And. . .We're Off!

Hurrah, the website is up! I was going to title this post "The Inaugural Blogural" but I see many, many people have gone there before me, and "Debut Blogut" didn't have the right ring. So, here we are: Launched. Off and running.

Let me say again: Hurrah, the website is up! I've been thinking of doing a website for years now, but at first it seemed too pretentious until I had some publications. Okay, got them now. Then, spoiled by years at my day job where highly competent IT professionals designed and handled the sites, and knowing the magic they could work, I was intimidated. I had planned to hire a pro. But, I cut back my employment hours to write, and came to the conclusion that I could only afford a blog if I did it myself. So here it is, warts and all. Many thanks to both my teen son and my former-colleague-IT-wizard for their advice. Also thanks to my long suffering friends and family regarding my endless dithering over backgrounds and fonts.

All flaws, however, are mine and mine alone.

As for the blog itself, I hope to use this space to keep readers informed of my ongoing writing and things relating to that topic such as concrete factoids, pithy insights and hopeless ramblings. Perhaps a few forays into the dark unconscious. We'll see where the balance lies.

New features such as a newsletter will be added as I go along.

MENACING ENTITY OF THE MONTH

What kind of dark speculative fiction author would I be without something sinister in my blog? Each month's blog will feature something about a sinister organism that speaks to me on some level. We'll start with plants, since poisonous and medicinal plants feature in my novel, LUCK RIDERS.

This enchanting creature is a carnivorous pitcher plant. It tempts insects, frogs and birds with an alluring sweet nectar in its goblet-like structures. Victims fall into the nectar only to be dissolved into nutrients. Original vingtage artwork by Ernst Haecke l [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons .