choice, sit back with a nice cup of tea in a comfy chair, and enjoy.

2012
01/22
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Hot News from the Alter Ego

Cover Art

 My alter ego sent me this. Apparently its something about an e-book.

2012
01/18
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Get Writing 2012

Really looking forward to this. I have two ‘pitch’ sessions booked: five minutes with Marlene Johnson (where I will pitch my latest YA offering) and a 10 minute super-pitch to Lee Harris of Angry Robot. Just finished the ‘bundle’ I have to submit, so now its sit back and wait. Just hope he forgets I kept calling him ‘Tim’ for some reason at the BFS EGM – D’Oh

2012
01/05
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British Fantasy Society
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No resolutions, no summary: Promise

Hi all,
Again, I’ve been a really bad blogger. Thing is, lots is happening, but it’s mostly happening to my ‘alter ego’. And there’s the first change this year; a little more ‘bleed through’ between my personalities. I also write ‘young adult’ material under the name ‘R B Harkess’. Website/blog is at www.rbharkess.com

So what else is new for 2012? Not a great deal, to be honest. I have my first YA book coming out with Proxima, hopefully in January, and I have another YA novel doing the submission round, looking for a home. Oh, and I just found out that my short story, “Jack in the Box”, is going to appear as a podcast on ‘Cast of Wonders’. Very excited about that.

Looking forward. Dont know yet. I haven’t written a short story for ages, and I have way too many ideas for novels, so before I can start my next book I’ve decided I have to write three short stories, and come up with three detailed novel outlines. That should keep me busy for a couple of months :)

But that’s enough of me rambling for now. Dinner is nearly ready, and its roast lamb with all the trimmings. Its going to take me until march to lose all the rubbish I’ve eaten for the last two weeks.

I hope everybody has a merciful 2012. My best wishes to you all.

2012
01/01
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Life
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Silence is golden

Or perhaps not in this case. I do apologise. I have been very busy recently working away as my alter ego, finsihing off the first draft of a book, and in the same persona I have a novel being launched in December, so there hasn’t been a lot going on worthy of note here.

I’m hoping, now I have some ‘free’ time, to get a few more short stories out there, and in particular find a home for an orphan short that was being considered by Murky Depths before the unfortunate demise of the magazine. A great shame, and a great loss.

I’m hoping I can get a few reviews out as well. Just finished my first China Mieville (and now I understand what all the fuss is about) and I still have a shelf-foot of books to read from FantasyCon

Speaking of FantasyCon, and thus the British Fantasy Society, I’m intending to be at the EGM in December. Graham Joyce is doing a good job of trying to iron out the wrinkles of the post FCon mess, but it is the members’ society, not the comittee’s, and it is up to the membership to vote on important issues and be involved in shaping the societies future. What happens at the EGM will, largely, determine if I decide to stay a member, which I hope to.

2011
10/29
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British Fantasy Society
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Nanny, may I have my tea now

I have a gripe, and its about people telling me what to do. Specifically, what I should eat.

There have been a couple of recent news articles; one about a fast food chain putting calorie details on its menu, and another about salt levels in bread. Now I’m all in favour of being informed. Please, tell me how bad this burger is for me, or that this bread could raise my blood pressure a little…

…but then leave me to make the choice.

I have inside knowledge that the article on bread was misleading rubbish, and as usual cited a worse case rather than the average. But you can’t get away from the fact that thing that taste nice are usually not good for us. I accept that, and that’s why I don’t eat them all the time (and usually guilty when I do)

But I don’t think its right or fair for some totalitarian meddler to say I can’t be trusted not to eat bad things all the time. Like I said, give me the information, but let me make the choice.

2011
09/06
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Life
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I had a wonderful experience in bed last night…

…and now that I have everybody’s attention.

I’m reading ‘Steampunk’, edited by the Vandermeers, and last night I got to ‘The God Clown is Near’, by Jay Lake. I finished it, then found myself looking at the closed book going ‘hmmm’ as I tried to process what a wonderful story I’d just read. It was kind of like watching Moulin Rouge for the first time; that wonderful sense of the surreal, and being taken on trip you simply weren’t expecting.

‘The God Clown is Near’ just took top spot on my ‘Best Ever Short Stories’ list.

2011
09/02
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Other Writers
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Another Story Accepted

Delighted to announce my short story ‘In Vino Veritas’ has been selected for the upcoming Satyrs anthology from Wicked East Press. Cover art and publication dates to follow as they are announced

2011
08/22
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I’m surprised my friend Rosie didn’t blog about this before I did. Its right up her street.

Apparently astronomers have discovered a planet blacker than just about any, and the size of Jupiter. Innteresting in and of itself, but who want to take bets on a sudden surge of dark planet/shell planet/spooky dark short stories flooding into SF slushpiles the world over in about three weeks :)

Those interested in the science can take a look here

2011
08/12
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#amplotting

Funny, but I’d almost forgotten how nice it is to be in that creative space where you are discovering where your next story is going to take you. Now that I’ve done as much as I can (for now) for the story I started in January, its time to start scoping out the next project, and it looks like an unexpected front runner has made itself known already.

I had three possibles that had been kicking around since the new year, two already more developed, but its the runt of the litter that has suddenly taken off

Can’t say too much about it here as it looks like its going to be one for my ‘alter ego’,  but plots and backstory and characters are all crowding around and jostling to be noted down. All I will say is that it looks like it could be something of a Steampunk/Urban Fantasy cross.

2011
08/10
CATEGORY
My Writing
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