the year that was

[adelaidesean]

It's been a good one. One of the best, I reckon, and not just because of the amazing Amanda (who is now an Associate Professor, belying her uni homepage). Some pretty powerful stars must have been in alignment because it's hard to find a low-point.



2006 started off well and just kept on getting better. Geodesica: Ascent was nominated for a couple of awards (and won one of them). I was guest at several cons and the award ceremony of the Writers of the Future Contest. As well as the WOTF, I was invited to judge the Aurealis Awards and the Festival Awards for Literature, both of which were huge honours.

In the middle of the year, Arts SA awarded me a grant to work on my kids' books, in particular The Dust Devils, which I managed to squeeze in around various adult projects. Arts SA also funded "The Soap Bubble", the play that was read by some very generous friends at Conflux. I was also invited to sit on a review panel later in the year. It's always rewarding to see the funding process from the other side--and frustrating too, since there's never enough money to go around.

2006 saw the conclusion of two series, Geodesica and The Books of the Cataclysm, both of which touched intensely personal nerves for me. I am extremely happy with how both series finished up and think they represent some of the finest work I've done to date. The beautiful hardback editions of the latter from Pyr lured in new readers and continue to occupy pride of place on my brag shelf.

My agent and I also laid some foundations for the future, selling the Broken Land series to HarperCollins Australia. This has enabled me to continue my relationship with them even though my new space opera series has hopped over to Orbit.

Speaking of which... The first book of Astropolis has given me plenty of reasons to be cheerful, with a buzz developing thanks to its amazing cover in the US. One of the highlights of next year will be the release of the first book into the wild. There's also the related novella, "Cenotaxis", which will be published as a stand-alone book by MonkeyBrain later in the year. (More great news to come on that score, once some complex legalities are sorted out.)

There were numerous reviews (such as this latest one of The Crooked Letter from Pat's Fantasy Hotlist), interviews, and the like. I travelled a lot--to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, San Diego and LA (where I went to Disneyland and saw Gary Numan play live)--and took the odd road trip across the marvellously flat expanses of South Australia. I DJed here and there, for some truly wonderful crowds, appeared in a short film, wrote my first short stories in six years, and devised some rules for writing. I became Chair of the award-winning SA Writers' Centre (again) and watched in awe as both the Big Book Club and the Adelaide Fringe's WORD Festival (whose committees I belong to) really began to take off.

I reckon that's enough for one year.

And what are my plans for the summer? Working my arse off, mainly, on a project I can't talk about yet. But it's a biggie, I promise. Expect news early in 2007--which is already shaping up to huger still than 2006.

Comments

[jaylake.livejournal.com]

Nice year, sir. Very nice year.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

Thanks, my friend. Sometimes everything just goes right.

Well, not *everything* of course. I don't count rejections any more, and there have been plenty of those. I didn't get to World Fantasy in Texas or Comic Con, which I'd hoped to attend. But overall it was ace.

I'm hoping to catch up with your good self at some point in the new year.

[jaylake.livejournal.com]

Are you coming over the big wawa this next year? I'll get down your way eventually, but that's gonna be a while.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

If all goes according to plan (insert usual caveats), I'll be in the US in July (holiday), August (WOTF) and October (World Fantasy).

There's a guaranteed berth here in Adelaide whenever you make it down here.

[transcendancing.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on a fabulous year - I'm so glad that its been awesome for you, and here's to 2007 being just as amazing.

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And the same to you, in spades. :-)

[transcendancing.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I shall definitely raise a toast to that, in the hope that it follows through :)

*hugs*

Help with web design

[(Anonymous)]

Hello.

Nice forum design. Okay, I need your advice.
So, I wanna make my little sister's site, and I am looking for site template.
Can you advice some online place or other resource where I can find many site templates?

It would be better if it will be free:)
I think many of us have personal sites, do you design it yourself?

Thx, Bill.

Re: Help with web design

[ladnews.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the compliment. Unfortunately, as many of my friends who understand coding will tell you, I am completely crap at web design. :-) There must be sites and such that can help you. If you find a good one, let me know!