Sorry for not posting for so long–


September is busy with school starting up. After my last post I went to our property out at Sundre to help clean up after the hail storm — painted a wall of the cabin and chopped some kindling while Don cut fallen logs into firewood. Last weekend, I went to visit my sister in Golden and help her tile her kitchen floor. She has just built a house and rented the one they live in — she has to move in a couple of weeks so whether her house is done or not, she needs to move. Having the kitchen done will make it liveable, even if the rest still needs work. It was a glorious weekend!

So, I’ve had a little break from writing, but back working on my short story today.

Got a car


So, that’s one job done. It’s new, and I get it in 2 weeks, but at least now I can stop spending my time looking for a car. Today — back to the short story!

Great Photo


Should have posted this at the time, but thanks to Brian Hades, who took this photo of me with two Aurora Awards! Randy McCharles is the first person in history to have won in both a professional and fan category: Best Work, Short Form, and Fan Organizational. I was pleased and proud to be asked to accept the awards on his behalf.auroras; randy_mccharles,worldcon_09,auroras,randy_mccharles

Back to School


So, summer is over and I’m back to school. I love my work — I only wish I didn’t do sixty hours a week of it. And, this past weekend was a bit of a write-off because my car is a write-off. I didn’t post this earlier, but on the long weekend in August, a hail storm hit the quarter section where I was camping at a family reunion, and the back windshield of my car was smashed, as well as another window. The whole body is pockmarked, and even the front windshield was damaged, along with rear speakers, rear tail light, another window and an outside mirror. The shame is, the engine and frame, etc., all are fine, but the car will got to the wreckers anyway. So, I spent most of this weekend looking for a new car, instead of writing. Sigh.
But now I am working on a fantasy short story.
Ta-ta!

Great Sessions at ConVersion


Friday night kicked off with the IFWA talent show, ConVersion Cabaret. We had great acts — even Guest of Honor, Tanya Huff sang! The next morning, I was one of four judges for the Robin Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest, and all five of the finalists wrote marvellous stories, but top honours went to Erika Holt for a compelling fantasy story about a witch who loses her powers and is tempted to regain them by killing a street waif.

One of the best sessions I went to — at ANY convention — was one held Saturday afternoon with Tanya Huff, Rob Sawyer and Terry Brooks on the business of writing. Yes, the marketplace is tough, and one must always keep in mind that it is a commercial environment where the bottom line is the deciding factor. But despite the recession, people are getting published. The keys are: write the best damn story you can, and write for the market that loves you. Persist!

Here are pics:con-version_09,val_king
Anna Bortolotto and Val King performing at ConVersion Cabaret on Friday night.katie_harse,mike_gillett,con-version_09,IFWA
Katie Harse and Mike Gillett chatting about the day’s sessions at dinner.