A blatant plug for my friend Lorraine today – she is a smallholder from Cornwall who has retired* to France with her husband. She has a smallholding book that has lots of good advice teamed with fantastic pictures, but also a very recent release about moving to France. This seems like an ideal book to buy now to plan out either a real-life or fantasy move!
Fed up with the rat race? Dreaming of a simpler life? A better life? A GOOD LIFE? Since the 1990’s hundreds of thousands of people left it all behind and moved to France.
Are you dreaming about moving to France to live a simpler, rural life; perhaps on a smallholding or simply in the countryside? Then THIS is the book for YOU.
This practical and up-to-date book will lead you through the many questions you may have including:
* How Brexit will affect you * Owning animals or setting up a smallholding in France * Finding & securing the right property * Starting a rural business
Benefit from Lorraine Turnbull’s own experience and read the case studies from real people who have moved to live the Good Life in various areas of France. It’s a big step to a brave new world and this timely book aims to help you in your journey to your Good Life in France. Lorraine is an award-winning smallholder and former cider maker who relocated to rural France in 2017.
My blogging record this last month has been grim, because of school holidays, poorly children and poorly me, so I threw a question out on twitter asking for a topic and the lovely Elin Gregory came back with the subject of this post.
I love time-travel when it’s done properly. It’s like magic though, in my opinion, and there alwayshas to be a price to pay for it. I think that the best known paradox story in time-travel fiction is All You Zombies by Robert Heinlein. He crams it all in there… being your own mother, your own father and your own recruiter to the Time-Travel Bureau. The price the protaganist pays seems to be loneliness. So it works for me in that it fits my criteria. But it leaves me with a sad, empty feeling afterwards and I’m not sure I like that.
My absolutely favorite time-travel story, in fact probably my favorite short story of all time, is The Man Who Walked Home, by James Tiptree Jr, in her short story collection Ten Thousand Light-Years from Home. There has only ever been one attempt to send someone through time and essentially it blew up the world. I come back to it again and again and I can’t really tell you why:
On this spot there appears annually the form of Major John Delgano, the first and only man to travel in time.
Major Delgano was sent into the future some hours before the holocaust of day zero. All knowledge of the means by which he was sent is lost, perhaps forever. It is believed that an accident occurred which sent him much farther than was intended. Some analysts speculate that he may have gone as far as fifty thousand years ahead. Having reached this unknown point Major Delgano apparently was recalled, or attempted to return, along the course in space and time through which he was sent. His trajectory is thought to start at the point which our solar system will occupy at a future time and is tangent to the complex helix which our earth describes around the sun.
He appears on this spot in the annual instants in which his course intersects our planet’s orbit and he is apparently able to touch the ground in those instants. Since no trace of his passage into the future has been manifested, it is believed that he is returning by a different means than he went forward. He is alive in our present. Our past is his future and our future is his past. The time of his appearances is shifting gradually in solar time to converge on the moment of 1153.6 on May 2nd 1989 old style, or Day Zero.
The explosion which accompanied his return to his own time and place may have occurred when some elements of the past instants of his course were carried with him into their own prior existence. It is certain that this explosion precipitated the worldwide holocaust which ended forever the age of Hardscience
Thank you, Elin for the question! It ties in nicely with my own time-travel shenanigans. Lew and Mira both get dragged back in time at the beginning of Lost in Time (hence the name, doh!). It’s not an easy bit of magic and although it will happen again in other books, there is always quite a big cost. For Lew and Mira it’s extremely dangerous to try to get home. It’s not a safe process and they need to make a choice.
I don’t much like time travel stories that just have people whizzing about through stone circles and whatnot like trap doors in to the past, although I know a lot of people find them great fun. I think that’s possibly because I like all my stories with a lot of angst, so easy time-travel immediately becomes a super-power rather than something to be tortured about.
Next week I’m talking to Elizabeth Noble about writing life and her re-released series, Sentries, so do pop back if you want to get to know her better.
Note: I know that for some people, the Tiptree/Sheldon narrative has become problematic because of the manner of her death (CW: Suicide/Murder) in the same way Heinlein’s politics makes some of his writing difficult to stomach for some people. Whether art should stand independent of the creator is a whole other discussion on it’s own. In their specific cases, I think their work transcends that, but I’ve included the links above for completeness .
This week Naomi Aoki has popped in for a chat. Welcome and thanks so much for visiting!
Why are you doing this interview? (A new book? A new website? A re-release? Just for fun?)
For fun 😊
What started you writing?
I’ve always enjoyed writing and at sixteen
declared I was going to publish a book. At the time I was thinking non-fiction
history and would never have considered romance even though I read it quite a bit.
But as always happens, life got in the way and it was shoved to the way side
until I went back to University and discovered how much I loved putting pen to
paper… began dabbling in fanfic and then got the confidence to write original
works.
Where do you write?
I’m either at a table I hauled into the
lounge so I could work while my computer is charging or sitting on the couch.
My cat prefers it when I’m sitting on the couch so she can curl up on my legs.
What do you like to read?
These days the books I read are very much
queer and romance. I read very little MF and usually only if a character is
transgender. Sub-genre wise… I love romantic suspense, historical romance and
paranormal.
What are the three books you’d take to a desert island? Why would you choose them?
Does my kindle count as a single book? (EDITORIAL COMMENT: No! No cheating! 🙂 )
Okay, but choosing three books is hard as
a lot of my favourites tend to be a part of a series. But if I have too…. Anna
Zabo’s Just Business (Takeover Series Bk2); Tal Bauer’s Whisper; Drake/Elliot’s
Shiver. Why? Easy they’ve all got memorable characters who no matter how many
times you read the book, you never grow tired of.
Writing is an intrinsically solo occupation. Do you belong to any groups or associations, either online or in the ‘real’ world? How does that work for you?
I belong to my local writer’s group and
while some days not much writing gets done or shared, listening to the older
members talk about their life can be just as interesting… plot bunny fodder.
Online I belong to New Zealand Rainbow
Writers. They are a really supportive bunch of authors who are all ready to
lend a hand, an ear or even a virtual shoulder when needed.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing I’m usually reading,
gardening or watching anime—or rolling my eyes at my youngest dd’s umpteenth
viewing of Gilmore Girls. I love to eat Chinese or Japanese food, especially
trying all the weird and wonderful flavours of chips the Chinese shops nearby
stock.
Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?
My most recent release was Rueben (Men of Science Book One), an historical novel set in Shanghai, 1878. The idea came about as I thought there really wasn’t many historical novels that involved scientists—or anyone who wasn’t a Lord or a Duke—and the Victorian era is also when a lot of discoveries and theories on the natural world were made, including the theory birds evolved from dinosaurs. Setting it in China was easy. I’ve always loved learning about Chinese culture and graduated with a BA in Chinese earlier this year. (Though my speaking skills are woefully out of practice.) Many stories set in China tend to be during the Song Dynasty or Romance of the Three Kingdoms-esque, but I’m more intrigued with the social and political upheavals associated with the 19th Century. I think it took me four or five months to write. I loved being able to weave Mandarin into the story, but there wasn’t as much as in my previous book.
Reuben, Men of Science #1
Rueben would be the first to admit he was stubborn. He hated being told something wasn’t possible when there was no scientific basis for their claims. So, when his peers told him searching for fossils in China wouldn’t be a worthwhile endeavour, instead of quitting Rueben doubled down his efforts to raise the necessary funds to travel there.
But his arrival in Shanghai started with embarrassment and left Rueben fearing his distracted clumsiness had scared away his translator and guide, Yuan Xi, before they’d even left for their destination: the Taihang Mountains in Shanxi Province.
Yet Rueben hadn’t imagined the most important discovery he’d make in those mountains would be about himself. An overwhelming and confusing discovery that had Rueben wanting to run… had him never wanting to leave Yuan’s side.
Yuan Xi prided himself on being a sought-after translator, capable of hiding his anger despite the way his European employers treated him and his countrymen. Knew how to keep a smile on his face while being treated like a servant; remaining invisible until needed.
But this latest job could be hazardous to his health, and Yuan didn’t mean physically. The endearingly clumsy scientist employing Yuan made him question whether he wanted more than emotionless, casual relationships… and whether taking a risk with his heart might be worth it.
This week, a very brief post to direct your attention to the LGBTQ Romance Giveaway going on over at Bookfunnel this month. There are more than two dozen of us authors who have put books and stories in to the pot. We have all kinds of romance about people across the rainbow spectrum of sexualities, genders and relationship dynamics.
Pop over and see whether there’s something new that takes your fancy!
A warm welcome to Kristin Noone, who has subjected herself to my author interview questions this week!
A warm welcome to Kristin Noone, who has subjected herself to my interview questions this week!
Firstly, what prompted you to let me ask you nosy questions?!
A recent release and a re-release (or two)! My first F/F romance, The Ninepenny Element, just came out from JMS Books, and JMS is also re-releasing my former Less Than Three Press stories – the first M/M shapeshifter story, Port in a Storm, is out now, and the sequel, Fire and Ink, will be available again September 4… followed by the M/M/M polyamory superheroes of Sundown, Holiday, Beacon, also in September. Which I have to say contains some of my favorite characters of mine ever.
What started you writing?
