On 1 May of this year I talked about “comfort reading” on the Supernatural Underground.

In that post, I discussed the comfort read in terms of ” … books that are like old friends. I can just pick them up, put my feet up and enjoy. I know I am going to be entertained—I have, after all, known and loved these particular friends for many years—and there is something deeply relaxing about spending quality time in company with a story like that. Sure, a new release or new-to-me book may be just as good. But then again, it may not. And when the going gets tough, I like to know I’m turning to friends I can rely on.”

But sometimes the comfort read category broadens out from particular books that you know and love, to authors themselves. These are the writers where you know, whenever you pick out one of their titles, that you are going to enjoy the ride. This particular book may not be your top read ever, or even the best story you’ve read by that particular author,  but you still know that whatever happens it won’t be bad, and far more likely you’re in for a good time.

In between the “grrgh-aarghing” of EQC forms and insurance claims (discussed yesterday) I have been sneaking in a read by one such author—Tamora Pierce.

Well, to be honest, several reads, because I was lucky enough to acquire the first three books in her “Protector of the Small” series recently: First Test, Page, and Squire.

I have been really enjoying them, for a number of reasons. First there’s a pleasant sense of homecoming, because the very first Tamora Pierce book I read was Alanna: the First Adventure, all about a girl, Alanna, who disguises herself as a boy in order to become a knight in the Fantasy kingdom of Tortall. The “Protector” series is also about a girl—Keladry—who wants to become a knight of Tortall—but Tamora Pierce is much too good a writer to just retell the same story over again. The Protector series is very much its own story and there is no sense in which Keladry is just Alanna with a change of name. For a start, Keladry is not disguised as a boy, but flying under her true colours as a girl trying to make it in a man’s world.

The rest of the story you will have to find out for yourself by reading the books, if you have not done so already. But one thing I have really appreciated in making my way through the three books, is just what very good stories they are. As the reader, I can just sit back, relax, and enjoy …

So what makes them such good stories—after all, the basic premise is ‘just-another-coming-of-age-tale’, right? Well, not quite … While to an extent the premise holds true, i.e. the “Protector” series is a coming-of-age tale, it also has the following Tamora Pierce hallmarks:

• an engaging plot;
• likeable interesting characters who “live and breathe” on the page;
• good pace, structure and continuity (so you’re never saying—“now, hold on a minute …”);
• although these are Junior/YA fiction, Ms Pierce never talks down to her readers, so her books are still enjoyable for an adult reader (I suspect this may make them more enjoyable for junior/YA readers as well);
• the books always appeal to me, because however adventurous—and I do love adventurous stories—there are always more serious issues to be traversed, which give the stories depth.

The simple truth, I believe, is that Tamora Pierce is a master storyteller, so that’s why, if I’m looking for the comfort of an assured good read, I never have any problem in picking up one of her titles. Even if I haven’t read it before, I know I’m in safe hands.

Yesterday I posted an earthquake report on the general situation in Christchurch one year on from the first major earthquake (7.1) on September 4, seven months from the devastating 6.3 on 22 February, and three months from the ‘deja vu’ 6.3 shock of June 13—assuming, for this purpose, my guise of your “’embedded’ reporter from the suburban rear lines.” 😉

But as one friend emailed me “off air” to say: “you didn’t mention anything about your personal situation.”

“Oh, that!” I replied.

“Yes,” she said. “That. Exactly.”

So, here goes with exactly that …

Overall, what I’d say is “we’re ok.” Our property has been zoned what’s called “green,” meaning that I’m not in an area that’s being “written off.” The house has taken a fair bit of damage, mostly in the area of the foundations, but is still perfectly livable—so when I talk about those twisted and broken houses that I see on my walks about the city, well I definitely count my blessings, then.

A lot of other things need fixing, too, like the sewer line, which now features an interesting crackle glaze effect courtesy of June 13—and this, like the house foundations, makes it likely that large parts of my garden, which I love, will have to be torn out to accommodate the repairs. Needless to say, even though I know that gardens can be replanted, that still hurts quite a bit.

