Category Archives: A Writer’s Life

When I started this blog, I meant for it to be non-political. Advice I’ve read said don’t antagonise potential readers. That seems like good sense, and I’m not by nature confrontational. But now… Some things are just too important to … Continue reading →

The end of my nearly ten-year trek through Frankland—the setting of the Reforging series—is finally in sight. I wrote the first scene in the first book, The Locksmith, in October 2010. The first scenes of the fifth and final book … Continue reading →

I went to GeyserCon—New Zealand’s 40th National Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention—in Rotorua this past weekend, and came home with a bagful of new books to balance on top of my already teetering TBR piles. Now if I can just … Continue reading →

Years ago, when I was single, I always travelled with a trip diary: a small notebook to record anything I wanted to remember about my experiences. I carried a camera, too, and took photos, but there are many things a … Continue reading →

You would think, wouldn’t you, that a computer science professional who’s been in the business for decades would know the value of backups? I do, and I have most of the content of my blog backed up on my home … Continue reading →

ConClave3, New Zealand’s 39th National Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, was held this past weekend in Auckland. I did not, as I had hoped, win a Sir Julius Vogel award for either Best New Talent or Best Youth Novel (for … Continue reading →

Two weeks ago, the world lost a wonderful teacher. In her ninety years, Sarah Lucinda Davison Howe touched many lives. As a professional, early in her career she taught in the public schools and later gave music lessons out of … Continue reading →

We were down on the South Island this past week, taking a short family vacation before delivering our daughter to the University of Canterbury for the start of the school year. For me, the highlight of the trip was the … Continue reading →

It’s warm summer weather here in Wellington, with the pōhutukawa trees (also known as the Kiwi Christmas trees) in full bloom. I don’t expect to be posting as regularly for the next couple of months—I’ve been working too hard, and … Continue reading →

I’ve turned over a new Leaf, and will no longer be burning fossil fuels on my daily trek to work. To be accurate, my all-electric Nissan Leaf is not new; it’s a 2014 model with 40,000 km on the odometer, … Continue reading →