Pages

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Unholy Ghosts Review


Unholy Ghosts: Downside Ghosts Bk 1
By Stacia Kane
Price: $24.99
On Sale: 1/06/2010
Formats: B Format Paperback
ISBN: 9780007352814
Publisher Web Page: http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Unholy-Ghosts-Downside-Bk-1-Stacia-Kane/?isbn=9780007352814


Book Description

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen and constantly attack the living. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit.

Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling Debunker and ghost hunter. She′s got a real talent for nailing the human liars or banishing the wicked dead. But she′s keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that′s landed her in hot and dangerous water.

Chess owes a murderous drug lord named Bump a lot of money. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls.

Toss in lust with a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump′s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

"Gripping... Vivid characters, superior world-building and a wonderful sense of pace... I was enthralled. The protagonist Chess is a treasure. The characters are complex and indelible, the plot is fascinating, and I can hardly wait for another book..." Charlaine Harris

Unholy Ghosts is a really dark urban fantasy with a very original plot and cast of characters. If you’ve never read an urban fantasy before then Stacia’s trilogy is an excellent introduction in this new world.


The plot is about the Earth in the aftermath of a ghost invasion in 1997. A religious cult known as “the Church of Truth”, saved humanity, but at a great cost. All other current religions died out and the Church of Truth has taken on the role as government, army and salvation. The Church is based on the Truth and they practice it every day with magical rites like banishing and warding spells. Most of the magic is only allowed for church employees and one of those is the main character heroine Chess Putnam.

Chess is a broken woman with many flaws, including being a drug addict of the worst kind. She lives in a Triumph city in a district known as Downside, which is overrun by pimps, drug dealers and dozens of gangs. Chess owes money to a drug dealer and ends up working under the watchful eye of a hired thug called Terrible. Without giving away anymore, I’d say that the adventure and relationship between the two is most entertaining and believable.

The novel flowed so well that I finished it in a day and now have to eagerly await the next two books in the trilogy.

Unholy Ghosts Review


Unholy Ghosts: Downside Ghosts Bk 1
By Stacia Kane
Price: $24.99
On Sale: 1/06/2010
Formats: B Format Paperback
ISBN: 9780007352814
Publisher Web Page: http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Unholy-Ghosts-Downside-Bk-1-Stacia-Kane/?isbn=9780007352814


Book Description

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen and constantly attack the living. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit.

Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling Debunker and ghost hunter. She′s got a real talent for nailing the human liars or banishing the wicked dead. But she′s keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that′s landed her in hot and dangerous water.

Chess owes a murderous drug lord named Bump a lot of money. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls.

Toss in lust with a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump′s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

"Gripping... Vivid characters, superior world-building and a wonderful sense of pace... I was enthralled. The protagonist Chess is a treasure. The characters are complex and indelible, the plot is fascinating, and I can hardly wait for another book..." Charlaine Harris

Unholy Ghosts is a really dark urban fantasy with a very original plot and cast of characters. If you’ve never read an urban fantasy before then Stacia’s trilogy is an excellent introduction in this new world.


The plot is about the Earth in the aftermath of a ghost invasion in 1997. A religious cult known as “the Church of Truth”, saved humanity, but at a great cost. All other current religions died out and the Church of Truth has taken on the role as government, army and salvation. The Church is based on the Truth and they practice it every day with magical rites like banishing and warding spells. Most of the magic is only allowed for church employees and one of those is the main character heroine Chess Putnam.

Chess is a broken woman with many flaws, including being a drug addict of the worst kind. She lives in a Triumph city in a district known as Downside, which is overrun by pimps, drug dealers and dozens of gangs. Chess owes money to a drug dealer and ends up working under the watchful eye of a hired thug called Terrible. Without giving away anymore, I’d say that the adventure and relationship between the two is most entertaining and believable.

The novel flowed so well that I finished it in a day and now have to eagerly await the next two books in the trilogy.

Unholy Ghosts Review


Unholy Ghosts: Downside Ghosts Bk 1
By Stacia Kane
Price: $24.99
On Sale: 1/06/2010
Formats: B Format Paperback
ISBN: 9780007352814
Publisher Web Page: http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/Unholy-Ghosts-Downside-Bk-1-Stacia-Kane/?isbn=9780007352814


Book Description

The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen and constantly attack the living. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit.

Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling Debunker and ghost hunter. She′s got a real talent for nailing the human liars or banishing the wicked dead. But she′s keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that′s landed her in hot and dangerous water.

Chess owes a murderous drug lord named Bump a lot of money. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls.

Toss in lust with a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump′s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

"Gripping... Vivid characters, superior world-building and a wonderful sense of pace... I was enthralled. The protagonist Chess is a treasure. The characters are complex and indelible, the plot is fascinating, and I can hardly wait for another book..." Charlaine Harris

Unholy Ghosts is a really dark urban fantasy with a very original plot and cast of characters. If you’ve never read an urban fantasy before then Stacia’s trilogy is an excellent introduction in this new world.


The plot is about the Earth in the aftermath of a ghost invasion in 1997. A religious cult known as “the Church of Truth”, saved humanity, but at a great cost. All other current religions died out and the Church of Truth has taken on the role as government, army and salvation. The Church is based on the Truth and they practice it every day with magical rites like banishing and warding spells. Most of the magic is only allowed for church employees and one of those is the main character heroine Chess Putnam.

Chess is a broken woman with many flaws, including being a drug addict of the worst kind. She lives in a Triumph city in a district known as Downside, which is overrun by pimps, drug dealers and dozens of gangs. Chess owes money to a drug dealer and ends up working under the watchful eye of a hired thug called Terrible. Without giving away anymore, I’d say that the adventure and relationship between the two is most entertaining and believable.

The novel flowed so well that I finished it in a day and now have to eagerly await the next two books in the trilogy.

Mortlock Review


Mortlock
Jon Mayhew
Price: AUD $19.99(NZ$24.99)
ISBN: 9781408803929
Format: Hard Cover
Publisher: BLOOMSBURY
Imprint: BLOOMSBURY CHILD
Number of pages: 384
Publication Date: May 2010
Author’s Web Site: http://www.bloomsbury.com/mortlock/

A superlative adventure peppered with deadly thrills and traditional death rhymes - a delicious mix of gothic horror and Indiana-Jones-style action.
Description

Every now and then, a gentle scratching made Josie flinch and pull the bedclothes closer round her.

'I can come in whenever I want to,' the noise seemed to gloat. 'You may think you're safe, but I can come in. Whenever I want.'

Josie is a knife-thrower in a magician's stage act, her brother Alfie is an undertaker's assistant. Neither orphan knows of the other's existence. Until, that is, three terrible Aunts descend on the girl's house and imprison her guardian, the Great Cardamom. His dying act is to pass the girl a note with clues to the secret he carries to his grave. Cardamom was one of three explorers on an expedition to locate the legendary Amarant, a plant with power over life and death. Now, pursued by flesh-eating crow-like ghuls, brother and sister must decode the message and save themselves from its sinister legacy.

About Jon Mayhew

Jon Mayhew is a man with a dark imagination, who has always loved writing and storytelling. An English teacher (to children and teenagers) for 20 years, he now works as a specialist teacher for children with autism. He has four children himself and, when neither teaching nor writing, he plays in ceilidh bands and runs marathons.

Mortlock, published by Bloomsbury, is his first novel. Jon lives between the ancient cities of Chester and Liverpool.


The cover’s fun and Gothic. The book itself it isn’t too long or short and surprisingly I can see any age group and gender reading it. Though I hope, no parents read it to their 4 year old for bed.

