FREE STORIES AND EARLY UPDATESJoin my newsletter for freebies and secrets!

EmmaMaree.com

Scottish Writer of Fantasy & Sci-Fi

whats up wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday: 24th of July Edition!

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly post, created by blog friends Jaime and her sister Erin!

What I’m Reading

This week has been focussed on adjusting to the new job, so I haven’t had much time for reading or writing. I’m currently reading LIVES OF TAO and BLOOD AND FEATHERS: REBELLION.

What I’m Writing

As above, writing time has been slim on the ground. However I’ve got a few short stories under my belt, and edits on DIVIDE THE SKY continue at a smooth pace. I should be past page 100 within the next few days, fingers crossed.

nightvalelogo-web4

What Inspires Me Right Now

Have you heard of the WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE podcast? If you haven’t listened to it, and you have a fondness for good podcasts, good storytelling, and/or horror, go give it a listen. It is the best podcast I’ve ever listened to. I love it, and it makes quite a change to my usual travelling to work/doing housework soundtracks.

What Else I’ve Been Up To

New workplace is full of ridiculously healthy people, which is a powerful motivational factor…

I walked 3 miles on my lunch the other day. In a cardigan. In 30 degrees celsius. Trying to keep pace with said healthy people. I nearly DIED. Okay, I didn’t, but I was VERY WARM.

This week I also had one of those moments where friend circles overlap (this doesn’t happen often — my circles like to circle within their own circles, generally. Circles.), and it worked out wonderfully.

New friends meeting old friends is always a lot of fun.

SPINNING IN CIRCLES
SPINNING IN (SOCIAL) CIRCLES

How’s your week been, tiny dancers?

What’s Up Wednesday! End-of-May Edition!

I’m back from the hot and pleasant island of Cyprus, and back with another What’s Up Wednesday post as hosted by blog friend Jaime and her sister Erin! Like Colin, this post is mostly to let you know that I’m back, alive and kickin’!

what'supwednesday

What I’m Reading

I finished Chuck Wendig’s THE BLUE BLAZES, which was a long and rewarding read. It was nice to hop over to adult urban fantasy again for a bit. I then started reading DARE YOU TO by Katie McGarry. Not really feeling it, it’s not clicking with me.

Once I’ve done DARE YOU TO I’m going to give TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD a spin, because I’ve been itching to read this classic for ages and I haven’t got round to it yet.

What I’m Writing

My holiday kicked me out of my good writing habits, so I’m slowly trying to get back into the swing of things.

Toying with a plot bunny for a middle grade/children’s story, but I think I’m just being flighty. I’ve hit some plotting issues with the middle section of Leviathan Rises and I think I’m just procrastinating from that.

Still, plot bunnies are fun! And I’ll be getting back to the seamonster story shortly, fingers crossed.

What Inspires Me Right Now

Writer and friend John Dixon recently shared the trailer for INTELLIGENCE, based on his upcoming YA novel PHOENIX ISLAND. Take a look! It stars Sawyer from LOST (Josh Holloway) and looks like it’ll include a few of my favourite things: badass ladies! Witty banter!

I loved this article: “‘We Have Always Fought’: Challenging the ‘Women, Cattle and Slaves’ Narrative” by Kameron Hurley.

annaandthefrenchkissI also just read Stephenie Perkin’s blog about the status of her upcoming “Isla and the Happily Ever After” and her struggles with depression. It wasn’t inspiring, but it was an important post to read as a far of her work.

Also, Elementary, which I just finished and loved every minute of. Strong female characters! Generally good representations of all minorities! A male-female bromance! This was a brilliant way to spend my time waiting for BBC’s Sherlock, and despite my reservations about the show I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Check out the trailer, which has minor spoilers for the first episode but gives you a good idea of the show’s style.

 

What Else I’ve Been Up To

I managed to get severe food poisoning while in Cyprus, which messed me up for about a week afterwards. I’m doing better now, but I have a lot to catch up on: reading, writing, and blogging especially.

I didn’t do myself any favours by buying a PS3 console, but heeeeeey… it’s nice to spend some time gaming, even if I need to learn to manage my time better.