CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

I was posting up my first chapters, when I remembered that some of my favourite authors regularly put up a story, or a sample of their work on their blogs, so I thought I’d introduce you to their work – you never know, you might like their stories, too! Kristine Kathryn Rusch I first stumbled across Alien Influences when I was in the last year of junior high – and it was one of the first science-fiction pieces I ever read. More recently, I’ve found her Diving series and enjoyed that immensely. This week, she posted Shadows on the Moon, a story that’s nothing like her other two, but thought provoking and both a little bit hopeful and a little bit sombre and more magic realism than urban fantasy. You can find it HERE on her blog. Craig Martelle I only discovered Craig Martelle’s work a couple of months ago, and so far have read the Terry Henry Walton Chronicles , am eagerly waiting the final book in the Darklanding series , and am making my way through the Freetrader series ...

This month I made a concerted effort to get back to reading blogs - especially those of writers with more experience and knowledge than I have. I need to learn and I need to try and maintain something of a decent perspective from this somewhat sheltered and blinkered corner of the world. Also, I write in isolation. I don't have a lot of in-depth contact with people, let alone other writers. Too shy, not enough time, strong feeling of being too different and not welcome, and not fond of people, pick your reason, but those sum it up for me. Anyway, here are the blogs I got caught up on this month. There are a lot, and if one author seems to be a focus, just remember that I'm working down a list and I'll be culling that list as I go. These are the folk I am learning from at the moment, my unwitting mentors who don't know me from a bar of soap, and to whom I am very grateful. These are their words. Publishing Industry http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-ye...

Being sick for pretty much all of June was not fun, but it did mean that I got a fair amount of reading done. Another of my favourite authors - and a book I remember ordering through book club when I was still in junior high. My, how the years have flown.

It's amazing how much reading you can get done when you're sick. Elizabeth Moon is one of my favourite authors and her Vatta's War and Serrano Legacy series are particularly good - and I've read them many times, as you can probably tell from the battered covers.

I did manage a little downtime, and got some recreational reading done. I've read both these before, and I'll read them again.

Seriously, it's amazing what you can read if you take five minutes here or there, read a page, read a chapter. Here's what got read this month... okay, to be fair, I did start the Phelan towards the end of February, but he's in good company.

Before university started, I finished reading two novels. I’m currently reading a collection of short stories by Bruce Stirling, but I’m not sure I’ll get through it before the month is out. I’ll update this post if I do, otherwise look for it next month. In the meantime, I read my first Chuck Wendig, and my not-so-first Matthew Reilly.  

In between, the writing and editing and publishing madness, I actually managed to finish reading another two Alan Dean Foster novels. Now I just have to work out where to find the rest. Novels are as follows:

I only got a little reading done in December, but my thanks to Wilbur Smith and Alan Dean Foster for providing some of my most favourite tales.

As things started to ease up in November, I found some time to read. The first book was for research, and it proved an interesting way of looking at how mythical creatures might have their roots in historical life, and what sorts of fears they might have tapped in the creation and continuation. The second book is by one of my favourite authors, Alan Dean Foster.

Yeah, I know... it's a bit delayed. I only managed to read one book in October this year:

Reading got done. After Laurell K. Hamilton, I opted for a change of pace and dipped into Anne McCaffrey’s Crystal Singer series, and Tanya Huff’s Blood series.