Kari Sperring's Occasional Blog

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-09-05T19:20:12Z

If you were to ask me my favourite book, there is no doubt you'd get the immediate reply, The Three Musketeers. That is the book at the very heart of my best obsession, the core and key and very feel of what I most want out of reading, the other-place I aim to echo and reference and reflect and emulate when I write. It is my book of books, the book that somewhere in the most selfish corner of my mind I know was written just for me.
And yet, if you were to ask me that question in another way, you'd probably get a whole set of different answers. Because while T3M is my Ur-book, there are so many others that have woven themselves into me over my years.If you asked me for my desert island book, I might be forced to answer Twenty Years After, because while T3M is my core book, the core of the changing relationships between Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan -- which is, for me, the core of the whole series, the reason for reading and loving the books -- is found in 20YA, not T3M, and especially in the chapter 'La Place Royale'. All but one of my favourite scenes from the series are in 20YA, even though T3M is the better book. But it's 20YA I'd want on my island.
And then there are the books that set me on my various tangled footpaths. There's Lord of the Rings (of course), which built the shape of the genre I wanted to work in, and its deep deep scholarly roots, which pulled me down into the mangrove swamps of academe and mediaeval history. There's Peter Sawyer's Age of the Vikings, which set my standard for what analytical, exciting early mediaeval history should read like, and Frank Barlow, Edward the Confessor, which taught me thoroughness. There's J E Lloyd, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, which irritates and inspires me in equal parts, which set up the sacred cows of my field and informs every single out-of-line, against-trend, awkward, spikey and revisionist word of my academic writings. But the first book to teach me to love history and to love its sources was Eugenia Ginsberg, Into the Whirlwind, which my O' Level history teacher, Mr Roger Vandevelde, lent to me in 1977. Hello, Mr Vandevelde. You're still the best teacher I ever had, and even though I didn't do history A' Level, I turned into a historian anyway. If by chance you see this, do get in touch. I want to say 'Thank you' and send you some books.
I've written about Anne of Green Gables before, about how tightly I cleave to Anne Shirley and her imagination that gets out of control. She's the first role-model I ever had, the first of the many writing girls who populate children's books. I didn't relate as much to tomboy Jo March or self-leaning Emily Starr, but I loved Anne, and her close descendant Cassandra Mortmain, of Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle. They taught me it was okay to write, that books could be for and by spikey girls, misfit girls, girls of little account.
There are books that I loved and left, or books I've outgrown and and longer reread, but which remain and will remain on my shelves -- Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight and Restoree, Andre Norton, Forerunner Foray, Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond books, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre and Shirley, even, in some ways, Babel 17, Samuel R Delany. I still love the latter, but it no longer blows me away it as it did when I was 15, I see where the strains and the holes are, I see through the cleverness (though Delany remains one of the finest, the greatest, the shiniest of all).
And then there are the books I go back to just because. Tanith Lee, Drinking Sapphire Wine, which I can practically recite. Georgette Heyer, Cotillion and Friday's Child. Elizabeth Peters, Devil May Care, Robert Heinlein, Starman Jones, the book that introduced me to sf. Margery Allingham, The Fashion in Shrouds. Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. These are all books of my years.
Which books are yours?

Guest Post

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-07-12T09:47:00Z

One of the great things about writing for DAW is the range of authors I've met through my publisher. Last year, I wrote about Joshua Palmatier's wonderful Throne of Amenkor series, which I really like. Joshua also writes as Benjamin Tate, and here he is talking about he's latest novel, Well of Sorrows.

The Accidental
Fantasist

Hey, thanks to
Kari for allowing me to abscond with her blog for a moment. My name is Benjamin Tate and I’m a
fantasy writer.

*pauses
for the “Hi, Ben!”*

Kari wanted me
to promo my book WELL OF SORROWS, and I’ll certainly do that, because I want you
all to rush out and buy it. But I
figured I’d make a confession first and relate how I became a fantasy writer in
the first place.

It all started
back when I was twelve. I was an
avid reader back then, mostly by picking up books from the library either at
school or the local community library.
But I wasn’t reading fantasy or science fiction. I didn’t even know such book were out
there. I was reading
mysteries. Tons and tons of
mysteries. And one of the mystery
writers that I was picking up from the library was Mary Norton. (Some of you are now nodding sagely,
because you’ve figured out how I got into fantasy and SF already.) I don’t remember any exact titles, but
the one that pops to mind was “Mystery in the Apple Orchard” or something like
that. Anyway, on one particular
day, I couldn’t go to the library with my mom (I don’t remember why) and so I
asked her to pick me up another Norton book.

Ahahahahahaha.

