DarkLight On... Nicky Strickland!

 

Welcome Nicky!

How did you come to write speculative fiction romance? What attracted you to the genre?

It chose me. Even the attempts at non-speculative fiction I end up with time travel and mythical creatures stepping onto the pages. I’ve conceded my writing will always be speculative.

My attraction is via a lifelong fascination with mythologies of the world and a constant running commentary of “What If” scenarios.

How do you describe your work?

On social media I say I write where the fantastical is part of our own world/s. Probably still the easiest description for stories that cross multiverses, multiple timelines and realities.

Are you a plotter? Panster? Or somewhere in-between?

I’ve tried both and neither really gelled, no matter how many workshops or books explained the benefit of either to them. Years ago I used to use the term skirtser….

I can find the POV for any character (even what may appear inanimate bystanders) in any scene so to keep it under control in my early writing I would take one character and write in a straight line so to speak to help hold the story. With this, one thing that is consistent when the actual words are in play, it took 5,000 to 10,000 words for the story to fall into a space and a mud map appears.

Now that has changed with the introduction of what I called doodles but are becoming illustrations and at times storyboarding. It’s becoming more like bringing a jigsaw together with a mix of pages of drawings, words and combinations of the two. 

Do you have a favourite of your characters/stories?

I would say I have a soft spot for my mermaid characters. For stories, the multiverse is entwined (quantum entanglement) but the elementals and the forecaster through lines are possibly what have captivated me most (for now anyway).

What advice would you give authors who also have health conditions affecting their lives? 

Oh this one I could write so very much. Firstly, have a sense of grace and self-compassion.

I would say to anyone embarking on pursuing any type of creative pursuit, do not do as I have done. Between workshops, books, seminars, general advice and the like, I’ve absorbed too much of what you “should”/can do.  So much of this information is based on the premise IF you are in good ongoing solid health. No matter what you read, remember it is that person’s lived experience. Only you know your body.

Another thing to remember, writing is more than the wordcount. Don’t get hung up on “being productive”. It’s okay to have times where you are not actively producing (be it stories, newsletters, website content, social media). Balancing activity and rest is essential when dealing with health issues, especially ones where Fatigue, PEM (post exertion malaise) and brain fog/exhaustion are major components.

Adapt your workspace to suit your health/body requirements. Any tool that makes it easier to juggle your body’s needs and access your stories, use them. Examples are laptop tables as bed tables, wedge pillows allow back support and can help turn your bed into a workspace, if suitable, try dictation software. Ask people what works for them. Most people will be happy to share their tips and tricks.

Listen to your body. Do NOT push yourself, if you have deadlines, try to pace yourself using Pacing as a technique which TLDR is essentially do 80% of the 100% you plan to do allowing 20% to fall away. That goes for word counts, editing, housework, emails, social media, any of it.

People still don’t openly discuss what the reality is until someone has a breakdown/burnout/receives a life changing diagnosis (I’ve gone through all of them, as well as ongoing lifelong conditions). It’s getting better re openness and if I am asked about it (like this blog), I will answer to destigmatise and help others.

Essentially, do you and work within YOUR capacity. 

What can we expect from you in the future? 

Books that will be a mix visual and written elements involving mermaids, elementals, galaxy and planet creators and forecasters.

What are you currently reading/watching? 

I’m an omnivore across genres and media formats…..

Currently reading:

The End of Everything - Katie Mack

The Fairy Tellers - Nicholas Jubber

even greater mistakes - Charlie Jane Anders

Stars and Smoke - Marie Lu

Currently watching, I’ve been slow to a few of these shows.

TV: HeartStopper, Mayfair Witches, Interview with the Vampire, Tale of the Nine-Tailed

Movies: Red, White & Royal Blue, Wicked

Rewatching: Agatha All Along, Bridgerton, The Fifth Element

What other ways do you fill the creative well?

No surprise, feet (or whole body if warm enough) in the ocean, cross stitch, painting and colouring in. I’m also hopeful this year I can resume lap swimming which refills and relaxes me and usually also untangles any story knots.

