Ever wondered how a fox would sound if it could speak? – Fox 8 by George Saunders
I have often pointed out in these posts, that I favour brevity and carefully chosen words over flowery writing. ItContinue Reading
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Simply perfect! Nick Cave explains the writing process
This post from Nick Cave’s Red Hand Files is too good not to share. From: Nick Cave Date: October 22,Continue Reading
We all have our little habits – what’s yours?
I saw the cartoon, “Things Book Lovers Do”, on Facebook, reposted by a UK company called forReadingAddicts, and for onceContinue Reading
How writers and reviewers connect, and how to avoid a war of words
A recent comment from an author on one of my book reviews got me thinking. I was pleased at theContinue Reading
The problem with this year’s Booker Prize selection
The Booker Award was announced on October 14, 2019, and for the first time they had two winners: The Testaments, by MargaretContinue Reading
Afrikaans Art Art-themed Fiction Authors to watch Award-winning novel Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of literary fiction Review of modern fiction Trending
Amazing Interconnectedness – The Garden of Evening Mists, by Tan Twan Eng (now a major film)
Some books have exotic contexts – there is a story about the story, and it helps the promotion of theContinue Reading
Backstories Best of 2018 Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Review of science fiction Review of translated novel Science Fiction
An “Invention Story” about Futile Obsession – Ball Lightning, by Cixin Liu
LIU Cixin, or Cixin Liu as he is known in English, is the author of the famous Science Fiction trilogyContinue Reading
What is it about Rebusfontein and King Louis VIII?
On the subject of fictional worlds: I’d like to introduce you to “Rebusfontein”. Rebusfontein (pronounced rhéá-booz-fonteyn) is an Afrikaans name meaningContinue Reading
Discussion of author’s portfolio Humor Humour Review of modern fiction Review of new book Review of novel
A lot of Dutch sarcasm – “Live and let live”, by Hendrik Groen
“Anonymous”, also known as “Hendrik Groen” (a pseudonym) is famous for his creation of a gang of crotchety old folksContinue Reading
Backstories Creative Process Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series List of similar books
Fascinating Fictional Fiction – Off the page into your hands (Part 3)
In the last of this series of posts on Fictional Fiction, I look into those famous authors whose invented booksContinue Reading
crime fiction Discussion of writing style Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book
Death, not golf, in an idyllic town – Blindshot by Denis Coupal
When I read Denis Coupal’s thriller Blindshot, my overall impression of it was of competence – he had done allContinue Reading
This Year’s Hugo Winners and a Curiosity Courtesy of William Shatner
On August 18, 2019, at Worldcon 77 in Dublin, Mary Robinette Kowal was awarded the Hugo Award for the BestContinue Reading
Fascinating Fictional Fiction – You’re pulling my leg! (Part 2)
In this series of posts, I’m looking into some examples of “fictional fiction”. I’ve already spoiled the fun about books in Dr.Continue Reading
Fascinating fictional fiction – You never know if it’s real
Books associated with characters in a book or a film sometimes look real and are actual published books. But sometimesContinue Reading
A case for the quiet voice – The writing of Nick Cave
In a world filled with loud, angry voices, there’s something to be said for the quiet, thoughtful voice. Nick Cave,Continue Reading
A Source for the Perfect Rhyme? Sorry, there’s no easy solution
Rhyming is devilishly difficult. It’s a serious head-scratcher, as people who write poems, lyrics and rap well know. If youContinue Reading
Authors to watch Constructed World Novel Discussion of writing style Fairytales Review of Fantasy Review of new book
