So You Want to Write for A Franchise, Or Thanks for My New Kitchen, Mr Lucas: In the Lair with Karen Miller and Sean Williams

As readers of this column know, we regularly and without thought of consequences, kidnap our guests by means of a malfunctioning vortex manipulator. The problem with doing this to people who write Star Wars novels is that they tend to have their own working lightsabres. So we simply chose to politely ask Karen Miller and…… Continue reading So You Want to Write for A Franchise, Or Thanks for My New Kitchen, Mr Lucas: In the Lair with Karen Miller and Sean Williams

Inspiration: Paolo Roversi

Time for another episode of Lisa Gushes About Art. Now, some people may not label fashion photography ‘art’ per se, but when the images are captured by Paolo Roversi’s lens, they can’t be considered anything less. Like Eugenio Recuenco, whom I raved about a few months ago, the aesthetic of Roversi’s portraits really works for…… Continue reading Inspiration: Paolo Roversi

Other things I missed during the Attack of Throat Alien…

1) A fantastic review of The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror 2010 in which Katharine Stubbs heaps praise on my story ‘Soil From My Fingers’ (and also on ‘Slow Cookin” by the lovely Angie Rega, one of my fellow Clarionites from 2009! Yay Angie!) Sure, this review was published in December, but it’s still…… Continue reading Other things I missed during the Attack of Throat Alien…

Tuesday Therapy: On Disconnecting

I am so delighted that Joanne Anderton has joined us this week for Tuesday Therapy. Her first novel, Debris, was one of the most enjoyable books I read in 2011 — the type of book that makes you wish, for once, that your bus ride to work was longer because you just don’t want to…… Continue reading Tuesday Therapy: On Disconnecting

While I was sleeping…

Last week, I caught some sort of throat-alien-lurgy-cobweb head-congestion-sleeping illness, and I’ve spent the past week sicker than I’ve been in years. Coughing sneezing coughing sleeping coughing sleeping sleeping sleeping… Not very productive, unless you count getting well as being productive (and, for the record, I kinda do!) But while I was sleeping, my guest…… Continue reading While I was sleeping…

Aurealis Awards Finalists Announced!

The internets are abuzz this evening because the Aurealis Award Shortlists have just been announced! There are so many awesome stories on these lists, I honestly don’t know how the judges narrowed it down. And I’m so stoked to see my work nominated in two categories: Best Collection (for Bluegrass Symphony) and Best Horror Short…… Continue reading Aurealis Awards Finalists Announced!

Ditmar Award Nominations Open

It feels like only yesterday that I last mentioned the Ditmar Awards on this website, but apparently a year has passed already! Ditmar nominations are now open — until April 13, 2012. There is an incredible list of eligible works and potential nominees this year (as is also the case with the Aurealis Awards) –…… Continue reading Ditmar Award Nominations Open

The Mere Touch: Bluegrass Symphony reviewed at Weird Fiction Review!

So cool to get an email from my publisher today with a link to Maureen Kincaid Speller’s first column at Weird Fiction Review, which is a detailed essay / review of five excellent books, including Bluegrass Symphony! I love how the reviewer has integrated the reviews into a larger discussion of ‘what is weird fiction’…… Continue reading The Mere Touch: Bluegrass Symphony reviewed at Weird Fiction Review!

Tuesday Therapy: Writing Out Loud

For this week’s Tuesday Therapy, Allyson Bird muses about feelings of isolation, censorship, and writing as a vehicle for exploring and understanding the world around us. Allyson’s collection, Bull Running for Girls, won the British Fantasy Society Award for Best Collection 2009. Isis Unbound, her debut novel, has been nominated for the 2011 Stoker award for…… Continue reading Tuesday Therapy: Writing Out Loud