Blog Without A Name

In which the new car achieves a name

Let it be known that the New Blue Car shall hereafter be known as “Kineo,” in honor of the mountain* we did not visit yesterday, but could have, had we been willing to drive another two hours northeast of Greenville on roads which are, um, occasionally unkempt to make our bows, thereby making a pleasant four-hour round trip into a dicey six hours of driving.

Also, Steve reminds me that I was remiss in my reporting of yesterday’s outing. In fact, there was a moose in the Greenville town salt bank, as there has been every. single. time. we’ve gone to Greenville.  Yesterday, there was just one.  The last time, there were three — mom and two kids.

On the way home, a vulture — and now I wonder if Mainers call them “vultures” or something else, the subject never having come up before — in any case, a vulture, I say, flew straight down the road at us, swerving to its right at the last moment, to settle into what few branches remained in a very messy wood yard, where three other vultures were already ensconced.  No, we did not stop the car to see what was so fascinating.

In other news. . .well, there isn’t any other news, really. Today is a less-windy repeat of yesterday, pleasantly warm, with alternating sun and clouds. Tomorrow and Sunday, the weatherbeans say, it’s going to rain like a sonofagun, to which I selfishly say, “Good,” because I have a lot of work to do.

What’re y’all doing this weekend?

____________

*Yes, yes; I hear you laughing over there in Montana, and Colorado, and Oregon, and France, and Switzerland, and all those other places with real mountains.  For the purposes of the East Coast of the United States, Mount Kineo passes for a mountain.  Not only that, it’s the only mountain in the world made entirely of arrowheads.  Also known as hornstone.  Here, have a wikipedia article.

There ain’t no rest for the wicked, ’til we close our eyes for good

There’s a new guest story up at Splinter Universe:  “Riverweave,” by EC Ambrose.  Here’s your link.  Remember that the PayPal link at the bottom of story will send your donation directly to the author, should you wish to demonstrate your appreciation of their work.

Because the medical tests scheduled for today were over and done with much earlier than anyone had a right to expect, Steve and I decided to give the new car (which still lacks a name) its head.  Whereupon, it ran all the way up to Greenville, which kind of hugs the lower end of Moosehead Lake.  We stopped her there, since the roads up around Rockwood are not what a city car might particularly like, ate lunch at Auntie M’s, walked the cute little boardwalk at the water’s edge, sadly determined that the wind was kicking up ‘waaaaay too much dust to make further perambulating about town comfortable, stopped at the Indian Store on the way outta town, and came home via Bingham, which is looking very much the worse for wear.

We arrived home to find that today we lost both Morning Glory Zell, famous for once having worn a snake as a costume at a DisClave, and for having bred a “unicorn;” and Mary Stewart, author of many, many fine romantic suspense novels.  Their absences render the world much less interesting.

There are still two days to purchase Liaden Universe® novel, Fledgling, an Audible Hidden Gem, for a paltry $3.95.  Yes, from now until Saturday, May 17, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time, you — Audible Member or Innocent Bystander — can purchase the complete, unabridged audiobook, narrated by the incomparable Eileen Stevens, for a mere $3.95!

Here’s your link.

 

Today’s blog title comes to us from Cage the Elephant.  Here’s your link.

* * *

Progress on One of Five
65,783/100,000 OR 66% complete

Young Mr. Smealy gave his word that he would never cause Boss Calhoon an instant’s worry.”

Miri sighed.

“Which promise it looks like he’s forgot.

“He may consider that he did not promise to leave Boss Conrad similarly worry-free.”

 

 

 

 

Books read in 2014

19.  Demon’s Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennan
18.  Refining Felicity, Marion Chesney
17.  Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury (re-read aloud w/Steve)
16. The Vanished Priestess, Meredith Blevins
15.  Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny (re-read aloud w/Steve)
14.  Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
13.  Ghost Point, James A. Hetley, manuscript (read aloud w/Steve)
12.  Peacemaker, C.J. Cherryh (read aloud w/Steve)
11.  The Red Hot Empress, Meredith Blevins
10.  Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
9.  Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, Marjorie Liu, Daniel Acuna
8.  Agent of Change, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e)
7.  The Emperor’s Agent, Jo Graham (e)
6.  Eternity and a Day, Aline Hunter (e)
5.  Kindred Rites, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (e)
4.  Billy the Kid, the Endless Ride, Michael Wallis
3.  The Steerswoman, Rosemary Kirstein (e)
2.  Uncovered, Jordan Matter
1.  Dancers Among Us, Jordan Matter