A good bet for a Hugo Award – Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik
There are authors whose restraint, clear vision and graceful expression make their novels a quiet joy to read. I haveContinue Reading
If you want a second career as an author, the clock’s ticking…
In the past few years, I have met quite a few authors, including self-published ones, who began writing late inContinue Reading
Greg Hickey’s The Friar’s Lantern in 1 minute and a bit
When you have a mashup between a medieval-sounding title and a modern forensic mystery and a choice of choice ofContinue Reading
Author interview Creative Process Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Gamebook (CYOA) Review of Mysteries and Thrillers
It’s up to you who lives and dies – The Friar’s Lantern, by Greg Hickey
When embarking on Greg Hickey’s novel, The Friar’s Lantern, you would be forgiven for thinking you are about to startContinue Reading
A poem for Canada Day – “Home”
Today, July 1, is Canada Day. I am a Canadian, and this is what is means to me. Home byContinue Reading
The long, hard road to getting a book published – Josiah Bancroft responds to eager fans
Josiah Bancroft is one of those authors who has defined his creative process with care and can explain how heContinue Reading
Someone else calls it “indelibly awful” – The Mister, by E.L. James
It gives me great pleasure to re-post a review of E.L. James’ latest romance novel, The Mister, because I justContinue Reading
Read the books before you judge the films – GoT and Florence Foster Jenkins
Game of Thrones has now ended, and amid the uproar about the storyline and perceived-as-unsatisfactory conclusion of the final season, despairingContinue Reading
Picking up whispers of a murder – The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington
Forget for a moment that Leonora Carrington, who died in 2011 at the age of 94, was one of theContinue Reading
An Armload of Art-themed Novels
“Künstlerromane” are fictional depictions of the coming-of-age of artists or art prodigies – real or imagined, and their personal andContinue Reading
Art-themed Fiction Best of 2018 Creative Process kunstlerromane Review of modern fiction Review of new novel Review of translated novel
An idea that asks to be murdered – Killing Commendatore, by Haruki Murakami
Killing Commendatore was published in Japanese with the title 騎士団長殺し (Kishidancho Goroshi) in 2017, and the English translation came outContinue Reading
Best of 2018 Cold Climate Novels for Summer Discussion of writing style Fairytales Review of literary fiction Review of previously published novel Review of translated novel
Luminous, mysterious and bothersome – The Taiga Syndrome, by Cristina Rivera Garza
What is the Taiga? And what is the “Taiga Syndrome”? The Taiga is a snowy, fir-forested region in the highContinue Reading
“Don’t die, Dad – but they die.” Les Murray, The Bard of Bunyah, 17 October 1938 – 29 April 2019
The papers have been full with news of the death of Australia’s most world-famous poet, Les Murray. He died yesterdayContinue Reading
John Delacourt’s “Butterfly” in one-and-a-half minutes – Video-format review
Some novels really lend themselves to being discussed in visual terms – either their subject or setting is dramatic orContinue Reading
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A howl from the guts – White Out by Martine Delvaux
Before you read White Out it is best that you know that this book is written somewhat in the styleContinue Reading
Art-themed Fiction Backstories Discussion of writing style Review of classical fiction Review of classical novel Review of historical fiction Review of previously published novel
Two old people left behind, holding hands – The Fish Can Sing, by Halldór Laxness
A reader should approach with caution any book that has won a whole bunch of awards. A reader should alsoContinue Reading
So it won a Nobel – so what?
