Happy New Year! And what a year it has been, thus far! I’m not much into hard and fast goals, but in a moment of determination I made a New Years Resolution as the clock struck midnight on 2011. The resolution is simple! It’s to submit one story every month of the year 2012. I thought it sounded like a reasonable goal, having a newborn, two-step children, a house to look after, and two family businesses in their infancy to contend with, as well. As it turns out, I’ve blown this month’s goal and submitted not one, but five stories! One short, one flash and three microfiction!

Needless to say, I’m quite pleased with myself. I don’t get much sleep these days, so all writing is done in snatched moments of silence, in the early hours of the morning, eyes partially falling out of their sockets. Being a writer, and a writing mum, is a glamorous life, isn’t it? Despite the drawback of looking like the living dead, I still think it is!

If all goes well, I’ll be submitting one last short story for the month, bringing my fiction tally to six for January. You’d think I’d take a breather, but there’s just no time! Life is go!go!go! Hopefully in future, when I’m allowed to consume vast quantities of caffeine again, (it’s not a substance you want to abuse whilst breastfeeding! Caffeine + Bouncing Baby Boy = the Energiser Bunny … and one VERY over-tired mama bear!) I’ll get stuck back into my YA novel… But for now, I’m enjoying my bite sized tales!

If you’re interested in following me on my journey as a writer, please feel free to ‘Like’ my official fan page over at Facebook! Or you can follow me on Twitter!

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On the 6th of December my publisher Pill Hill Press officially released Daily Frights 2012: 366 Days of Frightening Flash (Leap Year Edition) which features my story Lunar Cry! Visit my Publications page for all the anthology’s details, or if you’re looking to purchase your own copy you can go straight to Amazon or the Pill Hill Press Shoppe!

For a limited time only, if you purchase the anthology from Amazon, you’ll receive a 12% discount off the RRP! That’s $24.99 reduced to $21.89. It’s not a lot, but you can’t sneeze at savings!

To tease and tantalise, here is a small excerpt from my story:

The knife slipped through her flesh like warm butter, slicing her cheek open and narrowly missing her feline green eyes. It was deep and it would scar. The were-cat hissed at her attacker, but the threat was empty. She was helpless in human form, and he knew it.

Now I’m just waiting on Short Sips: Coffee House Flash Fiction Collection (Volume 2) to be published! In the mean time, I’m working on a short story titled On Wings of Madness for submission to an upcoming horror anthology. The dead line is the 31st of December, wish me luck!

It’s my son’s 11th week of life this Sunday coming, as well as mine and my husband’s 6 Year Anniversary! I’m crossing my fingers I find the time to get this last project for the year completed and submitted!

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To celebrate my son’s 7th week of life, my publisher Pill Hill Press has officially released Daily Flash 2012: 366 Days of Flash Fiction (Leap Year Edition) which features my story Midnight Allure! Visit my Publications page for all the anthology’s details, or if you’re looking to purchase your own copy you can go straight to Amazon or the Pill Hill Press Shoppe!

Daily Flash 2012: 366 Days of Flash Fiction (Leap Year Edition) will soon be available at all major online retailers in trade paperback, as well as in eBook format for Kindle and Nook! So whether you’re a new book smell type reader, or in love with the latest technology, there’s something to please everyone. Order your copies as soon as you can, if you’re interested. This anthology is perfect for the reader on the run or those book worms who are pressed for time but still want to enjoy a great yarn!

Need any last minute Christmas gifts?

To tease and tantalise, here is a small excerpt from my story:

He was still there. Dark and brooding, almost at one with the shadows. Her heart beat fast as she was torn between the instinct to flee and her intense desire to stay. On the knife-edge of fear and curiosity, she made her decision…

I must admit, I’m quite excited! My name has been immortalised in print for all of time! One of my stories is out in the world! And the other two I’ve been accepted for aren’t far behind. Now, I just need to find the time between house and baby to get my novels finished!

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A quick update!

I have just tonight found out that my story Midnight Allure has been published! Daily Flash 2012: 366 Days of Flash Fiction (Leap Year Edition) by Pill Hill Press went to the printers on the 22nd of this month. There’s no solid date it’ll be available just yet, that I’ve been advised of, but I do know that the book will be released in time for Christmas!

I’m quite excited about being able to hold this book in my hands. I really love Midnight Allure, I had a lot of fun writing it and can’t wait to hear what fans think! Hopefully it will tease and titilate the imaginations of those out there that adore paranormal romance as much as I do!

