Black Gate Wins World Fantasy Award

Regular readers of this blog know that on Wednesdays I'm over at Black Gate blogging about travel and history. Black Gate started out as a fantasy fiction print magazine before migrating online, where it has become one of the leading blogs covering genre fiction. Doing what I do, I'm a bit of an oddball among the bloggers, but I'm made to feel welcome and I enjoy working on it.

Now Black Gate has been recognized for its contributions in the field by getting the World Fantasy Award at the latest World Fantasy Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Congratulations to my editor John O'Neill and all my fellow bloggers! You can read more about the award here.

More on Vienna

Still buzzing from my Vienna trip. My first travel article is out already and there will be more to come. This one is a general overview. The others will be more history oriented.

Vienna is a great place for high culture. I was totally blown away by the galleries and museums, and the fact that many are in palaces. The above shot, for example, is the cafe in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the main art museum that I mention in my last post. That's right, this is the cafe. The rest of the museum is even better.

Vienna is a museum junkie's paradise. Not only do they have all the usual museums (such as a military history museum I'll be writing up for another blog) but they have lots of random weird museums, like an Esperanto Museum (more on that in a later post) and a Globe Museum. The Globe Museum is a compelling place for anyone who loves travel and geography.

As the Christmas season approaches there are plenty of winter markets selling food and gifts. One of them was in the Museum Quarter near my hotel. The little rounded huts you see here sold mulled wine and bratwurst, perfect for a chilly Viennese night. That glowing box had a DJ in it and was pumping out tunes!

I've started a travel series on Estonia on Gadling, the travel blog that sent me there last week. As you can imagine, the northernmost Baltic state was pretty snowy this time of year, although unusually mild--only 0C or 32F.

Anyway, hit the link and follow my adventures as I explore one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe, visit old Soviet military installations, and explore secret tunnels underneath the capital!

Blogging about travel and history in Iraq

Alongside my Iraq travel series for Gadling, I've been doing a bunch of guest posts for other blogs about my trip.

For Osprey Publishing I wrote about the Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery, where many of the British Empire's fallen from the First World War are interred. For A.J. Walker's blog on medieval history and archaeology, I wrote a guest post about a medieval castle in Iraq. Over at The Adventure Blog I've written about the ancient Arab city of Hatra. I also wrote about Exploring Medieval Baghdad for Black Gate Magazine, which published my historical fantasy novella The Quintessence of Absence.

So head on over to these sites and get some good free reading, otherwise this Iraqi kid will ride his ancient lion over to your house and eat you!

New travel series on Iraq

Yes, I haven't posted on this blog for a while, but there's a new crop of book reviews coming up so it will get a bit more lively here. Right now I'm busy on my latest series for Gadling, which is about traveling in Iraq. I spent 17 days in the country last month and I'm writing a long series about my intense yet mostly positive experiences there. It's called Destination: Iraq. Check it out!

Blogging more than 400,000 words

As my regular readers know, I blog at Gadling, the number one travel blog on the web. (And I'm not just saying that, our hits prove it).

Today my dashboard told me that I broke 400,000 words. To be exact, it said, "You have written 400,143 words on 866 posts since you started publishing 2 years and 179 days ago."

Persistence. Write every day and your publications will pile up.

Tell my boss to send me to Afghanistan

As many of you know, I'm a travel blogger for Gadling, the world's most popular travel blog. I've done several series on adventure travel, including one on taking a road trip around Ethiopia, and another on living in an African city. I did another on visiting Somaliland.

In my more than 20 years of adventure travel, I've never been to Afghanistan, and it's always been at the top of my list. I visited Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province in the 1990's and spent several pleasant weeks among the Afghan communities there. Afghanistan's long history and varied cultures would make a great Gadling series. . .

. . .but I can't afford it. So I need your help. If you'd like to see a boots-on-the-ground series on Afghanistan written by yours truly, tell Gadling to be my sugar daddy. I'll write about culture, history, and daily life, all the things the news ignores. I already know an adventure travel company that can take me there. If enough people vote, maybe Gadling will send me!

