This is my new Tower of Books for the next month or so. I’m getting slow and soft. I had a similar heap previously for two months and only read two books. This time I’m doing much better. I have already finished Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell and loved it. Think The Three Musketeers during the 1600s but within a fantasy setting. Sebastien’s voice is very distinct and I had trouble putting the book down. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the second book in the series.

Also, I’m five pages away from finishing David Gemmell’s Winter Warriors, and as with most of David’s books, I read this one over the course of a weekend. I’m a big David Gemmell fan, mostly because I can always rely on his voice to pull me from this world in a quick and easy fashion. He has an old-soul voice that allows me to immerse myself in his fantasy worlds without strain or effort, and he manages this by spinning a magic that is addictive and fun. I’m not surprised they named an award after him.

I’ve been using the library more lately as it forces a deadline on me. Originally it was a way to get my kids to discover the joy of reading, but it seems to have rejuvenated my old book stalking ways. A writer learns by reading and writing and although I’ve been writing steadily, my reading time decreased to a trickle in recent months. It’s important to read. It’s even more important to read when you’re a writer.

So, yes, I felt guilty. My routine now includes at least half an hour of reading time at night. But, it’s never just thirty minutes, of course. I always end up reading more than an hour or until my eyelids become too heavy to keep open or the book drops on my face.

Talking about things dropping, check out what fell on my doorstep on Friday.

They feel and smell as good as they look. I have to send two copies to the National Library here in New Zealand, and, of course, keep one copy for my library. Okay, maybe two copies. Not sure what I will do with the rest, yet.

I know I should write more blog posts about my writing projects and I should bring out fiction faster. I’m working on that, trust me. I’ve decided to change tactics a bit. Starting this month, I’m also sending out short stories to speculative fiction magazines. I have never done that before. It will be an interesting experiment and I promise to keep you updated.

And that is all from me for now. #Art of Fantasy comes out tomorrow and I still have to find an artist, so that is also on the agenda today. It’ll be difficult to beat last week’s post, but we’ll see.

Take care, folks.

Woelf