Every so often I discover a wonderful writer by some confluence of good fortune. In this case, I got myContinue Reading
Totally not Moomintrollish – The Summer Book, by Tove Jansson
I’m just such a sucker for a feel-good story and lovely gobs of happiness, which is why I so enjoyedContinue Reading
Does it work to pick from an author’s shortlist of favourites? – Sjón’s Top 10
Since I’m a devoted Sjón fan, I duly sat down and ordered the novels on this Top 10 list ofContinue Reading
I composed a bit like Bach! – Machine Learning and the joys of aspiring to great art
Computer-generated artistic text and images tend to resemble FrankenArt and FrankenFiction. Using machine learning, designers can build software programs thatContinue Reading
“When Facebook Went Down”, “The Germs of Love”, and other new silly rhymes
Here are four new rhymes; about the 13th of March when Facebook crashed, about someone who can’t sing, about catchingContinue Reading
How to squish Sjón’s 528-page “CoDex 1962” into 2.5 minutes
It took four posts to finish saying what I wanted to say about CoDex 1962, the strange but marvellous novelContinue Reading
Art Crimes and War Crimes – Butterfly, by John Delacourt
John Delacourt’s novel Butterfly is hard to read, not because of his writing style, but because of the subject matterContinue Reading
53-second take on Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt
Some novels just cry out to be made into films. Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt, is one of those. IContinue Reading
The Charm/Curse of Cliffhangers – The Hod King, by Josiah Bancroft
The Hod King, Bancroft’s third book in his Books of Babel tetralogy, is an exercise in exquisite torture through cliffhangers.Continue Reading
Discussion of author’s portfolio Review of Fantasy Review of new book Review of Science Fiction and Fantasy
The Hods are revolting – but we love them anyway – The Hod King, by Josiah Bancroft
Writer Nicholas Tucker said about Richard Adams’ 50-hankie-bunny-weepie, Watership Down, “Adams … has bravely and successfully resurrected the big picaresque adventureContinue Reading
Mining Lullaby and Office Blues
I work for a firm of consulting engineers in the oil & gas and mining industries (my day job, whichContinue Reading
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A novel about a poet that’s filled with delightful poetry – Diary of a Somebody, by Brian Bilston
Comment from Brian Bilston: Brian Bilston “What a lovely review. Thank you so much. I’m delighted you enjoyed it – andContinue Reading
Art-themed Fiction kunstlerromane Review of new book Review of new novel Review of novel Unlikeable Protagonists
It’s a family thing – but is it art? The Family Fang, by Kevin Wilson
It says on the cover that The Family Fang is a comedy – but I did not find it funny.Continue Reading
Ooh, what a horrible man – The Book of Human Skin, by Michelle Lovric
The title is a fair indication of what lurks inside the covers of this book. It has been compared toContinue Reading
Disreputable. Person. Mostly? – Worst.Person. Ever. by Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland, the artist, is terribly famous, not only in Canada. He has won heaps of awards. When I wasContinue Reading
Weird and funny – The Rapture of the Nerds by Doctorow & Stross
Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers often present original concepts in their novels, but Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross not only inventedContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of current events Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of new science fiction
What makes an AI human? – A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
This novel is on the shortlist for the 2017 Hugo Awards which will be handed out at Worldcon 75 inContinue Reading
Constructed World Novel Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of writing style Review of Fantasy The Grim Reaper
Death and the Flight of Birds in The Discworld – Reaper Man, by Terry Pratchett
Death is a difficult subject to write about, but particularly when it is not coincidental but core to a book’s theme orContinue Reading
Best of 2018 Discussion of writing style Review of modern fiction Review of new book Review of new novel The Grim Reaper
Death Made Beautiful – Beirut Hellfire Society, by Rawi Hage
This is one those novels that will change the way you look at death and burial methods – and Beirut.Continue Reading
Julian Barnes on hard work, luck and serendipity in his writing career
Here is the fascinating first-hand exposé of how Julian Barnes wrote his first novel, Metroland, and got it published inContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of writing style Media and Technology Review of anthology Review of new book Review of new science fiction Review of science fiction Reviews of short stories
Science Fiction versus HARD Science Fiction – The real science behind the Twelve Tomorrows Anthology
John Scalzi’s Science Fiction (SF) novel Head On was taken a step closer to being real when, in December 2018,Continue Reading
Into the mind of an author – Helena Gunter on what motivates her to write
In a previous post, I commented on Helena Gunter’s recently published anthology of short stories called Tweespoor (meaning “Double Track”).Continue Reading
What tickles your funny-bone? Rhett and Link caption The New Yorker’s cartoons
Here’s something entertaining: the appearance on The New Yorker magazine’s video channel of my favourite You-tubers, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal,Continue Reading
Mannered throwaway lines and very bad people – Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt
It seems to me that Hollywood film producers keep rehashing the same subjects and plots, which is why I rarelyContinue Reading
“The private, freaky sensuality of childhood” – “Tweespoor”(“Double Track”), by Helena Gunter
Helena Gunter’s skinny two-part work, with its dull brown cover featuring a faded-looking abstract drawing, looks harmless enough. What itContinue Reading
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your website grow? Part 2 – Quite well, actually!