Nicky Strickland

Nicky is a Brisbane-based storyteller who plays in worlds where the fantastical is part of our own. Ever since she could work out what the squiggles mean on paper, Nicky has been an avid omnivorous reader. A member of both the speculative fiction and romance communities in Australia, Nicky has in the past assisted in organizing speculative fiction events and has agreed to do it once again in the romance community as a member of RWA (Oz). It’s a way for her to justify the amount of coffee consumed. There are a number of ideas competing for her attention however she is currently working on her Elemental series. This involves the world as we know it merged with natural disasters, sentient elements, mers, sylphs and the occasional human.

Magic Thursday: "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal"

by Nicky Strickland

For those unaware (& I’ll forgive you), Joss Whedon is a tv and film creator. Some of his better known works are Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog, Dollhouse, the upcoming Avengers movie and a little down the track, the shot (and being edited) Much Ado About Nothing. He’s also known for working as a script doctor on many movie projects.

What is the appeal for me about his work? I’ve had to think long and hard about this (ever since Eleni asked me to write this post). Many around me would say it is Joss the man who I admire. I do. Absolutely. Going to the Opera House in Sydney last year to hear him in a Q&A session was part fangirl experience and part masterclass. The session was, like his commentaries, interviews and other Q&A’s about the how, where, why of his various shows. Interspersed with it is how he views writing and storytelling.

Many moons ago, I became hooked on Buffy (aired in Australia at 10.30pm on a Monday night, matching my then library shiftwork) to the point I ventured to the message boards. I was completely sucked into the character development and arcs, the way stories were told. And that is where the appeal is. The storytelling.

Angel

He is a master weaver of woe (and every other strong emotion). He is renowned for his ability to build up the emotion (pick one) and then rip the carpet right from under you. It is a well known fact rarely do his couples survive a happy ever after scenario (and yes, the irony of writing this for a romance-centric blog is not lost on me). Whatever he does (mostly) primarily serves the story. Doesn’t matter how much a scene is loved by the creator, if it doesn’t work. Kill it. Joss reveals this happened with the episode “Waiting in the Wings” in Angel (season 3).

Not only is it Joss himself who tells stories well. He has repeatedly assembled cast and crews, in particular writers (Jane Espenson, Doug Petrie, Drew Goddard, Ben Edlund to name a few) who understood the story was key. The beginnings of my own learning about writing came from these shows. Sure the actors, set designers and composers did great jobs but it was the writers who kept the boat on course, with Joss at the helm.

Confession time - I’m a late starter to toddling along this writing path. I didn’t think I was creative. A dear friend I met via the Buffy boards dared me to write a story challenge. I said nuh, wouldn’t last 6 sentences, she said, uh-huh and, well, 16,000 words later with original characters interspersed within the Buffyverse….

Grr. Argh. 

Happy Halloween Birthday to us!

Last year on this date, we started this blog and site. Now we are:

It's no coincidence we started this blog on 31st October. After all, what better date to start a blog about the Dark Side. And there's the fun side as well - think The Addams Family - it may be dark, but it's a comedy. Our members cover the whole spectrum.

Here, in the the Down Under lands of Australia and New Zealand, we don't celebrate Halloween like the North Americans do. Though it is gaining in popularity. Many stores I've been in this month have had a Halloween items on display. I even grabbed a couple of masks for my godson and his brother.

So this brought me to asking the DarkSiders the question 

"What Halloween Means to You?" 

and here are the replies.

Astrid Cooper

On Halloween Eve my latest book is going to be released - unplanned, but perhaps "topical" given that I have a futuristic romance with villainous aliens causing mayhem and mischief in the dreamscape and the real world ... swirling mists and moans and groans in the ether... And of course Scotland and Halloween are synonymous. 

Halloween means several things to me - the obvious "fun" of dressing up and being weird and no one bats an eye lid.

I was driving home from a Halloween party run by the Star Trek club. I was pulled over for breathalyser -- I had my waist length hair sprayed green and I was dressed in a black kaftan. My mother was dressed up as a Luke Skywalker, but with a vampire bat attached to her blood-spattered costume. The cops didn't react ... just did their job and waved me on.

