The Black Crusade

**richardharland** · November 3rd, 2005, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by Rocket Sheep

Raunchy sex thru cage bars and love vampires?

Your writing has that edge that Terry needs, altho the young teen market is probably quite profitable for him.

Hi Rocket Sheep!

I like my 'edge' (blackness of humour? tastelessness? outrage?) but I don't miss it in Terry Pratchett. And I'm sure he's much wiser than me ...

Great stuff! A good review in "Good Reading"! Altho did they really call it reveting? Perhaps they had to go to the vet a couple of times afterwards.

Ah, you're a witty lady! Sorry, I mean, sheep. (And I'm showing my age - using hippy-era slang like 'lady'!) I think they meant that they were absolutely fastened to the page (like a cat flattened out on a vet's slippery-topped table).

Sassycat will be in PIO, under New Publications, next Monday.

I get a lot of hits on my site from Sally Murphy's Aussie Reviews so maybe a review copy her way would be useful. www.aussiereviews.com

I'll suggest that to my publicist.

(So smugly satisfying, to be able to say 'my publicist' - like 'my agent', 'my personal trainer', 'my vet')

Cheers
Richard

**satima** · December 15th, 2005, 01:07 AM

Just dropped by to say 'hi'. I haven't read SassyCat yet - must go hunting (no, not for fish, s'orright Rocket Sheep!) Meantime, I hope you have another adult novel on the go, Richard?

Cheers,
Satima

**richardharland** · December 15th, 2005, 04:11 AM

Hi Satima!

"Sassycat" awaits your attentions!

I just heard the Aurealis Awards shortlists for this year - and "Sassycat: The Night of the Dead" is one of four finalists in the Best Children's Long Fiction section. Yay! The others are Isobelle Carmody's 'Little Fur', Morris Gleitzman's 'Worm Story' and Garth Nix's 'Drowned Wednesday'.

Lucky me - I also have a short story in the Best Fantasy Short Story section.

Yes, I'm working on a much longer fantasy - a genuine crossover, adult/YA. I'd call it adult, in almost every respect except that the main character is 15 years old - and nowadays, that tends to mean it gets targeted to YA. I've nearly finished the first draft, but this is a project I've been working on for 15 years and it's very very important to me, so I'm going to spend plenty of time getting it to (my standards of) perfection.

Cheers
richard

**satima** · December 15th, 2005, 04:20 AM

I suspect luck played only a minor role in your two shortlistings, Richard! It was a very competitive field and I think anyone who is shortlisted deserves loud applause. Good luck in both sections!

I'll look forward to the Genuine Crossover but won't hold my breath waiting

Meantime, I'll go chase that durned cat.

Cheers,
Satima

**richardharland** · December 15th, 2005, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by satima

I suspect luck played only a minor role in your two shortlistings, Richard! It was a very competitive field and I think anyone who is shortlisted deserves loud applause. Good luck in both sections!

I'll look forward to the Genuine Crossover but won't hold my breath waiting

Meantime, I'll go chase that durned cat.

Cheers,
Satima

Thanks! You're not wrong about 'competitive'!

For cat chasing, evidence inside the novel itself suggests that tinned tuna always works, or you can call 'Sass! Sass! Sassycat!' in a special alluring tone of voice.

The book is published by Scholastic - under the Omnibus imprint (except that Scholastic appears on the cover, hell, I don't know - I always say 'Scholastic Omnibus', to cover all bases!)

Cheers
richard