“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”Ray Bradbury The grayness of February is gone. February always sticks out to me as the coldest month of the year, but we had some surprisingly warm weather mid-February. It was a nice reprieve, and... Continue Reading →
Why Reading Matters
‘There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.' Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury In the wake of recent movements to ban books across the country, I found myself coming back to the question over and over... Continue Reading →
The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
"It was cold, as Rowan had warned her. Even in her thickest jumper and duffle coat, she shivered as the currach pulled away from the cove where it was docked. But she barely noticed. Mist was coming off the sea; the sunrise colored it faint gold and orange, as though they were swimming through fiery... Continue Reading →
The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
"The Gibber stretched to the horizon in all directions, a flat tableland, with small stones strewn across a shiny, crusted surface of gleaming deep mauve. Here and there a few tiny plants survived on moisture that condensed from the air at night. There wasn't much: saltbush, spiny beggarchild and gummy plant. None grew more than... Continue Reading →
Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott
"The battered fleet returned to Molossia System without fanfare or announcement. Military personnel striding across the main concourse of Naval Command Orbital Station Yanshi slowed their steps as they looked up. One by one ships slid into view across the threshold of a beacon's aura. The beacon itself was so distant it was no more... Continue Reading →
Let Art Inspire Your Writing, Part 4
“Go for broke. Always try and do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a deep breath before you begin talking. Aim for the stars. Keep grinning. Be bloody-minded. Argue with the world. And never forget that writing is as close as we get to keeping a hold on the thousand and one things–childhood, certainties,... Continue Reading →