The other thing that I think when Halloween comes around .... the historical and Celtic connotations. And how that weaves throughout our culture and story-telling. From the oral tradition of Celtic history through to our modern day story-tellers ... now the digital books. How far as a species we have come!

Shona Husk

I‘ve always had a love hate relationship with horror. I went through a phase of reading Stephen King when I was in my teens but had to stop because I was freaking myself out. Buffy I’d record and watch during daylight. When Supernatural started I watched two episodes and couldn’t handle it (I went back during season three decided the plot and the testosterone on screen was too good to miss and watched from the beginning—however it still scared me and any more than two episodes in a row and I’m wired for anything that goes bump in the night). While Halloween has become all about candy and costumes, I love that paranormals and creepy creatures get their own celebration. It wasn’t that long ago that people gathered around the fire or locked their doors against the things lurking in the shadows.

Jenny Schwartz

I like that Halloween acknowledges there are monsters beyond the proof of science. More than that, it celebrates the delightful terror of the unknown.

Maree Anderson

It all started when my daughter turned five. Instead of wanting a fairy party, or a princess party—like all her little girlfriends were having—she wanted a Halloween party. And she wanted to be Mona The Vampire, from her favourite cartoon about a little girl who used to dress up and pretend she was a vampire. Only trouble with that idea? Her birthday is in August... have you any idea how hard it was back then to find Halloween party stuff for sale in Auckland in August???

But I managed it. Thank goodness for old stock, is all I can say! And a Halloween party she had, complete with Halloween Headquarters banner, spider webs, balloon ghosties, home-made cardboard bats, fake severed finger biscuits (amazing how much like a brown icky dead fingernail a raw almond can look *g*), lolly-snake jelly, spider muffins, and ghostie cake. As for her costume? I found a cape and fangs, and with all her different coloured braids (a la Mona) she made the cutest little vampire ever! No surprises the boys from her kindergarten really enjoyed a non-girlie party where they could dress up as Frankenstein’s monster, zombies, ghosts or wizards ;-) The magician we hired went down a treat, too. (You gotta love five-year-olds. It doesn’t take much to entertain them.) But I think the highlight was the little boy whose dad painted his face, arms and hands green so he could be Frankenstein’s monster, and then realized too late that the paint wasn’t going to come off. His mother was majorly unimpressed! LOL.

Since then we’ve collected all manner of Halloween decorations. And every year we decorate our front window with our Halloween Headquarters banner, spider webs, glowing pumpkins and other spooky stuff. Then we fill our pumpkin baskets with sweets and treats, and wait for the knocks on the door. If DD and her brother aren’t going trick or treating with friends, they dress up and hand out the treats, while DH and I lurk in the background, waiting to see the expressions on the kids’ faces. Priceless!


Nicky Strickland

I love the idea of a time of year where the veil is thin. Regardless of our Southern Hemisphere when the season signals Beltane (& we should be jumping bonfires) I love All Hallow’s Eve and the following Day of the Dead. I wonder if it’s due to a lot of endings loom at this time of year (the calendar, academic/school). For me it’s a connection to the primal cycle of life and death and life again.

Of course the ever growing plethora of Halloween candy appearing in more recent years doesn’t hurt either (I say candy as in this context I view it as candy not lollies – thanks to years of US friends sharing what are the yummier options).

Eleni Konstantine

I'd always liked Halloween as a kid - the idea of dressing up as anything ghastly, and I think this rose from my love of shows like The Addams Family and The Munsters, and cartoons having Halloween specials. Fun if not a little scary. Alas, I don't think I ever dressed up as Halloween is not celebrated in Australia, at least when I was a kid. While Halloween has changed from it's Samhain origins, I like that we acknowledge the other side - the dark side. 

The Addams Family

As stated in a previous post, we are going to have a spookily amazing grand prize, and two runner up prizes. 

Here's the clip:

Youtube link

and furthermore, we have announce runner up prize three!!!!

