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Author Interests

11/30/2015

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Although this website is dedicated to my love of writing, like most people, I have a wide variety of interests.  More often than not, these interests will get incorporated into my writing so I thought I'd dedicate this post to some of the main causes and passions I pursue.

Environmental Stewardship
My rural background established a love for the natural world which is integral to how I live my life.  I am always trying to leave less of a footprint on this amazing planet.  Although not always central to my stories, nature is fundamental to their backdrops.  Call of the Black Panther is as much a cautionary tale of caring for your environment as it is one about fighting for its ownership.  I am active within several environmental groups and run a Tumblr account where I share news relating this this cause: http://lifegoddessofearth.tumblr.com/  I also actively monitor the state of Canada's environmental reputation since it hasn't been too rosy over the past decade.

Reading
Big surprise, right?  Slipping into minds and worlds outside of my own is such an amazing experience!  Although my primary genre tends to be fantasy, I will read any book that sparks my fancy.  My Goodreads account does not reflect all of the books I've read but I am attempting to gradually chronicle my literary experiences there: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/22119019-katarina-claire-e-r  I also really enjoy book-movie adaptation analysis of which The Dom is a top-notch example.  I highly recommend his videos which provide both insight and humour: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPtiXdv7RoU8IkrJeNY73qw

Fandoms
In an age of inter-connectedness, it's easy to find others who share your love of a topic or story.  Nostalgia is a state into which I often tread.  Once I discover a new tale that inspires and excites me, I go searching for the communities that share my passion.  Avatar The Last Airbender is one of the more recent additions to this category.  It's detailed world, intriguing dilemmas and wonderful characters make it a rife playground for the imaginations of fans.  One of the aspects I particularly enjoy about fandoms, is the ability to revisit and reshape a beloved world.  Sometimes the fanworks spawned can even transcend (at least in some respects) the original. 

Although Pokemon was the first fandom I was exposed to, the advent of Harry Potter was when I began taking a more active interest in that landscape.  In particular, I was fascinated by the fluidity of the relationships the fan community played with.  My favourite became Hermione/Severus (see this post from my old blog for more details).

More recently, I've become interested in the underground Disney fandom for femmeslash (lesbian) works.  It's incredible to see how relatively simple stories can be transformed into analyses of gender and the complex dynamic of societal pressure while the characters attempt to navigate a historical drama with high adventure and romance.   I even stepped into these churning waters by contributing my own fanfiction to the universe of Belle and Ariel in Land and Sea: A Belle and Ariel Fanfiction.

The final fandom I shall mention today is one for a little-known show called Space Cases.  Aimed at teens, it was a fun, silly little that introduced me to sci-fi adventures (long before I'd seen Star Wars or Star Trek).  Unlike the rest, my fandom interest incorporates nearly every part of the Space Cases universe, rather than just a segment or couple of characters.  Still, if I had to choose a favourite character, it would have to be the android Thelma.  Here is a nice little fanvid about the series: This is War

What fandoms do you like?  What causes are you passionate about?  Feel free to leave comments below.  Cheers!

Below is an image from the Nov 29th Global Climate March courtesy of the Vancouver Sun.
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Local Author's Book Fair 2015

11/13/2015

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I was not sure what to expect at my first book fair.  I heard about it while delivering a couple of copies of Call of the Black Panther to the public library.  I recalled my partner and I having stumbled on the one in 2014 by accident while wandering the local market so had an idea as to what 2015's would be like.  Booking a table seemed like a great way to gain some exposure and meet other local authors.  I am happy to report that I enjoyed the event enormously!

My table mate, Andrew Szemeredy and his partner were friendly and helpful, each of us taking turns manning the table and circulating to see the other authors.  Not surprisingly I picked up a few books to read which I will list at the end of this post.  I even sold a book!  Perhaps more meaningfully, I now have some new newsletter subscribers who I'd like to welcome!  I hope you enjoy my monthly perspectives on writing, publishing and other literary explorations.

During the book fair, I had the opportunity to read a section from Call of the Black Panther and the emcee asked me a few questions.  Talking about a book that had been with me for so much of my life to a crowd of strangers was a weird yet ultimately positive feeling.  An author hopes that everyone who picks it up will enjoy their book but, since I know that is not possible, at the very least, I hope that it provides food for thought.

A journalist from Western University's radio station briefly interviewed me which was the other highlight of my day!  If anyone is interested in listening to the program it will be aired December 6th on 94.9 CHRW radio .
It will be a 30min segment on women authors' experiences during the publishing process.

I was very tired when I came down from the high of the event but am so thrilled to have had the chance to participate!  I hope to have another book to add to my table next year.  The first book in my 'Rules' trilogy is slated for the editing block in 2016 so I anticipate that it will be my next contribution to the literary world.

Here is a brief description of 'The Rules Book 1: Abiding by Rules':


Abiders enforce the Rules, the will of their world's God.  Selena is one of the Abiders' instruments of control and her task is to exorcise ‘Old Ones’ - undead monsters whose existence predates the creation of her world's Rules.  Trained by an experienced warrior and magician the woman quickly becomes a critical figure in the growing tension between Rules abiders and dissenters.  The established System shaping these less tangible Rules assures that those who obey its direction lead successful lives.  Those who deviate are plagued by undesirable circumstances.  Selena has no desire to deviate from her Abider's instructions and risk the Rules' wrath... until a choice from her childhood catches up with her.

To see status updates about what stories I'm working on, check out the 'In the Works' page of my website.

In closing, I would like to thank the people, organisations and readers that made the 2015 Words Fest a success.  Local authors sincerely appreciate your support.

Feel free to leave a question or a comment below.  Happy reading!

Books Obtained at the Local Author's Book Fair
  • Stars and Other Monsters by Phronk
  • Whalesinger by Welwyn Wilton Katz
  • Ernie's Gold by Brian Martin
  • Pushthrough by Andrew Szemeredy
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    Here is where I post updates and thoughts about my writing (as well as sources of inspiration).  Views expressed are strictly my own.

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