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Australian author Michael Pryor said the other day on Twitter, “You know what makes me smile even though I know it’s silly? It’s reading a UK or US book and there’s a passing mention of Australia, or a minor character … Continue reading
Category Archives: Series
This weekend is the Labour Day long weekend in several states of Australia and in the Australian Capital Territory. This means that, for me, it’s the weekend of the Conflux science fiction weekend. It’s also a big weekend for tourists … Continue reading
Summer’s almost here officially, and there are many wonderful books to choose from. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed recently: First I must offer an explanation of why it took me so long to review this book, which entails a … Continue reading
I promised that I would answer questions about Australia and this puts me in the difficult position of explaining last weekend’s election result. There are so many factors, and they’re not all clear yet, so consider this a beginning rather … Continue reading
A sense of place plays a critical role in determining whether a reader “gets into” a story or not. Good place names can lend an aura of reality to even the most fictional of places. Conversely, an obviously made up place name in a story that pretends at reality can make a location that seems perfectly real to the author seem perfectly ridiculous to the reader.
Continue readingWhat good is time travel anyway? For Col. Ben Ming, head of Jalanesia’s armed forces and husband of President Calla Ang, it’s nothing but a headache. Time Traveler Jack Wragsland transported Calla to this space/time. So it wouldn’t be fair to simply shoot him, when Jack’s enemies attack him through Calla. But boy, is it a temptation. If Ben is going to save Calla he’s going to have to save Jack as well, even if it makes him crazy.
Continue readingBetween Christmas and New Year’s, Ellen Rosings travels a landscape of doubt. Can she and Tony truly forge a permanent relationship, and will their families support or oppose their intention to marry?
Continue readingLiving in the shadows, Psychic Vampire Janet Dryer was a killer addicted to Soul Fire–until her lover tried to kill her at Woodstock in 1969. These days, she haunts exotic night clubs and draws energy from throbbing drums.
Her popularity as a sarcastic blogger lands her on Dance From The Heart, a celebrity ballroom competition. To her shock, the head judge is her ex-lover, the Vampire Hunter who tried to kill her.
Continue readingSuppose your new bed was possessed by a demon who had to satisfy you every night. Would you sell the bed? keep it for life? or try to free the demon?
Continue readingWarning: Strong Opinions and occasionally Strong Language ahead. This is a Rant that may hit home with a lot of you. I used to play a lot of on-line Scrabble. Then the app went wonky on me, and I switched … Continue reading