So, I just realised I haven’t done an update since February. FEBRUARY. And it’s almost December.
How did that happen?? (I think someone stole a chunk of my year! Help!)
And you know, it’s not like things didn’t happen this year. Writing, and life, and the eternal balancing act between the two. I even had some short stories published. So not a complete waste then, yeah?
‘2B’ was published in Insert Title Here, from Fablecroft
A lovely reviewer on Goodreads describes it as “an incredibly strange, magical and wonderful story of a town where things grow on trees, such as pencils and car tyres.” And I love that description. Thanks Katharine 🙂
And thanks Stephanie who says: “If you’ve never read any of Anderton’s work, this could be a good place to start, as this story highlights her grasp of imagery and strangeness, while still being able to wring deep emotion out of only a handful of words. Dreamlike and haunting, this is one of my favourites in the anthology.”
Now that certainly warms this little writer’s heart.
I was also fortunate enough to be asked to contribute a story for the Australian Horror Writers Association anthology, In Sunshine Bright and Darkness Deep.
In Sunshine Bright and Darkness Deep is an anthology like no other. The tales herein will take you on a weird and terrifying journey. This inaugural showcase anthology features the work of just a handful of the many talented and darkly imaginative authors who make up the Australian Horror Writers’ Association. If you are unfamiliar with Australian horror, let this book be just the first step on a long voyage of discovery.
I’m sure you can see why I was excited to be involved! My story ‘Bullets’ is a nasty little fairytale about bush fires and the isolation of the Australian outback. Check out the anthology here.
My story ‘Unnamed Children’ was released in October in the Bloodlines anthology, from Ticonderoga Publications. It is edited by Amanda Pillar who also edited the wonderful Bloodstones, and ‘Unnamed Children’ is a bit of a spiritual successor to my Bloodstones story, ‘Sanaa’s Army’.
Bloodlines contains “16 Journeys on the Dark Streets of Urban Fantasy” from some amazing authors and I’m honoured to be among them.
The city in ‘Unnamed Children’ demands sacrifices from its residents. You get to live in comfort and safety, away from the scary outside world. You will be looked after by the doll-like Wards, who run and care for the city and its people. But it’s not free. Everyone must contribute. Some, more than others.
‘Unnamed Children’ is a story about living on the edges, about stepping off the path, about not belonging in a city that has no room for outsiders. Ultimately I think it’s about choosing between security, and freedom. Oh, and blood magic. It’s definitely about blood magic!
And last but not least, I only just noticed this wonderful review of the Year’s Best Young Adult Speculative Fiction 2013, published by Twelfth Planet Press and containing my story, ‘Mah Song’. There are some crazy amazing names on that cover (OMG look at them!) and it’s thrilling to be listed alongside them.
Particularly when A. V. Mather on Marianne de Pierre’s Escape Club blog, says “These are the modern day folk stories and fairy tales – the monster in the woods, the wolf in granny’s clothing, the dark nature within – complete with morals, cautionary predictions and deft commentaries of human nature. They are thought-provoking, sometimes shocking, and heartfelt. We should give thanks that there are writers who care enough about the adults of the future to craft tales that speak to generations increasingly bereft of guidance. ‘Mah Song’ by Joanne Anderton was a standout for me as a chilling tale of human nature and the origins of religion and civilisation.”
Meep.
There, see. Things did happen this year. I probably should have talked about them at the time. 🙂
Better late than never?
