Red Claw author Philip Palmer has gotten this week off to a rousing start with his exploration of evil (and why evil is very, very good — sometimes); but before Monday turns into Tuesday, let’s look back at what happened here last week.

Robert Jackson Bennett, author of next month’s hotly awaited debut Mr. Shivers, wrote a story about how to write a story, and Jaye Wells, author of Red Headed Stepchild, discussed those who have trouble with tribbles, Google, and vaginae dentata.

Nicole Peeler’s character Jane True thought it a good idea to get some pointers on being an urban fantasy heroine from Gail Carriger’s character Alexia Tarabotti.

And Philip Palmer, before he moved on to the subject of evil, talked about space travel made easy.

We noted that Jesse Bullington, author of The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart, began guest blogging at Omnivoracious.com.

Orbit editor Devi Pillai was pleased to announce that Lilith Saintcrow (author of the just-released Flesh Circus) hit the New York Times Children’s Paperback bestseller list at #5 with her YA novel Betrayals.

The Orbit UK team gave a great rundown of a great year; Darren Nash took note of Orbit UK’s 40th anniversary edition of Ursula LeGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness; and Bella Pagan observed that the Guardian was pleased to include from Orbit UK two books, Mike Cobley’s Seeds of Earth as well as Phil Palmer’s Red Claw among the must-have items on this years’ Gadget Fiends bookshelf.