research

Spain: Royal Palace of Madrid

In late August 2019, I visited Madrid, the capital city of Spain. Although Spain still has a royal family, the Royal Palace of Madrid is no longer occupied by the Spanish royal family and is open to the public on most days. You can read more here about my visit to the Spanish capital and… Continue reading Spain: Royal Palace of Madrid

Writing

NaNoWriMo 2019

I am participating in this yearโ€™s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). After completing my first NaNoWriMo last year, I found it was a great motivational tool. This year, my goal is to write 30 thousand words and, from October to December, I plan to finish my novel-in-progress Ragnarok Dreaming. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook or… Continue reading NaNoWriMo 2019

Short Fiction, stories

Folklore & Nature

Human survival has always been dependent on the natural environment and many mythologies show links between folklore and human fear of environmental instability. I was curious to explore folklore dealing with how past and present cultures attempt to explain and avoid disastrous environmental fluctuations. As human survival is so clearly linked to a stable environment,… Continue reading Folklore & Nature

Writing

Loki & Idunn

I have been working hard writing a large scene over several chapters in my novel-in-progress, Ragnarok Dreaming. The scene is based on a significant section in Norse mythology recorded in The Prose Edda, called the Skaldskaparmal, where Loki is portrayed for the first time as a more malicious being. The Skaldskaparmal describes Lokiโ€™s deliberate deception… Continue reading Loki & Idunn

Short Fiction, stories

Taurus, the Zodiac & Mesopotamian Myth

Ancient history and mythology have always been favorite topics for me. Recently, I found an interesting article on newly discovered sections of ancient Mesopotamian poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh, detailing the legendary feats of a historical king. The Epic of Gilgamesh was inscribed on cuneiform tablets which continue to baffle scholars as to the purpose… Continue reading Taurus, the Zodiac & Mesopotamian Myth

Short Fiction, stories

Haunting, Horror & Shadows

I have always been inspired and drawn to the very dark Gothic-style horror of the Victorian era, where classic works like Frankenstein, Dracula and The Turn of the Screw combine with the dark tales by Edgar Allan Poe and H.P Lovecraft influencing generations of horror writers. To those classic works, I often include the eerie… Continue reading Haunting, Horror & Shadows

events, Writing

Continuum 15, 2019

I attended Continuum15/NatCon 58 convention in Melbourne from June 7-10, 2019. The convention is an annual event for the Australian speculative fiction community. This was my first Continuum convention and I was looking forward to the many expertย panels, workshops, Markets, theย Maskbalao, Ditmar Awards,ย Shadows Awards & Norma K Hemming Awards.ย  Ticket pricing was very generous with… Continue reading Continuum 15, 2019

events, Writing

Aurealis Awards 2018

On May 4 2019, I attended the 2018 Aurealis Awards in Melbourne, an annual awards ceremony for works published that year from members of the Australian speculative fiction community. This was my first Aurealis Awards and I was thrilled to be part of the iconic Australian Speculative Fiction Awards. My self-published Fantasy novel Bone Arrow was entered and… Continue reading Aurealis Awards 2018