Sharing the Love :)

I discovered the other day that an old friend and accomplished writer still loves me - after she nominated me for one of these Liebster Awards http://ajponder.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/yay-a-liebster-award-from-one-of-my-favourite-bloggers-um-whats-a-liebster-award/

And I thought - gosh that is really sweet - so I'm hoping some of the other bloggers I've nominated will share the love too :)

And more sharing more love 
We have quite a few fantastic speculative fiction writers (not to mention film and tv creators) in New Zealand and they would all love for their works to get a Vogel Award (as would I) so why not share the love and nominate some of your favs before March 31 2013 - they will really appreciate it :)

So send each nomination in seperate e-mails to: sjv_awards@sffanz.org.nz - with basic information about the book/project and (if possible) how to contact the creators/publishers and of course yourself, and voila, you are done!

My two eligable stories are below -  and there are also some great ideas here at SpecFic and here at Steampress (home of Mansfield with Monsters & the Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse). 


Title of work: Dying for the Record - Read it Online at http://uk.tomorrow-projects.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Arc1-1_DyingfortheRecord_A-J-Ponder.pdf
Name of Author: A J Ponder
What the work is: Professional - Short Story
Publisher: Arc / The Tomorrow Project 2012
How to contact the author: alicia_p@slingshot.co.nz, or ph 586 2468
Nomination category: Best Short Story
Genre: Science Fiction


Title of work: Wizard’s Guide to Wellington
Name of Author: A J Ponder
What the work is: Professional – Children’s Fiction
Publisher: Coombe House 2012
How to contact the author: alicia_p@slingshot.co.nz, or ph 586 2468
Nomination category: Best Youth/Children’s Novel
Genre: Fantasy

A.J.

A.J. Ponder's books are available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, Paper Plus and good Wellington bookstores.
 

It's New Zealand Poetry Day! But I'm not celebrating until Sunday.

It's New Zealand Poetry day and so quite a few of the New Zealand Poets have blogged on the Tuesday Poem blog , also Booksellers has got a great site for poetry events - there's all sorts of things going on, it's amazing, Beattie's site mentions an Auckland event, almost everyone seems to have joined in on the fun.  Of course I'm laying low today, no poetry on my mind at all except for the Rona Gallery Writers on Sunday Event, this Sunday because it is with the wonderful Jo Thorpe and some of our wonderful Wellington and Eastbourne, poets, authors and writers. See the event here 
at Eventfinder - which also has a number of other Poetry events over the country, both today and over the weekend - so enjoy the day everybody with a song in your heart and a poem in your head. also I found this great tongue in cheek blog, really bad poetry with critiques and rating systems for poems where F is run of the mill bad and A+ is terrifyingly bad - I'm sure if I look hard enough I can find at least some B-'s amongst my slush!  Maybe some A+'s ... 



Yes, there was a poem here, but it was in construction and now has been taken down.  Cheers.

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores

Seven Rings for Mortal Man

Believe it or not, it's New Zealand SpecFic Blogging week. So I thought how about a little homage to the Lord of the Rings film in the hope that The Hobbit will eventually materialise.  (I'm dying to know if they are going to open with the scene of Smaug I've always imagined.)

Seven Rings for Mortal Man

I have a tale to tell to you,

A tale of woe and endless rue

Of dark things stalking in the night

and brave men come to do what’s right

Of Princesses and courage true

As seen on high from Godlike view

Of cameras scattered in the night

To catch this truly awesome sight

Now I would be a Hero

and wield a Hero’s blade

To smite the foe in battle rage

If only I could make the grade

Or evil crawling in the night

To fight the good with all my might -

It is not beneath my pride

To slaughter elvish scum upon an orcish tide

For these things I long, and many more

but to walk until I get footsore

And I absolutely swear

a dozen steps to get nowhere…

I’d do it all again for

This feature promises to bring

“Riders” dark and menacing

Dwarves and Elves and Men

And special effects beyond my ken

The stars the moon the absent sun

The stones on which the rivers run

Bless them all this awe-full night

In the promise of the sight

Of

One film to rule them all

One film to spell-bind them

One film to bring them all

and in the darkness…

just watch it!

A..J. Ponder - Amazon author page

ok maybe it's not pure spec fic but here's some others - one or two of which might be considered Spec Fic - hey what do I know?  I just write stuff.


SpecFic POEMS
Time Wyrm - The crack in the universe expanded
Kaitoke - 'nough said.
The Fair Folk by William Allingham
Ecila - I'm sensing a pattern.  A certain someone falling down the rabbit hole.

As You know Bob - prose poem by Tim Jones
Books in the Trees - Tim Jones.  Not actually a poem but definitely a fun read.
I know there are so many others but the slipper just fell off and the pumpkin is leaving.

NZ SpecFic BOOK REVIEWS

hundreds of SFFANZ book reviews (some of which will be NZ)

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier (lovely book, quite romantic)
Thornspell by Helen Lowe 
Brainjack by Brian Falkner 

Interviews with NZ SpecFic Authors

Elizabeth Knox (with Helen Heath, 10 Questions series)