May 2009- sold the Book of the Order series to Ace Books

May 2010- sold the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series to Harper Collins.

Pretty good average for May. I joked to someone around Christmas “what could possibly happen in May 2011?” Be very careful what you wish for.

It is with considerable delight that I can tell you that Pyr Books will be publishing my book Hunter & Fox (though the name may change in edits) in 2012 (tentatively summer), with the sequel to follow.

If you don’t know Pyr, you should. Under Lou Anders, who has been nominated for Hugos, Nebulas and every other award that a editor can be, Pyr has quickly become one of the leading names in speculative fiction. They have Joe Abercrombie, Alan Dean Foster, Michael Moorcock and Sean Williams to name just a few.

I’ve been watching Lou with a keen eye, and he seems to have a good grasp on the developments in this emerging publishing worlds, as well as very podcast friendly. In short, I am super excited to work with him, and bring this tale of dark lands and conflicted heroes to the world.

Here’s my blurb…I am sure Pyr will come up with something more wonderful

In a world of chaos, there are heroes turned villain, and villains whose motives are not necessarily dark.
Talis is the Hunter for the Caisah, and a wreck of a once proud person. She has lost her people, and her soul. Salvation though is looking for her, and it wears the face of gentleness and strength. A tale of redemption in a land of darkness, where determination is not always a positive attribute.

In the first few months of 2011 many parts of the world were struck by devastation; my home country New Zealand, and then Japan. Both of these places are hotspots of seismic activity, and both nations have sent support to the other.

The images on the news have tapered off, but there are still thousands of people dealing with the after-effects of the devastation. Often such huge events can leave us, scattered all over the world, feeling helpless. But if we all did just a few small things it would make a huge difference.

In the community of writers there are people who have decided to step up and do something.

First of all is the Tales for Canterbury. An anthology of short stories by national and international authors. The complete list is available here and is a veritable embarrassment of riches. There will even be a short story by me in there. This is a never before seen story, and the only non genre short I have ever written. It’s called the Straw Garden and is a bit like Weather Child, intensely personal.

Pre-orders are available now, with ebook and paper versions available.

The second effort is Genre for Japan. There are some ridiculously cool offerings on the site. My contribution is not up yet, but I’ll let you know when it is. Here’s a sample of what you can bid on right now, for all those George RR Martin fans out there…

Don’t forget to check the complete list, there are offerings for both writers and readers to bid on.

Remember it feels good to do good and together we can do incredible things.

Seldom has a year been so much of a roller coaster. At various times in the past twelve months I have felt like I am on a bronco that is alternatively trying to buck me off and lick my face.

I made some professional and personal jumps this year that I would never have imagined making, but in a lot of ways 2010 was the year I have been waiting for. On a personal level I packed up my stuff and have made a commitment to America of at least six months…maybe more. This included selling my beloved convertible, moving my even more beloved cats to another hemisphere and quitting the day job that has sustained me since 1997.

Professionally, it has been more awesome. Podcasting wise I made good progress on Digital Magic (now only 2 episodes shy of finishing), got invited as a regular guest on Litopia After Dark, and mostly kept up with Erotica a la Carte. However I confess while my love of podcasting is still as large as it ever was my available time to spend on it has gone down.

This has been necessitated by the leap in my writing career. In late October Geist was released- my first book with a New York publishing house. So I had to support that as best I could with a marketing plan that didn’t involve me digging myself a financial hole. So I hit the blog circuit, worked on a book trailer for Geist with Tee Morris, corralled some friends into working on a podcast anthology, and increased the number of cons I went to.

If that had been the pinnacle of my writing year, that would have been amazing, but 2010 was also the year I signed not one, but contracts for another four books. In April Tee Morris and I signed off on Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel and its sequel Of Cogs and Corsets. Then in November I signed another two book contract with Ace for two more books after Geist and Spectyr. Then Tee and I got the news that the Ministry books will be getting releases in three countries; Australia, New Zealand and Germany.

