Bio Etcetera

Basic Bio

Polo Shawcross is the nom-de-plume of an Australian writer. She was born in Western Australia, descendant of murdering Irish rebels, Oxford-educated explorers, illegitimate sons of baronesses, and a long line of soldiers.

She grew up with her main character Polo’s mad-but-not-dangerous relations around. Unfortunately, close family were not so benign. Even the family religion was schizophrenic, mirroring the Irish Troubles nicely, one parent Protestant, one Catholic, and she was brought up “bi.”

In her 20′s, after she’d done high school at night school while working full time, she ended up at university. Her first poem was published, and thinking escape was possible, she went travelling and ended up in London. She was adopted by friendly Jewish people, who understood the crazy relations thing.

With a stint in the business side of the music business, then another on the creative one (the latter still ongoing), she had the kind of education money can’t buy, which went nicely with the 2/3’s of a degree in Creative Writing she’d taken away with her. Several of her songs have been recorded by several different artists, but so far nobody’s made their fortune.

Also culpable – when it comes to her current career – work for different publishers in doing pretty much every publishing job out, (fiction and non-fiction) including editor , proofreader, “creative editor” or ghost-writer, and a favourite, running the mail room, where she was lucky enough to read the slush pile and choose what would be put forward to be published.

In 1995, she began a series of sci fi fantasy stories which culminated in the current series, begun in earnest some ten years ago now, which are set in a universe that might be ours. Since 2001 she’s been back in the Land of Oz, though having a look at the Eastern States.

Like Polo, she just wanted to read, but was left with the notion of running her own publishing company. Being rather financially-challenged, her empire currently encompasses only epublishing.

She recommends other people do not do this. Yes, you have control, a larger cut of royalties, whatever, but frankly, give her good printers, publicists, editors, and a marketing budget!

Being an auteur is greatly over-rated.
And rather hard work – writing the bloody books is hard enough.

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Book 1 – out now – free sample here – Retailing at $4.99 (USD) – available for all ebook readers including the Amazon one…Book 2 – due December 2011. Polo must survive the army and to learn to fly. This is mostly written, just adding flesh to bones.

Book 3 – well, he still can’t keep his pants on or his mouth shut. Major events include him being used as a sperm donor by a certain queen. Again, is written, just need to flesh out.

Another 3-4 books are planned in this part of the series, covering Polo’s early life as the Dragon Kingdom is founded. I think there will be another trilogy after that about Polo and what happens after the Dragon Kingdom becomes reality.

There are plenty of others in the same setting or on the various planets referred to in Polo’s story. I don’t see what may be called “Tales from the Quadrants” ending, as the world and universe are ones I’ve been crafting for over a decade.

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Enjoy. And as Godley and Creme said (in their song about the music biz)
“Art for art’s sake. Money for God’s sake.”

I write as Polo Shawcross.

I am @stinginthetail on Twitter.

I answer to those and Sheila Smith/Bastard/NomNomDePlume. Or Your Majesty.

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In other news: I am the Antichrist and possibly evil nearly evil. The rumour that I’m quite nice is completely unfounded, and I never go round the net doing good deeds.

It wasn’t me. I suspect I may have an evil twin who’s trying to besmirch my rep and blow the Antichrist gig.

Yep, pretty much bad to the bone, so I’m told. It’s much better to be evil, people’s expectations are lower. Seriously. Look at Rupert Murdoch. Do I need to explain further? 1960 vintage. Female.

Thank heaven for my friends (particularly my Twitter network) and Mr Whatsit, who’ve kept me going through some of the worst years of my life – the last one in particular.

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Politically, I am unaligned, as a result of long exposure to activism, idiot committees, student politics, hippies, every shade of the political spectrum, politicians, and either terrorists or freedom fighters, depending which side of the various wars you came down on.

All of them hated each other more than their political enemies, and spent so much time fighting stupid squabbles with their own people that they let the greedy and corrupt take over. I really am so cynical about politics I cannot take it seriously. Even though I shout on Twitter.

So, instead of being political, I have decided to be an Anarchist Monarchist, which means I get to be queen, the rest of you can do what you want. Providing it’s what I say, of course. *waves the Hello Kitty Kalashnikov* Don’t worry, I don’t know how to get the safety off.

Mind you, I’m a dab hand at Google, I could find out in about 2 seconds flat. If the net is working. It doesn’t always, quite a trial for a would-be world dictator. Ahem, I mean benevolent despot ruler of course.

Whatever I’m working on is known as #TheThing, because that’s probably shorter than the real title, and it’s handy for Twitter.  One of #TheThing’s is published as The Birthday Dragon (free sample – no, not at all a children’s book – it’s an adult novel, though it classifies as science fiction fantasy) and I’m working on #TheThing Book 2

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This Blog http://stinginthetail.wordpress.com/ is Copyright 2009 to date of the writer who identifies as Sheila NomNomDePlume – AKA @stinginthetail, AKA a number of other names as detailed in the posts.

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