• Tracey O'Hara is also donating a T-shirt.
• Astrid Cooper with eBook of Crystal Dreams and a bookmark.

For your chance to win, please just comment on What Halloween Means To You?

We'll close comments on 2nd November so our NA friends have time to comment too.



Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last year. We hope to celebrate with you again next year!

What We Are Reading

Welcome to the August What We Are Reading column. Today, we have Nicole Murphy, C.T. Green, Nicky Strickland and Imogene Nix.

Nicole Murphy
~ Graveminder ~ Melissa Marr

Marr has left behind her YA sensibilities with this book, but brought along the things that make her a great author – fabulous worldbuilding, intriguing ideas and a style that’s accessible and entertaining.

Graveminder is the story of Rebekkah and Byron, who find themselves the custodians of a deal made between the forefathers of the town of Claysville and the devil. The deal seems to be breaking down and it’s up to Rebekkah and Byron to return things to the usual status quo.

Rebekkah’s attitude toward Byron and the relationship between them is at times very annoying, but the richness of the world and the tension of the storyline make up for it.

I don’t know if there’s more intended in this series, but I can see why there’s already movie talk surrounding this book.

~ Night Betrayed ~ Joss Ware

This is a post-apocalyptic, and I loved the detail and depth of Ware’s descriptions of the world that now existed. It’s also a zombie book, and the story behind the zombies and what is going on is very interesting.

But at heart, this is a romance between Theo and Selena, who are both almost super-heroes in terms of the magical powers they have.

What I LOOVED about this book is that Selena is an older woman – fifty – with a teenage son and yet she’s allowed to have some fabulously hot sex. Without giving things away, the character of Theo could have been intensely interesting but he wasn’t – he didn’t strike me as the old computer genius he was supposed to be. But he was a terrifically nice guy, and yeah I was soon cheering Selena on to take him.

It’s part of a series, but easily read as a stand-alone.

~ Hunger Untamed (Feral Warriors Book Five) ~ Pamela Palmer

I got to the end of this book and immediately thought to myself – where have the Feral Warriors been all my life?

Hunger Untamed is the story of Kougar and Ariana – husband and wife but separated for hundreds of years. Kougar thought Ariana was dead, but when he discovers that she simply abandoned him, his life becomes one of bitterness and betrayal. Except some of his Feral Warrior brothers are in danger, and Ariana is the only one who can save them.

I loved the passionate intensity between the two of them, and how their past was both a hindrance and an enticement. I didn’t buy that Ariana was a warrior queen – I never saw her in action and others fought for her. This story didn’t seem to deal too directly with what I imagine has been the ongoing storyline (this is the only book I’ve read in the series) and that made it actually reasonably easy to pick up and read, although there were times I skipped over conversations or ignored information being given to me because it didn’t make sense.

But on the strength of this book – I’ll definitely be going back to get the others.

~ Hearts Aflame ~ Johanna Lindsey

I just have to say this – Avon have recently released a lot of the Johanna Lindsey backtitles electronically (not all unfortunately – my favourite Warrior’s Woman still isn’t available).

To celebrate they’ve got a special on this book, so I got it, read it and loved it. Kirsten Haadrad is a Viking and when she sneaks aboard her brother’s boat to go travelling and hopefully find a man she can love, she thinks it’s a trading trip.

It’s not and Kirsten is captured by Royce of Wyndhurst, a friend of King Alfred. However, when it turns out that Royce is the man she’s been looking for, Kirsten decides to see if she can’t turn things around.

Ah, Johanna Lindsey – you rock.

C.T. Green
~ The Vampire Voss ~ Colleen Gleason

While scouring the aisles, okay – there’s only one, at my local Target for paranormal books not aimed at someone barely out of puberty, I pounced* on this book. Not least because the title lead me to believe it was about vampires, but also because the clothing indicated it might have a bit of a historical element.
Oddly enough, I was right.

This is the first book in a series of three (so far) about a group of vampires, the Draculia, who exist in Regency England.