This is so beyond what my hopes were that I feel like I dare not look at it too closely least it blow away in the wind.

I attended for the first time, both Balticon and WorldCon. I utterly enjoyed Balticon…WorldCon was a bit more problematic for me- though I was grateful to get a chance to read, and be on a couple of panels there.

It’s been a year of change, but also a year of growth.

Now looking forward to 2011, I feel even more invigorated. Still, for accountability’s sake, let me break it down.

Writing work

Late April will be the release of Phoenix Rising, and late June the release of Spectyr. Both projects I love and enjoy doing. In between there I have to write Of Cogs and Corsets (the second Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel) with Tee and Wrayth (the third book of the Order). Once those are delivered I will have only the fourth book for Ace to do- though I do hope for more Ministry books. This of course, depends on the reception they get.

My plans for a YA title are thus on the backburner at least until the last half of the year, but I do plan to take some time to go back and rework Weather Child to where it is ready to submit to publishers.

Indie work

Chasing the Bard and Digital Magic will be available in various eformats.

Conventions

I have a long list of places I want to get to, but there are several first in my mind.

Balticon- as the New Media Guest of Honor. This is my very first foray into GoH territory and I am really excited.

Steampunk WorldFair- premiering Phoenix Rising there. Oh so much tea and fun.

WorldCon in Reno. Hey, it’s WorldCon, and this time I’ll be ready for it.

Podcasting

Erotica a la carte will spin on. I am enjoying practising two forms that I sometimes struggle with; erotica and short stories. Digital Magic will finish in January, and I have no real plans to podcast a novel for a bit- I need a break! Chronicles of the Order should finish in February, just in time for Phoenix Rising podcast to start. This will also be a series of short stories. Finally there is a writing podcast Tee and I will be working on. Episode zero should drop in January and it’ll give you an idea of format. It’ll be fun, but also be a peek inside a writer’s life, collaboration, as well as the cultural divide between America and New Zealand.

So there- that’s it. Life behind and ahead in a nutshell. Thanks for all your support dear readers. Everyone who has reviewed, supported, told a friend, or sent me a kindly email. You can’t really know how much it has all meant to me.

I hope we all have a successful and enjoyable year. Giddy up 2011!

Yes, more news I have been sitting on for weeks (It’s dang uncomfortable I can tell you!)

I will be New Media Special Guest as Balticon - May 27-30 2011!

It’s my first big Guest role, and I plan to bring the A game to town. I’ll be reading from Spectyr- Geist’s sequel not out until June- and co-hosting with the charming Tee Morris, the release party for Phoenix Rising; a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel.

If you don’t know about Balticon- let me fill you in. It is the Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, and it has quickly become the default con to attend if you want to see podcast novelists. It has plenty of other tracks to interest people as well such as Writing and Gaming. So all in all, a well rounded convention.

It’s held at the Marriott’s Hunt Valley Inn, just outside of Baltimore- and I can attest that this year I had a blast and next year is going to be even better. Not just cos I am going to be the Special Guest…but also a little bird has told me plenty of other podcast novelists will be in town. As an example, last year there was Tee Morris, Phil Rossi, PG Holyfield, Dan Sawyer, PC Haring, Nathan Lowell- and that’s just a taste.

So if you are craving some fun and frolics with podcasters, writers and readers then this is the con for you.

Looking forward to meeting you all next year.

This is a bit of a nerve wracking time for me. My first big New York City book, and I am gearing up for the reviews.

So when my Google Alert told me that someone had reviewed Geist, I was excited and nervous… and then I found out it was from Harriet Klausner

The key to this great horror-fantasy is the belief in the magical world of Philippa Ballantine summed up by the Guardian and the Pretender when she says “If wishes were horses,” and he finishes with “I would never have to walk again.” Little touches like this bring alive the prime element of the Bond, which make the realm of Geist seem genuine. Sorcha and her two comrades are terrific characters who keep the story line focused even as the plot entertainingly switches from fantasy to horror. This is a wonderful thriller.
And if you don’t know who she is- have a read here

All I can say is, thanks Harriet. I feel like I have already arrived, and it was a nice start to the month of October!

