Sunday, January 3, 2010

2010 - already!

Oh, I am a bad Pellinor blogger. Keeping up two blogs is more than my capacities allow. Even one blog is more than I can deal with, frankly. Apologies to all...

You'll be glad to know - I hope - that 2010 is Croggon's Year of the Novel. I am now around half way into Black Spring, a kind of Wuthering Heights-with-evil-shepherd-wizards and vendetta (but no vampires of any description). I love you, speculative fiction, for permitting me to pretend that I am the bastard child of Emily Bronte and Ismail Kadare. My present ambition is to finish this ms to first draft by the end of February. Wish me luck.

After that, I'll be working on a number of other things. Too many, really. Ambitions include three pieces of theatre, including an opera on the poet Mayakovsky, and three unfinished novels. We'll see how that all rounds out at the end of the year.

In Pellinor news, the US paperback edition of The Singing will be out in spring with Candlewick. It seems strange that it is still evolving there! There are other English language editions proposed, including audio books for the Australian/New Zealand and US markets. I'll be fascinated to see who will be reading them. I guess Cate Blanchett is too busy...

Meanwhile, I wish you all a Happy New Year, and the best of luck in all your own activities!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you have some really interesting projects on the go. The opera sounds especially exciting! Hopefully no mysterious problems will appear to thwart your efforts.

Happy new year!

Emily Cross said...

Happy New Year to you too!

Oh can't wait to hear more about your novels! They sound intriquing (and i absolutely love the bastard comment lol)

Hope you had great xmas and new years :)

Alison Croggon said...

Hopefully not - though a 5000 word essay for an American theatre mag that I thought was due September, but is actually due mid-Feb, might put a spanner in the works! Why can't I clone myself?

Anonymous said...

Good to hear your working on some more novels, Alison! I can't wait to see what you have in store for us next. Good luck with your February cut-off date!

-- Shadow

Alison Croggon said...

Thanks, Shadow! I've been having fun with this one and I am resolved to finish it. Very different from Pellinor!

Ruthie said...

Wow, sounds like you have a busy year ahead of you! I know what you mean about the cloning thing...I have wished that many a time!!! Good luck on reaching your goals! The new book sound super exciting!

anthonyama said...

Alison, why can't I get your Pellinor books for the Kindle?

Alison Croggon said...

He Anthonyama - they haven't been published in Kindle. Yet. That's again down to the publishers - though I suspect it will happen at some stage, since I signed an amendment to contracts concerning e-pubbing last year.

anthonyama said...

Thanks Alison

I've got close to a 1000 books with a backlog of 20 books to read. Not allowed to buy anymore for a while!

Kindle won't replace books but it helps when you are running out of room.

I really enjoyed the 1st 2 books but everytime I look for no 3, it's out of stock and they only have book 4!

Maybe I shouldn't say this but yourself, Sean Williams and Duncan Lay are the only Aussie authors I enjoy reading. There are a couple that make my teeth ache!

BTW I'm from the Central Coast so it's not very patriotic of me I guess :)

Anonymous said...

Full Cast Audio is the best

Anonymous said...

Hey Alison. Just letting you know that your books are dominating the shelves at my workplace in Borders.

Since I'm in change of the genre section, I've ordered 20 copies of The Gift to put on our recommends stand at the front of the store!

Hope you're having fun with your writing.

-- Shadowjhunter

Alison Croggon said...

Hey Shadowhunter, you are THE MAN!

And thanks! :)

Lys Lys said...

Sounds like a full year, and good luck with the cloning thing. I can't wait to read your newest books.

It sucks that it always takes so long for your work to get released in the US. It means I have to wait even longer.

Hope you're having a great new year and good luck!

Rydia Lavenia said...

I just finished the Singing and I want to cry. I am so depressed it's over. It was one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life.


Thank You

Unknown said...

THE SINGING is the third book that I've gone to buy in the past few weeks only to find that the bookstores are "phasing out the hardbacks in this title."

Alright. I'll wait. But I'm not happy about it. Just two more weeks!

Anyway, I love your prose and I'd love to track down some of your poetry. Are any of your titles available in the US?

Alison Croggon said...

Thanks Shayda and Rydia... much appreciated!

I hope that means that the hardbacks are sold out!

Shayda, my poetry is available online from Salt Publishing. Just as a consumer alert, it is rather different from the fantasy books. Though of course if you do find it, I hope you enjoy it.

Unknown said...

I'm a total literary fanatic; I'm sure I'll love it. My bachelor's degree is in English, so I love all kinds of literature.

I think it's brilliant that you're successful cross-genre (and form). It's wonderful to see authors I love in different parts of their element, and it's really heartening for me as a fledgling writer to know that I can (potentially) write cross-genre under one name, and actually be successful.

So thank you so much for your example, and I'll definitely check out Salt Publishing!

Alison Croggon said...

I only write under one name because it's confusing enough already being me...

I think it works out ok. Though in every form there are people who think it makes me a dubious writer. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm agreeing with the person who said full cast audio books are the best. It would be amazing if the Pellinor audio books got to have that treat... I think that's what made listening to Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy one of my favorite listening experiences.

On another note... which may be meaningless since I don’t necessarily know your taste in music… and hopefully it doesn’t come off the wrong way because I absolutely loved the poems and songs from the series, but have you listened to the album "Bomb in a Birdcage" by A Fine Frenzy? I bought the album while I was finishing The Naming and starting The Riddle and her lyrics complimented the series, like an inner-thought soundtrack, in an eerily amazing way. The songs "The World Without," "Stood Up," and "The Beacon," specifically reminded me of the books. (http://www.afinefrenzy.com/)

I guess this is kind of odd fan mail? Anyway, I can’t wait to read your next book!

geekqueen2010 said...

I just read The Naming and I can't wait to read the other three books. I don't want to seem crazy but I believe that the Speech is real and if you know it Alison, I would love to learn it.

Deana said...

Hi Alison!
A friend of mine just introduced me to The Naming. I am about half-way through and absolutely adore it! There is nothing better to me than paranormal mixed in with timelessness. It is so ramantic but yet there - so far - is none. I just love it.

Either way I am a new follower and I also write a blog where I conduct book reviews and giveaways. If you are at all interested I would love to do an interview with a giveaway on my blog. Let me know what you think:)
www.momstheglue.blogspot.com