Please leave a comment at this link, telling Gadling they need a series on Afghanistan.

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Armies of the Adowa Campaign: a sneak peak at my next book

Sorry for my silence on this blog. I've been busy getting another blog about my Civil War novel up and running. I'm happy to say it hasn't even been a month but I already have nine followers and more than 1,100 hits! Here's hoping that my novel, A Fine Likeness, will be equally successful once it comes out in September.

My family and I are in Oxford for our customary summer of research, hiking, and seeing old friends. As usual, I popped into the offices of Osprey Publishing and chatted with the editors about my current projects and possible future ones. I also got an advance copy of Armies of the Adowa Campaign.

The folks at Osprey did their usual awesome job with the layout and the maps. I also have to tip my hat to Raffaele Ruggeri for his excellent and precise illustrations. When I was researching the book and assembling instructions for the as-yet-unassigned artist, one of my main sources for Italian uniforms was a book Mr. Ruggeri illustrated. I was very happy to hear he was taking the project. It made my instructions almost unnecessary!

The book includes almost fifty rare photographs from the Italian archives, and some of my own photos I took while exploring the battlefield.

For more on this project, check out two posts I did for the Osprey blog. Part one was about researching in Ethiopia, and part two was about researching in Rome. Check them out for insights into the ups and downs (and even dangers) of researching military history!

Hoping to travel to South Sudan

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard that the Republic of South Sudan has just become the world's newest country. Welcome to the family of nations!

I'm looking into ways to get there in order to be the first travel blogger to write a series about it. My series about traveling in Somaliland, a country that doesn't officially exist, was my most popular ever, so I'm hoping the South Sudanese government will respond to my inquiries. With Gadling getting ten million hits a month, I could sure give them some good publicity.

I also have to figure out how to be the first Postcrossing member to get a postcard from South Sudan. . .


[Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Photo Friday: Why writing is important

As I mentioned before, I spent the past two months in Harar, Ethiopia, a fascinating medieval walled city. Before going to Harar I spent three days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. I’ve visited the city before but there were some things I hadn’t seen, like the Red Terror memorial. This is a museum dedicated the victims of the Derg regime, a Marxist government that assassinated the Emperor Haile Selassie and ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991. This regime killed 500,000 people in its first year in power. Nobody knows the total number of victims.

Sadly, many countries have similar museums and this one has the typical displays you’d expect—walls covered with ghostly photos of victims, displays of torture methods, official documents—yet I left the museum inspired. Why? Because of this one display pictured here. It's a mimeograph machine used by a dissident. He was a scientist at an agricultural research center on the outskirts of Addis Ababa and he used this machine to print pamphlets protesting the government. He would have been executed if he had been caught so he used to bury the mimeograph in a field when he wasn't using it. After the regime was toppled he left it buried until he finally dug it up years later and donated it to the museum.

This is real writing. Writing what you believe when you risk being put up against a wall and shot. I'd like to think I'd have the courage to do this, but thankfully I don't think I'll ever be tested in this manner.

Working on page proofs for my next book

One of the nice things about being back in Oxford is that I'm only a short bus ride away from Osprey Publishing, who have published some of my most recent books. I went to the office yesterday to pick up the page proofs for Armies of the Adowa Campaign, due in stores in September. The art looks great and the layout is excellent as usual. I love working with a team that actually cares about the product!

While I was visiting Harar, Ethiopia, Osprey's blog published a couple of guest posts of mine about writing this book. Part one was about researching in Ethiopia, and part two was about researching in Rome. Check them out for insights into the ups and downs (and even dangers) of researching military history!

While visiting the office I also got to sit down with the editors and brainstorm some more book ideas. Hopefully I'll have an announcement here in the coming weeks about more contracts!

Back in Oxford

After three days in Madrid, just time enough to shake the Ethiopian dust off my boots, I'm writing amidst the dreaming spires of Oxford. Now this is culture shock!

We're up here for the Easter break. My family and I come up to Oxford every year at this time and also for the summer. I research in the Bodleian Library, my wife works at the astronomy department, and my kid goes to school and improves his English.

