It’s 2023 and hard to believe

The lead up to the New year was full of good intentions. I was going to set goals. I was going to do an overview of my year. I was going to send a newsletter and going to write and all of that is in the land of good intentions and no action.

I’m writing this blog post now because I’m waiting for the household to get ready to go to Ikea and Costco and it’s past midday. All I’ve achieved this morning is picking apricots so that I can make jam before the birds eat them. We haven’t even gotten around to netting the tree. I’m a little tired myself as I did a road trip yesterday to Culcairn to visit my friend and her family. Waves to Sharyn. However, with EV charging and wait times I did not get home until 9 pm and I left home around 8 am. However, I did get to listen to most of Solace House by Joy Ells and read by my favourite reader, Richard Armitage. It’s a new crime novel with Jackman and Evans, set in the Fens of Lincolnshire, where one of my great, great, great, great grandparents originated.

My Phd is done. I’m now Dr Donna! I am graduating in person I think in March but the university couldn’t tell me so it could be April. I’m heading back to my day job in February so I’m conscious I have less than a month left of my half pay leave. I’ve been on fostercare leave and I needed every day of it. I’m transition to normal leave next week. Fostering a teenager with issues has been hard but we love her heaps.

I have print copies of Awakening finally. In my original order for print copies I accidentally ordered copies of Argenterra. Lesson is don’t order books when distracted or without glasses. I need to order more for the signing in ARRA Sydney and Melbourne. That’s coming up fast. I need to book flights and high teas etc. Julia Quinn of Bridgerton fame will be a guest at the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous. Link. I’m signing in Sydney and Melbourne. This also means I’ll be selling books! I have two new books out. Awakening, SF romance and The Changeling Curse, the sequel to The Sorcerer’s Spell under Dani Kristoff. I’m really looking forward to hanging out with the romance gang as they are so welcoming.

Other than printout the structural edit copies for the Phd novel, Sihem, I have not touched it and that’s quite important on my to list. I also need to make my exegesis available to survey participants, which is also high on the to do list. I also need to research publishers to put in a proposal to publish my romance reader and writer data so that it is more accessible. Gah!

So to finish off I’m happy to report that Maeve, the kitten, is getting on with the huge Gin our cranky old man cat. Matthew sent me this picture yesterday. He found them like this when he got home from the mall.

I hope you are all enjoying your January and finding the time for repose or fun. I need to get ready for Mabel’s birthday. My grandbaby turns 4 today and I’ve been tasked with cake making.

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The Supanova Experience

Wow, just wow!

I took to Supanova like a duck to water. I embraced it like it was a once in a life time experience and enjoyed it immensely. I’ll have to split this post though. This one will be about Sydney and the next about Perth.

Firstly, it was fabulous to be in a place with so many geeks. The cosplay was amazing and some of the people spend ages designing and making their costumes. So much creativity there. Others like dressing up. It’s all good!

In Sydney we stayed at the Rocks and it was rainy and cold.

This is the view from the window. Me with the umbrella. Yes those are size 8 jeans!

Donna in size 8 jeans, The Rocks

Me, with attitude and umbrella at The Rocks

Some more pics of The Rocks, which is a very historic part of Sydney.

This original house is now a museum, The Rocks

Convict hewn step, The Rocks

The whole being a guest thing was wonderful and new. Matthew went with me and he spent all his time in artist alley and going to seminars. I was between the Green Room and the author signing tables so we only caught up in the afternoons.

I had a fly!

My Supanova Guest Pass

I met some lovely people who bought Shatterwing and  Skywatcher or who took away post cards for my ebooks. Thank you so much people!

Jack Dann dropped around after launching his book.

Jack Dann, Supanova Sydney, 2015

I was partnered with Keri Arthur mostly as she is an old hand and I was a newbie. Keri has lots of dedicated fans.

Keri Arthur, Supanova Sydney 2015

Keri Arthur signing, Supanova Sydney 2015

On day two the weather cleared somewhat. We had a lovely view of the harbour from the hotel. It’s not often I get to do five star! It was nice.