And yes, half our life is still currently stored in boxes, and there’s likely to be a fair amount of stress and turmoil in future when the repairs eventually happen, particularly given that doing the foundations means that the house will have to be completely repainted and decorated afterward—yes, inside and out—as well as  the garden being re-planted, which will require moving out for a period. And right now I’m wrasslin’ with Earthquake Commission froms, and insurance forms—all the while emulating the “grrrgh-aarrgh” from the end of Buffy shows on a regular basis!—and cataloguing broken stuff (yes, you have to keep  all the debris until your contents claim is settled) and getting quotes, and it is stressful, but …

But, here’s the important thing, overall I have a place to live that’s weathertight and livable enough, and slowly, the threads of everyday life are starting to re-knit together—mainly in small ways, touching base with people I haven’t seen since before February 22nd, making plans for book-related activities again, seeing old businesses re-open and new ones tentatively hang out their shingle. I guess in that sense, spring really is on the move everywhere …

So although I know that saying, “Oh, I know there’s an awful ot of people who are worse off than me” can be hackneyed, I also feel that in this case, there really are—many, many more. And Pollyanna-ish though it may be—and despite not infrequent moments of grrrgh-aarrgh—I really do try and stay focused on that glass half full.

On Friday I said that: “I know I “should” do another Earthquake Report update—but quite honestly, mostly I’d rather not even talk about it. Just getting through it day-to-day can be tough enough.”

But when I looked back through the Earthquake Reports folder (under Categories in the far right hand sidebar), I realised that it really had been quite a while since I had given you all a proper update. And although the focus of the world has moved on—and quite rightly, because otherwise we would all be living in a state of vicarious trauma and nothing would ever get done—here the year of earthquakes is still very much the dominant shaper of Christchurch life.

Firstly, although the 5 distinct earthquake events were September 4, January 26, February 22, April 16 and June 13, there have now been over 8500 recorded quakes since September 4 2010—and yes, they are still going on, with earthquakes most days and the most recent “swarm” of activity occurring last Saturday 24. So we’re still being kept on our toes—and stastically, there could still be another big one. (May I say how much I hope that there isn’t?!)

As I indicated on September 14—with the photos that accompanied the “peek inside” Neil Gaiman’s Inventing Aladdin, from the Tales for Canterbury anthology—the ongoing demolition of buildings continues, so that a zigzag through the central city—significant parts of which are still cordoned off—shows large areas of cleared ground where there used to be a thriving central area. Sadder still are those buildings yet to come down, like several hotels in the central area where you can see expanses of broken windows with torn curtains flapping through them. Mournful stuff, as are the slumped and twisted homes in areas around the river, with the banks on each side either twisted up or completely collapsed into what was once the bed of the waterway.

So much completely gone: homes, businesses, churches, halls, sports centres, and of course people—with whole neighbourhoods largely abandoned in places, most obvious at night when you can drive through streets of dark, empty houses. A great many people have already left, both for other parts of New Zealand and Australia; every day you hear of others still weighing up their options.

Significant areas of the city have also now been zoned “red,” meaning that the land condition is considered incapable of remediation and so both homes and lands are being “written off,” placing large numbers of residents in the situation of having to find other places to live. (There are complications around fair recompense for the written off properties, too, of course, plus market values shooting up in the areas that have survived the earthquakes better.)

On a more positive note, as well as demolition, everywhere you look there’s also repair and rebuilding, chiefly of roads, sewer and stormwater, and other vital public infrastructure. Buildings will generally be slower to come back: many owners are still waiting on insurance money and private investors will likely be wary until there is more surety that the earthquake activity has really died down. And not surprisingly, it’s incredibly difficult to get new insurance right now!

What else is positive? Well, it’s spring: everywhere you look, amidst and around the ruin, there is blossom, bulbs flowering, and a sense of life springing up again—of continuance. It reminds me, in an indirect way, of the rooster in JRR Tolkien’s The Return of the King, at the end of the seige of Minas Tirith—how the bird senses the dawn coming above the darkness of sorcery and prolonged battle, and crows, “wreaking nothing of wizardry and war.” So, too, with the spring here—it wreaks nothing of earthquakes and destruction of the built environment, but pushes up again, and on, regardless.