An email from a concerned fan, made me realise that I have not addressed the large earthquake in New Zealand that happened on the weekend.

I was in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday morning, attending WorldCon. To put it in perspective, that’s almost the distance from LA to New York- so I didn’t feel it. However back home in Wellington, it was. However nothing was damaged.

The city that really had the devastation was Christchurch, which is in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand. The fact that no one was killed makes the whole thing more bearable, although plenty of people in that part of the country will continue to deal with the effects of the quake for months and months. Many of the lovely older buildings, made of brick and unstrengthened have collapsed or been damaged.

For those outside the effected area who want to donate check out this page

And for more information on what is going on the New Zealand Herald Site and Stuff.co.nz have dedicated pages to the news.

The big news- the news we announced at Balticon- is now out there.

Coming in summer 2011 the project Tee Morris and I wrote and talked about many, many times whose working title is Books and Braun, will be published by Eos Books.

Diana Gil will be working with us to whip this steampunk romp into taunt, terrific shape, and both of us are very excited about that. Eos is an imprint of HarperCollins, so you will be able to find this book on your shelves. This is a two book deal, so the title of the book will most likely be the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences: Phoenix Rising.

The second book is being written, and once again I am having a blast being in this universe. These characters have snappy dialogue, fabulous fashion and tend to make things go BOOM!

There will be a complimentary short story podcast planned- where many backstory threads will be explored- including why exactly Eliza got exiled from New Zealand, and what sort of childhood made Wellington into an Archivist.

Keep an eye on the website ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com where these things will appear, and an introduction to the Ministry and its Agents can be found.

Eliza and Welly are also continuing their sparring on Twitter- and also sharing a daily news story in the world of steampunk. Follow them on BooksandBraun

This is big news- especially after my recent move of leaving my librarian day job, and to say this is a thrill is an understatement. As Super Agent Laurie McLean says so often ‘ONWARD!’

Week Two of professional writer and gentle reader, I do hope you have stuck with me. [CAUTION; this blogpost contains more than its fair share of brackets...see I already I am knee deep in them]

Here’s what I have been up to.

Dropped into LA, and this was the first time I have actually been outside of the airport! (Even if only briefly). I met [CENSORED] to talk about [REALLY CENSORED]- which as you can imagine was pretty cool. (As soon as I can possibly talk about this I will)

But because of all that I got a chance to hang out with three fabulous stars of the pod/vidcast community. Mark Jeffrey of the Pocket and the Pendant, Earl Newton of Stranger Things and Matthew Wayne Selznick of Brave Men Run. I’ve met Earl before (the details of how however stay in DragonCon) but never had a chance to meet Matt or Mark.

Mark was lovely enough to drive me to Venice where all of us sat down for a night of sushi and sake. Needless to say, we made Earl late for his late night LA meeting, but it was hella fun, and hopefully we didn’t wreck his chances of being the next (INSERT YOUR FAVOURITE DIRECTOR HERE)

Every time I meet with people from the podosphere I have a blast, and this was no different. I’ve come to the conclusion that aside from a few outliers, those in the community of creators are just as they appear to be online. It is always a delight to meet them.

I then flew to Virginia, and was on the road when I finally managed to get the first draft of Spectre to my editor at Ace. I don’t mind saying I was sweating bullets when I sent it to super agent Laurie. This is my first real sequel. (Yes Digital Magic is the sequel to Chasing the Bard, but only one character is the same, and the time elapsed is huge) And here’s the two things I realised.

1. When you sign the contract, start immediately!
2. Sequels are harder-because you just don’t have the flexibility you had in the original. The world rules are laid down, and you must abide by them.
3. Relax and have fun within those rules

Luckily Laurie came back and said she loved it- now we just wait to hear from Ace. I am sure there will be plenty of edits, but I will enjoy the breather.

Since then I have been attacking the aforementioned endless list. You know all those- things that pile up while your concentration is diverted. The email. The promotional ideas. The opportunities you couldn’t afford to miss.

I wrote myself a long list at the beginning of this week, and am slowly getting through it. Each one I strike off (even if others do spring up like the heads of the Hydra) seems like a little victory. I am slowly whittling it down to just ‘the big things’- like write another book or two.

Some of the other things I have managed to get in motion are

• Digital Magic back on track
• Erotica a la carte itunes app in the pipeline
• Applied for my free trial of Voices123.com (we’ll see how much professional work I can get there)
• Got permission to make some Geist promotional items with Jason Chan’s awesome artwork for Geist
• Started work on the website that will contain all the promotional and podcast work for Geist geistnovel.com
• Started work on my three short stories for Books and Braun: Bookmarks from the Ministry
• Sort out who I want to ask to write for me for the Geist podcast anthology.
• Send out scripts for the 3rd quarter of Digital Magic podcast
• Started planning and plotting for a third Order book to pitch to Ace

Ahead lie so many cool things, that I want to clear the desk a bit first.

I will be in New York City on May 17th, so if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook there will be an announcement of an casual get together. And then of course there will be a chance to catch me at Balticon- along with a clutch of other podcast authors. I’ll be at the DragonMoon Press booth, doing two readings, panels and participating in live recordings for other peoples projects. It’s going to be a fun weekend- so come along and say hi if you can.

Today is indeed the first day of the rest of my life- well hopefully.

I said good-bye to the library world yesterday. It was tough because I have spent 13 years in the corporate library world working with some fabulous people. I had a wonderful morning tea, talked a lot, then packed up my things, hugged my now ex-workmates, and headed off into the world. A professional writer.

Today is all about packing bags, and getting the house ready for my brother. Yes, once again I am hitting America, with meetings, a convention, and plenty of time with friends. It’s a good way to start. I took my two Siberians to the cattery and was rewarded with two of the grumpiest cat stares.

Then I came home to this… my first professional narration work. Another string to my bow, and I am very excited. So I present to you the erotic science fiction audio…

Spaceport Security by Shelby Morgen

A dark corner of a seedy bar on the edge of nowhere. A woman who’s seen too much. A man who moves through the shadows with the grace of a cat.

She’s on his tail, and he’s determined to find out why. Once he might have been flattered to have her checking out his ass. Now he knows women are dangerous. And far, far too expensive.

But Commander Kala Decoltéir always gets her man, and she wants the space pirate they call Dancer — no matter who — or what — he is. This time, Dancer has no escape.

If you want to support what I do, here’s a chance. If erotica’s not your thing, don’t worry, there are other ways to do it- and more opportunities to come.

If I haven’t said it explicitly I’ll say it here: I have officially handed in my notice at the corporate library. I will be a freewheeling writer and podcaster for the next 8 months or so at least. If things go well this may be a permanent lifestyle change, if not… well I will go back to the library world- which has always been a happy and comfortable environment for me.

A lot of things have led to this choice, but chief among them is how many opportunities and challenges I’ve had flying at my head. I don’t want to miss out on any of them, and it had got to the stage where I was doing as much as I could, while still working at a day job- even only a four day a week one. I knew that with more thing looming ahead I was simply not going to be able to manage both.

I want Geist to succeed, and I want to grab as many of these chances as I can. So I had to make a scary choice- and like the baby bird I keep mentioning I knew that I had to choose to jump.

I am sure some people are thinking I am all kinds of crazy doing this, so I feel like I should explain and clarify my position on doing it. I think I can make it work. I think I can make it work with diversity.

Geist is a book I am committed too- one I love and want to do well, but it is not the sole star I am hitching my wagon too. I am exploring all avenues to generate income. Right now, writing novels alone will not support me. (Especially with Geist about five months away from hitting the bookshelves)

So here’s the plan. Diversity in all things. It’s the whole don’t put your eggs in one basket parable.

Writing

I have Geist and the sequel Spectre coming out with Ace books.

I have also just sent over the final edits on for this anthology. I hope to do more work like this; for anthologies and blogs. I love writing non-fiction because it means I can use my librarian fu as well as my writing fu. If you have a paying gig then contact me pip@pjballantine.com

Audio

I will be bringing out a variety of content from my Erotica a la Carte table; high quality versions of the stories on CD and a print books.

I have just signed a contract to narrate a novella with a producer of audio content. This is the start of what I hope will be a decent revenue stream for me. If you have audio requirements that an experienced voice talent with a kiwi accent could fill, then please I am open to offers. (again pip@pjballantine.com)

All info and samples are here

So yes, times are hard, and writers have be more flexible and more diversified than ever before, however there is still opportunity out there.

Buckle up baby-bird– it’s time to fly!

Erotica a la carte has been lots of fun on Radio Dentata- and so it was lovely to be approached by Sean Owens of IRFT Celtic Radio about bringing Chasing the Bard to their station.

My celtic roots run deep with ancestors both Scottish and Irish. My two trips to Scotland were some of the most wonderful experiences- I felt a deep sense of home that left me in tears when I had to go.

Chasing the Bard fits nicely into their schedule and hopefully will bring some new listeners to the podcast.

So tune in for the Bard on 7th of March

Podioracket has been doing great work to promote and help podiobook authors. How Heather, Rhonda and the gang do it all I don’t know.

So when I was invited to be part of their first Anthology series I was very flattered. This series aims to expose listeners to a range of authors work, but rather than making people listen to a whole novel, these are short stories that will hopefully wet the appetite- sort of an amuse bouche for podcast novelists.

The series starts dropping on February 12th and will go for 16 weeks. My story is one from Erotica a la Carte, so it is on the saucy side, but it is also one of my favourite short stories, Measureless to Man.

There will also be a supporting series of Blogtalk radio inteviews. Further information is here.

This month has sped by, but I wanted to touch base with you all.

Firstly I want to say thank you, thank you so much to all who have contributed to the ChipIn fund for Tee and Sonic Boom. In just over two weeks we have raised $20,000. That’s an amazing feat, and has renewed my belief in social media.

I will put up with the endless social media ‘gurus’ and the big companies trying to shoulder in without taking time to communicate. I will put up with blocking them, because the way people have responded has shown what social media is about. It might be new, but all it is really is another way for people to connect with people. To have that feeling of belonging.

But money is tight all over, and so I am organising The Boom Effect- check the site for more details. But there are some wonderful auction lots there, and all money raised will be going to a Trust Fund for Sonic Boom, Tee’s daughter.

Spectre is nearly done- as in 5,000 words done. It will need lots of editing, but I am happy with the bare bones of the story that I have carved out.

As for Geist, the final edits are in the hand of my editor at Ace, and I do have a publication date. November. This year!

Finally this site is undergoing some changes which you will see. I have moved themes and am in the process of tweaking it to my satisfaction.

So yeah, January. I will be glad to see the back of it, but looking forward to what other, better months have to offer.

In the next week I will be flying to the States. I do this every year at least once, because of one person- someone that I now consider family.

My friend Mary Ann. She and her family have hosted me every year since 2006- and every year I feel safe, happy and part of their lives. For this wonderful relationship that has been going on since 1999- gosh ten years- I have something to thank.  The internet.

Now the internet is blamed for a lot of things-porn, breaking up families, addiction with gaming… but there is also a lot of good out there too.  Before I got into the world of podcasting there was Mary Ann.

She’s my elder sister, and something about her makes me believe in reincarnation. We talk about being sister’s in the Highlands of Scotland- and I call myself her Little Sister Over the Ocean.  Though we only met in 2006, we had many, many emails written between each other.

Her husband David and her son Justin welcomed me–but not just me. My Mum and Dad actually got to meet them all before me. Mary Ann took my Mum around Washington.

Mary Ann and her family have taken me to Boston. I’ve spent time with her sister’s-now my sister’s in the Berkshires.

And I have never had a sister. I always wanted one as a kid- I just took a long time to find her.

That’s the love and hospitality I feel when I am with her. And that is a precious gift that I keep coming back for. So when people say bad things about the online world I just smile. They don’t know how many wonderful things it has bought me.

It’s been a long time coming, and it’s something I will have to get used to- but it has happened. After ebooks, small presses, and riding the wave of podcasting- I can finally tell you all. I have reached that thing that I have been dreaming of for over a decade of active writing.

Yes, I have just confirmed that I will in fact be an Ace Books author. Ace is an imprint of Berkley Books (which is part of Penguin), and has a fine history. The deal is for two novels, with the possibility of more if those sell. The book in question is indeed Geist, and a to be named sequel.

This will take some major adjustment in my mind set- but as you can imagine is very VERY exciting. I can now say that like Scott Sigler and JC Hutchins I have moved into the big leagues. The names I will be joining in Ace include Ursula Le Guin, Tanya Huff, and Tad Williams to name but a few. These are stellar names, and it is a pleasure to be in the same stable.

This totally justifies my decision this year to go part-time in the corporate library, but I am not yet at the point where I can be a full time writer. That’s OK, I’m on my way. I expect there will be huge amounts of work ahead, but I am ready for it.

This would not have been possible without the assistance of three people. Gabrielle Harbowy who helped me edit Geist and get it ready for the big time. Laurie McLean, my agent, who is both an inspiration and a rock. And Tee Morris, who was my sounding board, kick in the pants and inspiration.

The final details are still being ironed out, and I will keep you all in the loop as things progress.  All I can say is…. YESSSSSSSSSS!

It feels a little strange to say this… but I have a fan page. On Facebook. Someone sent me a message asking, I tweeted how weird and cool it was that someone asked, and next thing you know the lovely Scott Roche had created one. 

Anyway it has photos, discussion boards and I will post news and generally keep in touch with people over there. So if you love FaceBook then go check it out. If not, well we will still have this blog won’t we.

Been a tumult this year, but a productive one.

• I recorded Chasing the Bard and posted it to a better reception that I had anticipated.
• I started recording Erotica a la Carte and have found it to be a fun and challenging experience
• I began work on a short story, which became a novella (which got interest, but because I wanted more I had to decline with regret), which is now on its way to being a novel
• I attended DragonCon
• I had a successful launch of my novel Digital Magic, and a heck of a lot of fun with the Double Trouble Promotion with Tee Morris.
• My novel got to #53 on Amazon.com charts
• I had a lot of fun with voicework; including Metamor City, Codename:Starkeeper, Murder at Avedon Hill, and of course Morevi.
• I participated in a fun and challenging collaboration with other podcast authors in the Pieces Podcast
• I got my novel Geist edited and now in the hands of my agent

So what’s ahead in 2009??

• Sell some more novels- but that is the in the hands of my agent and the fates
• Weather Child- my New Zealand novel which has never been published anywhere before will be available as a podcast novel Feb 6th 2009.
• Erotica a la Carte will continue and I plan on having fun with guest chefs in the kitchen while Weather Child is running
• Working on a podcast only collaboration with Tee Morris. Steampunky goodness that may even make some money.
• Digital Magic will be available as a podiobook in the latter half of the year.
• I will be at Balticon to meet those other podcast novelists that I have missed meeting up until now
• I will in in San Francisco to meet Chris Lester and J D Sawyer, both of whom I respect and admire.
• I will be attending the CES in Las Vegas and I expect to learn a lot more on the social media side of things
• Both Digital Magic and Chasing the Bard are up for Sir Julius Vogel Awards in May- and I don’t mind saying I want to win one!
• I hope to have Erotica a la Carte, Chasing the Bard and Weather Child up for some Parsecs in September
• I will finish my new steampunk erotica novel Magic by Gaslight
• I’ll be trying to earn at least 10% of my income by writing, so plenty of schemes for making money are needed 
• I’ll be training a new literary cat (or two)
• Plenty of personal life changes that need to be made, but hopefully that won’t affect my writing
• Changes are also in the wind for Whispers at the Edge
• I hope to get to DragonCon again this year depending on finances

Whew, when I write it all done it seems a lot. I just want it to be a happy, productive year. 2008 has been a little bumpy with deaths, emotional turmoil and confusion but I hope for better things ahead. My wish is the same for you and yours.

Love

Pip

OK.. so here’s the deal. I am dipping my toe in the world of professional writing. I have reduced my hours at the library, and have one whole day a week to write. This means I have to make up the money I am not making in the corporate world in the free lance work. I am hoping this will be by selling a novel, but I am not going to count on that. So I have to explore other income streams.

My novels will still be free podiobooks, I am committed to that, but I was considering offering my novellette Magic and Gaslight as an audio download for the princely sum of $5. I’d love to hear what you think. It would probably operate on the honour system. You donate by PayPal and I send you to a link. I’d love to hear what you guys think- is that too pricey? Not pricey enough? I’m just starting out and would love some input.

Someone also suggested I could write a column. Though for who I again have no idea. If you have a suggestion or a need for a kiwi perspective on social media, podcasting or life then email me pip@pjballantine.net. Heck any suggestions about ways to make money writing would be great. Regardless I will be doing my 8 hours behind the computer, writing.

And that I find very, very exciting….

Thank you all! I have been informed and accepted nominations for Chasing the Bard (in Fan Production) and Digital Magic (for Best Novel) for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards. This is New Zealand’s version of the Hugo’s and I am so pleased to be nominated. In fact twice is even better! The awards are designed by Weta Workshop and are presented at the  Annual Science Fiction Convention, to be held in June in Auckland. (Conscription).

Now it is up to the judges, but you all responded wonderfully. So fingers crossed the 2009 is the year I get some awards on that mantle.

Now…. about those Parsec Awards…

Nominations open 1st December for the 2009 Sir Julius Vogel Awards. They are New Zealand’s Hugo Awards- but prettier. And yes, I would love to have one on my shelf. So here’s the deal. Email after 1st December sjv_awards@sffanz.sf.org.nz to let the committee know that you think Chasing the Bard is worthy of a shot at Best Fan Production and/or Digital Magic is worthy of a nod for Best Novel. They need my contact details which of course are pip@pjballantine.net

Thanks

Christmas is approaching, and I have a new box of books. So if you want to give some Fey magic to your loved ones (or yourself) then have I got a deal for you….

Well actually I have some books. For the princely sum of $US24.95 each (inc postage anywhere on our fair globe) each, you can have your own copy of Chasing the Bard or Digital Magic (or both)- signed by me! Yes… one day these may be worth selling for a princely sum on ebay.

Just email me at pip at pjballantine dot com with the details of how many, how you wanted it signed (personalised or just vanilla signature) and where to mail it. I’ll send you my PayPal details and Fey goodness will be on its way.

I only have limited copies and they do make very pretty gifts all the way from New Zealand.

The wonderful Nobilis from Nobilis Erotica has finished the final episode of the Pieces Podcast. Eight writers an one crazy experiment. As Nobilis said, the result was far from perfect. Writers are usually solo creators for a reason! Plot, characterisation, style; all are very personal, and are best handled by one, or at the most two writers. So no, Pieces is not perfect, but as I tweeted ‘an image seen through a broken lense may not be perfect but it can still be beautiful.’

So why did I take part I hear my dear readers asking? I wanted to stretch myself as a writer- which seems to be a constant theme with me. I love a challenge. I think by trying something new, something scary that you learn a lot more than simply staying in your comfort zone. And Pieces.. and Erotica a la Carte are WAY outside my comfort zone.