We start with Viscount Dewhurst’s (Voss to his friend’s and the erstwhile heroine) story about his battle with the blood and subsequent redemption.

It’s not quite what the blurb would lead you to believe, but a good read nonetheless. The characters are interesting and Gleason does some fascinating twists on the usual vampire stuff, while sticking with tradition (you’re picking up the Dracula element I’m guessing).

Reading it is rather like slipping on a new pair of slippers – almost exactly like your old ones, just a different tartan pattern**.

I’d recommend it for those looking for an interesting if unchallenging read. JR Ward offers a quote on the front (which is partly why I bought the book), but I noted another of Gleason’s books has exactly the same quote – so don’t get too excited. Ward wasn’t far off the mark, if you can get past the obvious set ups for the following stories.

I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this book but it just missed hitting the right buttons for me. I’m hoping a re-read will help and I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next two in the series.

* Not exactly, but I did snatch it up in a rather aggressive fashion.
**This is a metaphor – I have never worn tartan slippers.

Nicky Strickland
Since the last time I posted here, I’ve been reading sporadically. Below is a snapshot…

~ Kindred in Death ~ J.D. Robb
I’ve been continuing my J.D. Robb glom and am currently reading Kindred in Death. I can’t believe I’ve only about half a dozen left until I have to wait like everyone else for the next one. I’ve enjoyed the development of Eve and Roarke’s relationship as well as the development of the secondary characters (Peabody, Mavis and Morris being some of my more favourites). The deaths have been varied and I enjoy that Robb doesn’t always do the same pov – some books we get inside the killer’s head, sometimes we have no idea who the killer is.

~ Jennifer Rardin ~
As well I’ve been reading the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. Nearly finished this series too and it’s sad to know I won’t be seeing more of Rardin’s work. I’ve really enjoyed the scrapes Jaz has found herself in. It’s light (or should I say I find it light) vampire, covert ops fun.

~ Hit List ~ Laurell K. Hamilton

Recently finished Laurell K. Hamilton’s Hit List. It was good to see the Anita Blake series returning to its roots of catching a killer – though it felt a little like a rollercoaster – where you take a while to get up to the top and then come speeding down so fast you wonder where the ride was. I’ve persisted with this series in part to see how Hamilton can develop or use Anita given the number of books in a series that hinges on one lead character (the men all move around Anita).

Also in the Anita Blake world, I’ve read The Laughing Corpse graphic novel adaptation. I read the novel years ago and was curious to see how it transferred across. The world and the stories moved well into the different format and it was a quick, easy read (important when working on own stories).

Next on my graphic novel adaptations will be Pride and Prejudice and Zombies…..

