About Me

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Perth, Western Australia, Australia
I am based in Perth, Western Australia. You might enjoy my books - The Dagger of Dresnia, the first book of the Talismans Trilogy, is available at all good online book shops as is Book two, The Cloak of Challiver. Book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. I trained in piano and singing at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. I also trained in dance (Scully-Borovansky, WAAPA) and drama (NIDA). Since 1987 I have been writing reviews of performances in all genres for a variety of publications, including Music Maker, ArtsWest, Dance Australia, The Australian and others. Now semi-retired, I still write occasionally for the ArtsHub website.

My books

The first two books of my trilogy, The Talismans, (The Dagger of Dresnia, and book two, The Cloak of Challiver) are available in e-book format from Smashwords, Amazon and other online sellers. Book three of the trilogy, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation.I also have a short story, 'La Belle Dame', in print - see Mythic Resonance below - as well as well as a few poems in various places. The best way to contact me is via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/satimaflavell

Buy The Talismans

The first two books of The Talismans trilogy were published by Satalyte Publications, which, sadly, has gone out of business. However, The Dagger of Dresnia and The Cloak of Challiver are available as ebooks on the usual book-selling websites, and book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. The easiest way to contact me is via Facebook.

The Dagger of Dresnia

The Dagger of Dresnia

The Cloak of Challiver, Book two of The Talismans

The Cloak of Challiver, Book two of The Talismans
Available as an e-book on Amazon and other online booksellers.

Mythic Resonance

Mythic Resonance

Mythic Resonance

Mythic Resonance is an excellent anthology that includes my short story 'La Belle Dame', together with great stories from Alan Baxter, Donna Maree Hanson, Sue Burstynski, Nike Sulway and nine more fantastic authors! Just $US3.99 from Amazon. Got a Kindle? Check out Mythic Resonance.

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My Blog List

Blog Archive

Places I've lived: Manchester, UK

Places I've lived: Manchester, UK

Places I've lived: Gippsland, Australia

Places I've lived: Gippsland, Australia

Places I've lived: Geelong, Australia

Places I've lived: Geelong, Australia

Places I've lived: Tamworth, NSW

Places I've lived: Tamworth, NSW

Places I've Lived - Sydney

Places I've Lived - Sydney
Sydney Conservatorium - my old school

Places I've lived: Auckland, NZ

Places I've lived: Auckland, NZ

Places I've Lived: Mount Gambier

Places I've Lived: Mount Gambier
Blue Lake

Places I've lived: Adelaide, SA

Places I've lived: Adelaide, SA

Places I've Lived: Perth by Day

Places I've Lived: Perth by Day
From Kings Park

Places I've lived: High View, WV

Places I've lived: High View, WV

Places I've lived: Lynton, Devon, UK

Places I've lived: Lynton, Devon, UK

Places I've lived: Braemar, Scotland

Places I've lived: Braemar, Scotland

Places I've lived: Barre, MA, USA

Places I've lived: Barre, MA, USA

Places I've Lived: Perth by Night

Places I've Lived: Perth by Night
From Kings Park

Inner Peace Blog

Inner Peace Blog
Awarded by Joanna Fay. Click on the image to visit her lovely website!

Versatile Blogger Award

Versatile Blogger Award
Awarded by Kim Falconer. Click on the pic to check out her Quantum Astrology blog!

Fabulous Blog Award

Fabulous Blog Award
Awarded by Kathryn Warner. Click on the pic to check out her Edward II blog!

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Thursday, 20 March 2014

A thousand thanks to my myriad writing friends

Thursday, March 20, 2014 | Posted by Satima Flavell



The cover will be unveiled soon!

It's only a month now until my first novel, The Dagger of Dresnia, is released. It's been an exciting frustrating, overwhelming, journey from the day in 2003 when the first idea came to me, and I couldn't have done it without a lot of help. 

More experienced writers helped me in various ways — critiquing my work, going the extra mile when teaching classes or workshops, even just making encouraging remarks in person or on my blog. If you have been one of the people who did these things or otherwise helped and encouraged me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The speculative fiction writing world is sustained by one of the most open, friendly and kindly communities I've ever been involved in. 

My publisher recently asked me to send him copy for the Acknowledgments page, and below you will see what I wrote. Many people are included as members of this group or that — to mention them all by name would have produced a book fatter than an encyclopedia volume!

***
For many years, I thought I knew how to write. I’d had many features and reviews published in national journals; I’d won the odd poetry competition — and of course, I could write a book if only I had a story…

Such vain imaginings! When a story finally came to live with me, I quickly found that getting that story down on paper needed quite different skills from the ones I already had. What was all this stuff about point-of-view, three-act structure, character and story arcs and many other terms I’d never heard before? I had never realised how divergent fiction writing would be from journalism and versification.

I am a slow learner and needed many teachers, and I was lucky that the ones who helped me were among the best. Here, in more-or-less chronological order, are some of the many mentors and colleagues who patiently gave me more assistance than I probably deserved: Julie Banfield, Michรจle Drouart, Juliet Marillier, Dave Luckett, Glenda Larke, Karen Miller, Phillip Berrie, Patty Jansen, Ian Nicholls, Stephen Dedman, Fiona Leonard, Tom Edwards, Joanna Fay, Sarah Lee Parker, Carol Ryles, Helen Venn, Robert Denethon and all the lovely members of the Stromatolights writing group, the Katharine Susannah Prichard Centre’s SF group, the Online Writers Workshop and the various other groups I've belonged to over the years. A special wave to Lee Battersby, Lynn Flewelling and Fiona McIntosh, who saw the potential in that little scene I wrote at Lee’s instigation while at Swancon 2003. You will get to read it in book two. Who knew that from less than a thousand words, a trilogy would grow?

And not forgetting, of course, my lovely publishers, Stephen and Marieke Ormsby at Satalyte Publishing, who have been generous, diligent and patient in making The Dagger of Dresnia into a real, live book!

4 comments:

Jo said...

Looking forward to it.

Friday, March 21, 2014
Satima Flavell said...

I do hope you like it, Jo! It's a classic medieval fantasy with elves and magic and the odd dragon.

Friday, March 21, 2014
Fiona Leonard said...

Proud to have been a part of your journey! Looking forward to seeing it in print!

Monday, March 31, 2014
Satima Flavell said...

Fiona, I learnt so much from our writing group and I loved all our books! Is the new edition of The Chicken Thief out yet?

Monday, March 31, 2014
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