Novel Spaces: The real deal: "I'd be appalled by all the misconceptions about the writing life proliferating out there if I hadn't harboured a few myself in the not-too-distant past..."
Come join me on Novel Spaces as I take aim at some of those myths about living the writing life!
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
The Goodreads interview
DeeDee Scott, moderator of the Goodreads group African American Books, has posted her interview with me on the group's page and on her blog Authors on the Rise. If you've always wanted to find a word for having shapely buttocks, (and I don't mean bootilicious!) - you'll find it in this interview!
Goodreads group African American Books interviews Liane Spicer
Authors on the Rise - interview with Liane Spicer
Goodreads group African American Books interviews Liane Spicer
Authors on the Rise - interview with Liane Spicer
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Novel Spaces: Christmas books: A list
Novel Spaces: Christmas books: A list: "The end of the year is list season, especially in the world of books. What better reason is there to come up with my very own list of 10 books with Christmas themes..."
You're invited to join me on the NOVEL SPACES author blog as I show off my very own list of Christmas-themed books! Inspiration, romance, humour, fantasy, mystery, satire, poetry or classic fare with a Christmas theme - whatever you're after, Liane's got the book for you!
You're invited to join me on the NOVEL SPACES author blog as I show off my very own list of Christmas-themed books! Inspiration, romance, humour, fantasy, mystery, satire, poetry or classic fare with a Christmas theme - whatever you're after, Liane's got the book for you!
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Novel Spaces: Writers I Owe
"Novel Spaces: Writers I Owe: "KeVin's post Writers of Influence got me thinking. It's difficult to pinpoint writers who have directly influenced my writing; over a lifetime..."
You're invited to join me on Novel Spaces as I pay tribute to the writers who influenced me the most!
You're invited to join me on Novel Spaces as I pay tribute to the writers who influenced me the most!
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Novel Spaces: More Darned Publishing Myths
Novel Spaces: More Darned Publishing Myths:
One month ago I wrote about Those Darned Publishing Myths. Today we'll examine four more of the publishing version of midwives' tales that can mislead writers in their quest for publishing success. You're welcome to join me there!
One month ago I wrote about Those Darned Publishing Myths. Today we'll examine four more of the publishing version of midwives' tales that can mislead writers in their quest for publishing success. You're welcome to join me there!
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Reading right now: health & beauty, boudoir insights, writers' spaces and Beelzebub's handbook
There isn't a single novel in the stacks of books on and beside my bed at the moment. The thing about reading non-fiction is that I can read several books at the same time - unlike novels where I get so engrossed in a story I can focus on nothing else until I get to the end of it. I'm enjoying this desultory approach to reading for a change; it leaves me space to ponder and assimilate, especially at a time when RL is demanding much of me attention-wise.
Aveda Rituals: A Daily Guide to Natural Health and Beauty by Horst Rechelbacher
Mr. Rechelbacher is the fo
under of Aveda, a line of cosmetics that maximizes the use of natural ingredients as well as the Ayurvedic principles of health and well being. Over the years I've increasingly incorporated a holistic, natural approach to all areas of my life. My way, however, has been undisciplined, unstructured, uncommitted and downright capricious.
Aveda Rituals presents a harmonious approach to personal care, with practical applications, explanations of the Ayurvedic philosophy behind the recommended practices, and lots of information on the various systems on which it draws: aromatherapy, the chakras, natural balance, cleansing and restorative rituals, herbal healing, yoga practice, organic diet, and much, much more.
What this book does not do is push the writer's products at you, although he does explore the philosophy behind his work and shares his personal voyage. It does not tell you what you must do, or eat, or buy, but encourages you to find what works for you so you make nurturing, healthy choices not only with regard to enhancing your natural beauty, but in every facet of your life, choices that are good for you, for those around you, and for the planet.
Victoria Magazine's Bedrooms: Private Worlds and Places to Dream
My be
droom isn't just the place where I go to sleep: this tiny space functions as my writing room, reading room, music room, private movie theatre, gym, zendo, meeting/chatting place for my RL and cyber- friends, dream space, boudoir and sanctuary. I'm constantly seeking ways to make it as easy on the eyes and as comforting to the body and spirit as it can possibly be.
