I’ll be at the Canberra Geek Markets this Saturday 29 April at EPIC, Canberra.
My stall is located next to the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSFG) stall
Come along and check out comics, books, media and merchandise for all your inner Geek desires!
I’m selling and signing books and have some cool merchandise all available at sale prices!
*** I received a free copy in return for an honest review ****
Publisher’s Description
Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect wife.
Quiet, submissive, demure.
In Black Cranes, Southeast Asian writers of horror both embrace and reject these traditional roles in a unique collection of stories which dissect their experiences of ‘otherness,’ be it in the colour of their skin, the angle of their cheekbones, the things they dare to write, or the places they have made for themselves in the world. Black Cranes is a dark and intimate exploration of what it is to be a perpetual outsider.
Review
I was thrilled to read and review Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn.
This is a beautiful and rare collection of speculative fiction tales from women of southeast Asian descent writing about the culture where women are supposed to be quiet, unheard and remain in the shadows. Black Cranes brings these voices, cultures, folklores and legends into the open and shines a light on the powerful women of Southeast Asia.
Final Thoughts
There are so many different and wonderful tales in Black Cranes that I found it difficult to choose my stand-out favourites.
Some of my favourite stories were “The Genetic Alchemist’s;s Daughter” by Elaine Cuyegkeng, , “Kapre: a love Story”, by Ron Cupeco, “Vanilla Rice”, and “Little Worm” by Geneve Flynn.
Conclusion
An absolutely stunning, beautiful and powerful collection of tales about women emerging from the shadows of their cultures. A simply stunning collection!
Publisher’s Description
Deep in the dark forest, in a cottage that spins on birds’ legs behind a fence topped with human skulls, lives the Baba Yaga. A guardian of the water of life, she lives with her sisters and takes to the skies in a giant mortar and pestle, creating tempests as she goes. Those who come across the Baba Yaga may find help, or hindrance, or horror. She is wild, she is woman, she is witch – and these are her tales.
Review
I was determined to read Bram Stoker Preliminary ballot anthology edited by US author Lindy Ryan. Into the Forest is an anthology of stories and poetry about the fascinating figure of the Russian witch, Baba Yaga.
There were many brilliant stories in this anthology but to highlight a few favourites. “Last Tour into the Hungering Moonlight” by Gwendolyn Kiste , “Water like Broken Glass” by Carina Bissett, “Herald the Knight” by Mercedes M. Yardley and “Mama Yaga” by Christina Sng.
Final Thoughts
Into the Forest is a unique anthology drawing on the masterful skills of many authors and their interpretations of the multitude of Baba Yaga legends. A beautiful collection spanning time, history, cultures and styles.
Conclusion
Highly recommended for fans of folklore, fairy tales, fantasy and mythology. This anthology has it all and so much more. Definitely worth a read!
*** I received an ARC in return for an honest review ***
Publisher’s Description
Alan Baxter, editor of Damnation Games, believes horror is the genre of honesty.
‘With horror, there’s no shying away from brutal reality to supply a happy ending. Even when the evil is overcome, it seldom happens without cost. Survivors are rarely unscathed. Horror looks into the darkness and doesn’t turn away. It confronts it.’
This is also true of crime fiction. The rising dread at the heart of a good mystery has the same affect. That oh shit no feeling in a story that’s a real as the day’s news can have you on the edge of your seat precisely because it could happen – next door. Or in the next room.
Put the two together – crime fiction and horror – and all sorts of nasty business come out of the woodwork. Sometimes literally.
Alan invited a horde of criminally good writers of horror and the supernatural and has produced an anthology of tales set in a variety of locations and eras. The stories herein include urban monsters, Victorian mathematicians, contemporary lawyers, near future police, and outback ghosts.
Review
One of my recent reads was the anthology Damnation Games edited by Australian/UK author Alan Baxter. It didn’t disappoint.
In honour to Clive Barker’s The Damnation Game and other words, the anthology combines the mysterious, horrifying, splatterpunk, crime and supernatural.
Favourites which I found absolute stand-out hits for the uniqueness, skilful writing, unusual concepts of crime while maintaining an atmosphere that was haunting and unique.
In no particular order: “Ghost Gun” by John F D Taff, “Spool” by Dan Rabarts, “Zoo” Gemma Amor, “The Hungry Bones” by Lee Murray, “Dangerous Specimens” by Robert Hood, “Kookaburra Cruel” by Aaron Dries and “The Infinity Effect” by Joanne Anderton.
Final Thoughts
Alan Baxter has drawn together a fine work that has each piece masterfully written and unique. There is something for every reader from gritty supernatural crime, scientific malevolence, horrific gangsters and strange crime. Drawn from authors with unique and seperate backgrounds and writing styles, Damnation Games is remembered well after finishing it and fits beautifully as a tribute to Clive Barker.