Imogene Nix

~ Blood Hunt ~ Shannon K Butcher

Book 5 in the Sentinels series, is about Hope and Logan. Logan is a Sanguinar (think vampire with a twist) who uses blood to create vaccines to heal the Sentinels. Hope is a woman with magic in her blood. Something about Hope calls to Logan in a way he cannot and will not investigate. But with a demon hunting Hope, Logan must stay to ensure she is safe, even if it means giving everything, his heart and his life to protect her. But Hope won’t be satisfied with that. She wants him too. This was a left fielder – honestly! I had read the previous Sentinels books and enjoyed them but the twist in this book came from a Sanguinar finding his HEA – up until now they have been supporting characters and treated with a fair amount of distaste, but Logan is fighter an inner battle – does he settle for his HEA or work for the betterment of race? The build-up was great and I particularly liked the sensual tension that Butcher raised between our hero and heroine....but note to future heroes...fighting makes it worse in the end (but also better!)
~~~
Happy Reading
Shona

What We Are Reading

Today joining us for What We Are Reading is Jess Anastasi (our resident reviewer), Nicky Strickland, Amanda Ashby, Wendy Godding and C.T Green.

Jess Anastasi

I've just finished Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh, which was just brilliant. So I went straight out and bought Archangel's Kiss and Archangel's Constort. I'm about half way through Archangel's Kiss and I have to say that while its a good read, it just doesn't have the same spark that Angel's Blood did. The characters, particularly Elena, are just reading a little flat to me. But I have high hopes that it'll pick up again in Archangels Consort, because we all know what a talented writer Nalini is. I'll probably even go and check out some of her psy-changeling series next.




Nicky Strickland

I promised myself this year to expand my reading areas. I’ve always been a reading omnivore but lately, I’ve been reading a lot series in the same field leaving less time to expand.

One of the results of this train of thought was trying out J.D. Robb’s ‘....in Death’ series. I’d tried a Nora Roberts trilogy a year ago and they weren’t really my cup of tea (or coffee). After talking to Eleni I hunted out J.D. Robb. I need to read long-running, established series in order and have made it to the 16^th book Portrait in Death in about three months.  Each of the books are centred around Eve Dallas, a damaged homicide cop, and the cases she takes. The supporting cast, including her husband, Roarke keep me entertained as the series develops. You can read them out of order but I like the fact reading in order deepens the ties between the characters. The not-so-distant-future setting is a change to other crime I read set in our current world.

A series I’ve stayed with has been Simon R. Green’s Nightside. I’ve just finished The Good, The Bad & The Uncanny. It’s one of many UF I’ve followed over the years and the last couple I was starting to have doubts about whether to stick with them (the big climactic event occurred and it’s now in the aftermath of it). Good, Bad & Uncanny wasn’t bad, I think there are a few earlier ones I’d prefer but Green hasn’t put me off picking up the next one (A Hard Day’s Knight) to see if the new storyline emerging is worth following.

An Aussie author I’ve recently read is Trent Jamieson’s UF Death series (hmm I seem to have a death thing happening this year). Two have been released so far, Death Most Definite and Managing Death. I finished Managing Death a couple of weeks ago and thought the evolution into a series was quite good. It’s always a bonus for me if I can remember a scene or two after I’ve - Steve and his interactions with his throne are an example.

Doing this post I’ve realised I’ve also finished Carrie Vaughn’s Discord’s Apple. I’ve been reading Vaughn’s Kitty series since 2006 and was curious to see her play in another world. It’s an interesting premise pulling on ancient mythological characters from various parts of the world. I’ll admit it did take me a few chapters to get into it, but once in I was happy to go on the ride and see what was in the box.

So, one slight expansion of the genres I regularly read, a new author, an ongoing series and an author whose taken on a new world. One of these days I’ll contemplate something that hasn’t got fantastical elements....or not.

You can see my reads at Goodreads.

  

Amanda Ashby
Not only do I write YA books but I also work part time as a teen librarian so it’s probably no surprise that the four most recent books I’ve read have all been YAs!

Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden. I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages, because it goes out all the time at the library. Anyway, I finally started it on Friday night and finished it the following day. Amazing. It’s about a group of Australian kids who go out camping and when they come back a week later, the country has been invaded. They then need to decide how they are going to survive and what they are going to do to help their friends and family who are all been held captive by the enemy. Now I can’t wait to watch the movie, which recently came out on DVD and also dive into the second book in the series. A big thumbs up from me!

