2012 Highlights!

So, thank you to everyone who took the time to read my 2012 and reflections, both parts 1 and 2 (despite the massive typos! I guess I was more tired than I realised!).

Although I have already given a blog/journal account of all the awesome things from this year, I figured I would now share with you some highlights with some pictures and links!  Some are just little experiences with a photo, but most involve either my fiction writing or articles I have written for EGL Magazine under my pen-name, Blackavar.

I'm listing them in chronological order- enjoy!




Interview with Alternative Model and Proud Geek Delilah Sixthessence
http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/delilah-sixthessence.html
This was an interview I absolutely loved doing- Delilah is not your typical alt model by any means, but she was an absolute pleasure to work with, and her interview came at a time when I really needed a boost of positivity!  Love this lady, she's smart, talented and just lovely!

Visiting Camden Town, London

A Mecca of sorts for gothy and alternative types in the UK, I finally got to visit and explore Camden for the first time back in April.  My initial exploration was short, as I was actually there to see Emilie Autumn perform at the Electric Ballroom, but only a month later I was back to have a proper adventure- and my, what a wonderful town!


Reviewing Emilie Autumn's "Fight like a Girl" album for EGL Magazine
As Emilie Autumn is one of my favourite musicians, having the opportunity to review her latest album this summer was absolutely amazing.  You can read the review here, at EGL Magazine: http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/emilie-autumn-review.html


Interviewing Emilie Autumn for EGL Magazine
So you can imagine if I was excited to review Emilie's album, you might be able to also imagine just how happy I was to be granted the chance to interview her shortly after the review!  This was an amazing experience, because it almost felt like having a chat with her over tea!
http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/emilie-autumn-interview.html


Publication of "Alone in the Dark", Siren's Call Publications
My first publication- my short story "Alone in the Dark" was selected to appear in SCP's bi-monthly eZine, August edition, Dark and Edgy Horror (Issue 4).  Its about a frightening experience I had in my teens and the contemplation of what truly lies in the world about us.  As my first publication, this was amazing and very exciting for me!  The eZine is available to buy from the following link:
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/ezine.htm


Reviewing The Birthday Massacre's "Hide and Seek" album
The Birthday Massacre are my favourite band.  I had been eager to listen to their new album, "Hide and Seek" and had it on pre-order, so imagine my delight when I was given the opportunity to hear it early so that I could review it!  Another amazing honour- now I can't wait for TBM to return to the UK so I can see them live again!
http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/the-birthday-massacre-review.html
(Fun fact- I'm listening to this album on repeat as I write this blog post!)


Publication of "Candlelight", Crooked Cat Publishing

This October, I appeared in print! In a physical, actual book that sits on the bookshelf!  My short story "Candlelight" is about a brother and sister and their experiences in an unpleasant, old Victorian flat, and appears in Crooked Cat's FEAR Anthology Volume 2.  The proceeds of both volumes of the FEAR anthology go to charity, and are available from Amazon.
http://crookedcatpublishing.com/
http://www.crookedcatbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=90&product_id=71


My First Tattoo!
Another personal, non-writing highlight, but just in case anyone missed the picture, I just wanted to show it off again! :3 The image is taken from the film adaptation of Richard Adams' "Watership Down", and is the Black Rabbit of Inle, also known as the Black Rabbit of Death.  Apart from the Birthday Massacre's bunny logo, I can't think of a gothier bunny!

Acceptance of Paid Submission
Until publication dates are confirmed, I'm going to keep this one somewhat quiet, but I recently had another short story accepted- this one for a paid anthology.  The story has been sent to beta readers at the moment, and publication is set for next year!  This one makes me a "professional" author now, which led me to put "writer/artist" as my work details on my Facebook account, haha!  I won't say too much just yet, but I can tell you that this short story is a Steampunk-themed horror!


Publication of "Oiran", Siren's Call Publication
My latest publication is another short story for SCP's winter eZine, "Frozen" (Issue 6).  "Oiran" is a chilling ghost story based on the Japanese legend of the yuki-onna- but with a twist!  Frozen is available for free download as a Christmas present from SCP to their readers!
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/ezine.htm




Hope you enjoy the linkies, please do support the SCP eZines, a lot of fantastic, talented writers also appear in their pages!  I hope you enjoy my written works, be they fiction or articles.

Christmas Eve is tomorrow, so if I don't get to update before, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

https://twitter.com/LittleBlackavar
http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/index.html
http://crookedcatpublishing.com/

(All images are mine, except the FEAR anthology Volume 2 cover, which belongs to Crooked Cat Publishing)

Things are a-happenin' this week!

I would like to start first by thanking everyone who commented on my IWSG post recently; it was my first IWSG post, and I'm still very new to blogging, but I recieved such a lovely welcome.  I'm starting to just about get the hang on Blogspot and blogging in general (Tumblr still offers a few hiccups!) but I'm getting there, and getting to talk to some very interesting and lovely people in the process!

This week, I am on holiday...usually when I have a week off from work, I treat myself to a little adventure to somewhere such as London (one of my favourite places), however, this month I'm a tad short on the munnies, and also have plenty of creative things to be getting on with.  Catching up on blogging, article writing for EGL Magazine, short-story writing and pretty-picture making is all up there, but one pressing task I have involves finding local printers for wedding stationary I designed for my aunt and uncle.  So I wouldn't be fooled by the pyjamas or long-lie-ins...I have a busy week ahead of me! ;)

Today, I woke up to a lovely surprise; to find my package, containing my copy of the Fear Anthology Volume 2 waiting for me.  There will be bragging posts and photos of me grinning neurotically while brandishing the book to follow; I am so, so pleased to be actually in print, in an actual, paperback book.  My photo is even in it! EEEEE! 