The statistics for 2018 for the Seven Circumstances book blog illustrate some basics about the world of book writing, publishingContinue Reading
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your website grow? Growth factors in a book blog (part 1)
The statistics for 2018 for the Seven Circumstances book blog, released just before New Year, illustrate some basics about theContinue Reading
A Year in Books – Video of 2018 on Seven Circumstances
Readers who enjoy reading about the books they have read, and are searching for the next good book to read,Continue Reading
Backstories Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Pastoral Literature Review of memoir Review of new book
Gentle Gallic Escapism – My Twenty-Five Years in Provence, by Peter Mayle
Recently my nose led me to a stall in down-town Vancouver where people were selling lavender products made in Provence,Continue Reading
Backstories Discussion of writing style literary romance Review of literary fiction Review of new book
A codex of an Icelandic writer and his roots – CoDex, by Sjón (Part 4 – The nuclear fallout)
Part 4/4 of The Long Read review of Codex 1962, by Sjón (Back to part 3/4 of the review) TheContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of writing style Literary analysis Review of literary fiction Review of new book
A codex of an Icelandic writer and his roots – CoDex 1962, by Sjón (Part 3 – The clay child)
Back to part 2 of the review of Codex 1962, by Sjón The parts of the Trilogy The three partsContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of writing style Literary analysis Review of literary fiction Review of new book
A codex of an Icelandic writer and his roots – CoDex 1962, by Sjón (Part 2 – Turning people into zebras)
Part 2 of the review of CoDex 1962, by Sjón (Back to part 1) Antagonist/Protagonist Sjón comes close to directlyContinue Reading
Backstories Best of 2018 Discussion of writing style Literary analysis Review of literary fiction Review of new book
A codex of an Icelandic author and his roots – CoDex 1962 by Sjón (Part 1 – Roll-call of the dead)
CoDex 1962 is Icelandic author Sjón’s first new novel since Moonstone – The Boy Who Never Was, published in translation inContinue Reading
Backstories Current events List of similar books Modern fiction Published books Publishing technologies
Dismissive of mass market paperbacks? Think again.
This is the rack of “mass market” paperbacks that I see when I stand in the queue, every time IContinue Reading
The Genius of Genndy Tartakovsky – “Samurai Jack” returns one last time
I’m not an anime fan. I don’t do cosplay, and I generally like Hard Science Fiction more than novels aboutContinue Reading
This book needs no review – The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-old Man, by Jonas Jonasson
I have never written an easier review of a novel, than this one. Why? Because it does not need reviewingContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of writing style Mysteries and Thrillers Review of modern fiction Review of new book Trending
“Bond” is back, courtesy of Anthony Horowitz in “Trigger Mortis” and “Forever and a Day”
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” – “the more things change, the more they stay the same”, said by French critic Alphonse Karr,Continue Reading
crime fiction Detective fiction Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book
Homage to the Bard with Bloody-Handed Bastards and Gold Bars – Macbeth, by Jo Nesbo
Jo Nesbo is a masterful writer of crime fiction. In his particular niche, he is superb. That said, it probablyContinue Reading
One-minute video review – The Only Story by Julian Barnes
The novel is downbeat and intense, but demonstrates that what matters is love, what keeps people going is love, andContinue Reading
Constructed World Novel Discussion of writing style Review of previously published novel Review of science fiction
Want some Whuffie for that? Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom – The reprint edition
Cory Doctorow writes about the future as if it were today, as if it were about him and his buddies,Continue Reading
Indie author causes uproar in the French publishing industry – shrugs it off as a matter of survival
I rarely repost news articles in their entirety but this one is a real eyebrow-raiser: – an independent author’s novel,Continue Reading
The Creative Process & Publishing III – Meet the “Four Brothers Buksalesnikov”
