Because You’re Gone

Cory Doctorow ‏@doctorow has just tweeted that he is alone for three days. It reminded me of some song lyrics that I wrote in 2005, so here they are…

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Because You’re Gone

The radio plays happy songs,
But I don’t sing along,
Because you’re gone.

The people next door party.
Their laughter just sounds wrong,
Because you’re gone.

The bed seems so much larger.
Where did this space come from?
It’s ’cause you’re gone.

I don’t know how I’ll get up.
To go to work alone.
Because you’re gone.

The touch, the taste, the smell of you,
Keep coming back to me as I lie here.
And I wonder what I’m gonna do,
To make it through these cold and empty years.
Each minute’s an eternity,
When you have to live it all alone.
Each second is a lifetime,
When I realise that you have gone.

And when you hear me sing this song.
With a voice all cracked and broken from my tears.
I know that you’ll be laughing,
I know you’ll never understand my fears.
It’s late at night and I should sleep,
And dream that you are lying here with me.
That once again our legs entwine.
That once again your love will set me free.

It’s three days ‘til you’re back with me.
How will I ever live that long?
Because you’re gone.

A Little Bit on the Side – Part Two

A new post of mine over at the Limebird Writers site. This time looking at authors who have written novelisations of SF movies and TV series.

Rhysling Award Nominations!

I have been informed that two of my poems have been nominated for the 2013 Rhysling Award! They are, in the long poem category, “Grandfather” that was first podcast on StarShipSofa Episode 229 (March 2012) and, in the short category, “Blind Obedience” first published in Eye to the Telescope (SFPA’s Online Journal of Speculative Poetry). Both can also be found in The Poring Dark.

To say that I am blown away would be the mildest of understatements! Some of the past nominees include (apologies for giving a very truncated list):

Isaac Asimov’s “Science Fiction Convention” (1978 short)
Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Siva and Kama” (1979 short)
Roger Zelazny’s “I Used to Think in Lines That Were Irregular to the Right” (1981 short)
Terry Bisson’s “Partial People” (1995 long)
Mary Turzillo’s “Dash” (1997 short)
Derek Walcott’s “Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins” (2005 short)
Joe Haldeman‘s “god is dead short live god” (2007 short)
Samantha Henderson’s “First Festival” (2007 short)
Margaret Atwood’s “Ice Palace” (2008 short)

To be nominated and on a list alongside writers such as those above is an incredible honour.

Obviously I would love to dream of actually winning (if not this year, then one day…) but my first goal was to receive a nomination and so I feel that I am on the right track with my writing.

For completeness, here are just some of the winners (oh how I wish…)

Gene Wolfe’s “The Computer Iterates the Greater Trumps” (1978 long)
Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Well of Baln” (1982 long)
Joe W. Haldeman’s “Saul’s Death: Two Sestinas” (1984 long) “Eighteen Years Old, October Eleventh” (1991 short) and “January Fires” (2001 long)
Bruce Boston Too many to include here!
Jeff VanderMeer’s “Flight Is for Those Who Have Not Yet Crossed Over” (1994 short)
Catherynne M. Valente’s “The Seven Devils of Central California” (2008 long)
Amal El-Mohtar’s “Song for an Ancient City” (2009 short) and “Peach-Creamed Honey” (2011 short)
Ann K. Schwader’s “To Theia” (2010 short)

Wish me luck!

The Blogging From A To Z Challenge

A new post by me over at the Limebird Writers blog…

The Blogging From A To Z Challenge.

A Little Bit On The Side – Part One

Here is a post of mine over at the Limebird Writers site, talking about science fiction authors who made a bit on the side writing for classic TV shows.

A Little Bit On The Side – Part One.

Please Don’t Pirate My Book Day

The brilliant (seriously, check him out at Terrible Minds) Chuck Wendig declared February 6th to be Please Don’t Pirate My Book Day and asked authors to blog/tweet about it.

So…

Please don’t take the ideas in my books and adapt them for a Scandinavian porn magazine (without paying me as creative consultant).

Please don’t grab my books and make them walk the plank (neither print books nor e-books do well in the briny).

I am totally down with the idea that pirating can increase an author’s readership, so, if you must illegally download my books, I would like you to:

1) Go to one of the many official online sources of my books (links can be found at the TDA Bookstore) and write a review.

2) Give the link of the TDA Bookstore to your friends and advise them to buy the book (rather than linking them to the pirated copy).

3) Buy a copy of the book and donate it to a reading programme.

4) In general terms, I would like all readers who do access pirated books to commit to buying one book for every pirated book that they read. (I understand that many people download massive floods that may contain hundreds of books; personally I don’t think that they count until the book has been read.)

Whatever you do, READ and encourage other people to READ!

13th Free “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest (Young Adult and Sci-Fi)

All science fiction and YA authors out there should take a look at the ‘Guide to Literary Agents’ blog at Writer’s Digest. Currently there is a free competition where you can win a professional critique and subscription to WritersMarket.com

Follow the link below

13th Free “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest (Young Adult and Sci-Fi)

Yay for YA!

Yay for YA!.

Here is a new article from me over at Limebird Writers; looking at Young Adult (YA) fiction in the science fiction genre.

Keeping It In The Family

Here is my NaNoPrep Day post at Limebird Writers, on using the family for novel inspiration…

Keeping It In The Family.

Watch The Skies!

Here is another one of my articles over at the Limebird site.

Go and take a look!

Watch The Skies!.