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My cheerful post is a bit later than I expected, because I took my viral self to bed along with a Sookie Stackhouse book. It was just what the doctor ordered and I ran out of fever and book precisely five minutes ago. Now I get to say "Watch this space." And then I post my delayed message and then I get to sleep and sleep and sleep. Lots of good stuff.

Watch this space!

Helen Lowe - Heir of Night - celebrating speculative fiction

Helen's new book was released in Australia and New Zealand today. The Heir of Night is the first of a four part epic fantasy and the US edition boasts a gorgeous cover by Greg Bridges (I like both blue and Greg Bridges' art, so this is my edition of choice). Helen is one of those wonderful NZ writers I met at AussieCon. I'm not - as you know - a terribly polite person, but Helen instantly gained my respect. There's something about her that commands it.

When she asked me if I'd like to participate in celebrating her new novel I instantly said 'yes.' When I understood what I was to do I was really happy that she'd asked. So much of the joy of a new novel gets lost in the PR. Helen has asked a whole group of writers from New Zealand and Australia (and one Canadian - I love it that there is a single North American in the schedule - it keeps the world balanced) to join her in celebrating that joy. Not just the joy of her novel. The joy of writing. I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say - the writers cover a wide spectrum within spec fic.

Tomorrow (later today?) Alan Baxter will start the series. I'm down the track and round the bend a bit, which makes entire sense, given my personality.

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Today I've done a great deal of sleeping and not much else. I suspect that I finally admitted that the virus I've had on and off for nearly two weeks isn't going to fade if I don't give it a chance. And so I am getting a bit better then a bit better still and one day I shall look around and there will be no more virus.

I've had great dreams with all this extra sleeping. I explained them to my long-suffering mother and she commented that I think just as much in my dreams as I do when I'm awake. This is only a problem for those who stop and listen to stories about my dreams. She didn't say that, however. She was just a bit concerned that my brain doesn't appear to have an off-switch.

My favourite dream of my otherwise-wasted day gave me a complete analysis of the structure of reviewers and their circles in Australia. I can't give you the analysis because there are elements of it that are...not tactful. It was a very funny dream, however, and whenever I see certain names I shall giggle. Their actions were purely symbolic in my dream but oh, so accurate.