| Frequently Asked Questions ... About the Author |
| 1. What is Cecilia writing next? |
Cecilia is currently writing a novel as yet unnamed. All updates will be posted on Cecilia's website or Facebook, as they come to hand - or you can join the Dart-Thornton Mailing List HERE
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| 2. Can you tell us some personal details about Cecilia? |
| Cecilia lives with her husband in Victoria, Australia, and is the owner of two dogs of indeterminate breed. She enjoys supporting animal rights, writing, reading, multimedia and meeting people who love to read fantasy. She is a keen conservationist and is donating part of the proceeds from every copy of THE BATTLE OF EVERNIGHT to the Royal Melbourne Zoo's "in situ" elephant conservation project, which aims to preserve land in Sumatra as habitat for elephants. |
| 3. Where can we send fan-mail? |
Fan mail will be forwarded to Cecilia if you send it to
PO Box 9113
Brighton, 3186
Australia
or you can send it via her publishers,
Pan Macmillan Australia,
Level 4, 627 Chapel Street,
South Yarra, 3141
Australia
Or you can write to her from HERE.
Due to work committments, Cecilia cannot always respond personally to letters, but she tries to do so whenever possible. If you have general questions, please check the FAQ before asking! |
| 4. When is Cecilia Dart-Thornton's birthday? |
5. Does Cecilia enjoy reading fantasy?
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| Yes, but I do not read much of it any more, in case I am unconsciously influenced by other writers. I do, however, occasionally re-read my favourites, such as "The Lord of the Rings". |
6. What research tools does Cecilia use?
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The local library, the Internet, Real Life, books I own, the experiences of friends, my own experiences. (But mainly BOOKS!)
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7. I was wondering: you said in your interview that most books that try to be like Tolkien have 21st century characters dressed in medieval clothes. What did you mean by that?
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I said that? Memory fails me. :) I probably meant that some authors who use historical settings do not match the language, behaviour, mores and attitude of the characters to the setting. To manufacture a glaring example, a knight is given a new horse, and on seeing the horse, declares, "Cool, that's awesome."
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8. What other stories by Cecilia have been published?
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* A short story entitled 'Long the Clouds areOver me Tonight' has been published by TOR books in an anthology called 'EMERALD MAGIC: Great Tales of Irish Fantasy', edited by Andrew M. Greeley.
* Another short story entitled 'The Stolen Swanmaiden' appeared in THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY.
* A novella, 'The Enchanted' appeared in ''Legends of Australian Fantasy', edited by Jack Dann.
* 'The Lanes of Camberwell' can be read in 'Dreaming Again', a collection of short stories edited by Jack Dann.
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9. I would like to be a published writer. Can I send my manuscript to Cecilia so that she can review it and give me some writing tips?
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I like to encourage aspiring authors, and to this end I have posted the advice HERE. There is plenty of other information available on the Internet at addresses including the wonderful SFWA site. (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America). I ask aspiring writers to please refrain from sending me your manuscripts to review, or asking for further advice. I have already posted everything that I consider to be helpful. While I feel flattered that you value my opinion, I cannot read your manuscripts for legal and copyright reasons, besides which my time is very limited.
To quote from my fellow author, Kate Forsyth, " As a writer, my ideas are my livelihood; if I review a manuscript, it contains that author's ideas and if the ideas should appear in a subsequent book of mine, it is possible to be sued for breach of copyright. This is not a nice situation for all concerned, so to avoid it, I must refuse to review your manuscript. My advice would be to first find yourself a good editor..." My very best wishes to all those who love to write as much as I do - may you profit from the advice given, and enjoy a successful career.
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