I did get to chat to the other guests and got a meet a great bunch of people. The guests had a lovely vibe. I did put my foot in it but calling Kristen Bauer, Pam! during afternoon tea. She was pretty cool about it. I had my squee moments. Some actors we didn’t know by sight so we were checking the Supanova brochure putting names to faces. Without name dropping, I’ll just say that they were all fabulous and welcoming. We teased Graham McTavish about his kilt! For a Dwarf he is very tall, handsome and has good knees btw). (As an aside there were quite a number of tall people among the guests–impressive!) ( I think that counts as a name drop. Sorry!)

At the start of the tour (Sydney and Perth) the other authors were virtual strangers. By the end of the tour, they were bosom buddies who are hard to part from. Sniff!

Starting out I knew Keri Arthur and Karen Miller. I got to know Kevin Hearne, CS Pecat, Wanda Wiltshire and David Henley in Sydney as well as a re acquaintance with Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

Here is a shot I grabbed of Kevin Hearne. He does this author bomb shots and they are cool. So is he and so is his Iron Druids series.

Kevin Hearne, Supanova Sydney 2015

I did a panel with Kevin and Rebecca. It was slightly scary in that Kevin has published 130 books and me…well…not that many yet.

Here are some highlights of the cosplay. There are too many wonderful shots to do them justice.

Red Skull

Female Loki, Sydney Supanova

Boba, Supanova Sydney

Overall it was a great vibe. I signed books, gaped, talked, drank and ate. We were looked after most admirably by Ineke and the Supanova volunteers and crew. Thank you guys.

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Celebrating my Supanova appearance in Sydney and Perth in June 2015

I’ve been given a fantastic opportunity to be one of the guests at Supanova Pop culture expo in Sydney and in Perth. (Many thanks to Alex Adsett and Supanova). If you are interested in pop culture, cosplay, games, comics or in any of the amazing guests you should come along and enjoy yourself. If you see me then come and say hi to me too.

The Sydney Supanova starts on Friday 19 June at Sydney Showground, Olympic Park-an easy trip on the train.

Guess who is the major guest? Nathan Fillion.Remember Firefly?

There are stacks more of course, writers, actors, comic artists etc. I’m also quite keen to meet/see Graham McTavish (The Hobbit movies, Outlander). I am a big fan of Gabaldon’s books. Actually watching the series I believe Diana Gabaldon is quite dark-lots of brutality and attempted rapes etc so I don’t know why people are complaining about the Dragon Wine series being so grim. Gabaldon was being dark more than 20 years ago.

I’m going to Supanova! Be prepared for geek girl freakout by the Dweebette (me!).

Photo borrowed from http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2014/08/outlander-twitter-qa-with-graham-mctavish/

I’ll be hanging with my mates, Karen Miller and Keri Arthur and also meeting KA Bedford in Perth. I haven’t seen Kevin J Anderson and Rebecca Moesta (international author guests) for some time so it will be great to catch up them too as well as meeting all the people I don’t know.

The dates for Perth are the following weekend 26 to 28 June at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

To celebrate the Supanova appearances, where I’ll be signing books and a limited number of print books will be available for purchase from the bookseller, Momentum Books have put Shatterwing and Skywatcher ebooks on special. So if you already grabbed Shatterwing when it was a freebie, now is the time to grab the second book, Skywatcher, for $2.99. Shatterwing is $1 so you can grab the set for under $4.

Hang on a minute. All my hard work writing this book and you can read it for less than the cost of a cup of coffee! How can this be? There are no steak knives, just grim dark fantasy, with a sci fi setting and dragons.

The special for the Dragon Wine series is currently on the Momentum website and iBooks (today) but it will filter through to other platforms. So it would be great for you to have a read and then come see me and say hello.

My Supanova appearance will also allow me to put on my retro 50s dresses and petticoats and maybe even a hat or two. I’m so excited.

Me in my dress and shoes

I love seeing the cosplayers, who create the most amazing costumes and some stay in character the whole day. All power to them.

I will also be handing out postcards of my other books, which are available as ebooks.

See you there!

Links

Supanova home page

My Supanova guest page

BTW Momentum are having a sale so there are lots of books on special right now. Momentum Books home page.

Momentum Books Shatterwing

Momentum Books Skywatcher

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