I think we will do the same—are already starting to, if not quite with the same verve and elan as spring! The world will right itself, but in the meantime there is still loss—a great deal of it for some people—and a long way to go, the work of years not months and one that will also be influenced by outside forces, such as what is happening in the world economy right now. Serious thoughts indeed, but not without that touch of brightness: the clump of daffodils by the roadside; the arch of blossom across a pale spring sky.

The Begonias

Mal pushes
each seedling down,
grime lining
the cracks in her hands,
eyes narrowed
against the sun’s
low angle.  Usually
she crams her hair up
beneath an old hat—the floppy kind
that cricketers wear—
but today the hat is perched
amongst magnolia stellata
and Mal’s hair
is a fraying rope
that follows the curve
of her spine, swinging
to every movement
of bend forward, sit back,
as she pauses, wiping
dirt across her face.  “I thought
you didn’t like begonias,”
I say.  Mal shrugs.
“Mum always planted them here.
I thought I might as well …”
She seizes the hat,
pulls it low
across her eyes.

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(c) Helen Lowe

Published in moments in the whirlwind, Ed. Barbara Strang, NZ Poetry Society, 2009

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To read the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets around the world, click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.

On Thursday, as part of NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week I featured an interview with (New Zealander) Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, co-authors of Phoenix Rising, the first novel in their “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences” steampunk series.

Pip and Tee very kindly offered a signed copy of Phoenix Rising for giveaway as part of the interview, the recipient to be drawn from amongst those who commented on the interview before the close of NZ SpecFic Blogging Week on Sunday 25 September.

As indicated on Thursday, the winning name was to be drawn by Random Number Generator. This has now duly happened and the successful commenter is:

Liam

Congratulations, Liam!

And thank you to everyone who commented—I am very glad that you enjoyed the interview.

On Thursday, I featured an interview with Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, co-authors of the steampunk novel, Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel.

(And by the way, the giveaway for that interview will run until midnight today, NZ time—just post a comment on the interview, here, to be in the draw.)

In the interview, I described the steampunk subgenre of SFF as “… speculative fiction … that draws on an alternate 19th century milieu, effectively imagining continuation of the mechanical age.”

Pip Ballantine, like Phoenix Rising heroine Eliza D Braun, is a New Zealander—so it may come as no surprise to learn that New Zealand has its very 19th century milieu where speculative continuation of the mechanical age is celebrated. Yes, I am talking about “steampunk Oamaru” aka “Whitestone Oamaru.”

You can find out more about Steampunk Oamaru at Steampunk HQ here and check out The League of Victorian Imagineers (don’t you just love that name?), here, including the forthcoming 2011 Tomorrow As It Used To Be exhibition, here,  and the Steampunk Short Film Festival.

And there was a steampunk Fashion Show & Gala Ball earlier in the year (and again next year, I’m sure!)

Just for a bit of background—why did I say “aka Whitestone Oamaru?” Although in fact, I could equally well have said: Victorian Oamaru, or Historic Oamaru because the small seaside city of Oamaru contains New Zealand’s most intact Victorian precinct, characterised not just by individual buildings, but a small area of intact streetscapes. And the “whitestone?” That’s because from highly decorated Victorian bank facades, through pubs, to wool and grain stores, these buildings are all constructed from the local “whitestone”—limestone that is quarried from near the town.

Over the past 25 years, The Whitestone Civic Trust, together with the Waitaki District Council,  has done tremendous work, not just to preserve the precinct but also to create a thriving Victorian “town at work” within it, a wonderful Heritage Week celebration—check out the Penny Farthing races here—and now the spinoff celebration of steampunk. What’s there to say, except that it’s all good!

Oamaru’s not just about heritage though—there’s little blue penguins to be seen in the evenings, nearby Moeraki with its famous boulders— and also Fleur’s Place for great food ambience—and the Forrester Art Gallery which always has some very good exhibitions to see.