Forsaken –The Demon Trappers Book 1 by Jana Oliver. This is the first book in a new YA series. The thing I liked best about it was that it was set in a slightly different future. Not really dystopian or post apocalypse, but just one where everyone is broke and demons are taking over the world. Demon Trappers like Riley and her dad are paid by the Catholic Church to catch them, but then her dad is killed and Riley is forced to fend for herself. My only slight peeve was the number of times one of the MCs said the word ‘ya’. But overall, I really enjoyed it!

Incarcenon by Catherine Fischer. This book is crazy good! Half of it is set in a futuristic prison and the other half is set in a futuristic world that is all designed to look like a regency style world. However, the two halves come together as Claudia, on the outside, tries to rescue Finn on the inside and by the end it’s hard to decide which prison is worse.

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud. I am such a huge fan of Jonathan Stroud, especially his Bartimaeus books, and this is my favorite yet. Bartimaeus is a 5000 year old djinni who thinks very highly of himself and is always getting bound to unappreciative masters who cause him all sorts of headaches. This time he’s back in Jerusalem with King Solomon and his famous ring and the story is the perfect combination of humor, action and cool history (oh, and a lot of completely hilarious footnotes as well).

Wendy Godding

I've just finished reading a young adult novel, Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. It stars Clara, a part angel, who uplifts her family to move to Wyoming in order to pursue her 'purpose' as an angel. This purpose just happens to revolve around a cute boy called Christian. This book was a bit slow to get into but by about a third of the way into it I was riveted. Hand has created a love triangle that is compelling, characters who are flawed and endearing at the same time as well as strongly interwoven mystery and supernatural elements. The ending is a little amibiguous so I am looking foward to the sequel.


Another young adult - yes I love young adult - book I've read recently is Across the Universe by Beth Revis. This book was amazing, with such an intriguing premise. I picked it up in the bookstore and read the first page, as I normally do, to see if it grabbed me. Did it? I read the first chapter standing in the book store. I finished it that night. It was so gripping that I couldn't let it out of my sight. Set in the near future it centres around Amy who joins her parents in being frozen onboard The Godspeed spaceship and sent 300 years into the future. But when Amy is awoken fifty years before she is due to reach their new planet, she finds herself in a world, a society, that is quite unlike anything she has known. This book is part mystery, part romance but utterly enthralling. I believe this is a trilogy so am anxiously awaiting book two.


C.T Green

~ Dreams of a Dark Warrior ~ Kresley Cole

As a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood – J.R. Ward, and Immortals After Dark - Kresley Cole, you could say I like the odd paranormal action/romance.

And after (im)patiently waiting for two months I finally got my sweaty little mitts on Cole’s latest release in the IAD series Dreams of a Dark Warrior.

It follows Demon from the Dark, which introduced the character of Declan Chase, a human intent on destroying immortals because of his dark and horrible past. We can assume it’s dark and horrible because he’s twitchy, scarred and pale. And, you know, tanned and emotionally stable just does not say Tortured Past.

When I read Demon from the Dark, I didn’t like the man and was a little dubious about a whole book devoted to someone who seemed intent on punishing my favourite characters! 

Cole however, manages to pull Declan back from the brink and turn him into a character you can’t help but love. Why? Because he overcomes his past (which does turn out to be rather horrible), saves the girl, defies death (again) and generally turns out to be a nice guy (did I mention the sexy Irish accent?). The action is great, the ahem ‘love scenes’ are scorching enough to roast potatoes with and we get more of Nix, who is quite frankly one of the funniest characters I have ever come across.

There are some interesting insights into other characters, particularly the Enemy of Old, Lothaire – you have to be paying attention for this one and also know about the Lore and IAD vampire physiology… oops nearly gave it away…

It was a highly enjoyable book and definitely up to Cole’s usual fantastic standard. Regrettably I got through its 515 pages in a day and it’s looking like the next release in the IAD series may be August 2011 or next year!

