Gamer is almost finished, which means I’m about to start a writing new book. The new one’s not a sequel to anything; Gamer is a standalone and Demons & Battleskirts 2 is on the back burner until I get this new one out of my head. The new book (working title, Woman in White [WiW]) … Read more
Rootless, rudderless, opponent-less but not friendless.
Not anymore.
Just a quick update to let you know the short story, Reprisal: A Tale of the Light, is now available on all retailers. A single slip. A night of terror. Elouise is a dutiful wife, a good mother, and a witch, but in this time of superstition, when men of power incite fear and the … Read more
In a recent Ask Me Anything, I was asked by a first-time author how to write a query letter. Here’s my response. Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive guide to query letters, but it’s a place to start. To fine-tune your letter, I recommend researching what your target publishers and/or literary agents are looking for, … Read more
Way back when, I used to play a story-based roleplay game set in the Star Trek universe. I never got into the nuts and bolts of Star Trek (I was just there for the writing), but I had time to appreciate the work of those who did, and let me tell you, Trekkies are pretty … Read more
I’m an idea magpie, picking up bits of inspiration from everywhere (books, movies, songs, games, random conversations, etc), most of which find their way into my stories. Cold Between Stars is no exception. Below are two of the books and one TV series that helped inspire the story. Diving into the Wreck (Kristine Kathryn Rusch) … Read more
Years ago, I came across a brilliant article by Jennifer Crusie. It was a writerly advice type article with a simple message, stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and write your book. It’s excellent advice. Now, quit reading this already and go write your book. No? Okay, then prepare yourself for some advice … Read more
For most of us, when we think of book reviews we think about the reports we had to write in school, analysing and dissecting the importance of blue in some boring book we had to read in English class. Ugh. A review isn’t that. A review is your opinion of a book. It doesn’t have … Read more
Sue Parritt is an Australian science fiction author. Her first trilogy tells the tale of a futuristic Australia ravaged by climate change, and racial oppression.
BELINDA: Tell us about Sannah, what makes her strong?
SUE: Sensuous, emotional and dramatic, Sannah, 39, a descendant of Environmental Refugees from the drowned Pacific Islands, is the Storyteller for Village 10. Storytellers–one for each Brown Zone village–are trained to deliver a distorted version of history to ensure compliance and reinforce White superiority. An articulate speaker, Sannah employs both voice and body to weave a spell around her audience. She also plays the role of ‘lover’ to many White men, to gain information useful to the Women’s Line, an undercover group that assists political prisoners on the run to flee the country and find sanctuary in egalitarian Aotearoa. Intelligent and savvy, Sannah knows what it takes to survive in an oppressive apartheid society ruled by tyrannical troopers, but willingly risks her life to ensure clandestine truth-telling continues. In twenty-fourth century Australia, she is a third-class citizen, but despite her low status, she believes in the power to effect change. This, plus the determination to engage in seditious activities whatever the consequences, makes and keeps her strong.
Felicity Banks is the author of Heart of Brass a steampunk novel about a young women with a brass heart and a family obligation that’s interupted by a criminal conviction.
BELINDA: Tell us about Emmeline, what makes her strong?
FELICITY: Emmeline has been taught that her duty is to marry well, giving her family the financial security that they need—and saving her younger siblings from poverty in the process. No-one finds it easy to think outside of the box society puts us in, but Emmeline is eventually able to find another way to fulfil her duty as well as acknowledging what she really loves. . . SCIENCE!!