There's nothing earth-shattering by way of bedroom design elements in Bedrooms: Private Worlds and Places to Dream, and that's not what I'm looking for. What I seek, and what I find in this lovely coffee table quality volume are lots of photos of beautiful dream-spaces with short, poetically written descriptive notes that put me in a calm zone and feed my thirst for aesthetic harmony. It stimulates me to be mindful of the value of enhancing the beauty of my own space via sensual elements that appeal to me: scents, textures, forms, colours, sounds, and yes, taste as well. This is not indulgence: it's spiritual necessity.
A Writer's Space by Eric Maisel
This book was recomm
ended by fellow Novel Spaces author Shauna Roberts. My own space is always evolving as I journey from not having a dedicated writing station and using my bed, the floor and the dining room table, utilizing tools that encompassed a biro and stacks of legal notebooks, a Brother electronic word processor, and various second-hand, quirky PCs, to my current writing nook next to my bed complete with desk, new laptop, cork board and some sweet little speakers to replace the squeaky laptop-issue variety.
I'm not very far into A Writer's Space but what I'm liking already is that Maisel does not address just the physical space but also the psychic as he guides you into enhancing your own creative process by devising writing rituals to get you started and keep you going, optimizing the time you spend writing, and designing a schedule that you can follow no matter what.
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
This is not a book you can sit
and read from cover to cover despite its lack of girth; you take it in delightfully piquant little bites, maybe the 'E' entries today, the 'W' lot two weeks down the line. The Devil's Dictionary began in 1881 as a weekly article in a San Francisco paper. Bierce's searing wit and bruisingly satirical commentary on people, life and society ('life, the universe and everything' for you Douglas Adams fans out there), is uncannily relevant to today and not at all dated as one might expect.
I'd never heard of Ambrose Bierce (1842 - circa 1913?) before my friend D gave me this book for my birthday, but researching his biography turned up some fascinating information. According to Wiki, he was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist, best known for his short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his satirical lexicon, The Devil's Dictionary. His motto 'nothing matters' earned him the nickname 'Bitter Bierce'. Despite his satirical, critical approach to everything, he had a reputation for encouraging young writers and became something of a cult figure.
His story ends on a dramatic note befitting of such an interesting writer. In 1913 Bierce traveled to Mexico to investigate firsthand the revolution in which that country was embroiled. While traveling with rebel troops he disappeared without a trace. He was 71 at the time.
Aveda Rituals: A Daily Guide to Natural Health and Beauty by Horst Rechelbacher
Mr. Rechelbacher is the fo
under of Aveda, a line of cosmetics that maximizes the use of natural ingredients as well as the Ayurvedic principles of health and well being. Over the years I've increasingly incorporated a holistic, natural approach to all areas of my life. My way, however, has been undisciplined, unstructured, uncommitted and downright capricious.Aveda Rituals presents a harmonious approach to personal care, with practical applications, explanations of the Ayurvedic philosophy behind the recommended practices, and lots of information on the various systems on which it draws: aromatherapy, the chakras, natural balance, cleansing and restorative rituals, herbal healing, yoga practice, organic diet, and much, much more.
What this book does not do is push the writer's products at you, although he does explore the philosophy behind his work and shares his personal voyage. It does not tell you what you must do, or eat, or buy, but encourages you to find what works for you so you make nurturing, healthy choices not only with regard to enhancing your natural beauty, but in every facet of your life, choices that are good for you, for those around you, and for the planet.
