The Stars of Speculative Fiction #10: Kaaron Warren

A rare treat today as we get a little insight into what the legendary Kaaron Warren, former egg-packer turned Ditmar and Aurealis winner extraordinaire, gets up to on a Tuesday (a little after ten).

Although there is no mention of egg-packing in her stories (as yet), she does expound a little on her delusions of grandeur and how she once saved a dying star by reading it one of her stories…

Yes, she’s a kook, but she’s a loveable kook – I give you, the one, the only Kaaron (cause she mispells it) Warren:

SoSF – Kaaron Warren

No interview next Friday (oh stop yer sobbing) as I’m in England (and they don’t have internet there) but get ready for Friday 9th May, for ’twill be none other than Deborah Biancotti: cave dweller and world famous chocolate biscuit!

While I’m working on the speculative interview and packing for England

I just had to wonder what was going on in the heads of the writers of Medium in the last episode I watched:

Allison: I remember when you invited me to your room and showed me your telescope and I saw your lunch box…

*goes into coughing fit*

I mean, it was intentional wasn’t it?

Wasn’t it?

10 years…

…that’s what the cousin who murdered my brother-in-law got.

The fact that he planned the murder in advance and that he showed no remorse after the murder contribute to this.

However, the fact that he has suffered from depression for 22 years and that he ‘only’ stabbed Fuat once means that he doesn’t get life.

Fuat’s widow, daughter and Fuat’s parents get damages from the court. The four remaining siblings do not.

I actually don’t know how I feel about this yet…

Oh ye gods…

How do I keep up?

Tomorrow afternoon I fly off to Blighty, armed with a couple of books (I’ll be picking up a few there), my trusty laptop (which isn’t so trusty) and getting ready for my best friend’s 40th birthday celebrations!

Got an e-mail this morning, and this makes the fourth of its kind:

Dear Mr. Deniz,

I know you have a scheduled release date for T. A. Moore’s ‘The Even’ at this year’s FantasyCon but I was wondering if you had any facility for pre-order as I really want the book and would like to guarantee a copy.

Cheers,

(no, it wasn’t the Irish guy before you ask)

Hold your horses woman, I’ve got to finish editing, typesetting and putting a price on it!

Cool eh?

Tis World Book Day

And so surely it would be remiss of me to go the day without announcing new books in the Morrigan Books’ publishing schedule:

Morrigan Books announces two new books

Cool eh?

It’s also St. George’s Day and a day I never really took a lot of notice of until I moved away from blighty, funny that…

There is a lot of music going on just at the mo (much will be revealed later) and part of that is due to reading High Fidelity. I have seen the film about 8 times (well of course I have for I am in it) but never resd the book and it got me thinking of my top five recording artists just now. I think I would have to say:

• The God Machine
• Eels
• Tom Waits
• Kristin Hersh
• Pink Floyd

For my 30th Birthday party (8 years ago) it looked like this:

• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Eels
• Tom Waits
• Tori Amos
• Pink Floyd

Hmm, I wonder how it will look for the big 40th party coming up?

Back in a bit…

Some Monday fun for the Irish on my flist

Well I e-mailed that rather nice gent and told him he could not use the name Morrigan Books any longer, as I had patented it.

His response:

Indeed, and people say Scandinavians have no sense of humour!

Would you ever get up the yard. (A Dublin expression meaning something far ruder).

How charming!

I did laugh when I read it, although my response was both formal and legal.

The topsy-turvy world continues…

I’m now allowed to announce some stuff, as legal restrictions have been taken off.

I received a rather impersonal and rude e-mail a few weeks ago, claiming that I needed to stop using the name Morrígan Books or I would be taken to court, as there was already a Morrigan Books in Ireland and had been since 1979.

As my plan was to use Morrígan Books as the imprint, I hadn’t done a full company check and had a brief panic, seeing the business ready to go out of business before I began (that was before wiser souls than I assured me there wouldn’t be a problem).

And what did I find when I searched through the records? Not only was the company not officially registered as Morrígan Books but they were listed as Morrigan and Morrigan Booksellers in two different listings. They also had been forced out of business in 1999 and re-established under a new name.

To save from this happening again I have patented the name Morrígan Books and guess who will be getting an e-mail shortly?

Unfortunately the direction went the other way with Gilgamesh Press, as there had been a mix up in documents and they had ‘misplaced’ paperwork over at the authority I have dealt with and it appears an English company have protected the name Gilgamesh and so i can’t legally have it as my company. However, I can have it as the imprint, as the other company don’t do books.

Confused yet?

Nevermind Gary McMahon‘s book How to Make Monsters has a new cover, and rather fine we think it is too!

Oh and I have been doing the tax return for one year in business and just so you know:

Eneit Press/Morrigan Books/Gilgamesh Press finished the tax year 19,000 kr in debt (that’s $4,000 AUD, $3,900 USD and £1,900 Sterling) Cool huh? *gulps* (that’s before the SFX ad by the way!)

Some things I realised on a Friday night

• I have 160 people on my flist! Where the bloody hell did you lot come from? (Not that you’re not welcome of course – oh watch the total drop now… )
• I am much stronger than a lot of people think.
• I am much stronger than I think.
• Fiona Apple really needs me to put my headphones on from time to time (I know cause she said so)
• Some people have only just found out I am a veggie (or rabbit – take your pick)
• Some people have only just found out what great taste I have in music (where the hell have you been?)
• I’m already 7,000 words into Nex (that includes Corvus, 1,500, Arcticus, 2,000 and, as yet, untitled 3, 500) Not bad eh?
• I forgot to post this and now I’m off to bed

The Stars of Speculative Fiction #9: Simon Guerrier

Today I get to have a relaxed chat with my old university chum, Simon Guerrier, former cheese stall owner (down Camden way) and expert rat catcher.

Simon was beaten up in Northern England upon his arrival for being a Southern ponce and gained the nickname ‘wanker man’ from two rather strange girls in our university group (my name was ‘terrorist man’) but he’s put all that behind himnow and has just finished his three year run on London’s musical circuit in the crowd-puller ‘Sweeney Todd’ (he played one of the pies).

Anyway, I give you Mr. Simon Guerrier!

SoSF – Simon Guerrier

Next week we have the queen of Fiji and winner of the ‘most baked lemon cheesecakes in 12 years’ competition: Kaaron Warren!

Nex, revisited

I have just discovered my work for the day is done: not only do I have Gary McMahon on the book with me but have also roped in Paul Kane and Mike Stone (aka mylefteye)!

 

I was pretty well buzzing last night on getting Gary’s collection, now I’m just about ready to explode!

Just thought you’d like to know that…

(Oh and Morrigan Books, yes you know the ones, are going to have a half page colour ad in the latest SFX special, I tell you, we’re a moving!)