Of course, she
didn’t know it was MARY Norton that I was looking for, and so ended up bringing
me home a few of ANDRE Norton’s books instead. Being a kid, and wanting to read
SOMETHING, with no chance to get the library any time soon (we lived WAY out in
the country), I decided I’d try Andre Norton.

And I was
hooked. The next trip to the
library, I took every Andre Norton book off the shelf, and then
interlibrary-loaned a few more. I
read all of those in my room all summer, a bag of M&Ms beside me. But that wasn’t enough, so I
interlibrary-loaned a ton more, pretty much every Andre Norton book I could get
my hands on. I did this for a
LOOOOONG time, because Andre Norton was pretty prolific (and still churning out
books, although I didn’t know that at the time). I was a downhill slope from there. When the library ran out of Norton
books, I decided that perhaps I should try some other fantasy writers, and I’ve
been reading fantasy and science fiction ever since.

At some point,
all writers (before they are writers) reach the stage where they begin having
their own ideas for stories. And at
some point, they begin to think that their ideas are just as good, if not
better, than those that they’re reading.
I hit that stage a few years after discovering Norton and having read a
ton of other fantasy novels. So I
started writing some short stories, using an old typewriter and about a billion
pounds of whiteout. I also started
a novel featuring me and my friends being transported to a fantasy world (this
appears to be a requirement for every fantasy writer). At one point I became a little more
savvy and began a novel where the main character (not me) was transported to a
world that existed solely in his mind, where had to confront the truth about his
father and cancer (not sure where this story came from; my father didn’t have
cancer). That was a little heavy
for a fifteen-year-old. But by this
point I was hooked not only on fantasy, but on WRITING fantasy as
well.

I started what
I consider my first real fantasy novel in the last few years of high
school. Called SORROW, it was about
a book. I wrote it, and in the
process learned how to write. I
rewrote it, and learned more. I
rewrote it yet again (by this time I’d graduated high school and moved on to
college). This version felt solid
enough that I started sending it out to agents and editors. During this process, based on comments
I’d received from agents and editors, it went through two more
revisions.

And then I gave
up. Not on writing, but on getting
SORROW published. It’s a good book,
and it might get published eventually with another major overhaul. But at the time, I needed to put it
aside and more on, which is what I did.

And now I have
four novels out on the shelf. Three
of them—the “Throne of Amenkor” trilogy—are written under the name Joshua
Palmatier and published by DAW.
That series comprises THE SKEWED THRONE, THE CRACKED THRONE, and THE
VACANT THRONE. And, believe it or
not, the throne that’s the heart of that series makes an appearance in the novel
SORROW. As the first set of books
that sold, the Throne series will always have a special place in my heart. And the general opinion is that the
books got better and better as the series progressed, which just goes to show
you that I’m still learning as a writer.

And now I have
the start of a new series on the shelf.
The series doesn’t have a title of its own yet (I’m sure one will be
forthcoming . . . I never named the Throne series either, that just popped up on
the internet at some point), but the first book is called WELL OF SORROWS. The basic concept of the novel is that a
group of refugees fleeing a war in their homeland have come to the newly
discovered continent across the ocean.
They don’t find a very warm welcome with the settlers already there, and
so they head out onto the plains to settle on their own. Of course, this doesn’t work out exactly
as they had planned. *grin* It’s summed up more dramatically with
the following:

"Ripped from
the life he knew by the threat of civil war in his homeland, Colin and his
parents are refugees in New
Andover, the newly discovered continent on the far side of the ocean. But this new world holds dangers that its settlers
cannot comprehend. Forced to flee
onto the unexplored plains, driven there by desperation, they encounter vicious
magical storms, a hostile race that will stop at nothing to protect their sacred
lands, and a dark forest filled with shadow-like creatures. Attacked by these life-eating Shadows,
on the brink of death, Colin is led to the forest’s darkest and most dangerous
secret: a Well at the heart of an
ancient, crumbling city. To save
his life, he drinks the cold, clear water . . .

And everything
changes."

I had a blast
writing this, and am currently working on the sequel LEAVES OF FLAME, which will
be followed eventually by the concluding novel BREATH OF HEAVEN. I really like this series. It’s more epic in nature than the
“Throne of Amenkor” series, with a much wider scope—I do have an entire new
continent to explore after all.
*grin*

In any case, check
the books out. I think you’ll
really enjoy them.