Visiting Harar, Ethiopia, for two months has left me a bit behind. I have a lot of emails to catch up on, edits for my book on the Adowa campaign waiting for me, plus I'll be chatting with the good folks at Osprey Publishing about more book possibilities when I visit their offices this week. I also need to finish my Harar travel series.

In the longer term, I'm working on a book proposal about Harar. I'm looking at its history and culture, and how the Hararis want to take advantage of Harar's UNESCO World Heritage status to develop tourism. Tourism is a mixed blessing, and I'll be looking at how an increasing number of foreigners are affecting this once-isolated town.

Of course I'll also be spending lots of time with my family, lounging in parks in the beautiful English springtime, going for at least one party night in London, and who knows what else! I love adventure travel, but being back in the First World has its advantages!

Back from Ethiopia

Hello again!

Yes, I've been silent for two months, but I've had an excuse. I was living for two months in Harar in eastern Ethiopia and not only did I have to struggle with a dialup connection (remember those?) but it turns out the Ethiopian government censors Blogspot. Apparently too many dissident Ethiopian expats have blogs, and instead of trying to block each one they just block all of Blogspot! Strangely enough I can get onto Blogger and write posts, but since I couldn't see my end result I decided it wasn't worth the ages it took to load.

Anyway, I had a great time. I've started a series on Harar for Gadling and am working on a book proposal. More on that once it begins to take more shape. Today was my first full day back in Madrid and I spent it playing with my son. I won't have long here, though. On Monday we all head up to Oxford for the Easter break!

Now that I'm back I'll be keeping a more regular schedule with this blog, at least two and preferably three posts a week. So stayed tuned, friends, I haven't forgotten about you!

Photo Friday: Highland Farm

Welcome to another Photo Friday. Today is a shot I took while hiking the East Highland Way, Scotland's newest long distance trail. It starts at Ft. William on the west coast and runs for 78 miles deep into the Highlands to Aviemore. You see a lot of these isolated farmhouses on the way. This one is wisely built at the foot of a steep slope, where a line of trees marks the path of a mountain stream. Good for watering your sheep! I like how the mist softens the already soft colors.

Kevin Langan, who established the route, has already self-published a guidebook. Now it's been taken up by a traditional press and he's asked to use some of my photos. I'm happy to share with him because he pointed out such a great hike to me!

Planning my next adventure

As I've talked about earlier, I've been missing Ethiopia ever since I got back last April. I spent two months traveling around the country. For three weeks my wife joined me and I gave her a road trip around Ethiopia as a tenth anniversary present. It was also a work trip, resulting in an upcoming book, and travel series on Ethiopia and Somaliland for Gadling.

Well, I just got my ticket and I'm going back for another two months. I'll be spending the majority of the time living in the place you see here. It's called Harar, and it's a medieval walled city between the central Ethiopian highlands and the Somali desert. It's been a center of trade for at least a thousand years and has a fascinating mix of people and traditions.

The Hararis have their own culture and language. When I was there last time I tapped into a network of Harari writers, poets, musicians, lexicographers, and museum curators. It seems every educated person in that city is trying to preserve their culture. I'm planning to stay there and learn as much as I can in order to work on a book. Two months won't be enough, of course but this won't be my last trip if I have anything to say about it! I'm headed out in late February. Look forward to another series for Gadling, and perhaps a book in a couple of years!

Getting back into gear with the new year

Hi everyone! I'm back after a ten-day blogging hiatus. After finishing up my book on the Adowa campaign for Osprey Publishing my energy pretty much tanked, as I described on this blog during a similar post-book slump. Now I'm kicking back, spending lots of time with my family, watching movies, and reading books that have nothing to do with my research.

I haven't completely crashed, however. Besides organizing my first solo photo exhibition (more on that tomorrow) I've been blogging for Gadling as usual. Well, considerably less than usual, but I'm still blogging. My wife's Christmas present to me was a four-day trip to Extremadura, Spain's southwestern region. We stayed at a lovely Parador in Mérida, saw the historic sites, and ate heaps of good food. I've started a series on it for Gadling called Exploring Extremadura: Spain's Historic Southwest. Check out the link for articles on this wonderful region's Roman and Moorish ruins, beautiful villages, and tasty cuisine.

