Once More Around the Sun

And a happy new year to you all (if you go by the Gregorian calendar, there’s obviously still Chinese New Year, Tet in Vietnam and a bunch of others to come). I’m writing this on the morning of January 2nd, remarkably un-hung over (hung-under? Under-hung? No, that’s something else…) after a day with the in-laws.Continue reading “Once More Around the Sun”

Word / Aberdeen May Festival 2016

  I’ve been desperate to share this with y’all for ages but was bound to silence by higher powers. I’ll be appearing as part of the Word Festival / Aberdeen May Festival on Sunday May 29th at 2pm. I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen and was lucky enough to be thereContinue reading “Word / Aberdeen May Festival 2016”

Science Fiction, Flash Fiction, Shortlisted Fiction

All the news that’s new and approved. First up, I’m really pleased to announce that I have been made Reviews Editor of Shoreline of Infinity, a new Scottish-based international science fiction magazine. I was a big fan of the concept of the journal when it was first floated and became a subscriber (you can even seeContinue reading “Science Fiction, Flash Fiction, Shortlisted Fiction”

Award-winning Friends and Reviews

Hi folks, I’ll be back soon with a proper update and some big news but in the meantime here are two nuggets of happiness to tide you over. First off, Kirstin Innes – an old friend and fellow stablemate at Freight – has won this year’s Guardian Not The Booker. It’s a well-deserved victory for aContinue reading “Award-winning Friends and Reviews”

First Time Solo: Historical Novel Society Review

Editing, editing, editing. Ma heid’s like mince. Congratulations to Kirstin Innes, whose Fishnet has been shortlisted for the Guardian Not The Booker Prize. The reading and voting will commence soon so if you have a moment, head over, check up on the rules and give Kirstin (or one of the other five finalists) your support. FirstContinue reading “First Time Solo: Historical Novel Society Review”

The Launching of Silma Hill

Well, the Silma Hill Book Tour is over. I’m back in Japan dealing with the twin miseries of humidity and jet lag. Seriously, this is the worst I’ve ever had. Three nights in a row awake until 7am and I’m supposed to not only be back at the day job but editing novel #3. That’s theContinue reading “The Launching of Silma Hill”

New Books by Wonderful Writers

I’ve had a week off work and, writing half a short story aside, have been letting my mind unwind from the exertions of finishing the last novel. Mainly I’ve spent my time lying in the park reading. Near our apartment there’s an ancient burial mound (Jomon period, roughly 1000BCE – 300BCE) that makes for aContinue reading “New Books by Wonderful Writers”

Coming Up For Air

At last, I hear you cry, a post that isn’t just a link to a Japan Times article. Yes, of late my epistles to the outside world have been a bit samey, but there are good reasons for that. Obviously I’ve been productive for the paper and hopefully those pieces are of some interest, but I’veContinue reading “Coming Up For Air”

FTS Book Tour

I’ve been meaning to write about the First Time Solo book tour since I got back to Japan a couple of weeks ago but a number of things prevented me from work, through editing a new book (more on which later this week) to not having a computer anymore. Now, however, I have a shinyContinue reading “FTS Book Tour”

Happy Hogmanay

End of the year, and all that. I have to say, 2013 has been fantastic. Vintage. Every year I write a list of all the things I want to achieve by the following December. Lose weight, study Japanese properly, things like that. December 2012 I wrote for the next year ‘Finish Wasting Embers‘. Nailed thatContinue reading “Happy Hogmanay”