I’ve been writing for ages – in
kindergarten I wrote a five-page short story about a girl who loses a tooth –
and the Tooth Fairy brings her a baby unicorn, instead of money! (I was a
strange and apparently very hopeful child.) More seriously, I started writing
in grad school – fanfiction first, as an escape and as a way to play with characters
and universes that I loved. And eventually that built into my own original
characters and world-building, and I sold a couple of short stories, and then I
thought, oh, maybe I can do this! (I do still write fanfic, though! But much
less than I used to.)
Where do you write?
If it’s just me home, mostly in the family
room with my laptop and music! Otherwise, sometimes upstairs where the actual
desk is. Or in a Starbucks, if I’ve got a break from teaching and want to leave
campus for a couple of hours!
What do you like to read?
Lots of things! Quite a lot of romance – a
lot of M/M, a lot of paranormal, a lot of historical, mostly Regency or
Victorian – but also a lot of fantasy and historical fiction, and quite a lot
of nonfiction, both for the professor day-job and for pleasure. That’s usually
somehow related to scholarly studies of fantasy, romance, monstrosity, comics,
gender, and medievalism, though I’ve most recently been reading Gretchen
McCulloch’s Because Internet for fascinating linguistic explorations of
internet grammar, just for fun!
What are the three books you’d take to a desert island? Why would you choose them?
Only three? Oh dear! Hmm…Patricia A.
McKillip’s The Book of Atrix Wolfe, KJ Charles’ The Magpie Lord (can
I have the whole trilogy count as one book?), and…some sort of three-way
toss-up between Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch, Neil Gaiman’s collected
Sandman graphic novels, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in a
single edition.
The McKillip is beautiful – lush,
lapidary, fantastic prose, full of magic and redemption and also kitchen magic
and so many words for both food and love. KJ Charles writes such fabulous
romance, with a gorgeous and detailed and diverse magical England and also crackling
chemistry. Every time I read Pratchett I find him more profound – that rage,
that love, that humor, that fierce compassion – and Night Watch is my
favorite Discworld novel. Gaiman’s Sandman is sprawling and epic and weaves
together mythology and heroism and grief and loss and family, plus the art is
spectacular. And Tolkien because there’s so much to savor and linger over (and
occasionally critique!) and have long mental conversations with.
Writing is an intrinsically solo occupation. Do you belong to any groups or associations, either online or in the ‘real’ world? How does that work for you?
I belong to a few facebook groups for
authors – romance, M/M, LGBTQ – and also a few for professors and grad
students, plus my academic association memberships in popular culture and
romance fields! They can be helpful for motivation, advice, and also sometimes
just sympathy.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Reading, probably! And working on the next
scholarly book, which at the moment is about Star Trek tie-in fiction. But
other than that…
Awesome Husband and I are sci-fi geeks and
watch a lot of that genre of television and movies, but we’re also beer geeks
and can be found wandering local craft breweries. Or playing some good tabletop
games, along the lines of Pandemic or Ascension, or doing jigsaw puzzles.
Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?
For The Ninepenny Element, the idea was a
combination of about three things: wanting to write something for the “nine”
theme for the JMS Books ninth anniversary, and a sequel/spin-off for Elemental
starring the older sister of Sterling from that book, and wanting to have some
fun with medievalist folklore trivia about ninepence and magic! Unusually for
me, the title came pretty early on – this one just knew what it was about. And
it felt like it flowed easily; I already knew a lot about the world and
Verity’s family (and annoying but adorable clairvoyant younger brother), so
that part was easy. The trickiest part was figuring out the “villain” – he’s
not really evil, just awful, but I always have a hard time writing characters I
dislike! It did give me an idea for a third story, though…
And you can keep up with Kristin in lots of different places!
Port in a Storm and the new re-release Fire and Ink
Port in a Storm
Fire and Ink
Port in a Storm: A M/M paranormal series, with a runaway kitten shapeshifter and the kind neighborhood witch who rescues him in the rain.
Fire and Ink: Three months ago David Stanton rescued a runaway kitten in the rain. Now he’s got an infamous — and infamously powerful — feline shapeshifter living in his house, helping with his white-witch business, and making him smile. David’s falling in love fast, but there’s still the problem of Colin’s past … and the secrets he’s obviously keeping.
Elemental and The Ninepenny Element
Elemental is a M/M paranormal romance with a blocked writer, a novice witch and a surprise exorcism.
The sequel, the recently released The Ninepenny Element is a F/F paranormal, with a witch, a lawyer, a hexed earring, and a ghost puppy.
Three superheroes in love! Or one superhero, one former sidekick, and one redeemed supervillain, at least.
Ryan,
John, and Holiday have been partners — in every sense of the word —
for two years. They’ve saved the world, fallen in love, and remodeled
the secret base to include bookshelves and a bigger bed.
But Ryan and John have always been the public face of the team. The world still believes Holiday’s a villain. And he’s been using that reputation to stay undercover and share information. Tonight, though, Holiday comes home injured, and his partners aren’t sure the mission’s worth his life.
