Anyone can become a demon...

Mammon review: The West Australian newspaper, 3rd January 2012

2012-01-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Author profile in The West Australian - I thought Heather wrote a really nice article!

2011-11-23T04:33:00.000-08:00

Mammon reviewed in Sun Herald and Sunday Age, 6th Nov 2011

2011-11-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

Look what I just found...

2011-10-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

My hubby subscribes to 2000AD - a very well regarded British comic. Sometimes I really like the stories, especially Judge Dredd and the Necrophim fallen angel series. But today I discovered a new story which is groundbreaking and brilliant!

It's called American Reaper and it deals with identity theft in a futuristic USA. Check it out, if you can get your hands on a copy of the 2000AD Megazine!

Literary novels and the school-aged reader

2011-10-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

One thing I have noticed with YA books is that there is a perception out there that they are not 'literary' - especially in the fantasy genre. That's why in every English department book room I've ever visited, there are very few class sets of fantasy novels. Thankfully, at my school we are building a nice range of fantasy books, starting with The Hunger Games and Numbers. Thanks to my open-minded head of department and colleagues!

Nine years of experience has taught me that most students cannot tolerate novels where there is extensive description, world-building and character development. Show, don't tell! Telling is the old way and students don't like too much of it. We don't need five pages of description to tell us what a forest, or a city, or a space station looks like. We have seen it - with our own eyes, or through the media.

STUDENTS ARE BORED BY LITERARY FICTION. Even with my wonderfully theatrical reading voice!

Case in point: I read Catcher in the Rye to my Year 10 class last year, and they broke into applause when I'd finished. Not to praise the book, but from the sheer relief of having survived it. The same could be said for To Kill a Mockingbird, Anna Karenina, A Tale of Two Cities and many other books that I love now (as a 39 year old). I would not have loved them at 15!

So, if you enjoy YA books that will never make the canon of English literature, don't worry! And don't let literary snobs bother you! They wouldn't have a clue about what young people want. I am proud of our Aussie fantasy novels, and feel that we are addressing the needs of young adult readers far more than those out-of-touch people who would inflict the classics on those poor kids!

-JB

Mammon Cinematic Trailer

2011-09-19T22:13:00.001-07:00

Mammon nominated for an Aurealis Award!

2011-09-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to hear that Random House have entered Mammon into the Aurealis Awards! It's an honour to be listed among some really great authors.

You can see the whole list here:
http://www.aurealisawards.com/NomWorks.php

Fingers crossed!

Music and Mammon

2011-09-04T04:53:00.001-07:00

A chronological playlist (you can listen to these as you read!)

Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood
Katy Perry: ET
Snow Patrol: Run
Natalie Merchant: Carnival
Ladyhawke: My Delirium
The Temper Trap: Sweet Disposition
The Killers: Human
Pendulum: Watercolour

I won't tell you which chapters I think these songs fit in. You can judge that for yourself!

Mammon to be released in just a few days...

2011-08-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my first blog post. I'm very excited that my debut novel, Mammon is will be released in mere days. Secondly, I'm super happy that my iMac will be delivered in the next few days. Guess what I'm writing Book Two on? That's right, the iMac. Can't wait!