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.

As I have blogged about- this year I have gone part-time at the library, and that means picking up the loss in income from that in other areas.

Mostly that has been by writing, but I am not adverse to working other angles.

So just lately have been supplementing that income with voicework. This really excites me, not just because of the money, but also because it makes use of training I did from when I was eight years old. My sweet elderly Speech and Drama teacher would be so pleased- a pity she isn’t alive to see it.

So here are the two announcements

1) You can find me as the intro and outro voice of the Model Rail Cast. I’ve always loved trains and the hosts of this show are lovely and knowledgeable.

2) The ink has just dried on the contract with Grail Quest Books. I will be the voice of the narrator for Shadow of the Stars;Advent and for Shadow of the Stars;The Prince of the Universe. They even know I have an accent! More details on this to come.

So if you want a kiwi accent (or heck I can do a passable British) then yes- this voice is for hire.

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.