Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year, dear Supernatural Underground-ers!

I wish you all the very best for 2025, including -- since it's our core SU mojo -- more great stories of the fantastical and fabulous that I hope will prove as inspiring and awesome to you, as the photo is to me. :-)

'Middle Earth' territory -- South Westland, New Zealand 

I'm looking forward to having more fun with fantasy themes this year -- and with friends-in-writing :-) -- but in the meantime, join me in relaxing, chillaxing, and enjoying the holiday! 

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year, dear Supernatural Undergrounders, whether near or far. (A decision that all depends on where we are in relation to each other, of course! :D )

Forest, ocean, sky...

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, on this first day of 2023, I hope you're doing okay and that you have things you're looking forward to in the year ahead.

Mamaku tree fern

By way of celebration, I thought I'd share a few photos from "inside Middle Earth" (aka Aotearoa-New Zealand), which is where I hang out most of the time.

Why, hello... (Kaka parrot)

Fear not, I do have plans around a blog/post theme for 2023, consistent with the past few years, but its currently still "in development." ;-)

Harakeke, NZ flax

So for today, let's just relax, chillax, and enjoy the vistas!

"It may not be forever -- but I can see it from here!"

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Helen Lowe:

Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.

Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.

Time To Chillax: Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

I love the whole idea of the new year, with its official marking off of the old and welcoming in fresh starts.

Most of all, though, I love the opportunity to chillax after all the pressure of Christmas—you know, decorations, food, presents, full on family-and-friends time—followed by New Year's Eve retrospectives and serious party time. Which is all fabulous and fun, but not precisely relaxing, especially when it all comes at the one time!

So New Year's Day is for finally kicking back, putting my feet up, and mixing up such delights as lying on the couch reading a book or watching a great TV show or movie.

At home, I hasten to add. There's no way I want to move away from that couch and "feet up" time if I can help it!

Right now I have a number of books on the go. Having fallen in love with the Shetland TV series this year, I have the first two books in the Ann Cleeves series to read: Raven Black and White Nights.

I've just finished the first one and really enjoyed it. Despite having seen the TV series, the novel still managed to hook me in and keep me reading so I'm really looking forward to White Nights.

Another two-book pair is Lamentation by historical-crime/mystery writer CJ Sansom and his latest work, Tombland (that's Tomb Land, folks, not Tom Bland, as I heard one fellow bookshop afficionado  say, in a slip of the tongue! ;-) )

The books are set in Tudor England, during the period of religious, political, and social unrest that followed Henry the VIII's breakaway from the Roman Catholic church.

The author's historicism is really good (imho) and the main character, Matthew Shardlake, wonderfully flawed.

I am reading Lamentation right now and have my suspicions who the mysterious antagonist may be, but must read on to find out if I have guessed correctly...

The fifth book on my New Year chillax reading list is Tempest and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles Book One) by Tamora Pierce. I am a longtime fan of Ms Pierce's fantasy fiction, as well as hugely impressed by her output, so really pleased to have a new Tortall adventure to relax with.

As for TV series, besides Shetland, in this past year I've enjoyed time with The Expanse, The Last Kingdom, and Babylon Berlin, so am pleased the latest season of The Last Kingdom is still "to be watched" before the holiday is over.

The Last Kingdom

And then, of course, it will be back to writing, writing... But putting one's feet up with a good book and a TV series or two is a great way to ensure a little refreshment of both mind and spirit before returning to the hard work.

I hope you are all getting in a little chillax time, too, before returning to work. If you have some good reads to recommend or shows to share with your fellow Supernatural Undergrounders, we'd love to see your comment. :-)

In the meantime: Happy New Year!

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Helen Lowe is a novelist, poet, and blogger whose first novel, Thornspell (Knopf), was published to critical praise in 2008. Her second, The Heir of Night (The Wall Of Night Series, Book One) won the Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012. The sequel, The Gathering Of The Lost, was shortlisted for the Gemmell Legend Award in 2013. Daughter Of Blood, (The Wall Of Night, Book Three) is Helen's most recent book and she is currently working on the fourth and final novel in The Wall Of Night series. Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog and is also on Twitter: @helenl0we

The Magic Of Possibility: Happy New Year, Supernatural Underground!

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Happy New Year to all our Supernatural Underground community – the SU authors, our wonderful guests and to all our friends and followers that drop by throughout the year.

If New Year’s Eve is primarily about looking back on the “year-that-was” then New Year’s Day offers the possibility to consider the “year-that-will-be” – in this case, 2018.

And like all the festivals we celebrate throughout a year, New Year’s Day has a special kind of magic to it.

The magic of possibility...

To my mind, the most compelling element of New Year’s Day is the magic of possibility. 2018 stretches before us in much the same way as a blank page, one that may be written on in any number of different ways, whether for good or ill. Largely, too, the “what” and “how” of our response to life’s events rests with us, even if the events themselves may be outside of our control.
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So the celebration of New Year allows us a press-pause moment to contemplate the “what’s” and “how’s” that may lie ahead – not just the form they may take but how we may choose to engage with them.
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May your dreams take flight in 2018...

Today, on 1 January 2018, I would like to wish you all a year in which we not only contemplate many possibilities but feel able to seize the positive opportunities they offer, whether in creative endeavors, careers, or personal and family circumstances.
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May we all be well – and also kind, compassionate and generous in all we say or do. And let’s rock 2018 with more great blogging, book reading, and most of all MOAR book writing.

Happy 2018!

