Monday 31 March 2008

Welcome

Yeah, OK - my pre-teen daughter could probably blog better than I can. She can certainly text quicker and work the DVD player. But I thought I ought to join the online community a bit more interactively than just by having a website.

If you've wandered onto this page at random or have perhaps come across me linked with the word "fantasy", I should point out now that it's not the under-the-counter brown wrapper variety, but more the Stephen King flavour. Writing, conventions, British Fantasy Society, magic, alternate realities, science fiction, other worlds, Tolkien, elves and wizards if you must (though I'd really rather not). So if you were expecting content of an adult nature, I'm sorry to disappoint you and thanks for visiting. Switch the lights off as you leave, please.

So who am I? As above - mother, writer, wife etc in varying orders of priority depending on who's shouting the loudest. I'm a member of the British Fantasy Society and was on the committee for over 15 years, edited the BFS newsletter Prism for 5 years and the BFS fiction anthology Dark Horizons for 4 years. And I've been on - ooh, about 10 FantasyCon convention committees.

I've had short fiction published in numerous places, including womens' magazines. I've been short-listed in the Ian St James Award and had a novel long-listed in the Crime Writer's Association Debut Dagger Award. I've won several competitions, but am still chasing that elusive big break. I do get past editors now and into second and third readings - but it's the marketing departments I can't crack! I'm just not famous enough.

So that's me. Can't think of anything else witty and exciting to say, so I'll sign off now and see what my very first blog post looks like...