New Story

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-07-08T10:30:25Z

My short story, 'The Fortune-Teller Makes Her Will', is to appear in the forthcoming anthology After Hours: Tales from the Ur Bar, edited by Patricia Bray and Joshua Palmatier, and due from DAW books in March 2011. Here's part of the press release:

"The first bar, created
by the Sumerians after they were given the gift of beer by the gods,
was known as the Ur-Bar. Although it has since been destroyed, its
spirit lives on--in each age there is one bar that captures the essence
of the original Ur-Bar, where drinks are mixed with magic and served
with a side of destiny and intrigue."

There's a great line up of writers, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the whole thing when it comes outs. My story is set in late seventeenth century France, in a Paris caught
up in the intrigues and scandals of the 'Poison's Affair'. A young
woman has to choose between herself and her principles in an atmosphere
of danger and betrayal. I had a lot of fun writing it: it's a period
that fascinates me. And I gained a huge piece of inspiration from the
work of artist jeweller Elise Matheson. The title of my story comes from
a beautiful pair of named earrings that I bought from her last autumn.
Look out for me wearing them at a con sometime soon.

Write Fantastic Anniversary Event 8th May

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-05-07T12:17:16Z

I'm getting ready to set out for Oxford for the Write Fantastic Fifth Anniversary Event tomorrow (May 8th) at the Jacqueline du Pre Building, St Hilda's College, Oxford. We have a great programme and line-up of guests and it's going to be a lot of fun. It's now too late to pre-book, but there will be memberships available on the door from 10.00 am and things kick off at 10.30, with an panel on debut writers with Ian Whates, Mike Shevdon, Jenni Hill and me. You can find all the details here: http://www.thewritefantastic.com/anniversary.html

And we're having a book launch for our anthology Anniversaries: stories by the Write Fantastic, published by NewCon Press, at 4 pm. There are brand new stories from all the members -- Sarah Ash, Chaz Brenchley, Juliet McKenna, Jessica Rydill, Freda Warrington, Ian Whates, Liz Williams and me, plus an introduction by Stan Nichols. It's a very limited print run -- only 70 copies -- and some are already pre-sold, so if you want one, come along tomorrow or order from the NewCon Press website here:

http://www.newconpress.co.uk/BookDetail/tabid/57/ProdID/20/RtnTab/70/PageIndex/1/CatID/-1/Default.aspx

Interview and Signing

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-04-15T18:37:23Z

I shall be out and about in London next week. On
Wednesday 21st April, I'm being interviewed by Chaz Brenchley for the
British SF Association at their monthly London meeting. It takes place
in the Upstairs Room in the Antelope Tavern, 22 Eaton Terrace,
Belgravia, London SW1W 8EZ. It starts at 7 pm, and the nearest
underground station is Sloane Square.

Then on Thursday 22nd
April, I'm signing at Forbidden Planet London (Shaftesbury Avenue) along
with Chaz, Ian Whates, Sarah Singleton, Ian Watson and other lovely
people, to launch the new NewCon Press anthology The Bitten Word,
which includes my vampire space beetle story 'Cold Rush.' Further
details here: http://forbiddenplanet.com/events/2010/04/22/get-your-teth-bitten-word/

One Day Event on May 8th

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-04-10T16:45:59Z

I have shiny news: I've been invited to join writers' collective The
Write Fantastic . Of course, I jumped at it: the WF are a great
group of really fine writers and I'm honoured to be allowed to join.

There's
more -- to celebrate their Fifth Anniversary, TWF are holding a one-day
event on Saturday 8th May at St Hilda's College Oxford. We have a
great line-up -- all the WF members -- (Juliet E McKenna, Chaz
Brenchley, Jessica Rydill, Sarah Ash, Deborah J Miller, Stan Nicholls,
Mark Chadbourn, Ian Whates, Freda Warrington and Liz Williams -- along
with special guests Geoff Ryman, Stephen Deas, Ben Jeapes, Mike Shevdon
and Ian Watson. There will be discussions, panels, and the launch of our new anthology, Anniversaries: stories by the Write Fantastic. All the details are here: http://www.thewritefantastic.com/anniversary.html

Continue reading "One Day Event on May 8th"

Eastercon

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-03-30T10:19:57Z

It's almost time for Eastercon, which this year is at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel at Heathrow. I'm giving one of my history talks -- it's been 5 years, I think, since the last one, and they asked, so... My schedule is below:

Friday 	4pm 	Connaught 	"Arthur and Merlin - Where do the legends originate?" 
Speaker" 	Confirmed
Kari Sperring (Dr Kari Maund) looks at the earliest references to Arthur and Merlin, and how the legends developed over time.
Friday 	6pm 	Connaught 	"Arthur and Merlin - modern interpretations" 
Moderator" 	Confirmed
How do modern versions of the Arthurian stories compare with earlier ones? Books, films and TV have all created new strands to the legends. It this a bad thing, or simply the natural progression of folklore?
Saturday 	1pm 	Hotel Lobby 	"Open Autograph Session - 1pm - 2pm" 	Participant" 
Confirmed
Lots of our attending writers, and some our guests, will be present to sign your books.
Monday 	7pm 	Connaught 	"Grammar Police" 	Panellist" 	Confirmed
What punctuation errors annoy you the most? Who should be lined up against the wall and shot? Which correct form of English would you like to see given wider usage? Does correct English really matter?

