I think I’ve mentioned that I started a YouTube channel a few months ago. Have been a bit slow getting the hang of it, but it’s given me time to learn to appreciate the book vlogging community. The passion for books shared on YT is really quite astounding and I’m loving it. So now I’ve finally had a go at making my own vid and discovered that my laptop’s camera and audio is crap (sync is way off) – watch it and have a laugh! So now, I have to get myself organised to use the video camera.

While I get my head around that, we’ve had a guest vlog from Priscilla at The Readables and an upcoming one from Aura at Aura’s Book Box. There’re also a few reviews uploaded on the MdePierres channel from Jamie Marriage and Belinda Hamilton. We’ll keep developing it with a variety of book related material, so keep an eye out for what transpires. You know me, could be anything …

I have however resisted starting a Tumblr account because I know I would waste far too much time finding pretty images to post. MUST NOT! DO NOT LET ME!

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Zen

Most of you know that I do rather like my TV these days. It’s taken over what used to be a passion for film. So I thought I’d share some of my latest favourites with you and say why they appeal. Then it’s your turn!

Spirited: an Aussie series about a middle-aged female dentist who can see ghosts, and falls in love with one. This appeals to me on a number of levels. There’s the romantic comedy hook, but for me its largely the dialogue which I think is brilliant – so authentic and not at all cliched. Some excellent characters, especially Suzie’s sister, Jonquil, and her ex hubby, Steve. Occasionally an episode will get a bit slow, but usually something nasty will usually happen to shake it up, soon after. This is some of Claudia Karvan’s best work. I’ve always found her quite ‘cool’ (as in cold) on screen and Suzie’s character fits her really well. Matt King is also a perfect dead rocker.

Zen: a three part cop series based on Michael Dibin’s Aurelio Zen novels set in Italy. Love, love, loved this one! So sad they’ve only made 3 episodes. The political machinations and the corrupt pollice are beautifully counterbalanced by Zen’s (Rupert Sewell) quiet but devilish humour as he walks a tightrope trying to keep his job and reputation in tact. Location filming is sensational, theme music not so. Caterina Murino is both beautiful, sexy, confused and selfish all at once. Great acting on the part of both main characters, I thought.

Luther: Am only two episodes into this series penned by Neil Cross. Idris Elba (The Wire) is a strong and charismatic actor and the stories are suitably twisted. The dialogue gets a little clever for itself sometimes, and Idris is altogether too brilliant at joining the dots on crimes, but I like its energy and Luther’s tortured character.

True Blood: what can I say that millions of fans haven’t? Nothing really, other than to add … if Joss is Boss then Ball is Better … ok, maybe not better, but certainly as good. Thumbs up for casting Alex Skarsgaard too. This is backwoods melodrama at its most vulgar and raunchy with some sly social commentary thrown in.

Fringe: I love Fringe but sometimes it bothers me because none of the concepts are particularly fresh to this SF writer (me). When I get past that though, I love the characterisation – I mean, you’d have to be comatose not to appreciate the talent of John Noble, Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson. Leonard Nimoy, however, doesn’t really work so well.

Leverage: The stories are cute and the chemistry among the team is really fantastic. Who wouldn’t want to be Parker? I once saw an interview with Beth Riesgraf and Aldis Hodge (Hardison). They were asked who, out of all of them, was most like their portrayed character. They agreed instantly that it was Christian Kane. How cool – Eliot rules!

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Use the appropriate twangy intonation with that …

Just saw the judges report from the Victorian Premiers Literary Award and Burn Bright was given a very nice mention. Here is the full transcript of the YA section from their website:

The judges for the Prize for Writing by Young Adults – Mike Shuttleworth (convenor), Leesa Lambert and Andrew McDonald – noted:

“The universe of young adult literature continues to expand in interesting and exciting ways. This year’s Victorian Premier’s Literary Award is an opportunity to assess some of these developments – in particular, those books that express and explore the specific aesthetic potential that writing for young people affords. This year, 68 titles were submitted to the award. The committee noted the continuing publication of nuanced realistic fiction, especially dealing with the intersection of identity, gender, family and community. Also evident is the emergence of urban fantasy. We applaud those authors whose work seeks to develop a unique voice and identity within the urban fantasy genre.

“A shortlist of just three titles cannot fully represent the developments and tensions within the broad field of Australian young adult fiction. We therefore note the following titles as important achievements in a year of quality writing and lament that that the shortlist is just that. Inspired by Charles Blackman’s paintings, The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky beguiles readers with a haunting story of memory and loss. Scot Gardner’s chiseled writing charts the dramatic life of a marginalised young man in The Dead I Know. Rebecca Burton’s closely observed story of obsession and desire in Beyond Evie and Laura Buzo’s assured debut Good Oil point to writers with a serious future. Lili Wilkinson showed a light touch, exploiting the tropes of domestic crime fiction in A Pocketful of Eyes. Leanne Hall’s debut novel This is Shyness introduces a boldly imagined world of dark urban fantasy. Rebecca Lim’s impressive novel Mercy blurs a realistic world with a story of angels and romance. Marianne de Pierres’ novel Burn Bright also tells a dark, dramatic story with arresting literary skill.

“Final decisions were not in any way easy, however, the panel agreed warmly on three shortlisted three novels. Each of these novels takes risks with the form of storytelling, show exceptional control of the material, and in doing so challenge notions of what fiction for young people can be.”

Congrats to all involved. Have to say, I’m rather chuffed about this. 70 entries for the YA section suggests that the YA market is in good shape.

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Ben Templesmith is a New York Times best selling artist and writer most widely known for his work in the comic book industry where he has received multiple nominations for the International Horror Guild Awards as well as the industry’s top prize, the Eisner Award. He also won a Spike TV Scream Award.

As a creator, his most notable works have been 30 Days of Night (which spawned a major motion picture) and Fell. His other projects include the critically acclaimed serial Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, as well as Welcome to Hoxford, and Singularity 7, all of which he also wrote.

He has also worked on the Star Wars, Doctor Who, GI Joe, Army of Darkness, Silent Hill and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer properties and produces art and design for music bands, dvds, toys, and film concept work.

1. For people who might be unfamiliar with your work, tell us about your current projects.

I’m some lucky Australian bastard who broke into the comic book industry and was lucky enough to get a movie deal for his basically first proper creator owned comic. By creator owned, I mean I owned a percentage. Not Batman or Superman etc which the creators are either dead or have their creations owned by corporations. So the news of that film option gave me a profile overnight so I continue to have a career thanks to all that extra stuff. Now I bide my time doing yet more comics, including FELL, WORMWOOD, CHOKER and a whole bunch of stuff I can’t really talk about yet but let’s just say everyone has heard of the thing I’m working on next tooooo…

2. You career shows a blend of collaboration and working on your own creative properties. What is your ideal mix and why?

My own properties are my love. Who wouldn’t want to create their own worlds and intellectual property? Some work with others and on corporate/well known licenses can be a lot of fun though and also helps pay the bills! A bit of both helps the sanity and keeps you current.

3. Who would you love to work with and on what property?

I’d love to do Batman someday, and Wolverine, or Punisher, Ghost Rider… Dune would be amazing, same with Aliens… but really, there’s no *people* i have ambition to work with anymore, I take it as it comes. Working with Warren Ellis was my one amazing fortune… after that, I’m easy.

3. Your art has a very distinctive style, in the way that great guitarists have their own sound. Which artists (living or not) do you admire?

Thanks! I really don’t know what people see in my work half the time, but it is a little distinctive, so at least they know it’s me. Which helps. I admire people like Ashley Wood, Dave McKean, Victor Ambrus, Ralph Steadman… Mignola, Paul Pope, Kent Williams… far too many to mention that I draw from.

4. As a Western Australian working in the comic industry, how hard has it been to connect with the international scene.

I broke into my career from Perth, through the wonders of the internet. You can do it from anywhere so long as you have an internet connection now and work that impresses enough… though I am now a bit of a vagrant around the US until I hopefully settle in NYC next month. I’ve lived in the USA for several years, partly because the industry is just *real* there… it’s the heart of it, and also the fans and amazing people. Americans area truly friendly bunch of great people.

5. What would you like Templesmith to be doing in ten years time?

Working with my own company in some fashion, giving a leg up to amazing new talent and crafting comics the way I want them to be done ( ie, to the creators wishes completely ) and really trying to popularise them and making them marketable and “cool” legitimately. Comics is still such a small industry… yes, we’re books, but more and more online… but as a medium we have so much potential that’s yet to be harnessed I think. So I’d love to be involved. And of course, create. A house in a small English village looking out at the sea would be my home base perhaps.

Templesmith at Tumblr

Templesmith at CafePress

Templesmith at DeviantArt

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Thought it was round up and upcomings time. Very excited to say that Marv Wolfman – the legend – will be my next Super Creatives guest here. Following Marv will be Tom Taylor Made - so stand by for much comic goodness.

Over at the Burn Bright site we’ve got HEAPS happening. Have just taken on our new teen reviewer Lisa Smith (US-based) and we’re looking forward to her bright and breezy input to our team. Hot on the heels of Lisa’s arrival is another new regular. Sydney-based costume designer, Rena Nero, will be talking about cosplay and costume and will have lots of gorgeous pics to whet your appetites. Bel and Jamie have another swarm of dating tips, Cel’s is still Supe-ing and there’s the usual range of great reviews and interviews. On top of all that there’s the big Publish Burn Bright Worldwide Campaign which is picking up momentum thanks to readers. Lastly, you can also look forward to a guest vlog from TheReadables (Priscilla) who’ll be talking you through how to become a successful book vlogger.

The Marianne Delacourt site has also got some upcoming interviews with Tara Moss and Lindy Cameron and a bunch of reviews on the boil and regular updates on Tara Sharp’s  latest exploits.

My Events calendar is filling up again – so if you wanted to catch up and have a book signed or say hello, check these links for dates: Brisbane Writers Festival, SheKilda crime convention, The Gold Coast Writers group Literary Luncheon, Logan Library Mega Panel, Supanova Brisbane.

I’d like to say thank everyone who supported the first issue of Peacemaker. I am learning, clearly, but I hope you’ll stick with us for issue 2. Brigitte’s wonderful illustrations are so worth it!

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… is that people read your books and then write to you. Occasionally they might have a gripe but for the most part they are encouraging and uplifting, or straight out entertaining. Many thanks to Lyndsay who has been reading the The Sentients of Orion and came across a picture of a tardigrade soft toy, which he sent to me. Anyone who’s read the books will understand the significance. I had to laugh when I saw this little cuddly fellow though, who is a lot nicer than the ones in my books.

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Some author friends have just had great novels out. Just have to share with you!

First of all there is Kat Richardson’s, Downpour. I love the Greywalker series, which makes me SO keen to go to Seattle.

Then there’s the very talented Kim Westwood’s new novel, The Courier’s New Bicycle. How cool does this sound? ‘Join Salisbury Forth on twenty adrenaline-fuelled days as a courier of contraband in the alleyways of inner Melbourne, a city of rolling power outages, fuel rationing and curfews.’

And one of my favourtite authors Lucy Sussex, who I desperately want to  write another novel (can some publisher please recognise genius and commission her!), has just had her splendid collection Matilda Told Such Dreadful Lies released by indie press, Ticonderoga.

Then of course there is RC Daniells’ paranormal crime thriller, The Price of Fame, which I read in an earlier incarnation. So pleased to see it’s found a perfect home with new boutique publisher, Clan Destine Press.

Notably, Clan Destine are also releasing Arrabella Candelabra from AK Wrox (the author is two of my staffies, Mandy Wrangles and Kylie Fox). And Jane Routley’s, Mage Heart, which is being re-released by Clan Destine as an e-book.

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