Conclusion
Highly recommended. A dive into supernatural worlds and haunting tales. This anthology is gritty, mysterious, horrifying and leaves you wanting for more.
Year Four, an anthology of dark drabbles was published on January 6th by Black Hare Press. Three of my dark folklore drabbles are featured and a flash fiction piece.
If you’re interested in purchasing an ebook or paperback copy of Year Four, more details are available here
This single charity anthology has donated to the American Suicide Prevention Society. It is a fantastic collection of stories by authors on topics of overcoming the darkness of depression, loss of a loved one, self-harm, self-rejection, societal rejection and chronic pain. Out of the Darkness was published by Wolfsinger Publications on 20th December 2022.
My own story “Tatters” features in the anthology and is a very personal and emotional piece for me, exploring the concepts of chronic pain and psychosis and the emergence into the light at the other end.
If you wish you buy copies of Out of the Darkness and support this wonderful cause, you can find more information here.
My first stories for children and younger readers were published on 26 November 2022 in Wimbledon Common from Black Hare Press.
My children’s story “Grace’s Kingdom” was inspired by classics like Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia all featuring protagonists exploring magical worlds hidden to all but them while escaping a harsher realities beyond the borders of the their fantasy world. I also drew on my own personal experiences, crafting a story I hoped would resonate with children experiencing bullying and coping with being different. “Grace’s Kingdom” channels the extremely difficult daily experiences for many children but highlighting how being different is a hidden strength.
My younger readers story “A Bargain of Shadows” was inspired by Swedish fairytale about siblings and the love they share for each other. When one is fatally ill, the brother bargains with a wizard to save her life in exchange for his shadow. Exiled from society for being different and having no shadow, he flees into the Otherworld of magic and becomes enslaved to the wizard. His sister goes in search of him, undergoing many trials to eventually outwit and save her brother. “A Bargain of Shadows” speaks to sibling rivalry and love and the undeniable importance of family.
You can find more details about how to purchase paperback and ebook copies of Wimbledon Common here.
The best 24 authors from the 12 volumes of Australasian speculative fiction in The Zodiac Series feature in a single anthology Wandering Stars: The Best of the Zodiac Series published by Deadset Press on 12th November 2022.
Wandering Stars features my apocalyptic story “The Bull of Heaven” inspired by Mesopotamian mythology and representing the Taurus zodiac sign.
You can find more details on how to purchase ebook and paperback copies of Wandering Stars: The Best of the Zodiac Series here
Fantasy on Four Feet edited by Clare Rhoden was published on June 28th, 2022 by Black Ink Fiction.
The anthology includes novelettes from various authors on animal-human companionships including my fey spy and her fox companion in “Black Fox and Bitterbind: The Chancellor’s Promise.”
You can purchase ebook and paperback copies of Fantasy on Four Feet here
Publisher’s Description
*** I received a review or ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
This is an enchanting illustrated book of fairy tales – but not the kind you read to children at bedtime. They are strictly for the grown-ups. Often dark, the stories visit places where things don’t end happily ever after, where a single decision can haunt you forever. But there are also tales to make you laugh out loud, stories of sweet revenge and scenes of sheer delight in the world of magic and the fey.
All the stories, lyrics and poems have something in common, a contemporary edge. Even those set in earlier times have a modern sensibility that reflects the 21st century and celebrates Australian landscapes, characters and voices.
Review
One of my recent reads was South of the Sun, an anthology by the Australian Fairy Tale Society.
South of the Sun contains many great fairytales and retellings. These are some of my favourites. “GPS” by Cate Kennedy is a retelling akin to ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ but with a chilling modern take. “The Timbers of a Chicken” by Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario reminiscent of tales of Baba Yaga. “The Snow-Gum Maiden” by Anezka Sero was an Australian interpretation of the classic Northern European ‘Snow Maiden’ fairytale. “On Pepper Creek” by Kathleen Jennings was an Irish immigrant tale. “The Karukayan Get Revenge” by Ronnie Wavehill was an indigenous tale of Australian merfolk. “All Kinds of Fur” by Danielle Wood is a dark retelling of Australian colonial times. “Riverbend” by Rachel Nightingale is a uniquely Australian fairytale of drought, modern science and magic. “The Tale of the Seven Magpies” by Angie Rega is a retelling of the Crow fairytale trope, cursed brothers and the sister sewing shirts for her brothers.
Final Thoughts
South of the Sun is a unique collection of fairytale retellings infused with the multicultural nature of Australia. The anthology contains retellings from Germanic, African and Eastern Europe cultures as well as uniquely Australian takes on classic fairytales.
Conclusion
A wonderful collection of Australian fairytale retellings with beautiful illustrations. Highly recommended for readers of folklore, fairytales and retellings. A must read!
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