And that's not all.  I have just signed a contract to feature in another anthology (steampunk-horror theme)- and this one I will get paid for!  So you know what that means? I am now a professional writer! As a personal rule, apart from mentioning "I was at work" I never mention my jobs on my social networking accounts and the like (I strongly believe in keeping work and personal life seperate, I refuse to even add current colleagues on Facebook), but I decided this meant updating my employment details on Facebook to state "Artist/Writer"- teehee!

Today, I'm working on printers and article-writing...but tomorrow is also a big day.  I am finally (FINALLY) getting my Black-Rabbit tattoo!  Oh I've only wanted it since I was about 18 or 19, and I've chickened out or just delayed it a million times over.  Its not even been a fear of the pain, so much as my anxiety fuelling my indecision (like with many things in my life).  I had really intended to get it last year, during the Chines Year of the Rabbit (I am a rabbit in many ways!) but I kept forgetting, and then right at the end of the Chinese Year, the tattoo apprenticeship fell through.  Part of me can't really believe I'm doing it, so its a good thing that not only have a paid a deposit that I don't want to lose, but I also have my lovely friend, Alana, egging me on and making sure I can't back out ;) my fiance has already okay'd the use of physical violence to keep me in the studio, but Alana says she'll just sit on me haha! I think I'll be fine, I'm very excited...although I do reckon I'll have a mini-freak out at the last moment when I realise what I've let myself in for! :P

The image at the beginning of this entry is the rabbit I'm having tattooed.  It is the Black Rabbit of Inle (rabbit version of the Grim Reaper) from Watership Down, one of my favourite movies/books (there's a big surprise, eh?), and it'll be going at the top of my back, in the centre.  It has several meanings to me, which I won't go into now (I'll probably do a rambly "look at my awesome tattoo" post tomorrow evening...oh crap...thats right...its TOMORROW!).

Otherwise, I don't have too much planned this week.  I will be seeing a couple of friends (and sharing Halloween candies), but otherwise, for me its just writing, drawing and more of the same.  However, it is kind of nice to have the time set aside for creative work and the such, and as for adventures to London, I have another week off in November ;) I'm also trying to get into a Halloween mood...difficult as I keep looking for Christmas presents for people! D'oh!

It's been a super busy couple of weeks, but another thing I've been very pleased and proud of is the opportunity I had to review my favourite band, The Birthday Massacre's new album "Hide and Seek".  You can read the review on EGL Magazine's site- here is the link:
  http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/#/the-birthday-massacre-review/4569486787
It's a cracking album, one I'm very excited about (I pre-ordered my copy, its on the way now!), and I also wish the singer, the lovely Chibi, a speedy recovery, as she recently underwent surgery on her vocal chords.

I also finally recieved my copy of Emilie Autumn's album "Fight Like a Girl!" YAY!  I also reviewed this album back in July:
http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/#/emilie-autumn-review/4566970070

Well, I'm going to wrap this up now...you know, the book is right next to me on the desk...I can't stop staring at it...this is amazing!

Take care for now!

My new blog!

Hello everyone, this is my new blog!  I have recently started trying to reach out and have gotten myself fixed up with Tumblr and Twitter, and thought I'd add a new blog/networking tool to my collection!

For those who don't know me (although at this point, I'm sure the only people who are reading this have been directed here by myself already XD), I am a fantasy and horror writer, and my name is Laura E Brown.  I am also known as Blackavar, a name I've been using online for a couple of years now.

I am a writer and artist, and have just embarked on a fiction-writing career.

I have been a writer for online alternative lifestyle magazine, EGL Magazine, since October 2010, in which time I have learned a lot of writing skills, written reviews and articles, and even gotten to interview some really fab people (including the likes of Emilie Autumn and Joe Black). 

I am also an artist, although my DeviantArt account remains somewhat neglected in recent years (unfortunately, there seems to be a virusy ad stuck on my gallery.  If anyone wants to take a risk and look, my username there is chibi-black-rabbit). 

I have designed tattoos, apprenticed briefly as a tattooist, and created artwork and illustrations for local musicians, created wedding stationary, plenty of commissions for friends and family, and also provided illustrations for EGL Magazine.  I am open to commissions, and my specialities include (but are not limited to) fantasy, comic, tattoo, pin-up, portrait and analytical drawing.

I have recently been published as an author for the very first time- my short story "Alone in the Dark", features in Siren's Call Publication's August edition eZine.  I have another short story, "Candlelight", due to appear in Crooked Cat Publishing's Halloween Anthology, FEAR, later this year.

Sometimes, for fun, I like to post book reviews on my blog, and I am a guest writer for dreamy girl's blog I Dream With Alice, run by musician Becky Jerams.

As you may have noticed, I have something of a rabbit-theme going on ;)

So that's pretty much me in a nutshell.  Please check out the links below leading to my other networking tools/profiles/sites etc, see my work for yourself, and spread the love!

https://twitter.com/LittleBlackavar
http://little-blackavar.tumblr.com/
http://www.egl-magazine.co.uk/
http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/index.html
http://crookedcatpublishing.com/
http://www.idreamwithalice.com/