It is an interesting tale that is set in the 1800 century and is based around the choices of three adventurous men. The prose is quirky and fun, and in the time it took me to read it, I was highly entertained with the trilling plots and creative characters. Most of the chapters of ghoul-laden mystery adventure story start with a traditional verse that tells of coffins, gallows, clay-cold lips, white bones or worms. The story contains many elements of your classic horror story, although written for a teenage audience.

Expect not just one simple adventure but a multitude of sub-individual plots. Each encounter introduces you to other colourful characters at a breakneck speed. Hold on to your seats as you will travel between worlds and meet the living dead and demons.
If you pass it in the stores, I highly recommend you read at least the back cover, that should be enough to convince you to purchase this novel.

Mortlock Review


Mortlock
Jon Mayhew
Price: AUD $19.99(NZ$24.99)
ISBN: 9781408803929
Format: Hard Cover
Publisher: BLOOMSBURY
Imprint: BLOOMSBURY CHILD
Number of pages: 384
Publication Date: May 2010
Author’s Web Site: http://www.bloomsbury.com/mortlock/

A superlative adventure peppered with deadly thrills and traditional death rhymes - a delicious mix of gothic horror and Indiana-Jones-style action.
Description

Every now and then, a gentle scratching made Josie flinch and pull the bedclothes closer round her.

'I can come in whenever I want to,' the noise seemed to gloat. 'You may think you're safe, but I can come in. Whenever I want.'

Josie is a knife-thrower in a magician's stage act, her brother Alfie is an undertaker's assistant. Neither orphan knows of the other's existence. Until, that is, three terrible Aunts descend on the girl's house and imprison her guardian, the Great Cardamom. His dying act is to pass the girl a note with clues to the secret he carries to his grave. Cardamom was one of three explorers on an expedition to locate the legendary Amarant, a plant with power over life and death. Now, pursued by flesh-eating crow-like ghuls, brother and sister must decode the message and save themselves from its sinister legacy.

About Jon Mayhew

Jon Mayhew is a man with a dark imagination, who has always loved writing and storytelling. An English teacher (to children and teenagers) for 20 years, he now works as a specialist teacher for children with autism. He has four children himself and, when neither teaching nor writing, he plays in ceilidh bands and runs marathons.

Mortlock, published by Bloomsbury, is his first novel. Jon lives between the ancient cities of Chester and Liverpool.


The cover’s fun and Gothic. The book itself it isn’t too long or short and surprisingly I can see any age group and gender reading it. Though I hope, no parents read it to their 4 year old for bed.

It is an interesting tale that is set in the 1800 century and is based around the choices of three adventurous men. The prose is quirky and fun, and in the time it took me to read it, I was highly entertained with the trilling plots and creative characters. Most of the chapters of ghoul-laden mystery adventure story start with a traditional verse that tells of coffins, gallows, clay-cold lips, white bones or worms. The story contains many elements of your classic horror story, although written for a teenage audience.

Expect not just one simple adventure but a multitude of sub-individual plots. Each encounter introduces you to other colourful characters at a breakneck speed. Hold on to your seats as you will travel between worlds and meet the living dead and demons.
If you pass it in the stores, I highly recommend you read at least the back cover, that should be enough to convince you to purchase this novel.

Mortlock Review


Mortlock
Jon Mayhew
Price: AUD $19.99(NZ$24.99)
ISBN: 9781408803929
Format: Hard Cover
Publisher: BLOOMSBURY
Imprint: BLOOMSBURY CHILD
Number of pages: 384
Publication Date: May 2010
Author’s Web Site: http://www.bloomsbury.com/mortlock/

A superlative adventure peppered with deadly thrills and traditional death rhymes - a delicious mix of gothic horror and Indiana-Jones-style action.
Description

Every now and then, a gentle scratching made Josie flinch and pull the bedclothes closer round her.

'I can come in whenever I want to,' the noise seemed to gloat. 'You may think you're safe, but I can come in. Whenever I want.'

Josie is a knife-thrower in a magician's stage act, her brother Alfie is an undertaker's assistant. Neither orphan knows of the other's existence. Until, that is, three terrible Aunts descend on the girl's house and imprison her guardian, the Great Cardamom. His dying act is to pass the girl a note with clues to the secret he carries to his grave. Cardamom was one of three explorers on an expedition to locate the legendary Amarant, a plant with power over life and death. Now, pursued by flesh-eating crow-like ghuls, brother and sister must decode the message and save themselves from its sinister legacy.

About Jon Mayhew

Jon Mayhew is a man with a dark imagination, who has always loved writing and storytelling. An English teacher (to children and teenagers) for 20 years, he now works as a specialist teacher for children with autism. He has four children himself and, when neither teaching nor writing, he plays in ceilidh bands and runs marathons.

Mortlock, published by Bloomsbury, is his first novel. Jon lives between the ancient cities of Chester and Liverpool.


The cover’s fun and Gothic. The book itself it isn’t too long or short and surprisingly I can see any age group and gender reading it. Though I hope, no parents read it to their 4 year old for bed.

It is an interesting tale that is set in the 1800 century and is based around the choices of three adventurous men. The prose is quirky and fun, and in the time it took me to read it, I was highly entertained with the trilling plots and creative characters. Most of the chapters of ghoul-laden mystery adventure story start with a traditional verse that tells of coffins, gallows, clay-cold lips, white bones or worms. The story contains many elements of your classic horror story, although written for a teenage audience.

Expect not just one simple adventure but a multitude of sub-individual plots. Each encounter introduces you to other colourful characters at a breakneck speed. Hold on to your seats as you will travel between worlds and meet the living dead and demons.
If you pass it in the stores, I highly recommend you read at least the back cover, that should be enough to convince you to purchase this novel.

By Midnight Review


By Midnight: Ravenwood Mystery #1
Mia James
ISBN 0575095539(978-057-509553-3)
RRP $22.99 September 2010
Gollancz Paperback (216 x 135)

April Dunne is not impressed. She's had to move from Edinburgh to London with her parents, leaving behind her school, her friends...her entire life, basically. Ravenwood, her new school, might be a prestigious academy for gifted super-rich super-smart students but there's more going on there than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when her new friend Gabriel saves her from... something... in Highgate Cemetery and then she discovers that a murder took place just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on. And whether she's going to live through it...


If you like vampires, romance and Sherlock Holmes then look out for By Midnight with its eerie thrill where you’ll be asking who, what, when, where and how. It’s not like Twilight so for anyone who hates or likes it don’t try making this your substitute or turning your back on it, instead it’s more on the discovery of April the main character and the secrets no one will explain. And don’t fret there are still hot vampire boys, bitchy and snide vampire girls and a Goth friend to top it off. I like it and hope that it’s given a chance in the True Blood and Twilight infested world.

By Midnight Review


By Midnight: Ravenwood Mystery #1
Mia James
ISBN 0575095539(978-057-509553-3)
RRP $22.99 September 2010
Gollancz Paperback (216 x 135)

April Dunne is not impressed. She's had to move from Edinburgh to London with her parents, leaving behind her school, her friends...her entire life, basically. Ravenwood, her new school, might be a prestigious academy for gifted super-rich super-smart students but there's more going on there than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when her new friend Gabriel saves her from... something... in Highgate Cemetery and then she discovers that a murder took place just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on. And whether she's going to live through it...