I’ve also just discovered the proofs to the Short Sips: Coffee House Flash Fiction Collection (Volume 2) anthology by Wicked East Press in my Inbox. My story Sweet Delirium is a beautifully balanced mix of gore and tragic romance. It’s not often I enjoy reading regular real world fiction, let alone writing it…but this story just flowed!

Once I check for any errors, the anthology is on the road. The editor is only accepting corrections up until the 24th of December, so I’m not sure as to what date the book will actually be released. As soon as I find out more, I’ll update!

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Good news arrived in my email inbox this evening! My story Lunar Cry will be published shortly! I just received the proof manuscript for Pill Hill Press‘ anthology Daily Frights 2012: 366 Days of Frightening Flash Fiction, Leap Year Edition and its scheduled release date has ben updated to the 5th of December, this year!

The anthology obviously has a tale for every day of the year, and Lunar Cry will be featuring on the 10th of May! May is my birth month, so I’m pleased with that outcome. I’ve already looked over the proof of my story and am satisfied there are no typographical errors, but I’m going to ask my husband to read it over, just in case my tired eyes are deceiving me. Once I’m done with the edits, I’ll be responding to the editor and then it’s all out of my hands!

Two of my good friends, fellow Australian writers, also have stories being published in Daily Frights 2012: 366 Days of Frightening Flash Fiction, Leap Year Edition! Keep an eye out for Sharyn Lilley‘s The Vow on the 22nd of September and Stacey Jaine McIntosh‘s Blood Sacrifice on the 18th of December! These ladies are well worth the read and are both quirky, lovely and talented individuals.

I’ll update with further news regarding the anthology’s publication as I receive it, myself!

In the mean time, you might want to check out my first Guest Blog, for my childhood friend and fellow writer, Ashlee Scheuerman‘s blog Something to Say! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share my thoughts and experience’s, Ashlee!

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I’ve been M.I.A for a while now, haven’t I? I promise, I have a reasonable excuse…

Truth is, I had a baby!

I gave birth to my first child, an amazingly dark and beautiful little prince, on the 16th of October. He’s been keeping me pretty busy! He doesn’t sleep very much, and I’m breastfeeding ‘on demand’, so I certainly don’t get very much ‘me’ time at all these days, let alone quality writing time! To be honest though, I don’t mind at all.

I’ve dreamed of being a mother my whole life. I’m really rather traditional you see. I’ve always wanted to be a wife, mother, domestic goddess AND writer extraordinaire! I feel I’m well on my way to achieving this ideal of mine. I’m married, I’m a mother, (I’m still working on the domestic goddess side of things) and I’ve got a few short stories out into the world so far…

Hopefully given time, my darling baby will begin to sleep longer, more regular hours and I’ll be able to get some serious writing done again. In the mean time however, I will snatch whatever time I can get and make the most of it! Frantic bursts of time and creativity thankfully lend themselves particularly well to short fiction.

Speaking of which, I’m really looking forward to seeing the three anthologies I’m a part of being published in the New Year. I’m still eagerly checking my Inbox daily, awaiting further news about publication dates and cover releases.

So if I’m quiet for the next little while, at least you now know why! I’ll keep you posted on my progress when I can.

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Today I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had won an ARC of Rae Carson‘s yet-to-be-released debut novel Fire and Thorns (UK & Australia) also known as The Girl of Fire and Thorns (USA), published by HarperCollins under their Greenwillow imprint. I’m very excited to receive this book! I’ve been following Rae via her Twitter for a while now, and have been enjoying the roller coaster ride to publishing and Launch Day! I am definitely going to be reviewing this novel and posting it here for everyone to read in the near future!

I haven’t been feeling as inspired to write lately as I would like. I need to get my short post-apocalyptic story, Angel of Retribution, finished because the deadline is coming up towards the end of the month! I’ve not been in the best of health and my sleeping pattern is non-existent. I sleep when fatigue claims me, and the rest of the time I seem to spend in a bemused, aching blur. I’ve got less than six weeks before my baby arrives, so if I want to get anything done creatively, I imagine I’ll need to get it done soon, before my world is turned upside for a while! Wish me luck!

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Being an Australian I have always been a strong advocate of local talent, especially writers, and count myself lucky to know a few personally. One such local talent is fellow Perth writer Stephanie Gunn, a founding associate editor of Horrorscope and reviewer for ASif (Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus)! Having been in touch with Stephanie over the years through her Livejournal, Facebook and Twitter accounts, she was gracious enough to answer a few interview questions for me! I hope you enjoy this insight into Stephanie’s writing career so far, and are able to take something away from her words of wisdom.