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Helen Lowe is a novelist, poet, interviewer and blogger whose first novel, Thornspell (Knopf), was published to critical praise in 2008. Her second, The Heir of Night (The Wall Of Night Series, Book One) won the Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012. The sequel, The Gathering Of The Lost, was shortlisted for the Gemmell Legend Award in 2013. Daughter Of Blood, (The Wall Of Night, Book Three) is her most recent book and she is currently working on the fourth and final novel in The Wall Of Night series. Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog and is also on Twitter: @helenl0we

Here's YOUR Top 10 Posts Of 2017, Supernatural Undergrounders!

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What better time to look at the Supernatural Underground posts YOU loved the most in 2017, dear Undergrounders, than on the very last day of the old year.

[DRUM ROLL] So here they are, the ten posts that most of you read most often! (We think that makes sense, lol.)
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1. September 1 — In Appreciation: Building on the Past and Helen Lowe’s "The Wall of Night Series" - A Guest Post By Paul Weimer 

Paul Weimer

Paul Weimer's wonderful post charting the development of epic fantasy and extolling Helen Lowe's multi-award-winning The Wall Of Night series was our most-read post of 2017.

"Helen Lowe’s The Wall of Night series stands as a formidable entry in the realm of epic fantasy..."

To read more, click here.

And thank you, Paul, for a "Super" contribution!

2. January 1 — Happy New Year, Supernatural Undergrounders

Huka Falls

Though pipped at the post by Paul's fabulous post, you all loved Helen Lowe's new year post, with its lovely photographs of some "Middle Earth" scenery, as well.

"A major trope of epic fantasy ... is the "road trip" ... and part of the Fantastic Road Trip is that one should visit previously unknown terrain and climes..."

 To read and see more, click here.

Looking at those lakes, mountains, and rivers, we can well understand why you all came, looked, and lingered.

3. March 27 — Daughter Of Blood: Meet The Characters

Coming in a very strong third, this post asserted that:

"I'm sure you all agree that one of the most important things that "makes" a book is the characters..."

Apparently you do all agree, because y'all rocked on up to read this introduction to the major characters in Helen Lowe's Daughter Of Blood.

To meet or re-meet those characters again, click here.
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4. January 16 — Mood Board Magic

New Moon by Pat Erickson

Kim Falconer's fabulous post on Mood Board Magic certainly cast its spell on us all:

"Today I wanted to turn on all you writers - aspiring or fully accomplished -  to the notion of Mood Boards..."

Having traversed the "What Is", "Uses", "How To" and "Samples", we believe Kim's post succeeded expectations.

To read more, click here.

5. February 1 — In Defense Of Heroes

Harriet Tubman

Using a Disraeli quote as her starting point, Helen Lowe made the case for holding out for heroes:

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts – to believe in the heroic makes heroes.”

– Disraeli, 1804 - 1881

Judging by the number of readers, Supernatural Underground friends and followers must have agreed that Helen had given us food for thought.

To read the full post, click here.
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6. February 3 — And Now I'm Just Dating Myself

Here at Supernatural Underground HQ we're huge fans of Amanda Arista's humorous and self-deprecating post series: in 2017 titled The Things I Carry.

And Now I'm Just Dating Myself  takes a stroll through three of Amanda's favorite 'carry with' movies, with a focus on White Dwarf.

"Ah White Dwarf. How do I describe you?"

Needless to say, Amanda does describe why it's a thing she carries. And we can well understand why this post resonated with you as it did with us at the HQ. To read all about it, click here.
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7. March 1 — Cover Reveal & Giveaway: A STAR TO STEER HER BY by Beth Anne Miller

We love hosting guests here on Supernatural Underground so were delighted to have Beth Anne Miller launch her latest cover with us on March 1:

"I’m scarred. Broken. I’ll never be the same. But I will take this journey." ~ A Star To Steer Her By

Sounds great, doesn't it? We gather you thought so, too... ;-)
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8. July 1 — 5 Favorite Fantasy-Genre Romances

Romance is heartland Supernatural Underground territory, so no surprises at all that Helen Lowe's post on five of her Fantasy genre favorites struck a positive chord.

Here's how the post began:

"Early last month, my fellow Supernatural underground author, Amanda Arista, wrote here: 'I know that this is supposed to be an all things fiction blog, but I find myself ruminating on Romance recently.' "

To check out the five books, click here.

9. February 16 — Weird Romance In Fiction

Just to prove our point that romance themes make the Supernatural Underground heart beat faster, Kim Falconer's delving into the weirder side of fictional romance was also right up there in terms of grabbing your attention.

"Here at the Sup, we often write love interests who are different species, from alternate times, dimensions or universes..."

To delve further into Kim's insights on mortals and monsters, click here.

10. April 1 — The Ingredients Of A Fantasy Heroine

It's not just romance, magic, and adventure! Here at Supernatural Underground we're all about the heroines, too, and on April 1 Helen Lowe checked out some of the ingredients that make a great Fantasy heroine, like her own Malian of Night, Kim Falconer's Ava Sykes, or Amanda Arista's Violet.

"One of the factors Fantasy heroines often have in common, whether dealing with the stuff of everyday life or the fate of worlds, is resolution in the face of difficulty..."

If that spurs your resolve to read on, click here.

Meanwhile, we're glad that the ingredients of a Fantasy heroine matter as much to you as readers, as they do to us as writers.  

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And there it is — YOUR top 10 for 2017!

We're looking forward to even MOAR Supernatural Underground goodness in 2018. Drop back in and share them with us. :-)