If you like vampires, romance and Sherlock Holmes then look out for By Midnight with its eerie thrill where you’ll be asking who, what, when, where and how. It’s not like Twilight so for anyone who hates or likes it don’t try making this your substitute or turning your back on it, instead it’s more on the discovery of April the main character and the secrets no one will explain. And don’t fret there are still hot vampire boys, bitchy and snide vampire girls and a Goth friend to top it off. I like it and hope that it’s given a chance in the True Blood and Twilight infested world.

By Midnight Review


By Midnight: Ravenwood Mystery #1
Mia James
ISBN 0575095539(978-057-509553-3)
RRP $22.99 September 2010
Gollancz Paperback (216 x 135)

April Dunne is not impressed. She's had to move from Edinburgh to London with her parents, leaving behind her school, her friends...her entire life, basically. Ravenwood, her new school, might be a prestigious academy for gifted super-rich super-smart students but there's more going on there than meets the eye. Practical jokes on new students are normal, but when her new friend Gabriel saves her from... something... in Highgate Cemetery and then she discovers that a murder took place just yards away from where she had been standing, April has to wonder if something more sinister is going on. And whether she's going to live through it...


If you like vampires, romance and Sherlock Holmes then look out for By Midnight with its eerie thrill where you’ll be asking who, what, when, where and how. It’s not like Twilight so for anyone who hates or likes it don’t try making this your substitute or turning your back on it, instead it’s more on the discovery of April the main character and the secrets no one will explain. And don’t fret there are still hot vampire boys, bitchy and snide vampire girls and a Goth friend to top it off. I like it and hope that it’s given a chance in the True Blood and Twilight infested world.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft Review


The Best of H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. LOVECRAFT
PRICE: AUD $29.99(NZ$35.00)
ISBN: 9781742373508
FORMAT: HARD COVER
PUBLISHER: ALLEN & UNWIN
IMPRINT: CROWS NEST
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 2010

Publisher Link: http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=511&book=9781742373508

Description

Howard Lovecraft is undoubtedly one of the most influential writers in the history of horror fiction, with Stephen King acknowledging that 'Lovecraft opened the way for me, as he had done for others before me' and Arthur C Clarke proclaiming him 'One of the twentieth century's most original writers'.

Lovecraft's Herbert West: Reanimator, was turned into a series of movies that started with the 1985 film Re-Animator and rolled on through Bride of Re-Animator in 1991 and Beyond Re-Animator in 2003. Included in this mammoth anthology of Lovecraft horror are some of his scariest stories such as 'The Call of Cthulhu' (a terrifying tentacled alien god); 'Herbert West: Reanimator', about a man who can bring people back from the dead; 'The Rats in the Walls' (don't even go there); and 'The Dunwich Horror', among many others. Lovecraft claimed to base his stories on the strange and disturbing dreams from which he suffered. Don't dare dip into this book unless you want to share in Lovecraft's nightmares!

About H.P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1890. A sickly child, he barely attended school but read a huge amount. His ambition as a young man was to become an astronomer, but he lacked the qualifications to go to university and ultimately turned to writing and editing. Although he was not famous as an author during his lifetime, his status as one of the great 20th century horror writers grew after his death from cancer in 1937.


This collection of HP Lovecraft stories will induct any into the eerie world that inspired many of today’s speculative fiction writers, including Stephen King.

The collection contains ten of the best known pieces by Lovecraft, including Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, At The Mountains of Madness and many more.

Readers unfamiliar with the work of Lovecraft would be wise to invest in a copy of this collection to get them started in the horrifying world of the Master.

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft Review


The Best of H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. LOVECRAFT
PRICE: AUD $29.99(NZ$35.00)
ISBN: 9781742373508
FORMAT: HARD COVER
PUBLISHER: ALLEN & UNWIN
IMPRINT: CROWS NEST
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 2010

Publisher Link: http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=511&book=9781742373508

Description

Howard Lovecraft is undoubtedly one of the most influential writers in the history of horror fiction, with Stephen King acknowledging that 'Lovecraft opened the way for me, as he had done for others before me' and Arthur C Clarke proclaiming him 'One of the twentieth century's most original writers'.

Lovecraft's Herbert West: Reanimator, was turned into a series of movies that started with the 1985 film Re-Animator and rolled on through Bride of Re-Animator in 1991 and Beyond Re-Animator in 2003. Included in this mammoth anthology of Lovecraft horror are some of his scariest stories such as 'The Call of Cthulhu' (a terrifying tentacled alien god); 'Herbert West: Reanimator', about a man who can bring people back from the dead; 'The Rats in the Walls' (don't even go there); and 'The Dunwich Horror', among many others. Lovecraft claimed to base his stories on the strange and disturbing dreams from which he suffered. Don't dare dip into this book unless you want to share in Lovecraft's nightmares!

About H.P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1890. A sickly child, he barely attended school but read a huge amount. His ambition as a young man was to become an astronomer, but he lacked the qualifications to go to university and ultimately turned to writing and editing. Although he was not famous as an author during his lifetime, his status as one of the great 20th century horror writers grew after his death from cancer in 1937.


This collection of HP Lovecraft stories will induct any into the eerie world that inspired many of today’s speculative fiction writers, including Stephen King.

The collection contains ten of the best known pieces by Lovecraft, including Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, At The Mountains of Madness and many more.

Readers unfamiliar with the work of Lovecraft would be wise to invest in a copy of this collection to get them started in the horrifying world of the Master.

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft Review


The Best of H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. LOVECRAFT
PRICE: AUD $29.99(NZ$35.00)
ISBN: 9781742373508
FORMAT: HARD COVER
PUBLISHER: ALLEN & UNWIN
IMPRINT: CROWS NEST
PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 2010

Publisher Link: http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=511&book=9781742373508

Description

Howard Lovecraft is undoubtedly one of the most influential writers in the history of horror fiction, with Stephen King acknowledging that 'Lovecraft opened the way for me, as he had done for others before me' and Arthur C Clarke proclaiming him 'One of the twentieth century's most original writers'.

Lovecraft's Herbert West: Reanimator, was turned into a series of movies that started with the 1985 film Re-Animator and rolled on through Bride of Re-Animator in 1991 and Beyond Re-Animator in 2003. Included in this mammoth anthology of Lovecraft horror are some of his scariest stories such as 'The Call of Cthulhu' (a terrifying tentacled alien god); 'Herbert West: Reanimator', about a man who can bring people back from the dead; 'The Rats in the Walls' (don't even go there); and 'The Dunwich Horror', among many others. Lovecraft claimed to base his stories on the strange and disturbing dreams from which he suffered. Don't dare dip into this book unless you want to share in Lovecraft's nightmares!

About H.P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1890. A sickly child, he barely attended school but read a huge amount. His ambition as a young man was to become an astronomer, but he lacked the qualifications to go to university and ultimately turned to writing and editing. Although he was not famous as an author during his lifetime, his status as one of the great 20th century horror writers grew after his death from cancer in 1937.


This collection of HP Lovecraft stories will induct any into the eerie world that inspired many of today’s speculative fiction writers, including Stephen King.

The collection contains ten of the best known pieces by Lovecraft, including Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, At The Mountains of Madness and many more.

Readers unfamiliar with the work of Lovecraft would be wise to invest in a copy of this collection to get them started in the horrifying world of the Master.

Beautiful Malice Review


Beautiful Malice
About Rebecca James
Rebecca James is married with four young children (all boys) and until recently ran a kitchen design business with her husband. See rebeccasjames.blogspot.com

ISBN: 9781742373003
Australian Pub.: May 2010
RRP: $24.99
Publisher: ALLEN & UNWIN
Subject: Young adult fiction

With a page-turning plot and characters that leap off the page, this is the story of an obsessive friendship and dark secrets that can no longer be hidden.


