Onwards to 2012.

I do not want to make New Year Resolutions, only goals I know I can achieve.

1. Get novella ready for submission.
2. Get novella published.
3. Keep writing my YA stories (Path Of Kindness).
4. Write more.
5. Family.

Others that come my way in 2012 are just blessings.

As promised, my Ubin pictures.

As I have mentioned in my previous blog post, I visited Ubin. Here are some photographs for your enjoyment. :)

Please credit me (Joyce Chng) if you want to use the photographs. :)

The end of the year is in sight. I am hunkering down to edit, edit, edit my third book and complete writing my YA story. So, wishing you all the best for this week and beyond!

The mark of a country: My plea for compassion

Today is Boxing Day. Gifts are kept. Leftovers are stored inside the fridge. Perhaps, there is more feasting, but the end of the year is finally in sight.

I spent half of it at Pulau Ubin once more. Many families and groups cycled and hiked along the verdant and lush forest, checking out the coastal flats. It was high tide when I went. Yet it didn’t seem to deter people eager to catch a glimpse of nature and a Singapore of long ago.

My toddler fell asleep (she had tired herself running about!) and I finally had time to check my mail. Then, I saw this.

Let it be known that I am an animal lover. I love wolves and all canids. I have two cats. At Ubin, I watched the stray dogs trot about without care.

I love the Punggol dogs. A few years ago, when I visited Punggol Jetty, a small pack of dogs was there. They welcomed me and sat with my friends without any sign of aggression. I only saw wagging tails and gentleness.

So, seeing them being culled hurts. It feels like SARS all over. I adopted Meow, a kitten picked up from the streets during that fateful year, and he is with me now, a healthy and extremely affectionate tom. Cat lovers were shocked and outraged by the indiscriminate culling. Perhaps, AVA was just doing its job – but killing wasn’t the answer.

Culling the dogs is still not an answer to the problem.

What are we teaching our children? Dispose of things we hate? That animal lives are not as precious as human beings?

The mark of a country is seen in its compassion towards animals.

Are we a compassionate country?

Are we?

A review of Wolf At The Door

By Eve Shi: Thank you! :)

SF Signal: MIND MELD

… what I look forward to 2012, in terms of genre-related movies, books and games

Singaporean YA: Fact or Myth

… where I made a guest post at Liyanaland.

So, is Singaporean YA a myth?

My urban fantasy books…

… Wolf At The Door and Obsidian Moon Obsidian Eye are available at the iTunes store.

A good hard look.

This close to Yule and Christmas, I tend to look inward. This blog post by Graham Storrs resonates with me, because trust me, I have been through – and still am – this journey.

It is not easy. It is downright painful, soul-crushing, disheartening and depressing.

I am not sure why I am still at it.

Mega-post: TGIO and Bali trip photos (and thoughts)

This is a mega-post. Warning: many photos and thoughts.

Firstly, the Nano TGIO pictures – belated, I know!

(The cake!)

(And the launch of The Steampowered Globe: Please go support local Singaporean SFF and steampunk writers!

(Fanart of Kindness (Path Of Kindness) by my daughter. She is really enthusiastic about Oysters, Pearls and Magic and wants me to continue writing Path of Kindness!)

I celebrated my wedding anniversary in Bali. The island is beautiful, with intense spirituality embedded in everything. Every hotel, resort or living area has its own shrine. I didn’t catch the Barong dance as we stayed at Nusa Dua while all the touristy stuff is in Ubud.

Security is high, considering that Bali experienced terrorist bombings and the scars still linger. Security and police personnel checked cars and buses. There were sniffer dogs (cute Black Labs!) and stern-looking men in uniforms.

The hotel staff was helpful and thoughtful (waitstaff actually remembered what I ordered the night before and asked if I would like another Pina Colada). The resort was gorgeous, lush with tropical trees and plants. So was the wildlife (squirrels scampering all over the resort’s shrine, pairs of spotted doves and tiny Eurasian sparrows hopping about). Now, onto the pictures…

(Blue skies and white clouds, viewed from the beach)

(So I was relaxed…)

(Yum… a refreshing drink!)

(Offerings on the beach.)

(Intricate shrine guardian – this photograph was taken at the airport!)

Right now, I am going to digest everything I’d seen. There are things I need to do: a revise-and-resend of a story, plans to kick into action etc!

Have a good weekend (before the Yule week!).

Life, popularity contests and a PSA

A conversation on Twitter sparked this rambling post.

The publishing world is big on awards and popularity contests. Awards, accolades, praises and rankings define you as a writer. But does it make people who are not award winners less worthwhile? Are their books “lesser” in the views of people?

Perhaps, I am posting this because I am not an award winner nor am I a “bestseller”. My books do not dominate the New York bestsellers’ lists. My name is obscure. But are my books less worthwhile than the next award winner?

Different people have different tastes and preferences. Are awards indicative of such preferences? Or is the publishing world another high school, where people jockey for popularity? Does the handsome jock win all the time? Does the pretty cheerleader get all the awards? Or, is the geeky nerd a dark horse winner?

We will never know.

My challenge: Do not make publishing and authors a popularity contest. Every book has their merits. Not all books fit the square hole. Not all books can be pigeonholed.

~*~

I will be away for a while this week. I can’t wait to go to Bali.

For readers of Path Of Kindness, I have updated the Goodreads page for it. Likewise, check out its website: website.