How did you feel the first time you were published? And have subequent publications felt the same?
My first official publication was a piece of flash in AntipodeanSF. I was excited to have the publication, because it felt like a foot in the doorway to the rest of the world of publication. I’ve since been more excited about the pieces that I’ve had in hard copy anthologies. There’s just something in the tactile sensation of holding a book with your printed words in it.

What is your favourite piece of work that you have had published to date?
Probably An Unkindness of Ravens, which was published in Grants Pass (Morrigan Books). I like the piece a lot on its own, but in context with the rest of the anthology, I love it. It was a real honour to be part of that project and to share a table of contents with some other writers I truly admire.

What projects are you currently working on and how’s the progress going?
I’ve mostly been working on two novels – Never and Thought and Memory. Never is in first draft form and Thought and Memory is a novel that I’ve been working on for some years, and has been through many incarnations. Progress is much slower than I’d like (thanks to limitations of illness and caring for a toddler) but it’s steady. I’m also – somewhat uncharacteristically for me – working on a short story at present. I’m not a natural short story writer, but I do keep my eyes out for open anthologies that interest me and inspire me to work in the shorter form.

What authors if any, would you say have influenced you or contributed to your writing style?
I have a huge respect for Catherynne M. Valente, though my style is nowhere as lyrical and poetic as hers. Charles de Lint has always been a massive influence on me, not so much for writing style but in the feel of his worlds and the depth of his characters.

Do you have a writing schedule you try to adhere to?
It shifts and changes as my life outside of writing does. Right now, I try to get writing done for several hours in the early afternoon while my mother watches my son or he naps. When he gives up his naps, things will change again!

What was the best piece of advice related to writing that you’ve recieved and who imparted this information?
I think Stephen King says it well, that in order to be a writer you need to write a lot and read a lot. There’s no way around either of those things.

Do you have any words of wisdom to offer aspiring writers and those interested in the journey to publication?
I think the most important thing is simple persistence. If you want to write – really want to write – then you need to let rejection roll over you. Same for criticism, but you should always look for any kernel of truth that may be in that criticism. This field is going to knock you down and you have to develop a thick skin, but always be open to developing your abilities and learning.

Writer, Stephanie Gunn

 
 
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I’m on a roll! Today I received my third publishing acceptance. My urban fantasy horror flash fiction story Lunar Cry will be appearing in Pill Hill Press‘ anthology Daily Frights 2012: 366 Days of Frightening Flash Fiction (Leap Year Edition), which is set for publication in November of this year! That’s three out of four flash fiction submissions accepted.

Today hasn’t been all good news, though. Immediately after sharing my great fortune with my followers on Facebook, my hard drive seemingly left time and space to meet it’s maker. I was getting all sorts of strange errors, that upon researching, signaled the end of my hard drives life span. After experiencing what felt like a mild heart attack I pulled my wits together enough to try and restart my computer. Thankfully after two attempts, my hard drive came back online. I hadn’t lost eight years worth of writing, photos and memories!

My husband and I raced down to the local computer store and purchased an external USB hard drive to back-up all my files onto as my main hard drive is a ticking time bomb now! It’s been a long and tedious seven hours of refiling, reformatting and saving my writing files, and I’m yet to even start preserving my galleries… So what have I learned today? Back-up your files regularly, especially your writing! Make it part of your daily routine. Make it part of your own convoluted religion if you must!

I was one of those naive souls who knew I should be making back-ups every once in a while, but never did. Don’t make my mistake. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of technological security. *Today* could be the day your usually loyal computer decides to start pushing up daisies! You don’t want to have to imagine how it feels to lose what seems like a lifetimes worth of work.

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I can hardly believe it, but I’ve been paid a serious visit by the Goodluck Faery it seems! Just 33 minutes past midnight I received a second acceptance! My paranormal romance flash fiction story Midnight Allure is going to be published by Pill Hill Press in their anthology Daily Flash 2012: 366 Days of Flash Fiction (Leap Year Edition). Two contracts in as many days!

Daily Flash 2012: 366 Days of Flash Fiction (Leap Year Edition) has an expected publication date set for November this year. I have added as many details as I have at present to the Publications page, so if you’re curious, feel free to wander on over. I’m hoping Pill Hill Press release a preview of the anthology’s cover soon, so I can add that one here, too.

A big thank you to Jessy Marie Roberts, the editor of this anthology and the one whom accepted my story. I really appreciate the opportunity to see my name in print and get my voice out to potential readers and fans!

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