Author: Richard Parry

Meet … Isa Pearl Ritchie

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Isa Pearl Ritchie is a Wellington-based writer. As a child, she loved creating imaginary worlds. She grew up in the Waikato as a Pākehā child in a bicultural family, and Te Reo Māori was her first written language. She has completed a PhD on food sovereignty in Aotearoa. Her second novel, Fishing for Māui, was selected as one of the top books of 2018 in the New Zealand Listener and was a finalist in the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction Book 2019. Into the Labyrinth is her second book for young readers and is a follow-up to 2019’s Awa and the Dreamrealm. [ Web | Twitter | Insta | FB ] Q: You’ve described yourself as a recovering academic. Is this a kind of sickness, an addiction like alcoholism, or something else? Is there hope for long-term remission? Read More …

A Week of Awesome

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We’re meeting new people, and unlike parties where it’s awkward, you can do this from your desk, drinking rum, and wearing your best underwear. Here’s what’s coming: Isa Pearl Ritchie Sascha Stronach Andi C. Buchanan Melanie Harding-Shaw A.J. Fitzwater [BONUS] Janna Ruth We’re talking books, murder, and Disneyland. What’s not to like?

Amazing Covers with Rebekah Haskell

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My internet homegirl was interviewed on the SPA Girls Podcast. It’s worth a listen if you’re: an author, and have an interest in covers, how to work with a designer, and/or how to start doing your own without fucking everything up. [SPA Girls Podcast – EP224 – Amazing Covers with Rebekah Haskell] Side note: excellent use of non-North American accents in here. It was wonderful to hear the Queen’s English spoken by professionals. Like this post? Check out my mailing list for shit that’s off the chain. Or, at least, mildly amusing.

The Night’s Venn Problem

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I’ve waxed lyrical about marketing on here before – we’re almost doing it again! Rebekah did a marvelous new cover for Night’s Favor. This book is a huge pain in the ass to do a cover for, because it’s not your usual werewolf book. It’s also not your usual police procedural, thriller, or supernatural suspense. It’s the all-y’all version of those things, and this makes finding readers a hyoooge challenge. What she came up with is the best damn cover it’s ever had. I mean, you can see what’s going on there, right? We’ve got Val, who’s looking a little fucked if we’re honest with ourselves, and the werewolf about to turn him into a Val-sized snack. This particular scene happens before the book starts, but that’s not really important. We want a werewolf, we want it now, and we Read More …

Your Ears Just Got Lucky: Win Tyche’s Flight!

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You got that right – you can snare a copy of Tyche’s Flight in freshly minted audio. I’ve teamed up with Saffron Bryant and Mary O’Paddock to bring you an audiobook giveaway bundle. For a bit o’ variation, the copies of Tyche’s Flight and The Waters will be delivered via authors-direct.com, and Speak will come at you from Audible. That’s just how it’s gonna be. (ICYMI, you might dig on my review of Speak). Win Audiobooks

The Gentlemen: the sweariest five-star movie you’ll see this year

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We saw Ritchie’s The Gentlemen on opening day (January 1st). We went into this: Being Guy Ritchie fans, and Wanting something clever, funny, and with just right right amount of action. We weren’t disappointed. Our first hint of being in for something special was the ticket attendant who asked in very sombre tones if we knew this was an R-rated movie. We thought she was being witty but after seeing the movie I think she was doing more sensitive audience-goers a solid. It’s clear Ritchie needed a palate cleanser after Disney’s Aladdin – a fun enough movie but without enough room for him to really swing a sword. I prefer Ritchie doing what he does best – clever, fast movies that push at least one boundary each time (my favourites are King Arthur and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., now joined Read More …

We interrupt your vigorous holidaying for this important announcement 🔈

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Tyche’s Flight is now out in audio! It’s been Big Huge Fun™️ putting this together, not least of which because I got to work with the supremely talented Tim Paige. I’ve pulled together a massive two-hour audio sample for your listening pleasure. You can put on your cans and drown out the cries of over-sugared children during this festive time: [https://dl.bookfunnel.com/5jr33w65w3] I love everything about this. If you want to hear Nate and Grace kick Ezeroc ass from Absalom Delta, now’s your chance. The complete book is almost ten hours of murderous insects, self-serving Republic military, and a starship running a little low on luck. You can fatten up your audiobook library just about anywhere: [Audible] [Apple Books Audio] [Kobo Audio] [Google Audio] [Nook Audio] [Scribd Audio] [Beek Audio] [eStories Audio]

Evidence not Eminence

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I’ve spent a chunk of time recently digging over graveyards, looking for corpses. Not literal ones, because that’d be weird. Rather, things I’ve tried, or friends have tried, in their businesses / hobbies / macrame class. I’m trying to find the solve for: why is there so much bad advice? Or maybe, why do seemingly smart people take bad advice without engaging their brain? People will say, “You know Richard, you should really do this thing, because this other really successful guy did it, and he’s rich!” (Assuming your name’s Richard). Or, perhaps the really rich guy will hop on stage, and say, “I’ve done this stuff, and it’s amazing!” There’s not a problem with these statements necessarily, but they don’t go far enough. They are eminence-based, rather than evidence-based, and this is a tricky wee beast, because looking at Read More …

The Cost of Great Things and The Importance of Libraries

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I had time to listen to an economics podcast while boiling my head in battery acid, because I appreciate pain at many levels. The podcast was interesting though. There’s conversation in there about the cost of entertainment, with the interviewee claiming he feels best (I paraphrase) at the $1-2/hr entertainment level. It’s no surprise this resonates with those who choose reading for leisure. If I open Tyche’s Flight, my Kindle tells me there’s about 7 hours left to go; at USD$3.99, that’s $0.57 an hour. The sequels rock out to $0.71/hour because I’m a price-gouging hack; that’s still pretty decent. The books are a reasonable length (although tend to not feel long, being “page turners” in the parlance of my people). Some people will get more or less value here due to consumption speed. My wife has a reading rate I Read More …