'Truth or dare?' she asks.

I hesitate. I have so many secrets, so many things I don't want to reveal, but this is only a game, only a bit of fun. 'Truth,' I say finally. 'I can imagine one of your dares, and I don't fancy running down Oxford Street naked tonight.'

'Truth,' Alice says slowly, drawing out the vowel sound as if she's savouring the word. 'Are you sure? Are you sure you can be completely honest?'

'I think so. Try me.'

'Okay.' And then she looks at me curiously. 'So. Were you glad, deep down? Were you glad to be rid of her? Your perfect sister? Were you secretly glad when she was killed?'

Katherine has moved away from her shattered once-perfect family to start a new life in Sydney. There she keeps her head down until she is befriended by the charismatic Alice, and her life takes her in new directions. But there is a dark side to Alice, and as we learn the truth of Katherine's sister's death and Alice's background their story spirals to an explosive finale.

A potent, intense and simply unputdownable psychological thriller from an exciting voice.


Let us start by hearing what the 14-year-old teen queen, (aka my daughter) has to say about this novel. “I’m a massive supernatural fan. You won’t find many books that don’t have vampires, werewolves, zombies, fairies etc, in them at the moment. Yet I love the story Beautiful Malice. There are technically three stories, a somewhat present, past and future, the story is well written and definitely a must read/ It is a fantastic thriller with loss, gain and all the eeriness that is wonderful.”

The start of this first novel for up and coming author Rebecca James is brilliant. This psychological thriller will draw you in from the first page. It is a story about how one wrong decision can affect the rest of your life, while your choice of friends can have the same affect.

The main character, Katherine, has suffered great trauma in her life, and is befriended by a very different character, Alice. Both girls have their own personal demons and dark secrets, but Alice’s character is extremely unpredictable and very much “The Single White Female.”

I think that many people will be able to relate to the destructive relationship between the two women; A damaged and shattered soul seeking solace in another, who is just as damaged, but more destructive.

This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

Beautiful Malice Review


Beautiful Malice
About Rebecca James
Rebecca James is married with four young children (all boys) and until recently ran a kitchen design business with her husband. See rebeccasjames.blogspot.com

ISBN: 9781742373003
Australian Pub.: May 2010
RRP: $24.99
Publisher: ALLEN & UNWIN
Subject: Young adult fiction

With a page-turning plot and characters that leap off the page, this is the story of an obsessive friendship and dark secrets that can no longer be hidden.


'Truth or dare?' she asks.

I hesitate. I have so many secrets, so many things I don't want to reveal, but this is only a game, only a bit of fun. 'Truth,' I say finally. 'I can imagine one of your dares, and I don't fancy running down Oxford Street naked tonight.'

'Truth,' Alice says slowly, drawing out the vowel sound as if she's savouring the word. 'Are you sure? Are you sure you can be completely honest?'

'I think so. Try me.'

'Okay.' And then she looks at me curiously. 'So. Were you glad, deep down? Were you glad to be rid of her? Your perfect sister? Were you secretly glad when she was killed?'

Katherine has moved away from her shattered once-perfect family to start a new life in Sydney. There she keeps her head down until she is befriended by the charismatic Alice, and her life takes her in new directions. But there is a dark side to Alice, and as we learn the truth of Katherine's sister's death and Alice's background their story spirals to an explosive finale.

A potent, intense and simply unputdownable psychological thriller from an exciting voice.


Let us start by hearing what the 14-year-old teen queen, (aka my daughter) has to say about this novel. “I’m a massive supernatural fan. You won’t find many books that don’t have vampires, werewolves, zombies, fairies etc, in them at the moment. Yet I love the story Beautiful Malice. There are technically three stories, a somewhat present, past and future, the story is well written and definitely a must read/ It is a fantastic thriller with loss, gain and all the eeriness that is wonderful.”

The start of this first novel for up and coming author Rebecca James is brilliant. This psychological thriller will draw you in from the first page. It is a story about how one wrong decision can affect the rest of your life, while your choice of friends can have the same affect.

The main character, Katherine, has suffered great trauma in her life, and is befriended by a very different character, Alice. Both girls have their own personal demons and dark secrets, but Alice’s character is extremely unpredictable and very much “The Single White Female.”

I think that many people will be able to relate to the destructive relationship between the two women; A damaged and shattered soul seeking solace in another, who is just as damaged, but more destructive.

This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

Beautiful Malice Review


Beautiful Malice
About Rebecca James
Rebecca James is married with four young children (all boys) and until recently ran a kitchen design business with her husband. See rebeccasjames.blogspot.com

ISBN: 9781742373003
Australian Pub.: May 2010
RRP: $24.99
Publisher: ALLEN & UNWIN
Subject: Young adult fiction

With a page-turning plot and characters that leap off the page, this is the story of an obsessive friendship and dark secrets that can no longer be hidden.


'Truth or dare?' she asks.

I hesitate. I have so many secrets, so many things I don't want to reveal, but this is only a game, only a bit of fun. 'Truth,' I say finally. 'I can imagine one of your dares, and I don't fancy running down Oxford Street naked tonight.'

'Truth,' Alice says slowly, drawing out the vowel sound as if she's savouring the word. 'Are you sure? Are you sure you can be completely honest?'

'I think so. Try me.'

'Okay.' And then she looks at me curiously. 'So. Were you glad, deep down? Were you glad to be rid of her? Your perfect sister? Were you secretly glad when she was killed?'

Katherine has moved away from her shattered once-perfect family to start a new life in Sydney. There she keeps her head down until she is befriended by the charismatic Alice, and her life takes her in new directions. But there is a dark side to Alice, and as we learn the truth of Katherine's sister's death and Alice's background their story spirals to an explosive finale.

A potent, intense and simply unputdownable psychological thriller from an exciting voice.


Let us start by hearing what the 14-year-old teen queen, (aka my daughter) has to say about this novel. “I’m a massive supernatural fan. You won’t find many books that don’t have vampires, werewolves, zombies, fairies etc, in them at the moment. Yet I love the story Beautiful Malice. There are technically three stories, a somewhat present, past and future, the story is well written and definitely a must read/ It is a fantastic thriller with loss, gain and all the eeriness that is wonderful.”

The start of this first novel for up and coming author Rebecca James is brilliant. This psychological thriller will draw you in from the first page. It is a story about how one wrong decision can affect the rest of your life, while your choice of friends can have the same affect.

The main character, Katherine, has suffered great trauma in her life, and is befriended by a very different character, Alice. Both girls have their own personal demons and dark secrets, but Alice’s character is extremely unpredictable and very much “The Single White Female.”

I think that many people will be able to relate to the destructive relationship between the two women; A damaged and shattered soul seeking solace in another, who is just as damaged, but more destructive.

This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.

Solace & Grief Review


Solace & Grief

By Foz Meadows


Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?


About the Author


FOZ MEADOWS learned to read at three, fell in love with fantasy at four, and decided she wanted to be an author at twelve. She’s grown up since then, but still retains a fondness for silly hats. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Product Details
· Reading level: Ages 15+
· Paperback: 363 pages
· Publisher: Ford Street Publishing (1 March, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN: 978-1876462895

I had to wait for my daughter to finish reading this book before I was allowed to pick it up and begin reading it to review for Midnight Echo. So here’s what the 14 year old Teen Queen said about the book, “I love this book. Solace, a girl who has lived with only messed up teens and who can’t get adopted leavers her foster home and finds her first real friends. But both her friends and Solace, are different and you wouldn’t believe what some of those gifts are. This is a must read with vampires (good and bad) plus people with gifts. You will not be able to wait for the next book.”