In previous posts on this subject, I focused on finding a publisher, finding an agent and finding your voice asContinue Reading
Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of science fiction
Not exactly lightheaded – Head On by John Scalzi
The last novel by John Scalzi I read, before this one, was Agent To the Stars (Tor Books, 2008), andContinue Reading
So many superlatives to fit in – Calypso by David Sedaris (a video critique)
The more I think about David Sedaris’ writing, the more I realize I’ve been missing out on a good thingContinue Reading
The Creative Process & Publishing II – Literary Agents
Step 2: Find a literary agent In my previous post, I went into why and how writers connect with publishersContinue Reading
The Creative Process & Publishing I – How to get published
There are thousands of aspiring authors, thousands of unpublished books, and millions of readers who have not connected with particularContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Mysteries and Thrillers Review of modern fiction Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book
A precisely-crafted Alternative History – Break in Communication, by Jon Gliddon
What is the connection between Mining Engineering and writing fiction? None. In fact, the minds of Mining Engineers often workContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Review of classical fiction Review of classical novel Review of new non-fiction
Are you pondering what I’m pondering? – The lost, Icelandic version of “Dracula”
This is the Icelandic version of Bram Stoker’s famous Victorian Gothic novel, Dracula. Powers of Darkness, called Makt Myrkranna, “the powerContinue Reading
Discussion of writing style Review of literary fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Review of new novel romance Romances and Love Stories
It’s not about mixed doubles at all – The Only Story, by Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes’ latest novel is called The Only Story and, despite the subject (the “scandalous” love affair between a manContinue Reading
Today’s Loose Rhymes – emails and airplanes
I’ve been putting my poems on my poem-page on this website, mostly for my own amusement. I’ve noticed that justContinue Reading
Backstories Constructed World Novel Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of science fiction
The scripts work – does the novel? Night Vale – A Novel, by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
Can the same subjects, settings and characters be successfully used in a podcast, and in published script format, and in aContinue Reading
Why would you feed human offcuts to that turtle? Calypso, by David Sedaris
I did not, until now, understand why David Sedaris is regarded as one of the best essayist and satirists writingContinue Reading
Author interview Authors to watch Award-winning novel Backstories Review of science fiction Review of Science Fiction and Fantasy Video
It’s 4 not 3! – Arm of the Sphinx, by Josiah Bancroft
Compact Crit. #12 – The Books of Babel, by Josiah Bancroft (In particular: Arm of the Sphinx) I am publishingContinue Reading
Ten reasons why people don’t finish reading novels
Readers who are unable to finish reading a novel know that bothersome feeling – when you imagine that an inanimateContinue Reading
Best of 2018 Constructed World Novel Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of new science fiction Review of science fiction
High calibre writing – Arm of the Sphinx, by Josiah Bancroft
Some writers write so clearly, elegantly and expressively that reading their words is like drinking a glass of the bestContinue Reading
Discussion of writing style List of similar books Review of new book Review of new science fiction Review of science fiction
If it’s cute, tentacled and ravenous, don’t bring it home – Borne, by Jeff Vandermeer
“Borne” is the past participle of the verb “[to] bear”, which means to carry or transport, as in a weight orContinue Reading
New video-format review: On the Bright Side – The New Diary of Hendrik Groen
Compact Crit. #10 – On the Bright Side – The New Diary of Hendrik Groen (a.k.a. Zolang Er Leven IsContinue Reading
Discussion of writing style Non-fiction Pastoral Literature Review of new book Review of new non-fiction Subjective non-fiction
A different kind of oasis – Paradise Gardens, by Monty Don and Derry Moore
I have long been an admirer of Monty Don, the horticulturist and garden expert. I love watching him on hisContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Reviews of short stories
