[Rocket Sheep]

Look, I beat the author to her own forum!

I met Glenda last year after chatting to her online occasionally and can tell you she is not only talented but warm, charming, and absolutely lovely. And since I doubt she'd use those words herself, I thought I'd leap in and introduce her.

Briefly, Glenda is an Australian, living in Malaysia, where she also works in conservation.

Glenda has written The Tainted, The Aware, Gilfeather, and a book with a chequered history Havenstar (she might explain that saga later).

This is a tense time for Glenda, because The Tainted is shortlisted for an Aurealis Award and they are chosen on Saturday.

The Aware was shortlisted last year and even tho it didn't end up getting an award, two shortlistings in two years is a great recognition of her work.

So good luck, Glenda!

If you want to find out more about Glenda, visit her website (http://www.glendalarke.com/). I'm sure she'll be along soon.

[Radthorne]

No, I think we should just talk about Glenda without her actually being here. :) Sort of like a 3rd person narrative.

Welcome, Glenda! If you've perused any of the other Official Auhor Forums, you'll see that we take no prisoners :D

[Rocket Sheep]

I think we'll have to talk about her in the third person. I remember her saying something about going away for the weekend and not being able to find out how The Tainted went until Monday.

Psst, Glenda... don't tell Rad anything... he'll save it up and use it against you later!

I've actually won a copy of The Aware. I enter all those online "write a paragraph" contests. I've won heaps of books and dvds that way.

[Radthorne]

Psst, Glenda... don't tell Rad anything... he'll save it up and use it against you later!
What? What?!? Now when have I ever done that? Just because I said you were tall and that you play killer netball... (See, Glenda, we have to keep your thread active so people will come and visit, and the best way we can do that is if Rocket and I stay in here and argue...) :D

[Eventine]

The thing that annoys me:
There's what, 5 books shortlisted for the Aurealis award, but I've only seen 2 of them in stores. You think they could could at least do a little display and try and drum up enthusiasm/sales/etc.

[Rocket Sheep]

Now the Fantastic Queensland mob are in charge I'm sure they'll get their marketing gurus to get the cogs grinding. They're pretty good at that.

It would be nice to see all readers aware of the Aurealis Awards instead of just the writers and publishers.

Oh and there's lots of divisions... this is the link to the fantasy shortlist (http://www.clarionsouth.org/aurealisawards/Ffantasy.html). There are links from there to the others. It might be interesting for people to see what the industry thinks is the best stuff of 2004 in Australia... since we are such an upwardly mobile country in the speculative fiction genres.
Marrianne de Pierres is there under science fiction too. She's going to have an author forum here soon.

[alison]

Haha! Another woman! And another Australian! Soon we will rule the WORLD!!!! Hi Glenda, and welcome; I'm unfamiliar with your books, but I will search them out. I guess Minotaur in Melbourne would stock them? I believe they often do displays of shortlisted books.

And congratulations on your shortlisting! And the best of luck. I missed out this year (sob) but hey, them's the breaks. I was shortlisted twice a couple of years ago, but me, I'm always the bridesmaid. It's true that the shortlists have not been promoted much, which is a shame, as these are the only ones in Australia that specifically focus on fantasy. But like Rocket Sheep says, it looks as if Fantastic Queensland might usher in a new era.

And yes, watch out for that Rad fella - I've only just met him, but he has a very satirical eye. :)

PS Rocket, when you are setting up your own author forum?

[alison]

I've now checked out Glenda's page, and I see she's a busy woman. Definitely going to get those books. And I have a question, for when Glenda does get here: given your other environmental work, how much does that feed into your novels? Am I right in reading a strong environmental subtext in the themes of your novels?

[glendalarke]

Hello all, and many thanks for the welcome! Sorry I am late joining my own forum...*blush*

I have been out station doing "real" work - well, you can't call writing work, can you?? After all, it doesn't really pay that well...Seriously, I have a dual personality. I'm either out in the rainforest with no mod cons, or at home pounding away at the computer, writing. All of one, or all of the other.

Anyway, Sheepie, thanks for the lovely intro and putting my website link there.

And alas, Alison, I also am not the bride this year. The Aurealis Awaard for Best Australian Fantasy Novel of 2004 went to another Voyager author, Sean Williams. Still, I am ecstatic to have had two books of the trilogy shortlisted, one in 2003, one this year. Eventine: jump up and down in the bookstore and demand they get the shortlisted books in!!

For the non-Aussies here, The Aware - first book in the trilogy - is being put out by Penguin Ace books in the USA on 29th March. It (and the others) can already be bought in UK through my website. The stand alone Havenstar is out of print and can only be bought secondhand, usually at horrendous prices.

And re the question on environmental subtext - yes, it's there if you look for it. I feel very strongly that if we degrade the environment we will pay for it. And why should it be any different in a fantasy world? There is a horrendous price paid by some characters in the final scenes of The Tainted.

Having said that, I also feel that it is not my place as a fantasy writer to bludgeon my readers with my, um, pet obsessions! To me, the story is the thing and I try very hard not to preach. The way I feel about the world is there, certainly, but it is just as background. People ask me whether I do much research for my novels - and the answer is, no, not much. I've just lived an interesting life (I've lived in 4 different continents!) and picked up lots of juicy ideas along the way, as well as an environmental credo...

And that's enough for an intro.

Hope to see you all back here, even the dreaded Rad. I shall be around quite a lot from now till another field trip starting on 24th February.

[Radthorne]

Hope to see you all back here, even the dreaded Rad. I shall be around quite a lot from now till another field trip starting on 24th February.
The dreaded Rad? Good heavens, I don't think I've ever quite been referred to that way before...

Has a certain ring to it, though... ;)