World Horror Convention

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-03-23T12:45:37Z

This weekend, I shall be attending World Horror Convention 2010

at the Royal Albion Hotel, Brighton (England). I'm on the border as a horror writer, but a lot of fantasy writers and fans also attend and the guest of honour is the great Tanith Lee.

My science fiction short story 'Cold Rush' is coming out this weekend, too, in the anthology The Bitten Word from NewCon Press. It's being launched at the convention.

British Fantasy Society Awards 2009

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-03-19T11:44:36Z

Living With Ghosts has been long-listed for the British Fantasy Society Best Novel Award for 2009. Thank you so much to those who nominated it: I am so happy.

William L Crawford Award

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2010-02-18T20:18:58Z

Living with Ghosts was shortlisted for the 2009 William F Crawford first novel award. This is a huge honour: it's a juried award and the other nominees are all excellent writers. My fellow nominees were Deborah Biancotti, for A Book of Endings, Ali Shaw for The Girl With Glass Feet, and Jeddediah Berry, for The Manual of Detection,with was selected as the winner. Many congratulations to him, and to all my fellow nominees.

November

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2009-12-07T18:25:46Z

It's been far too long since I last posted here. November seems to have been hopelessly busy. World Fantasy Con was very pleasant: it was peculiar to be at a convention without Phil, and while there were other British writers there (notably the wonderful Chaz Brenchley, who undertook to look after me), I didn't know as many people as I usually do. I managed to meet up with a number of LiveJournal friends, which was excellent.

I've now finished the first full draft of The Grass King's Concubine and am now working on the revisions. It's reading fairly well and I'm more pleased with it than I expected. Hopefully it should go off to the editor before the end of this month.

And then... lots of rain (which I like) leading to lots of damp cats climbing on me at all hours. I have a couple of short stories in the pipeline, one science fiction piece in the NewCon Press anthology The Bitten Word, due in March 2010, and one in a collection from The Write Fantastic, which should be out in May.

You can always find me on LiveJournal http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/

And I'm now also on Facebook, under Kari Sperring, if you want to come and say hi.

World Fantasy Convention.

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2009-10-26T19:06:41Z

This weekend -- 29th October to 1st November -- I shall be attending World Fantasy Con in San Jose, California.

Saturday 24th October

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2009-10-20T14:12:13Z

This Saturday (24th October) I shall be signing at Forbidden Planet in Bristol from 1pm to 2pm, along with Write Fantastic writers Chaz Brenchley, Juliet McKenna and Stan Nicholls.

Lace and Blade 3

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2009-09-24T10:35:44Z

I have a new story coming out on Valentine's Day 2010, in the anthology Lace and Blade 3

, ed. Deborah J Ross, from the wonderful small-press publisher Norilana Books. I'm really excited about this: I love this series, which focuses on swashbuckling adventure and Romance in the Dumas style. And the line-up is great: it's a huge honour to be included alongside writers like Tanith Lee, Judith Tarr and Rosemary Hawley Jarman. No cover art as yet, but here's the full list of stories:

Kari Sperring, "Featherweight"

Sean McMullen, "Culverelle"

Sheila Finch, "Fortune's Stepchild"

Judith Tarr, "The Horned King"

Jay Lake & Shannon Page, "Embers"

Tanith Lee, "Question a Stone"

Dave Smeds, "A Swain of Kneaded Moonlight"

Rosemary Hawley Jarman, "Fire and Frost and Burning Rose"

K. D. Wentworth, "The Garden of Swords"

Diana L. Paxson, "Blue Velvet"

Samantha Henderson, "Outlander"

Carol Berg, "The Heart's Coda"

Fantasycon

nospam@example.com (Kari Sperring) — 2009-09-17T21:42:44Z

This weekend, I shall be at Fantasycon, the annual convention of the British Fantasy Society, at the Britannia Hotel, Nottingham. There are some wonderful guests, notably Gail Z Martin and Jasper fforde. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm on a couple of panels, one on British Folklore ('The Green Man')_, at 3pm on Saturday, and one on New Fantasy Writers, at 10 am on Sunday.