In fact, Historic Oamaru is an all round good place to visit—even without the steampunk. I love it, but I have to admit that the steampunk adds just that extra touch of fun!

Avast thar me ‘earties—I can’t believe I’ve missed International Talk Like A Pirate Day! September 19 was “the day” and of course that was when I was reflecting on the joys of spring equinox and looking ahead—and so completely missed this Very Important Annual Event.

So I’ve decided to celebrate it to today, anyway! 😉

Last year I celebrated by listing some favourite pirate reads, including Margaret Mahy’s The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate,  Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island, and Rafael Sabatini’s Captain Blood.

Today—and in the spirit of NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week—I thought I’d talk specifically about pirate tales in the SFF genre.

First off the blocks is easy-peasy: it has to be William Goldman’s The Princess Bride!

And then there’s Tom Powers’ On Stranger Tides, which is being used as the basis for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie. (More Captain Jack Sparrow—not to be confused with the Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood fame—yes, please! Actually, that would be “yes, please” to both!)

And the classic kids’ story, JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. And more recently, Kage Baker’s The Hotel Under the Sand. (Both of which I mentioned last year—how not?)

But you know, after that I kind of got to scratching my head, trying to think of SFF books that were specifically about pirates, or featured a main pirate character—not just with a background mention of pirates, as with the Blackbeard incident in Neal Stephenson’s Quicksilver, but actually, specifically, about pirates.

I did think about CJ Cherryh’s Rimrunners, where former space marine Bet Yeager falls in with a “spook” ship, but that is not quite the same thing as pirates—and although the Earth fleet in Cherryh’s “Downbelow” ‘verse has effectively taken to behaving like pirates, they don’t see themselves as such …

So you might have to help me out here—what are some other great SFF novels either based specifically around pirates, or featuring a pirate as a major character?

On Monday, I was getting into the spirit of spring equinox and looking ahead to what was coming up in the next 6 months—still not fully taking in that daylight saving starts this weekend! And today I got an email asking me to confirm potential dates for a Christmas party—I mean, seriously, a Christmas party … How can it possibly be almost Christmas again, already?!

So as I hadn’t got much past October 18 with my looking ahead, I thought I had better extend myself! So here goes …

Well, in 6 months time, The Gathering of the Lost, the second novel in The Wall of Night series, is going to be published in both the USA and UK/AU/NZ. At the moment, the information I have suggests the last week in March for the US and first week in April for the UK/AU/NZ. It doesn’t feel quite real at the moment (after all, it’s a whole ‘nuther equinox away 😉 ) but I am sure it will as I get closer. I’m also sure I will have some covers to show you some time before then—and there is something about having a cover officially “out there” that makes everything seem that little bit more real.

A whole lot closer in time, in the next month or so I should be doing a couple of guest blog spots on SF Signal-–most likely around epic Fantasy, since that’s kinda my thing, but there’s a few other ideas floating around out there, too … Anyway, watch this space, because I’ll definitely let you know when they’re up and running.

In the meantime, I’ll still be doing my regular first-of-the-month post on the Supernatural Underground—and speaking of which, right now Aussie author Nicole Murphy has an interesting post running there, weighing up the pros and cons, with urban fantasy, as to whether mainstream human society “should” know about the alternate / paranormal beings existing in parallel with them—or not. Click here if you want to weigh in with your own thoughts.

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I also hope to be doing more interviews with other writers, similar to the interview with Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris that I posted yesterday, here. Authors I hope to catch up with include Mary Victoria, whose third and final novel in the Chronicles of the Tree series, Oracle’s Fire, will be out next month—and possibly Daniel Abraham, to talk about the first in his new epic Fantasy series, The Path of Dragons.

So as I always say, ‘watch this space’ … But as you can see, there’s plenty for me to keep busy with, quite aside from Christmas coming up (like a rocket!) and the ongoing post-earthquake situation here, which is pretty much ubiquitous at present. (And yes, I know, I “should” do another Earthquake Report update—but quite honestly, mostly I’d rather not even talk about it. Just getting through it day-to-day can be tough enough.)