While many people continue to criticise the current fascination with the paranormal/vampire/romance genre, this debut novel by Australian author Foz Meadows is worth reading.


Solace and Grief is aimed at the young adult market, but many adult readers will find it worth a look in. a Foz displays great talent for a first time author in this fast paced and well written novel. The story is not just another vampire novel jumping on the back of the bandwagon towed along by Twilight and True Blood. The story is light hearted with some great humour in amidst the action and suspense. There are certainly twists that will keep you entertained until the end.


Can’t wait for the next two novels in the series to come out.

Solace & Grief Review


Solace & Grief

By Foz Meadows


Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?


About the Author


FOZ MEADOWS learned to read at three, fell in love with fantasy at four, and decided she wanted to be an author at twelve. She’s grown up since then, but still retains a fondness for silly hats. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Product Details
· Reading level: Ages 15+
· Paperback: 363 pages
· Publisher: Ford Street Publishing (1 March, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN: 978-1876462895

I had to wait for my daughter to finish reading this book before I was allowed to pick it up and begin reading it to review for Midnight Echo. So here’s what the 14 year old Teen Queen said about the book, “I love this book. Solace, a girl who has lived with only messed up teens and who can’t get adopted leavers her foster home and finds her first real friends. But both her friends and Solace, are different and you wouldn’t believe what some of those gifts are. This is a must read with vampires (good and bad) plus people with gifts. You will not be able to wait for the next book.”


While many people continue to criticise the current fascination with the paranormal/vampire/romance genre, this debut novel by Australian author Foz Meadows is worth reading.


Solace and Grief is aimed at the young adult market, but many adult readers will find it worth a look in. a Foz displays great talent for a first time author in this fast paced and well written novel. The story is not just another vampire novel jumping on the back of the bandwagon towed along by Twilight and True Blood. The story is light hearted with some great humour in amidst the action and suspense. There are certainly twists that will keep you entertained until the end.


Can’t wait for the next two novels in the series to come out.

Solace & Grief Review


Solace & Grief

By Foz Meadows


Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?


About the Author


FOZ MEADOWS learned to read at three, fell in love with fantasy at four, and decided she wanted to be an author at twelve. She’s grown up since then, but still retains a fondness for silly hats. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Product Details
· Reading level: Ages 15+
· Paperback: 363 pages
· Publisher: Ford Street Publishing (1 March, 2010)
· Language: English
· ISBN: 978-1876462895

I had to wait for my daughter to finish reading this book before I was allowed to pick it up and begin reading it to review for Midnight Echo. So here’s what the 14 year old Teen Queen said about the book, “I love this book. Solace, a girl who has lived with only messed up teens and who can’t get adopted leavers her foster home and finds her first real friends. But both her friends and Solace, are different and you wouldn’t believe what some of those gifts are. This is a must read with vampires (good and bad) plus people with gifts. You will not be able to wait for the next book.”


While many people continue to criticise the current fascination with the paranormal/vampire/romance genre, this debut novel by Australian author Foz Meadows is worth reading.


Solace and Grief is aimed at the young adult market, but many adult readers will find it worth a look in. a Foz displays great talent for a first time author in this fast paced and well written novel. The story is not just another vampire novel jumping on the back of the bandwagon towed along by Twilight and True Blood. The story is light hearted with some great humour in amidst the action and suspense. There are certainly twists that will keep you entertained until the end.


Can’t wait for the next two novels in the series to come out.

Dexter is Delicious Review


Dexter is Delicious #5
Jeff Lindsay


ISBN 1409113477(978-140-911347-8)

RRP $32.99

Release Date: September 2010

Orion Fiction Paperback (234 x 153)


Everything's changing for our friendly neighbourhood serial killer. As if getting married wasn't enough to complete his nice-guy persona, Dex is now the proud father of a baby girl. But even if fatherhood is distracting Dexter from his midnight excursions to rid Miami of a few more lowlifes, there's no let-up at work. Two young girls are missing - and it's not long before one of the bodies turns up, partially eaten. But as Dexter and Miami PD's finest investigate, Dex can't shake the feeling that somebody's watching him... At home, there's no rest for the wicked. His stepchildren are clamouring to learn how to control their bloodlust and Dexter must train up his young apprentices. But to do that, he'll have to find the missing girl, find out who's tailing him and survive a dark journey into a underground community who really have a taste for death.

The plot centres around Dexter’s rethinking his concept of his life, now that he has his own baby girl. Dexter wants to be rid of “The Dark Passanger,” and become a normal father to his little baby girl and two stepchildren. That being said, the inner turmoil, and torment Dexter faced in the previous four books continues through this novel.


Rather than hunting down solitary criminals to dispense Dexter’s special brand of justice upon, an elusive coven of cannibals lurking in the background, wanting to invite Dexter to dinner, as the main course. This style is drastically different from the first four instalments, but it works quite well, given the new relationship between Dexter and his stepchildren, or should I say apprentices.


One of the most disturbing elements to this story is not any overly graphically written scene but more that Jeff Lindsay conducted research into cannibalism for this novel and the protagonists are based on real life groups and people. That being said, the expertly intertwined dark humour and thrills run through the novel as we’ve come to expect from a Dexter story.


Without giving too much away, Mr. Lindsay has left the ending wide open for a sequel, so don’t worry about this being the last book in the series.

Dexter is Delicious Review


Dexter is Delicious #5
Jeff Lindsay


ISBN 1409113477(978-140-911347-8)

RRP $32.99

Release Date: September 2010

Orion Fiction Paperback (234 x 153)


Everything's changing for our friendly neighbourhood serial killer. As if getting married wasn't enough to complete his nice-guy persona, Dex is now the proud father of a baby girl. But even if fatherhood is distracting Dexter from his midnight excursions to rid Miami of a few more lowlifes, there's no let-up at work. Two young girls are missing - and it's not long before one of the bodies turns up, partially eaten. But as Dexter and Miami PD's finest investigate, Dex can't shake the feeling that somebody's watching him... At home, there's no rest for the wicked. His stepchildren are clamouring to learn how to control their bloodlust and Dexter must train up his young apprentices. But to do that, he'll have to find the missing girl, find out who's tailing him and survive a dark journey into a underground community who really have a taste for death.

The plot centres around Dexter’s rethinking his concept of his life, now that he has his own baby girl. Dexter wants to be rid of “The Dark Passanger,” and become a normal father to his little baby girl and two stepchildren. That being said, the inner turmoil, and torment Dexter faced in the previous four books continues through this novel.


Rather than hunting down solitary criminals to dispense Dexter’s special brand of justice upon, an elusive coven of cannibals lurking in the background, wanting to invite Dexter to dinner, as the main course. This style is drastically different from the first four instalments, but it works quite well, given the new relationship between Dexter and his stepchildren, or should I say apprentices.


One of the most disturbing elements to this story is not any overly graphically written scene but more that Jeff Lindsay conducted research into cannibalism for this novel and the protagonists are based on real life groups and people. That being said, the expertly intertwined dark humour and thrills run through the novel as we’ve come to expect from a Dexter story.


Without giving too much away, Mr. Lindsay has left the ending wide open for a sequel, so don’t worry about this being the last book in the series.

