An Epic Quest

 While I've been out having an epic fantasy quest of my own (pictures below - including sword fighting!) , there's been a so much happening in the world of poetry, book releases and more.

While I've been distracted, Tim Jones has released his latest book New Sea Land available from Makaro Press and so has Keith Westwater, releasing No One Home: A Boyhood Memoir in Letters and Poems .  And that's not even including Bonsai : Best Small Stories From Aotearoa New Zealand,which has some great little stories and prose poems by a range of literary authors. It was fun to see so many familiar and new faces at the launch, I was almost sad not to have subbed, but authors have to choose their projects, and I choose fun. Take a look at the pictures of my launch of Quest and say I chose wrong!

It was lovely to see so many wonderful friends, fans and fellow writers at my book launch for Quest. It was epic, so thank you all, and here are some pictures from the launch. I'm looking forward to seeing even more authors next month when Eileen Mueller launches her book Ezaara, because it won't clash with the biggest NZSA event of the year (oops!)

Have fun,
A.J. Ponder

And if you like fantasy and having fun check out the article It's a World of Fantasy on Scoop or buy a copy of my book Quest, it's at a low opening price that is unlikely to be repeated so get one now - before checking out the last two pictures of the Company of the Dragons sword fighting during the launch of Quest. :) 

 (Available to buy on Rona Gallery, Children's Bookshop or Arty Bees, Wardini with personalised signed copies available from Rona Gallery if you ask. To find out more follow this link to "Quest" on my author website.

Is it Tuesday Today?

Is it Tuesday today?

I need a little poem,
just a little poem -
any type of poem will do...

No, sorry I'm barren this week - next week - if I start early I'll be able to focus a little better - 

It's been a big week, my husband completed 71 troops for the WWI diorama that will be on the display in the Dominion Museum over Anzac, sorry no pictures allowed!!! :) My daughter reached her second decade, so for Hobbit fans she is now officially a tweenie! (And as she was a Hobbit extra that's about right)...

Lost in the Museum SJV awards: A.J. Ponder
(editor), Eileen Mueller (sub-editor) and Geoff
Popham (artist) with Sir Julius Vogel looking on.

 

 

 

And in book related news, I was involved with a book that won two Sir Julius Vogel awards, okay so one was for cover-art, by the amazing Geoff Popham who is on the left holding his Sir Julius Vogel Award. (Actually it's a stand in award because Weta has been too busy with the WWI diorama - but he will get one just like it very soon!)  and the other was for the anthology itself, which I was heavily involved in. Helping with typesetting, design, coralling authors, and gluing all the stories in Lost in the Museum together with commentaries by Tui Merriweather. Believe it or not Tui was quite a tricky character to work with, we didn't even have her correct name until the last minute, and without Eileen Mueller (in the centre holding the book), and Lorraine Williams (almost as elusive as Tui Merriweather herself), she would never have come out of the shadows in quite the same way.

Lost in the Museum was written by Phoenix Authors Writing Group and invited authors including Lyn McConchie, Phillip Mann, Tim Jones and Glyn Maclean, and is available in many Libraries, and good New Zealand bookstores, (including Children's Bookshop & Rona Gallery), and of course Amazon.

Surf Security

Surf Security doesn't like my words

Red circled exclamation marks

Proclaim to all

The unsafe nature of this text

Seeing fit to warn you

Of its revealing nature

After all

Poetry is for the mad,

The troubled,

The ghosts who lock themselves within galleons adrift

Never straying into in sight of

The breathy sea of swimming beaches

Choosing instead to listen to the

echo

Of reality booming

And the shrill cry of seagulls

So now you must choose

To fly far to distant lands

Far, far away from this uncertain brig

Where I lie

My breath thrown

higgledy-piggledy around me

In uncertain 

indecency

or turn your wings to the distant lands

to whence lies the unknown

the unknowable

the distant shore-

Or return to your cell.

 Alicia Ponder

An exciting weekend because I was lucky enough to have my poem, "The Trouble with Time Machines" published in "Eye to the Telescope," .  Check out in particular "Rapunzel," by Mary Victoria but there are also some great poems by people like Helen Rickerby (first up), Janis Freeguard, Peter Friend my oft partner in crime, and the surprising Joe Dolce, (better known for songs such as "Shaddup you Face" than his poetry).  Edited by the redoubtable Tim Jones its well worth a look - because as Tim says, 'Whether you love poetry, you love SF, fantasy, and horror, or you just want to find out what on earth speculative poetry is, there is something for you in "Eye To The Telescope 2".'

Also received my contributors copy of Challenge magazine, with "Survival" co written with Peter Friend.  Of course it's not Frankie, as my kids are quick to point out.  Thanks guys - but the magazine is absolutely awesome and I'm so proud to have been a part of it.  :)   I even bought some extra copies from Australia because I knew it would be popular and I'm already running out!  They're mine.  All mine.  

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Arty Bees, The Children's Bookshop and good New Zealand bookstores