The mystery of the misquoted quote from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”
Sometimes, a line from a book or a film just sounds to good to resist. It sticks in your headContinue Reading
Books for Summer Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Review of new novel
A long trip without a decent map – A Long Way From Home, by Peter Carey
Despite two trips to Australia, I have failed to figure out the archetypal Australian or the layout of the country.Continue Reading
Anthony Bourdain is dead – No more “food-poetry”
Anthony Bourdain is dead – he killed himself. His body was found in Kaysersberg-Vignoble, France, on Friday, June 8, 2018. HeContinue Reading
Authors to watch Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of writing style Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book Review of Thriller
Give me Stockholm or give me death – Midnight Sun, by Jo Nesbo
Jo Nesbo’s famous “Harry Hole” detective novels, and his other works for adults, bear the marks of contemporary Scandinavian NoirContinue Reading
75-seconds video review – More about the future of pleasure model robots
Compact Crit. #11 – The Pleasure Model Repairman, by Ruuf Wangersen It was great fun to read Ruuf Wangersen’s debut Sci-FiContinue Reading
historical romance List of similar books List of top books literary romance romance Romances and Love Stories
Romantic novels to put you in the mood for love
It’s Spring, love is in the air and it’s wedding season, so now is the time to revisit some excellentContinue Reading
Into the mind of an author: Ruuf Wangersen (author of The Pleasure Model Repairman)
Ruuf Wangersen’s debut novel is The Pleasure Model Repairman, reviewed here. I was fascinated by this new author and theContinue Reading
Best of 2018 Constructed World Novel Current events Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of science fiction
The fatal thrills of zero inhibitions – The Pleasure Model Repairman, by Ruuf Wangersen
Any novel that has the words “pleasure model” in the title could be automatically relegated to the category of “chickContinue Reading
Authors to watch Backstories Current events Discussion of writing style Review of radio script Review of science fiction
Freaky bedtime stories from “Night Vale”, the town where nothing is normal
“Welcome to Night Vale” it says on the cover. Inside, there are stories about the town of “Night Vale”, somewhereContinue Reading
The one, the only, the greatest – Literary one-hit wonders video
Like in music, one-hit wonders are a never-ending source of fascination for people. Depending on how you define a “one-hitContinue Reading
Authors to watch Backstories Current events Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Trending
Hendrik Groen stubbornly clings to life – On the Bright Side, by Anonymous (Hendrik Groen)
The mystery over who “Hendrik Groen” is, continues. Groen is the pseudonym of a Dutch author who has produced twoContinue Reading
The Creative Process: What makes a literary one-hit wonder?
There is a lot more to the phenomenon of literary one-hit wonders than you’d think. There are many reasons forContinue Reading
New video-format review – The Memory Palace, by Edward Hollis
Compact Crit. #9 – The Memory Palace, by Edward Hollis Since Edward Hollis’ book, The Memory Palace, is mostly aboutContinue Reading
This is why we love our “stuff” – The Memory Palace, by Edward Hollis
When I studied Interior Decorating years ago, I didn’t have the foggiest idea about the real significance of interiors. YouContinue Reading
Review in a compact video – Bloom County, by Berke Breathed
In my review of the return of the Bloom County comic strip, I had in my mind only the drawnContinue Reading
Backstories children’s book Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Trending
Oh dear, Mary Poppins Returns – here comes the spoonful of saccharine
The teaser trailer for the new film based on the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers was released to coincideContinue Reading
Marthe Bijman (left) reads for pleasure and in order to produce reviews for this website, and certain publishers. She likes Literary Fiction and Science Fiction and finds the translated work of Chinese and Scandinavian authors particularly interesting. She is a fan of Star Trek and James Bond – but her taste in literature is eclectic. She lives on the outskirts of Vancouver, Canada, and works on a big old iMac and various other PCs and Apple gadgets. 