Dexter is Delicious Review


Dexter is Delicious #5
Jeff Lindsay


ISBN 1409113477(978-140-911347-8)

RRP $32.99

Release Date: September 2010

Orion Fiction Paperback (234 x 153)


Everything's changing for our friendly neighbourhood serial killer. As if getting married wasn't enough to complete his nice-guy persona, Dex is now the proud father of a baby girl. But even if fatherhood is distracting Dexter from his midnight excursions to rid Miami of a few more lowlifes, there's no let-up at work. Two young girls are missing - and it's not long before one of the bodies turns up, partially eaten. But as Dexter and Miami PD's finest investigate, Dex can't shake the feeling that somebody's watching him... At home, there's no rest for the wicked. His stepchildren are clamouring to learn how to control their bloodlust and Dexter must train up his young apprentices. But to do that, he'll have to find the missing girl, find out who's tailing him and survive a dark journey into a underground community who really have a taste for death.

The plot centres around Dexter’s rethinking his concept of his life, now that he has his own baby girl. Dexter wants to be rid of “The Dark Passanger,” and become a normal father to his little baby girl and two stepchildren. That being said, the inner turmoil, and torment Dexter faced in the previous four books continues through this novel.


Rather than hunting down solitary criminals to dispense Dexter’s special brand of justice upon, an elusive coven of cannibals lurking in the background, wanting to invite Dexter to dinner, as the main course. This style is drastically different from the first four instalments, but it works quite well, given the new relationship between Dexter and his stepchildren, or should I say apprentices.


One of the most disturbing elements to this story is not any overly graphically written scene but more that Jeff Lindsay conducted research into cannibalism for this novel and the protagonists are based on real life groups and people. That being said, the expertly intertwined dark humour and thrills run through the novel as we’ve come to expect from a Dexter story.


Without giving too much away, Mr. Lindsay has left the ending wide open for a sequel, so don’t worry about this being the last book in the series.

Thursday, June 24, 2010






Issue 4 of Midnight Echo is a monster, well, has a story or two about a few monsters anyway. We’ve packed in twelve exciting stories, three poems, art by eight talented artists and four exciting interviews.


Order your copy, or two, today.


Scott WilsonExecutive Editor ~ Midnight Echo Magazine



Edited by Lee Battersby



ISSN: 1836 3865


RRP: $13.00 AU (Printed version for non-AHWA members), $10.00 (Printed version for AHWA members), $3.50 AU (Digital versions)



From the editor:


Everywhere we have travelled, the human race has been shadowed by monsters. They lurked in the shadows just outside the circle of light cast by our fires. They swam in the darkness beneath our keels. When we discovered new lands, and stepped onto white-sand beaches for the first time, they watched us from the bushes. They live in the corners of our eyes; in the silver lining within the cloud; in the cold, scared part of our minds we have spent our entire evolution pretending to ignore.


There are monsters in the pages of Midnight Echo: discovered; dissected, and chronicled by those who are unafraid to look beyond the circle of fire. Stories and poetry from writers like Geoffrey Maloney, Jenny Blackford, and Christopher Green, who have swum in the waters below the human psyche and returned to warn us of the truth they have discovered. That there is only one true monster in the human world, and it lives in your mirror.


Open the pages of Midnight Echo, and see what happens when the mirror stares back.



Literature:


Cromwell’s Beast ~ Steven J Stegbar
Tiny Drops ~ LL Hannett
Within the Walls ~ Philip Roberts
The Hand of God ~ Jason Crowe
Where We Go to be Made Lighter ~ Christopher Green
Poison or the Knife ~ BL Hobson
Carnal Knowledge ~ Don Norum
Visiting ~ Richard Barber
The Movie ~ Graham Fielding
Sleeping Dogs ~ Geoffrey Maloney & Andrew Baker
The Moon & The Mesa ~ Daniel Braum
Little Boy Lost ~ Patty Jansen
Poetry:
Rabbit ~ Holly Day
Mirror ~ Jenny Blackford
The Fat Aftermath ~ Jude Aquilina
Interviews with:
Charlaine Harris
Macabre Editors Angela Challis & Dr Marty Young
Foz Meadows
Surrealist artist Vincent Castiglia
Artwork by:
Justin Randall
Marco Morte
Ian Van Gemert
Shane Ryan
Mariusz Ganzel
Vincent Castiglia
Harry Purnell
George Cotronis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Issue 4 of Midnight Echo is a monster, well, has a story or two about a few monsters anyway. We’ve packed in twelve exciting stories, three poems, art by eight talented artists and four exciting interviews.


Order your copy, or two, today.


Scott WilsonExecutive Editor ~ Midnight Echo Magazine



Edited by Lee Battersby



ISSN: 1836 3865


RRP: $13.00 AU (Printed version for non-AHWA members), $10.00 (Printed version for AHWA members), $3.50 AU (Digital versions)



From the editor:


Everywhere we have travelled, the human race has been shadowed by monsters. They lurked in the shadows just outside the circle of light cast by our fires. They swam in the darkness beneath our keels. When we discovered new lands, and stepped onto white-sand beaches for the first time, they watched us from the bushes. They live in the corners of our eyes; in the silver lining within the cloud; in the cold, scared part of our minds we have spent our entire evolution pretending to ignore.


There are monsters in the pages of Midnight Echo: discovered; dissected, and chronicled by those who are unafraid to look beyond the circle of fire. Stories and poetry from writers like Geoffrey Maloney, Jenny Blackford, and Christopher Green, who have swum in the waters below the human psyche and returned to warn us of the truth they have discovered. That there is only one true monster in the human world, and it lives in your mirror.


Open the pages of Midnight Echo, and see what happens when the mirror stares back.



Literature:


Cromwell’s Beast ~ Steven J Stegbar
Tiny Drops ~ LL Hannett
Within the Walls ~ Philip Roberts
The Hand of God ~ Jason Crowe
Where We Go to be Made Lighter ~ Christopher Green
Poison or the Knife ~ BL Hobson
Carnal Knowledge ~ Don Norum
Visiting ~ Richard Barber
The Movie ~ Graham Fielding
Sleeping Dogs ~ Geoffrey Maloney & Andrew Baker
The Moon & The Mesa ~ Daniel Braum
Little Boy Lost ~ Patty Jansen
Poetry:
Rabbit ~ Holly Day
Mirror ~ Jenny Blackford
The Fat Aftermath ~ Jude Aquilina
Interviews with:
Charlaine Harris
Macabre Editors Angela Challis & Dr Marty Young
Foz Meadows
Surrealist artist Vincent Castiglia
Artwork by:
Justin Randall
Marco Morte
Ian Van Gemert
Shane Ryan
Mariusz Ganzel
Vincent Castiglia
Harry Purnell
George Cotronis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Issue 4 of Midnight Echo is a monster, well, has a story or two about a few monsters anyway. We’ve packed in twelve exciting stories, three poems, art by eight talented artists and four exciting interviews.


Order your copy, or two, today.


Scott WilsonExecutive Editor ~ Midnight Echo Magazine



Edited by Lee Battersby



ISSN: 1836 3865


RRP: $13.00 AU (Printed version for non-AHWA members), $10.00 (Printed version for AHWA members), $3.50 AU (Digital versions)



From the editor:


Everywhere we have travelled, the human race has been shadowed by monsters. They lurked in the shadows just outside the circle of light cast by our fires. They swam in the darkness beneath our keels. When we discovered new lands, and stepped onto white-sand beaches for the first time, they watched us from the bushes. They live in the corners of our eyes; in the silver lining within the cloud; in the cold, scared part of our minds we have spent our entire evolution pretending to ignore.


There are monsters in the pages of Midnight Echo: discovered; dissected, and chronicled by those who are unafraid to look beyond the circle of fire. Stories and poetry from writers like Geoffrey Maloney, Jenny Blackford, and Christopher Green, who have swum in the waters below the human psyche and returned to warn us of the truth they have discovered. That there is only one true monster in the human world, and it lives in your mirror.