~~~

Oh goodness, look at the range of books - great to see some YA titles. Thank you ladies. More for me to add to my TBR pile!

Darklight On...Nicky Strickland: Q & A

Today's Darklight On... is with Nicky Strickland. Welcome Nicky!

How did you come to write speculative fiction? 

It just happens. Any story that spills out of my brain has a fantastical element to it. Either the setting (like an alternate Brisbane where mermaids live) or the way events happen (a 21st century woman ending up in 1st BCE Rome).

Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between? 

I like the term skirtser. It’s a little bit of each. I definitely do not plot like some writers I know *grin* however I do need to have at least a ‘mud-map’ for the story. It’s a bullet point list of events that must happen during the course of the story. How it happens, I leave that for the characters to show me. J

Who are you favourite authors? 

Yoinks. The tough question and so many (though tougher would have been asking for books). In no particular order a short list would include, Paulo Coelho, Euripides, Kim Wilkins, Lilith Saintcrow, Aristophanes, Jim Butcher, Joss Whedon, Kelley Armstrong. If I could grow up to be even a shadow of any of these writers, I’d be a happy girl  J 

What are you currently reading? 

I read 3 or 4 fiction books at a time. Managing Death by Trent Jamieson, The King’s Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells, The Girl with No Hands and other Tales by Angela Slatter. I’m also going through a J.D. Robb glom at present.

The non-fiction books being read are Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and a couple about everyday life in Ancient Rome. 

You attended both the RWAus conference last year and WorldCon – how did you find these experiences in helping you as a writer? What was your favourite moment? 

Any interaction with others who also write helps development. To be able to talk about genre (romance and/or spec fic) and have other people ‘get it’, and you, is priceless. I love how the internet allows for friendships and support networks to develop but nothing beats connecting with others face-face. Writers generally by nature are a bunch of introverts and, I know for me, the conferences are a way to have an intense social time with other like-minded people. I leave invigorated and full of vim to get on with my storytelling (even snatching minutes in my hotel room on occasion).

It is a wonderful gift and creates many favourite moments. A very special one for me was to have my two worlds merge together when the paranormal romance group were able to meet up for a day during WorldCon. 

Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or TV series? 

This question is as tough as favourite authors! So many to choose from, not to mention the rather lengthy list of shows I’ve yet to watch (ie Sanctuary, Fringe, Being Human....)

Fairly common knowledge is I’m a fangirl when it comes to Joss Whedon. So, Firefly, Angel the Series, Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse and of course Dr Horrible’s Sing-along-Blog are all up there as faves.

TV shows....I’d have to give a nod to Supernatural (Sam and Cas are a close tie for me, you can all fight over Dean), Farscape, Blood Ties.

Movies....Underworld 1 & 2, Hellboy 1 & 2, The Fifth Element, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (both the old & remake).

I know I’ve missed so many, many more. 

Do have a favourite of your characters? 

If you promise not to tell my main characters...I’m very partial to Seda. He’s a secondary character in my Elemental series. Seda is a seadog (think seahorse the size of say a spaniel) who is a companion (and something more) to the very temperamental mermaid princess. I’ve imagined giving Seda a graphic novel offshoot story....but we won’t tell the others that.

What are you working on currently?

I like working in 3s. The plan for this year is...

Edits on Fire Walker, the 1st book in the Elemental series.

Writing the ‘dirty draft’ for WIP referred to as Vestals.

Planning, er I mean my version of planning, the 2nd book in the Elemental series. This is the mermaid one (she’s been waiting a long time – she was gipped a few manuscripts ago).

The Elementals is a series of books where the four elements are squabbling siblings, the disasters they create and the job their keepers have in trying to restore order to the planet.

The Vestal story is a historical with time travelling about a 21st century girl empowering the Vestal Virgins during the civil wars of the Roman Republic. It’s one of (for now) three stories I have involving time travel/historical periods. 

What is your favourite part of the process of writing? 

I love the creation of a new world and the characters coming to life as I play in my art books. I use an A2 art book along with colouring pencils and/or cray-pas to learn about the world, the characters and their stories. Once I have something I can work with, that is transformed into the bullet point ‘mud-map’. The anticipation of how the story is going to unfold I find exciting.

I also really enjoy, in that painful only-writers-get-it way, having written the ‘dirty draft’. When I go into the zone it is wonderful. As many writers (or artists in any medium really) know, the zone can sometimes be elusive and the words have to come out more like teeth.

I can say definitively I am learning to appreciate the art of editing. Back in the early days of writing, I used to get the dirty draft down and hit delete. As far as I was concerned the story was out of my head....I don’t do that now  J 

You are a creative person also being an artist. What type of art do you do? And can we see any pieces? 

Took a long to get my head wrapped around it but I’ve finally accepted the fact I am a creative person. Having said that, I’m certainly not the artist like our own Eleni!


I dabble in calligraphy. It all while on maternity leave, (before the baby, who is now 16, came along) as an outlet. I wasn’t writing yet. I love playing with layout designs, fonts, borders, colour choices and of course the illuminating letters. I have only a couple of pieces on digital camera as many of the pieces I do tend to be gifts. The image here is the card I made for my father-in-law’s 70th birthday.