And don’t forget—the Phoenix Rising giveaway as part of the Pip Ballantine/Tee Morris interview will run through until midnight, Sunday 25 (the official end of NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging week.) All you have to do is comment on the interview, here, to go in the draw.

This week is NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week, and in the spirit of the week I am delighted to bring you an interview with (New Zealander) Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, co-authors of Phoenix Rising, the first novel in their “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences” steampunk series.

And Yes—There is A  Giveaway!

Pip and Tee are giving away a signed copy of Phoenix Rising, to be drawn from those who comment on the interview before the close of NZ SpecFic Blogging Week on Sunday 25 September. But more giveaway details below the interview!

Now, without further ado, onward to—

The Interview:

Helen: Welcome, Pip & Tee! Firstly, congratulations on Phoenix Rising—A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel—being nominated for an Airship Award for a Written Work in the Steampunk genre. Is this the first time you’ve been nominated for a specifically steampunk award?

Tee: Yes, this is our first nomination for a steampunk-specific award; and when we saw that we had made the final cut and the company we were keeping with the category, Pip and I were thrilled.

Pip: We’re newcomers to the genre, and we are quite honored to be singled out as outstanding steampunk with all the terrific books that have come out in the past year.

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Helen: Tell me a little bit about Phoenix Rising—what’s it all about?

Tee: Phoenix Rising is a steampunk adventure romp set in a late-Victorian London. In this version of England, amidst the gadgets and the goggles (all of which have practical applications, mind you!), Her Majesty’s Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences investigates the strange and the unexplained. Eliza D Braun is a New Zealand secret agent, who through a series of unfortunate explosions, has been demoted to said Archives. The Ministry’s chief (and sole) archivist, Wellington Thornhill Books, is most unhappy to have the rather spontaneous Agent Braun in his ordered world. He’s happy about being rescued by Agent Braun at the opening of the book, but looks at both her demotion and his new charges as punishment against them both. During her first week or so, Eliza uncovers an unsolved case in the Archives which involves her former partner, and drags Wellington along with her to help solve it—all while trying to hide it from the head of the Ministry.

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Helen: Steampunk is speculative fiction, but one that draws on an alternate 19th century milieu, effectively imagining continuation of the mechanical age. What drew you both to the subgenre?

Pip: For me it was the chance to twist history, to include characters and places that existed in our world, and make them different—oh and to have a bit of fun!

Tee: For me, it is the subculture of steampunk. I’ve been fascinated by it ever since two dear friends, J.R. Blackwell and Jared Axelrod, turned me on to it. Steampunk is such a fertile ground for the imagination.

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Helen: Did you have to do a lot of research to get the Victoriana, and Victorian world, right? And do you think historical accuracy matters in SFF with an historical setting, or it more a case of legitimately using history as a form of broadbrush scene painting?

Pip: I think there is a line where history must give way to the needs of the plot. Where exactly that line is, is up to the individual. We have considerably more wiggle room since what we are doing is set within steampunk, so the ripple effects of steampowered gadgetry and machines has altered a lot of the history. I dare say, when people get to read the sequel, Of Cogs and Corsets, they might find a prominent New Zealand suffragette changed from our reality.

Tee: The history is our basis, of course, but we are not bound by it. We can play within the boundaries of the era. In other words, if I’m doing a “steampunk iPad” I have to make it LOOK like it was built for the time. It’s not going to me minimal, but it’s going to have finesse, style, and elegance.

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Helen: Phoenix Rising is a collaboration—what benefits did you find in writing as a team? Were there any difficulties?

Pip: The benefits were definitely more than the difficulties. Having someone to bounce ideas of, someone who might have inspiration when you do not, that constant bouncing back and forth, is delightful. The only challenge can be when you disagree, but sometimes in the process of defending why you want things a certain way you realize that you really don’t have a leg to stand on.

Tee: The difficulties are pretty much Pip’s doing. She just recently got me hooked on this game for the iPad, Crimson: Steam Pirates. It’s awesome … and now my productivity is taking a full broadside.