And expect lots more from the Midlist Writer blog in 2011! I'm branching out to include more author interviews and book reviews, to give my readers insights into the lives of midlist authors other than yours truly. Hope you come along for the ride!

On the trail of Jesse James: a new travel series

Hi all! As you can see from the margin on this blog, I've written a lot of series for the travel blog Gadling. Now I've started a new one on Jesse James. Join me as I explore the real history of America's toughest outlaw, with lots of photos of where he lived, the places he robbed, and where he met his end.

Press trips: good or bad for writers?

Back in September I took my very first press trip. While I've been to many press events over the years, this was the first time I did a long trip on someone else's dime. VisitEngland and Welcome to Yorkshire footed the bill for ten Canadian and American travel writers to spend a few days in Yorkshire seeing sights related to the Brontë sisters. The result was a series I wrote for Gadling titled Exploring Yorkshire: Ghosts, Castles, and Literature in England's North.

Press trips are controversial in the industry. Many markets don't accept articles written about press trips, citing conflict of interest and inherent bias. Those markets that do use press trips are selective and tend to use them sparingly.

Fellow Gadlinger Tom Johansmeyer has written an excellent post about press trips that all travel writers should read. His main point is that press trips make our job possible. How else are brokeass writers supposed to fly over Zambia in a Cessna or review some luxury resort in the Caribbean? I fund much of my travel by double-dipping, combining book and blogging projects. That's how I managed my travel series on Ethiopia. Not everyone can do that.

Tom also makes the point that while writers have to mention that they had their trip paid for, some guy sitting at a desk working off a press release doesn't have to mention he never saw the place he's writing about! Press trips actually improve reliability and objectivity because the PR filter is somewhat broken down.

My personal experience on this was educational. Our schedule was pretty tight and so we didn't have much time to wander around independently. This is the complete opposite of my usual relaxed wandering. People make a lot of noise about press trips leading to biased coverage, but I didn't experience that. There was some boring stuff they made us see that I simply didn't cover. Good restaurants got a mention, but one hyped-up place that served mediocre food didn't get appear in my series. If a sight was important and popular enough that I had to cover it, I was honest. The Jorvik Viking Centre is one of York's biggest attractions and my article reflects what a cheesy tourist trap it really is.

So press trips aren't the bugbear many people think. It does lead to some bias because all writing is biased. My travel in Somaliland was shaped by my preconceptions and experiences on the ground, plus the eagerness of the Somalis to paint their emerging nation in the best possible light. My series on Yorkshire was shaped by what they showed me and what they didn't show me. The mere fact that I went on it changed the coverage. Would I have written a positive series on England this fall? Yes. Would it have been about Yorkshire? Probably not.

So press trips are a vital part of the industry. They can work as long as writers and readers all know what's involved.

Best travel writing on Gadling in October

Halloween has come and gone, and here we are in November. As I look back at my Gadling travel posts in October, they aren't as adventurous as they were in September, what with my trip to Rome, but it was still a pretty good month.

I did a series on travel in Yorkshire that turned out to be popular. This was my first press trip, courtesy of VisitEngland and Welcome to Yorkshire, and it was an interesting experience. I'll be blogging about what it's like to go on a press trip next week here on Midlist Writer. It's a controversial subject, and I'm not 100 percent in support of them, but hey, at least I got to spend three nights in a haunted hotel room.

More on that later. As usual I did a variety of posts on archaeology, including a possible solution to the mystery of Silbury Hill and proof of Chinese trade with Africa before the Europeans. I also wrote a piece on favorite hiking spots near Madrid. Other random posts included an aquarium that's hiring a mermaid and a weird Japanese ESL video a friend sent me.

So check out my feed on Gadling. You'll even see a scientific explanation of why airline food sucks and some advice on what to do in a Muslim country during Ramadan!

And if you want adventure travel, check out Don George's series on Peru.