Open the pages of Midnight Echo, and see what happens when the mirror stares back.



Literature:


Cromwell’s Beast ~ Steven J Stegbar
Tiny Drops ~ LL Hannett
Within the Walls ~ Philip Roberts
The Hand of God ~ Jason Crowe
Where We Go to be Made Lighter ~ Christopher Green
Poison or the Knife ~ BL Hobson
Carnal Knowledge ~ Don Norum
Visiting ~ Richard Barber
The Movie ~ Graham Fielding
Sleeping Dogs ~ Geoffrey Maloney & Andrew Baker
The Moon & The Mesa ~ Daniel Braum
Little Boy Lost ~ Patty Jansen
Poetry:
Rabbit ~ Holly Day
Mirror ~ Jenny Blackford
The Fat Aftermath ~ Jude Aquilina
Interviews with:
Charlaine Harris
Macabre Editors Angela Challis & Dr Marty Young
Foz Meadows
Surrealist artist Vincent Castiglia
Artwork by:
Justin Randall
Marco Morte
Ian Van Gemert
Shane Ryan
Mariusz Ganzel
Vincent Castiglia
Harry Purnell
George Cotronis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Foz Meadows Interview


Foz Meadows learned to read at three, fell in love with fantasy at four, and decided she wanted to be an author at twelve. She’s grown up since then, but still retains a fondness for silly hats. She currently lives in Melbourne.

Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious
Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?

Scott: Solace & Grief is your first published novel, congratulations. Can you tell us what it’s about?

Foz: Solace & Grief is a novel about friendship, choices, shenanigans and vampires. It’s also about finding your way in a group environment, and the kind of things that friends get up to en masse. If there’s one thing in YA fiction that often causes me to raise an eyebrow, it’s the overabundance of scenarios in which the protagonist hangs out with only one or two people, because while that’s certainly a valid occurrence, I don’t think it’s a majority experience. Then again, I speak from the biased position of always having belonged to rather sprawling groups of friends at school and university, which is why I’ve made Solace part of a wider social scene. For me, there’s something very interesting about the way people act in groups, the dynamics that underlie different relationships, and hopefully some of that has found its way into the novel.

Scott: Tell us a little about who Foz Meadows is?

Foz: I’m the kind of person who owns more geeky T-shirts than any other item of clothing and reads while walking down crowded streets. In no particular order, I enjoy: mythology, cheese, karaoke, British radio comedy, quoting, webcomics, anime, sarcasm and video games. I have two cats, and married a philosopher on purpose. Also, I talk a lot.

Scott: Are you a big reader of paranormal fiction yourself? What are some of your own favourite written works within the genre?

Foz: I certainly am! On the steampunk side of things, I’ve really enjoyed Stephen Hunt’s Jackelian series, The Glass Books of the Dream-Eaters, by G. W. Dahlquist, and more recently Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest. In YA, I’ve really been hooked by Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy, and Lili St Crow’s Strange Angels series; Seanan McGuire has also been an excellent find. I could go on, but that would essentially involve describing the contents of my bookshelves, and then we’d be here for days!

Scott: Tell us a little about what the writing process involves for you. How many hours a day do you write? How long did it take to write Solace & Grief and how long did it take to find a publisher?

Foz: My writing process tends to be made up of peaks and valleys. During a peak, I’ll manage anywhere between 2,000 and 10,000 words a day, which pace I can usually maintain for about two weeks before exhaustion sets in. On those rare occasions when I don’t have any other commitments, like university assignments or regular employment, it can last for a month or more, which sounds really impressive until you realise that it’s only ever happened twice. A peak will end when I hit a plot wall, run out of steam or choose to renew my acquaintance with my game consoles. The corresponding trough will then last for about the same amount of time – two weeks to a month – depending on how stuck I am. Once the characters start to itch at my head, I’m off again. The first draft of Solace & Grief – which, bear in mind, sucked – took about six months to complete. Most of it was written during downtime at my then job as a legal secretary. It was another year months before Ford Street first picked up the manuscript, and then another six months of rewrites, editing and changes.

Scott: Tell us what happened when you found out your manuscript had been accepted? It must have been pretty exciting getting that letter.

Foz: Very much so! I was working a different office job by then, and when the email came in, I sort of screamed, or at least made a very high-pitched noise indeed, before leaping up and doing an extremely geeky ra-cha-cha victory dance alongside the photocopiers and skipping a bit. (Seriously.) When my boss asked me what had happened, I said that I was being published, and could I please have permission to leave for the day and go drink some champagne, as I would be completely useless at anything helpful. To which she said, congratulations, and yes, see you tomorrow. And I did, and it was awesome.

Scott: Were you a member of any writer’s groups or associations before Solace And Grief was published?

Foz: No, but I joined the SuperNova writer’s group only a week or so after Solace was accepted, having randomly met one of the members at work. They’re a fantastic bunch of people, and I’ve really learned a lot from all of them – am still learning, in fact. It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to sit down with a group of writers and talk shop, too, which is immensely satisfying.


Scott: With popular authors such as Charlaine Harris, Stephenie Myer etc publishing vampire novels and subsequently their stories being made into movies and tv shows, do you find your new novel compared to these?

Foz: Only in the sense that people have heard of the big names, and will therefore ask if Solace falls into the same category. It would be fantastic if the series ever won a quarter of the repute that writers like Harris have earned, but even so, I’m still just overwhelmed with the novelty of being able to walk into a bookshop and point to something that I wrote, and which people are paying money to read, and which, more importantly, they seem to be enjoying.

Scott: Is this the first novel you have written, or have you got a filing cabinet full of other stories at the ready? If so, are they vampire stories to?

Foz: Solace & Grief is my first published novel, but it’s not the only one I’ve ever completed. It was directly preceded by the Great Unpublished Fantasy Epic I wrote and rewrote from when I was 13 until my second year of university, and which I was actually submitting to publishers at the same time as Solace. As is, I don’t think I’ll ever do anything with it, but I’ve already concocted a plan to scavenge the best bits, magpie-style. I don’t have any other vampire stories planned, but there’s a been completed first draft of a murder mystery/fantasy/SF novel sitting on my hard drive since December last year that I’m itching to do something with, and several folders full of other urban fantasy ideas just waiting to be written. There’s so many stories I want to tell, I’ll be lucky to fit them all in!

Scott: Are you planning on writing a sequel or sequels to Solace and Grief?

Foz: Yes. I’ve nearly finished the second volume, The Key to Starveldt, and the final book, Falling Into Midnight, is already mapped out. After that, I have some very tentative ideas to revisit some of the characters from the series in later stories, but right now, I’m just focused on completing the trilogy.

Scott: How has becoming a published author changed your life?

Foz: My life is a lot busier than it used to be! Given that I still work full time, it’s sometimes hard to fit in work on the next book, interviews, events and articles around petty things like sleep and recreation, but if high school taught me anything, it’s how to live as a voluntary insomniac, so I seem to be coping. On a lighter note, there’s an enormous sense of confidence and satisfaction in knowing that I’m capable of producing a book – and more, that I’m being given the opportunity to do so again. Even with all the sleeplessness, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Scott: What was your first book launch like? Was it anything like you expected?

Foz: Yes, in the sense that it was fantastic fun and really brought home to me the idea that I’d written an actual book. No, in that my teenage fantasies tended to involve cocktail dresses and thronging queues formed by an adoring public. What can I say? I’m a fantasist.

Scott: Why do you think the paranormal romance genre has breathed life into the book industry? More people seem to be reading now as a result of these novels.

