When it came to resolutions, I didn’t think I could go past this one: 😉

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My regular posting day for the Supernatural Underground is the 1st of every month, so for today’s post I’ve featured  a few of my significant, writing-related moments from 2013.

To check them out, click on the following link:

A Year In Retrospect: A Few Significant Moments From 2013

Because of this, the “resolution” post will now feature tomorrow! 😉

It is already January 1 here in New Zealand and I have managed to take down the old calendars and put up one new one: yahoo! 😉

I know that the new year always finds us all in many different places, sometimes just geographically dispersed but often in disparate ‘spaces’ in terms of health, employment, and emotional and physical wellbeing.

But I hope, whatever ‘place’ or ‘space’ we may be in on this January 1, 2014, that the unfolding year will bring new adventures for those who seek them and safe journeyings and returnings for those who feel that ‘east or west, home is best.’ And always, always, dear  readers, the support of family and/or friends, and the ‘unexpected kindness of strangers.’

As for resolutions, watch this space later in the day… 😉

Last light of the sun, & of 2013...

New Year’s Eve is the time when we stand on the cusp of the old year and the new, when it is timely to look both back and forward. There may be more apposite quotes for such a time and activity, but I am hard pushed to think of them:

“Bad times, hard times, that is what people keep saying, but … We are the times; such as we are, such are the times.”

~ St Augustine, 354 – 430 AD

Certainly a thought to reflect on in terms of our own intentions for 2014.

Currently, I am acknowledging the contributors, some regular, some one-off contributors, who joined me “…on Anything, Really” this year—as a thank you for their time and energy to help make this blog an interesting place to visit.

So of course I have to mention those who undertake reviews for the blog — including this year’s “one-off” reviewers:

Karen McMillan:

Karen lives in New Zealand and is the author of both fiction and non-fiction. She has a Diploma in Professional Writing and an Advanced Diploma of Applied Arts (Writing). Her non fiction title,  Love in Aotearoa, was short-listed for the Ashton Wylie Book Award in 2005.

Previously an award-winning fashion designer, Karen has worked full-time for a leading book publisher based in New Zealand for the past twelve years. Karen has written articles for a variety of different publications and from time to time she takes on ghost-writing projects. She also volunteers for her local hospice and writes articles that promote the life-affirming work that they do.

Karen reviewed Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh

Lou Stella:

Lou is a scientist, conservation worker, and former plumber who removes gorse and pines from her rural land with chainsaw and scrubcutter, before replanting with native trees. She then lies exhausted on her couch and reads—and occasionally reviews—dystopia and historical fiction.

Lou reviewed The Twelve by Justin Cronin.

Chris Whelan:

Chris  is a long time viewer, reader and occasional writer of fantasy and science fiction. He makes a living in middle management and lives, generally, with a glass of red wine somewhere to hand.

Chris’s “one-off” project was to review the final three novels in the Wheel of Time series, which he has been reading avidly since the first one was published way back in 1990. The exigencies of life in middle management (he swears it’s not the red wine 😉 ) mean that so far he has only been able to read the first two. He reviewed them here:

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Towers Of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Currently, I am acknowledging the contributors, some regular, some one-off contributors, who joined me “…on Anything, Really” this year—as a thank you for their time and energy to help make this blog an interesting place to visit.

So of course I have to mention those who undertake reviews for the blog, chiefly Andrew Robins who has contributed a number of reviews over the past two years.

You can find all reviews under the Category, “Book Reviews for …on Anything, Really” in the far right hand side bar. Andrew’s reviews favour SF and this year he has only had time to share four books with us, but nonetheless it has been good to see them pop up every few months:

• The Fractal Prince
• Great North Road
• Existence
• Shaman

I also note that the review of David Brin’s Existence was amongst the most read posts on the blog this year.

And for those of you who have not yet encountered Andrew through the reviews, here’s his bio:

“Andrew Robins is a long time reader – and sometime reviewer – of science fiction, fantasy and history. People pay him to test stuff, mainly radios, which most of the time is more fun than it has any right to be.”