Seriously though, Pip and I found that writing together is full contact and back-and-forth collaboration. Like ballroom dancing. When I think I’m trying to keep up with Pip, she tells me it’s the other way around. We have a lot of fun working together.

Pip: Yeah, but like Ginger Rogers I have to do it backwards and in heels.

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Helen: And I have to ask: did Tee write the Wellington sequences and Pip the Eliza sections of the book, or did you mix it up a bit?

Tee: That’s how it was at the beginning. Eliza was all Pip, and then I brought in Wellington’s point-of-view. We also traded off on first drafts of the Interludes. Then, during the editing process, we started to add in our own touches, smooth out transitions, add a few dimensions. The end style was a true hybrid of our individual styles.

Pip: It started off as as simple concept, but became a much more organic process than I was thinking.

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Helen: Pip, Phoenix Rising’s heroine, Eliza D. Braun, is a New Zealander, as are you—how important is it to you to keep a NZ slant on your writing?

Pip: A lot of steampunk is set in either London or the West of America, however Victorian times happened everywhere. Broadening the understanding of the world is not only crucial—it also gives the genre more scope and interest. If we confine ourselves just to England then steampunk as a genre could easily wither on the vine. Tee and I have edited an anthology of Ministry short stories, which are available as digital shorts and podcasts, and many of those were set in places outside of England. Among this collection are two stories actually set in steampunk New Zealand, one by myself and one by Grant Stone, and I like to think we are helping spread awareness of our country.

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Helen: Steampunk is a very popular form of SciFi-Fantasy (SFF) at present: why do you think that is?

Pip: I think people out there are looking for a sense of optimism, and in the Victorian era, despite all the imperialism and discrimination, there was definitely that. It was the age of the amateur explorer and inventor, and there was a sense that things could get better with technology. Right now, there is a sense of fear among some people about what technology will bring with it.

Tee: Many authors are dismissing steampunk as the flavor of the month. I tend to find those are the authors who are not paying attention to the genre as steampunk has been around since the 80’s. (Also, some of these nay-sayers saying this are writing urban fantasies about hot, sexy female demon-vampire-werewolf slayers who are all bad-ass until that one angel—no pun intended—comes along and rocks their world. But steampunk is trendy!) I think it’s appeal comes from its wild abandon into imagination. It can be delightfully fun. It can be dark. Steampunk can be so many things, but indulging your imagination is at its core.

And tea. Don’t forget the tea!

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Helen: How could I possibly forget the tea?! 😉

“But seriously,” Pip and Tee—thank you very much for doing this interview. Just like Phoenix Rising and steampunk itself, it’s been a lot of fun and a great feature for NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week. I am sure that ” … on Anything, Really” readers will enjoy the time with you both as much as I have—and like me, wish you all the very best for the Airship Award!

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And to all those readers & steampunk afficionados who have not done so already, you can read the first 70 pages of Phoenix Rising, here.

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About Pip Ballantine:

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa has always had her head in a book. For this she blames her father who thought The Lord of the Rings was suitable bedtime reading for an eight year old. At the age of thirteen she began writing fantasy stories for herself.

She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. So soon enough she found herself working in the magical world of libraries where she stayed for over a decade.

Her first professional sale was in 1997, and since then she has gone on to produce mostly novel length fiction. In 2006 she became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist, and she has voiced and produced Weaver’s Web, Chasing the Bard, Weather Child and Digital Magic as podiobooks. Her podcasts have been short listed for the Parsec Awards, and won a Sir Julius Vogel award.

Philippa is the author of the Books of the Order series with Ace- the first of which Geist was released in October 2010. Spectyr (June 2011), Wrayth (2012) and Harbinger are to follow. She is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee Morris (her soon-to-be husband). Phoenix Rising debuted in May 2011 and Of Cogs and Corsets will be out in 2012. She also has the Shifted World series with Pyr Books, with the first book Hunter and Fox coming in 2012.

When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible traveling. Her two Siberian cats, Sebastian and Viola make sure she and the family stay out of trouble.