Foz: There are any number of reasons, but offhand, I’d say it has a lot to do with narrative flexibility. Urban fantasy is a good gateway genre: there’s enough familiar elements to relax the novice reader while still containing new ideas and concepts. Then, too, I think there’s more romantic leeway in paranormal books than pure romance, at least as far as the story arc goes. The one constant in romance novels is the happily ever after, which, while satisfying, is also – of necessity – predictable. By contrast, paranormal romance isn’t exactly one thing or the other, which allows a bit more tension as to how things will turn out. That’s a powerful combination, and one that is definitely being reflected in book sales.

Foz Meadows Interview


Foz Meadows learned to read at three, fell in love with fantasy at four, and decided she wanted to be an author at twelve. She’s grown up since then, but still retains a fondness for silly hats. She currently lives in Melbourne.

Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious
Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?

Scott: Solace & Grief is your first published novel, congratulations. Can you tell us what it’s about?

Foz: Solace & Grief is a novel about friendship, choices, shenanigans and vampires. It’s also about finding your way in a group environment, and the kind of things that friends get up to en masse. If there’s one thing in YA fiction that often causes me to raise an eyebrow, it’s the overabundance of scenarios in which the protagonist hangs out with only one or two people, because while that’s certainly a valid occurrence, I don’t think it’s a majority experience. Then again, I speak from the biased position of always having belonged to rather sprawling groups of friends at school and university, which is why I’ve made Solace part of a wider social scene. For me, there’s something very interesting about the way people act in groups, the dynamics that underlie different relationships, and hopefully some of that has found its way into the novel.

Scott: Tell us a little about who Foz Meadows is?

Foz: I’m the kind of person who owns more geeky T-shirts than any other item of clothing and reads while walking down crowded streets. In no particular order, I enjoy: mythology, cheese, karaoke, British radio comedy, quoting, webcomics, anime, sarcasm and video games. I have two cats, and married a philosopher on purpose. Also, I talk a lot.

Scott: Are you a big reader of paranormal fiction yourself? What are some of your own favourite written works within the genre?

Foz: I certainly am! On the steampunk side of things, I’ve really enjoyed Stephen Hunt’s Jackelian series, The Glass Books of the Dream-Eaters, by G. W. Dahlquist, and more recently Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest. In YA, I’ve really been hooked by Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy, and Lili St Crow’s Strange Angels series; Seanan McGuire has also been an excellent find. I could go on, but that would essentially involve describing the contents of my bookshelves, and then we’d be here for days!

Scott: Tell us a little about what the writing process involves for you. How many hours a day do you write? How long did it take to write Solace & Grief and how long did it take to find a publisher?

Foz: My writing process tends to be made up of peaks and valleys. During a peak, I’ll manage anywhere between 2,000 and 10,000 words a day, which pace I can usually maintain for about two weeks before exhaustion sets in. On those rare occasions when I don’t have any other commitments, like university assignments or regular employment, it can last for a month or more, which sounds really impressive until you realise that it’s only ever happened twice. A peak will end when I hit a plot wall, run out of steam or choose to renew my acquaintance with my game consoles. The corresponding trough will then last for about the same amount of time – two weeks to a month – depending on how stuck I am. Once the characters start to itch at my head, I’m off again. The first draft of Solace & Grief – which, bear in mind, sucked – took about six months to complete. Most of it was written during downtime at my then job as a legal secretary. It was another year months before Ford Street first picked up the manuscript, and then another six months of rewrites, editing and changes.

Scott: Tell us what happened when you found out your manuscript had been accepted? It must have been pretty exciting getting that letter.

Foz: Very much so! I was working a different office job by then, and when the email came in, I sort of screamed, or at least made a very high-pitched noise indeed, before leaping up and doing an extremely geeky ra-cha-cha victory dance alongside the photocopiers and skipping a bit. (Seriously.) When my boss asked me what had happened, I said that I was being published, and could I please have permission to leave for the day and go drink some champagne, as I would be completely useless at anything helpful. To which she said, congratulations, and yes, see you tomorrow. And I did, and it was awesome.

Scott: Were you a member of any writer’s groups or associations before Solace And Grief was published?

Foz: No, but I joined the SuperNova writer’s group only a week or so after Solace was accepted, having randomly met one of the members at work. They’re a fantastic bunch of people, and I’ve really learned a lot from all of them – am still learning, in fact. It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to sit down with a group of writers and talk shop, too, which is immensely satisfying.


Scott: With popular authors such as Charlaine Harris, Stephenie Myer etc publishing vampire novels and subsequently their stories being made into movies and tv shows, do you find your new novel compared to these?

Foz: Only in the sense that people have heard of the big names, and will therefore ask if Solace falls into the same category. It would be fantastic if the series ever won a quarter of the repute that writers like Harris have earned, but even so, I’m still just overwhelmed with the novelty of being able to walk into a bookshop and point to something that I wrote, and which people are paying money to read, and which, more importantly, they seem to be enjoying.

Scott: Is this the first novel you have written, or have you got a filing cabinet full of other stories at the ready? If so, are they vampire stories to?

Foz: Solace & Grief is my first published novel, but it’s not the only one I’ve ever completed. It was directly preceded by the Great Unpublished Fantasy Epic I wrote and rewrote from when I was 13 until my second year of university, and which I was actually submitting to publishers at the same time as Solace. As is, I don’t think I’ll ever do anything with it, but I’ve already concocted a plan to scavenge the best bits, magpie-style. I don’t have any other vampire stories planned, but there’s a been completed first draft of a murder mystery/fantasy/SF novel sitting on my hard drive since December last year that I’m itching to do something with, and several folders full of other urban fantasy ideas just waiting to be written. There’s so many stories I want to tell, I’ll be lucky to fit them all in!

Scott: Are you planning on writing a sequel or sequels to Solace and Grief?

Foz: Yes. I’ve nearly finished the second volume, The Key to Starveldt, and the final book, Falling Into Midnight, is already mapped out. After that, I have some very tentative ideas to revisit some of the characters from the series in later stories, but right now, I’m just focused on completing the trilogy.

Scott: How has becoming a published author changed your life?

Foz: My life is a lot busier than it used to be! Given that I still work full time, it’s sometimes hard to fit in work on the next book, interviews, events and articles around petty things like sleep and recreation, but if high school taught me anything, it’s how to live as a voluntary insomniac, so I seem to be coping. On a lighter note, there’s an enormous sense of confidence and satisfaction in knowing that I’m capable of producing a book – and more, that I’m being given the opportunity to do so again. Even with all the sleeplessness, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Scott: What was your first book launch like? Was it anything like you expected?

Foz: Yes, in the sense that it was fantastic fun and really brought home to me the idea that I’d written an actual book. No, in that my teenage fantasies tended to involve cocktail dresses and thronging queues formed by an adoring public. What can I say? I’m a fantasist.

Scott: Why do you think the paranormal romance genre has breathed life into the book industry? More people seem to be reading now as a result of these novels.

Foz: There are any number of reasons, but offhand, I’d say it has a lot to do with narrative flexibility. Urban fantasy is a good gateway genre: there’s enough familiar elements to relax the novice reader while still containing new ideas and concepts. Then, too, I think there’s more romantic leeway in paranormal books than pure romance, at least as far as the story arc goes. The one constant in romance novels is the happily ever after, which, while satisfying, is also – of necessity – predictable. By contrast, paranormal romance isn’t exactly one thing or the other, which allows a bit more tension as to how things will turn out. That’s a powerful combination, and one that is definitely being reflected in book sales.