So what did I learn? I learnt about my style which is something I have always found it hard to pin down. Held up against other people’s style I got to see it in contrast. It is no better, and no worse than anyone else’s… but it is mine.

So go check out the podcast, and let me know what you think.

Also I posted the second Erotica a la carte story- which, though still banned from the itunes directory (insert favourite swear word here) seems to be catching on. And as the indominatable Tee Morris said to me ‘this experiment of yours is turning out to be quite interesting’. I hope you think so Morris, I want you to write an episode while I am doing Weather Child. It is fun… but I am getting itchy feet.

Geist is done, out in the world like a young person, making its way as best it can, and now I need to start something new. One year turnaround for a novel is pretty good for me, but I can’t just sit there relaxing. So I am turning my attention to new projects. I am going to take my 10,000 word novelette and expand it into a novel. It will be a little saucy, but no more than Kushiel’s Dart for example… which I hear has done quite well. The title for this new novel is tentatively Magic and Gaslight. I already have my 10K, so if I get back on the 1,000 words a day minimum I should be set.

Wish me luck!

photo by JR Blackwell

Who are the people that influence your career? Is it someone whose books you read and whose style you admire? Or is it someone that challenges you to strive harder and do better?
I have plenty of the first (even been lucky enough to meet some) but I only know of one of the second.
And since blog posts I sometime write can seem a bit whiney to my ears, I want to take this opportunity to say thanks to that person- one whose birthday it is today.
Yes, back in 2003 I was lurking on a fantasy writing email list, and this guy called Tee Morris was talking about his new book Morevi. I nervously wrote him my first email, little imagining that five years later I would be embarking on over a month media blitz/book tour with him.
I know I give Tee a lot of gyp over many things, but then I do that with pretty much everyone. It’s a hard habit to break, so I’m going out on a limb to try and do something different. Since he’s turning the big 4 O I want to set the record straight.
Without Tee Morris’ influence I wouldn’t have been brave enough to submit to DragonMoon Press. Without him I would not be podcasting- everything from Whispers at the Edge to Erotica a la carte owes a lot to him. Without him I would never have been able to do the amount of touring in the USA for the last three years I have. Without him Chasing the Bard, the podcast would not have been nearly as good. Without his constant challenges on Twitter I would not have written the novel my agent is getting ready to shop around in three months- if at all.
He’s been a sounding board, an inspiration- and yes occassionally a pain in the you know what. But he is also one of the kindest, most giving people in podcasting and writing. With all the difficulties Tee has had this year, he has managed to maintain that, despite a sometimes challenging response from people that don’t have a fraction of his good qualities.
I am proud to call him my friend.
If this sounds a bit glowing, a bit over the top, then please stop and consider this. How much on the internet is negative? How much is about pulling people down? Why do we do that, and not something like this?
We should celebrate those people that make our lives better. We should take a moment to say thanks, acknowledge those that are a positive influence.
And if that is corny I’m prepared to wear it. So Happy Birthday Mr Morris. Anyone who has ever met you knows you have the energy of a 20-something and now you have the wisdom of a 40-something. Use this power wisely.

Two podcasts in less than 24 hours! Yes I am both proud and exhausted. The first episode of Erotica a la carte is online (don’t forget to keep voting so I can keep writing) as well as a new episode of Whispers at the Edge. I am slowly pulling all my webpages and podcasts to Dreamhost and there will be some changes, the most important one right now, is that the feed for Whispers at the Edge has moved.

I am nearly done with some additional scenes in Geist and then… well then I will have to see if that Tee Morris character is ready to do some writing with me.

Closing off a project is hard. Especially when it is one as delightfully unexpected as the Chasing the Bard podcast has been. I’ve been blown away by the response to my little tale. The number of people who have called, written and contributed was something I never expected.

So the final bonus episode is posted- something I was putting off subconciously. It was a good way to end it. It you want a listen, check out the Will homage. Of course, the wonder that is the internet means the show continues on for those that have not heard it yet, so that continuing feedback I will appreciate.

Still I am a little blue…