Marion,'Inferno' translator & TV star!

Currently, I am acknowledging the contributors, some regular, some one-off contributors, who joined me “…on Anything, Really” this year.

I really appreciate the contribution of their time and energy to help making this blog — I hope! — a fun and interesting site to visit.

My second acknowledgment, for a two-part post I felt was something really special, is for translator Marion Drolsbach, who shared an  insight into her experience of translating Dan Brown’s Inferno (from English into Dutch) — from a secret bunker in London! Marion was one of three Dutch translators working on the project.

“To Hell And Back”: Translating Dan Brown’s “Inferno” by Dutch Translator, Marion Drolsbach (Part 1):

“Not many people can fail to have noticed that Dan Brown has recently published a new thriller. Uniquely, his book came out both in English and a number of other languages simultaneously. I am one of three translators who were chosen to translate Inferno into Dutch. The job proved to be a roller-coaster ride full of twists and turns, just as adventurous as the plot of a Dan Brown thriller …”

[To read the full article click on the post title immediately above.]

.

“To Hell And Back”: Translating Dan Brown’s “Inferno”— by Dutch Translator, Marion Drolsbach (Part 2)

“… Finally, D-Day was nearly upon us, 14 May 2013, when Inferno would be published in English along with twelve other languages. The occasion would be marked with special events worldwide. In the Netherlands our publisher had decided to send each of us to a different bookshop to attend a Dan Brown breakfast, while the editorial team would be holding a breakfast launch party at Amsterdam’s Central Station for journalists and invited guests …”

[To read the full article, again click on the post title immediately above.]

—

Re-reading these now, I would like to thank Marion again for sharing this very special literary experience with us. 🙂

Rebecca Fisher

As I indicated yesterday, over the next few days I shall be acknowledging the contributors, some regular, some one-off contributors, who joined me “…on Anything, Really” this year.

I really appreciate the contribution of their time and energy to help making this blog — I hope! — a fun and interesting site to visit.

First up, I’d really like to put my hands together for Rebecca Fisher who has been bringing us ‘Big Worlds On Small Screens’, consistently, every second Wednesday without fail, since June — an awesome effort, so thank you so much, Rebecca. 🙂

For those who may not have discoverd ‘Big Worlds On Small Screens’ yet,  the focus is on taking a close look at SFF television series and films, both past and present.

Click on ‘Introducing A New “…On Anything, Really” Feature: Rebecca Fisher On SFF TV Shows and Films’ for a more detailed introduction to both the show and Rebecca, or to check out any or all of Rebecca’s reviews, go to:

Big Worlds On Small Screens

or click on any of the following, individual posts:

• Avatar: The Last Airbender—Season One
• Maddigan’s Quest
• Warehouse 13
• Charmed
• Justice League
• Xena Warrior Princess
• Roar
• The Powerpuff Girls
• Once Upon A Time

For those who love stop-motion animation, Rebecca also took a special look at this from October through to early December:

• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Corpse Bride
• Coraline
• ParaNorman
• Frankenweenie

 About Rebecca Fisher:

Rebecca Fisher is a graduate of the University of Canterbury with a Masters degree in English Literature, mainly, she claims, because she was able to get away with writing her thesis on C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. She is a reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com, a large website that specializes in fantasy and science-fiction novels, as well as posting reviews to Amazon.com and her own LiveJournal blog.

Bends in the river...

This is the time of year when I usually embark on my “Best Of…”/”Most Read” posts — & I will get to that very soon.

But first I would like to acknowledge my 2013 “…on Anything, Really” contributors, so that will happen over the next few days through to the New Year, with “Most Read” thereafter.

Meanwhile, keep enjoying those holidays, whether long or short. 😉

Joy, Joy; Happy, Happy—& Merry, too:

all the best wishes from me to you! 🙂