It’s been a while! I’ve had a run of bad luck health wise that has put me behind on my writing schedule, plus a bunch of other nonsense. Also some really cool stuff. Case in point: Rainbow Space Magic.
On March 13th and 14th, I participated in Rainbow Space Magic 2021, an online LGBTQ+ virtual book convention featuring authors and vendors. I took part in a reading (I was a mess) and a panel discussion on Magic and Folklore, and it was a BLAST. I had so much fun and even bought a couple of books! Thanks to the magic of YouTube, the rest of the panels are available for you to check out at your leisure—and I highly recommend that you do.
The panel and folklore was the last thing I did before…getting sick. I was already exhibiting cold symptoms before the panel discussion, but I managed to keep it together for the con. After that, well. I did not manage much of anything. In the following seven weeks, I think I was healthy for a total of 4 days. I’m currently on bug number three. I’m really over this!
Before anyone worries about me: I’m fine. I have a rubbish immune system, a two-year-old nephew who is generous with his germs and a lot of bad luck. While I do have less energy than usual, and so am behind on my writing plans, I have been slowly plugging away at things.
Top of that list: IQARUS-con. Last year, I shared a survey with you to find out what you’d be interested in seeing on a virtual conference. Working with the rest of the IQARUS team, we’ve put together an agenda and guest list—and it’s only a week away from the con going live!
IQARUS-con takes place May 8th (May 9th if you’re in NZ or Australia). If you check out the agenda, you’ll see that I am hosting a lot of panels, and participating in one panel and one reading. It’s going to be a really busy day, but I hope that you’re able to join us for part of it.
There’s also a Scavenger Hunt organised by the extremely talented Ava Kelly, with some awesome prizes for authors and readers. The event is free, but if you register to attend (by either making a donation to one of our three featured charities, or by sharing info about the charities on your social media), you’ll receive a swag-bag with ebooks donated by attending authors.
In writing news, I’m currently working on chapter eleven of an anticipated eighteen in Sorcerer’s Heart. I’ve also had a busy time house-sitting (a kitten, sheep, hens, donkeys, cats—not all at the same time, fortunately), took my niece to a cat-cafe, picked grapes (an awesome experience but wow was my body sore), and even took part in Christchurch Pride’s Rainbow Market (before I got sick).
Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you’re making progress on your projects too—even if it’s slower progress than you would have liked. Take care, and hope to see you at IQARUS-con!
Talk soon,
Yours,
Gillian
Empowering gaslamp fantasy that confounds expectations
Gillian St. Kevern
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