New on Adventures in SciFi Publishing

A double whammy (as we say in the UK): a review I did of Mike Resnick’s book, The Doctor and the Dinosaurs, and a podcast interview with me, both on Adventures in SciFi Publishing.

The podcast mentions that the audiobook download version of Bone Machines is $1.99 – sorry, but that offer has now been closed. However, the new price, still discounted, is $14.96.

In the interview, show host, Timothy C. Ward, and I talk about the craft of writing. We cover a range of topics, including:

• How to ensure your dialect is accurate when writing in a non-native culture
• What idioms can we use when making up worlds and civilizations?
• “The rhythm of the language is more important than the words that you use.”
• How religion affected early censorship as well as in modern books, but also the surprising openness to sex that non-religious people react to.

A big thanks to Tim for the interview. Though, to be fair,  I thought I was online to interview Kay Kenyon, but Tim snagged some of our informal chat beforehand to put into the podcast.  You’re so sneaky, Tim!

 

Who is Insane?

Ragged Soul’s excellent blog about her personal journey with bipolar disorder.

Musings From a Ragged Soul

I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder almost a year ago. I was hospitalized for nearly a month in the psych ward. I had a complete psychotic break. I had hallucinations and grandiose thoughts – a classic manic episode. I started a blog just before my episode went into full swing. My writings in the days leading up to my hospitalization reveal a bit of what was going on in my head at the time. I think a lot of what I had to say was real, it was true. I still believe most of what I had to say. So, what does it all mean?

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about mental illness. Thinking about what it means to be bipolar. Thinking about the emotions I go through. Thinking about what’s wrong with me. And what’s right. How I don’t believe there is anything wrong with anyone who…

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Felted pod aspiring to become a handbag

My wife, Carole, is producing some amazing textile work. Lately, a lot with felting. Why not drop over to her blog and check out her projects, and you’ll also see how some of them are created. You’ll also find more about her work, including lots of beautiful work for sale, through her Bagsalicious Facebook page.

craftywoman

All those gorgeous, rich, jewel-like, dyed fibres came together to create this 12″ high felted pod, but it is calling out to me to become a handbag. I hope I did the fibres justice and kept their beauty.

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Radio GB Is Back

My singer-songwriter friend, Jonathan Taylor, whom I interviewed on the blog a while back, is reviving the radio station he originally produced in England. While Radio GB is principally aimed at people from the UK now living in Bulgaria, there will certainly be plenty of good stuff on the show to appeal to a much wider audience.

You can catch the pilot episode on youtube right now, or just click on the play button on the embedded video.

 

Bone Machines audiobook now only $1.99

Those wonderful people at Downpour.Com, have put the audiobook version of my novel, Bone Machines, on sale for a mere $1.99. You can listen to a sample of Robin Sachs’ wonderful narration, to whet your appetite. I hope you’ll consider picking up, or rather loading down, a copy, and sharing this news with your friends.

Robin Sachs’ acting credits include appearances in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as Ethan Rayne), Babylon 5 (as Hedron, N’Kal and Na’Tok), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (as Paul Bowman) and as a professor in the British science fiction drama, Torchwood: Miracle Day. Robin did wonderful voice work, too, ranging from cartoons (Spongebob SquarePants) and the console game, Mass Effect 3 (Zaeed Massani).