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What is a ‘FantasyCon’ and what can the first-time attendee realistically expect? Men dressed as Orcs? Women dressed as Ice Queens? Well, not quite. FantasyCon is an annual event hosted by the British Fantasy Society which takes place in the spacious surroundings of The Britannia Hotel, Nottingham. The convention is open to everybody, although BFS members get preferential membership rates. The website (http://www.fantasycon.org.uk/) states: “At FantasyCon, you can meet your favourite authors, attend book launches and listen to panels. Or, if you prefer, you can sit in the bar with friends old and new and perhaps win a prize in the acclaimed FantasyCon Raffle!” I went primarily as an observer, to sample the delights (and the beer) of this auspicious event. As a writer who is relatively new on the scene it was a great opportunity to say “Hi” and shake the hands of some of the publishers I have had the privilege of being published by, including Steve Upham of Screaming Dreams Press, Lee H...

Well, I'm very happy to have just completed the first draft of The Silver Sea this weekend. As well as the huge sense of achievement which comes with completing any such undertaking, I also felt an odd sense of surprise at completing it without any real strenous effort. The best way to describe it is that the novel sort of wrote itself. I never nailed down the plot specifically (keeping only key moments and scenes in my head as markers to guide the narrative to its conclusion), and yet the story just flowed along quite nicely, filled with drama and tension and conflict and surprises; and a bitter-sweet ending which ties into the second volume, which I hope to be writing at some point in the near future. Very very happy with how it's turned out, and although I have forced myself to put it away for a few weeks I am already chomping at the proverbial to get back to it and make it even better. Good news on the story submission front: The Devil's Bones is now slated to appear ...

Murky Depths #5 has just received its first review, and a very positive one it is too. With regard to my story Halls of the Tollomai , reviewer Michele Lee had this to say: In the war story “Halls of the Tollomai” by Lee Moan, a group of Marines are stuck in combat on an alien world with shifting landscapes, a mind-controlling enemy, and infectious locals. The heart of this isn’t about who wins and loses, but what it costs to get there. You can read the entire magazine review here: Murky Depths Review

Some great advances this week during my time off work. Managed to hit the 30,000 word mark with my steampunk detective novel The Silver Sea . Right now I'm in that all-consuming, totally invigorating period where the characters are really coming to life and the fluid plot elements are slipping into a configuration that is very pleasing, and I am finding myself jotting down sentences, character nuances and snippets of dilaogue at the strangest times. This, for me, is the true joy of writing. This novel is more challenging than anything I've done before because it is the first volume in what will be a five-part series featuring the detective character, Inspector Darknoll. I am constantly thinking "how will that affect future events?", or "will we see this character again, if so, where and why?". It's all very exciting. Right now, I am desperate to get the first draft finished, so I can begin the exciting process of hammering it into shape.

Great article on the true value of devoting your life to being a writer by R J Ellroy, author of A Quiet Belief in Angels : http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/blogDetails.aspx?id=6 . Here's a quote from Kaari Itrio which I like: I can’t help but to write, I have a inner need for it. If I’m not in the middle of some literary project, I’m utterly lost, unhappy and distressed. As soon as I get started, I calm down. Then there's Jack Dann: For me, writing is exploration; and most of the time, I'm surprised where the journey takes me. And finally from Jules Renard: Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted.

I'm off work for a week, so I've been working on two projects: First off, finishing The Transmuted Engine . This long short story (it's come in around 7500 words) is all but complete now. One more polish and then I shall be submitting it for the Aeon Award. I have a lot of faith in it. The second project is my novel The Silver Sea . I am very pleased with the work so far. I'm just about halfway with this one, and desperate to get that first draft done. Sent The Hotel Galileo to WolfSinger Publications back on August 3rd. Waiting with bated breath... Also waiting to hear back on some stories with painfully-long response times. Feel like I'm starting to get somewhere, though...