Victoria Magazine's Bedrooms: Private Worlds and Places to Dream
My be
droom isn't just the place where I go to sleep: this tiny space functions as my writing room, reading room, music room, private movie theatre, gym, zendo, meeting/chatting place for my RL and cyber- friends, dream space, boudoir and sanctuary. I'm constantly seeking ways to make it as easy on the eyes and as comforting to the body and spirit as it can possibly be.There's nothing earth-shattering by way of bedroom design elements in Bedrooms: Private Worlds and Places to Dream, and that's not what I'm looking for. What I seek, and what I find in this lovely coffee table quality volume are lots of photos of beautiful dream-spaces with short, poetically written descriptive notes that put me in a calm zone and feed my thirst for aesthetic harmony. It stimulates me to be mindful of the value of enhancing the beauty of my own space via sensual elements that appeal to me: scents, textures, forms, colours, sounds, and yes, taste as well. This is not indulgence: it's spiritual necessity.
A Writer's Space by Eric Maisel
This book was recomm
ended by fellow Novel Spaces author Shauna Roberts. My own space is always evolving as I journey from not having a dedicated writing station and using my bed, the floor and the dining room table, utilizing tools that encompassed a biro and stacks of legal notebooks, a Brother electronic word processor, and various second-hand, quirky PCs, to my current writing nook next to my bed complete with desk, new laptop, cork board and some sweet little speakers to replace the squeaky laptop-issue variety.I'm not very far into A Writer's Space but what I'm liking already is that Maisel does not address just the physical space but also the psychic as he guides you into enhancing your own creative process by devising writing rituals to get you started and keep you going, optimizing the time you spend writing, and designing a schedule that you can follow no matter what.
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
This is not a book you can sit
and read from cover to cover despite its lack of girth; you take it in delightfully piquant little bites, maybe the 'E' entries today, the 'W' lot two weeks down the line. The Devil's Dictionary began in 1881 as a weekly article in a San Francisco paper. Bierce's searing wit and bruisingly satirical commentary on people, life and society ('life, the universe and everything' for you Douglas Adams fans out there), is uncannily relevant to today and not at all dated as one might expect.I'd never heard of Ambrose Bierce (1842 - circa 1913?) before my friend D gave me this book for my birthday, but researching his biography turned up some fascinating information. According to Wiki, he was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist, best known for his short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his satirical lexicon, The Devil's Dictionary. His motto 'nothing matters' earned him the nickname 'Bitter Bierce'. Despite his satirical, critical approach to everything, he had a reputation for encouraging young writers and became something of a cult figure.
His story ends on a dramatic note befitting of such an interesting writer. In 1913 Bierce traveled to Mexico to investigate firsthand the revolution in which that country was embroiled. While traveling with rebel troops he disappeared without a trace. He was 71 at the time.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Novel Spaces: Blogging: Dead or alive?
Novel Spaces: Blogging: Dead or alive?: "When I got hooked on the blogging phenomenon back in 2005, this new (to me) toy was the smartest, hippest, most exciting thing around. Over ..."
Today on Novel Spaces I'm wondering whether the blogging phenomenon is on its way out. You're welcome to join me - and don't forget to share your opinion on this issue by taking the poll!
Today on Novel Spaces I'm wondering whether the blogging phenomenon is on its way out. You're welcome to join me - and don't forget to share your opinion on this issue by taking the poll!
Monday, 25 October 2010
Chimamanda Adicie: The danger of a single story
Chimamanda Adicie is the author of Purple Hibiscus (2003) which was shortlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize (2004) and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (2005). Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) is set before and during the Biafran War. Her collection of short stories, The Thing around Your Neck, was published in 2009.
In the clip below she discusses the danger of viewing a culture through the lens of a single story.
In the clip below she discusses the danger of viewing a culture through the lens of a single story.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Novel Spaces: Those darned publishing myths
Novel Spaces: Those darned publishing myths: "We've all read them, and we start out with loads of misconceptions on account of them. How do we separate the industry wisdom from the urban..."
You've invited to join me on Novel Spaces today as we go about shooting down those urban myths of publishing!
You've invited to join me on Novel Spaces today as we go about shooting down those urban myths of publishing!
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Paper good, Kindle bad?
Yes, I've absconded to the dark side: I've begun buying e-books on Kindle on the sly. You're invited to join me as I discuss my defection on Novel Spaces today.
The Dark Side
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