Speculation, Fact and Fiction

Well, that's four days I won't get back. My writing plans and pretty much everything else have been comprehensively derailed by a truly disgusting cold. Quite the worst of this whole winter season - and with the added insult of sunshine and daffodils outside as I huddled wheezily over hot lemon and honey with temperature going up and down like a fiddler's elbow. On the mend now, thankfully, though I think today will see light admin done and nothing much more. Deathless prose certainly ain't about to happen.

Still, on the plus side, Ireland won the Grand Slam! (I utterly fail The Tebbit Test when it comes to rugby). And the sons presented me with lovely cards and chocs for Mother's Day. Which I will enjoy when I have some sense of taste again.

Good thing the germ hit this past weekend though. The next - er - five are solidly booked.

This coming weekend I'm in Dublin for P-Con, beginning with a signing at Chapters Bookshop, Parnell St, alongside Charles Stross, Oisin McGann and CE Murphy, from 5 pm on Friday 27th March This is likely to be the first opportunity to buy copies of Irons in the Fire, officially published 31st March!

My convention panels include; Fantasy Quests - why bother?; Evil Emperors - a How To guide; Rules of Writing - Help or Hindrance. All good stuff.

Then on 2nd April, I'm giving my illustrated talk on Oxford's tradition of fantasy writing, at the Corner Club, Turl Street, 7 pm. (£5, tickets from the venue)

On 4th April, from 6 pm, The Write Fantastic will be discussing reading and writing SF&F in Borders Bookshop, Oxford; namely, myself, Chaz Brenchley, Sarah Ash and since he's a local pal and talented writer, we're joined by Ben Jeapes. Mark Chadbourn may or may not be joining us depending on other commitments - which is of course merely one reason why TWF is a group effort. That's a free event, all welcome.

10th-13th April - Eastercon, Bradford. My current schedule includes panels of whether or not you can trust a book with a dragon on the front, the David Gemmell Awards, and one on how much reality is necessary/desirable in fantasy. I'm moderating that one so am contemplating ways to turn that conversation in some new directions.

Then it's domestic stuff in the diary - Kai Shin Kai annual gradings on the 19th April and Mark the Aikido Plumber is going for his brown belt/1st kyu. Then on the 25th April, pal Sue and newly-wed sister and I are having a ladies' lunch day out. Really looking forward to that!