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About Tee Morris:

Tee Morris began his writing career in 2002 with his historical epic fantasy, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. This Dragon Moon Press title went on to become the first novel to be podcast from cover-to-cover, and one of the founding titles of Podiobooks.com, the premier site for podcast literature.

Tee went on to co-write Podcasting for Dummies and All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes, establishing himself as an authority on Social Media matters. His podcasts and blogposts on Facebook, Twitter, Whrrl, and the Social Media movement can be found across the Internet; and have taken him to various speaking engagements around the world including Book Expo America, Te Papa Tongarewa: The Museum of New Zealand, CreateSouth, and LIANZA. He has also written editorial columns for BenBella Books’s Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets and So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (co-edited by actor Richard Hatch).

In 2011, Tee returned to his first love—fiction—with Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, written with Pip Ballantine. His first major fiction release in nearly three years, the book has already made an impact, being produced as an audiobook within six months of its release; selling rights into Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia; and short-listed for the 2011 Airship Awards for Best Steampunk Work in Literature.

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Giveaway Details:

To celebrate NZ Speculative Fiction Blogging Week and the publication of Phoenix Rising in New Zealand, Pip and Tee are giving away a signed copy of Phoenix Rising, to be drawn from those who comment on this interview before midnight, NZ time on Sunday 25 September (the close of NZ SpecFic Blogging Week.) The winner will be drawn by Random Number Generator and posted on Monday 26 at 6.30 am, NZ time.

Please don’t forget to check back after the closing date to see if you’ve won. If the prize has not been claimed by 6.30 am on Wednesday 28 (NZ time), I will re-draw.

Today is “officially”, I believe, the spring equinox—and I wrote on Monday that it:

” … feels like both a hopeful time, and one to think about what’s coming up in the six months ahead.”

The arrival of spring equinox also got me thinking about the importance of the seasons and the festivals that mark seasonal transition in The Gathering of the Lost (The Wall of Night, Book Two.)

Over a year ago, in my very first “Influences on Story” post on June 23 (and yes, I know, it’s ages since I’ve done anything on “Influences”—I have been too busy writing m’story, aye! 😉 ) I did mention this, noting particularly that:

 

“Yesterday, the section of The Gathering of the Lost (The Wall of Night Series, Book Two) that I was working on centered around a festival called Summer’s Eve, which is “always held on the first new moon of summer.”

I then went on to discuss festivals in our world, such as Matariki here in NZ, Valborgsmassafton in Sweden, where I once lived, and May Day in the UK, all of which have influenced my ideas around seasonal festivals and their connection to cultural celebration.

But the seasonal cycle in the Southern Realms of the world of Haarth—which broadly comprise all those lands and kingdoms “from Ij to Ishnapur”—is tied not only to the formality of solstice and equinox, but also to that sense of a shift in the seasons that can come almost overnight, where you step outside and feel the “change” that speaks to you through air and light. For example, the early morning crispness that starts around 20 February (here in NZ), accompanied by a noticeable change in the quality of the light, that tells us that yes, even though autumn equinox is still a month away, the world has already begun its in exorable turn toward winter. And I believe the Japanese celebrate a corresponding turn in mid-late February with the ume matsuri festival, celebrating the plum blossoms that are the first harbingers of spring.

So these are the seasonal celebrations in the Southern Realms of Haarth:

• The First of Spring—this takes place approximately eight weeks after the winter solstice, but ahead of the equinox, and celebrates the beginning of spring
• Spring Night—spring equinox
• Summer’s Eve—held approximately half way between the spring equinox and summer solstice, on the first new moon of summer
• Midsummer—the summer solstice, usually celebrated by a three day festival
• Summer’s End—celebrated approximately eight weeks after the summer solstice; also a harvest festival
• Autumn’s Eve—the autumn equinox
• Autumn’s Night—major festival marking the end of harvest and advent of winter, held on the last old moon of autumn; also a feast of the dead. May be called Winter’s Eve in some communities.
• Midwinter—the winter solstice

In The Gathering of the Lost, the arc of the story is marked by the passage of these seasonal celebrations, from spring through to summer’s end. (And yes, cherries do get a mention in relation to Midsummer … )