You’re cute and fresh and wholesome, but science has a cure

So, yesterday, I bought a new car.  It was an Unplanned Purchase in which a complicated combination of factors conspired to create a Perfect Moment to strike.  I am of mixed feelings regarding the whole situation.  On the one hand, I adored the little green Subaru Legacy; it was zippy and sweet-tempered; good in the rain, the sleet and the snow, and never, ever once let me down.  On the other hand, it was more than 15 years old.  The new car — by which I mean, “new to me” — is several generations younger.  It is apparently capable of doing things that I cannot, as yet, imagine.  It, too, is a Subaru Legacy, in color a cheerful bright blue; but Subaru Legacies have gotten taller in the intervening years — not a bad thing; in fact, a feature.  It’s roomier inside than the green Legacy, and!

. . .it has heated seats.

It also has very low miles; was apparently kept by its former owner in the lap of garaged luxury, and only allowed out on the road during the very finest and bug-free of spring days.

So.  I have a new car.

I ALSO HAVE, with Steve, a collection of our work to get into shape to send on to Madame the Editor realsoonnow, and!  I need your — yes, your — advice.

A common reader complaint regarding the contents of the first two Liaden Universe® Constellations was that they lacked an ABOUT THIS STORY at the top of each story.  Apparently, lots of people like those, so, to keep peace in the family, we’re going to write an ABOUT THIS STORY for each of the twelve stories in Constellation Three.

And here’s where we need your help.

What sorts of things do you want to know ABOUT THIS STORY?

Discuss.

_____________________

Today’s title comes from “Brand New Girl,” as performed by Julie Brown in Earth Girls are Easy.  Here’s your link.

 

Audible Hidden Gem For Members AND Non-Members!

This just in!

Liaden Universe® novel, Fledgling is, for One Week Only! being showcased as an Audible Hidden Gem!  This means that, from now until Saturday, May 17, at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time, you — any and all of you, whether you’re an Audible Member or only an Innocent Bystander — can purchase the complete, unabridged audiobook, narrated by the incomparable Eileen Stevens, for a mere $3.95!

Here’s your link.

What makes this especially exciting, of course, is that Fledgling is a portal book into the Liaden Universe® that can be read without any previous knowledge of any other book in the universe. It’s also suitable for the YA science fiction reader of your acquaintance.  So, this is like, win/win/win.

Please do share this with all of your friends.

Thank you!

In which there are announcements among the raindrops

I am remiss in announcing that Chaz Brenchley’s guest story, “2 Pi to Live” is now available for your reading pleasure on Splinter Universe.  Here’s your link.  Remember that the donation button at the bottom of the story goes direct to the author, if you wish to show your appreciation for their work.

Also, the three newest Liaden stories on Splinter Universe will be coming down sooner rather than later, as they will be among the sweet fruits collected in A Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 3See this, in case you missed that.  So!  Read ’em while they’re free.

Regarding Splinter Universe in general, and those stories in particular, I want to thank everyone for their generosity.  Very much appreciated.

In other news, it’s raining (boo!  hiss!), so we have canceled the trip to Portland to tour the ferry, window-shop and generally goof off, and you know what that means, right?

Right.  It means today is a working day.

Also?  There was a Cooper’s Hawk perched in the ravaged pine tree nearest the deck yesterday afternoon (and me without a camera!), obviously shopping the bird feeder for lunch.  He flew off when he encountered my ill-bred stare, but I fear he will be back.   Sigh.  It’s a jungle out there.

So, what’re you doing today that’s fun?

The Mozart Report

Paid a visit to Mozart’s fan club at the vet’s today.  He’d stopped drinking (to my observation), didn’t want anything to do with any of the yummy homemade cat food-and-tuna-juice soup Mom made, has been resisting even basic combing, swacked Trooper a good one in the head for doing something Trooper does at least fourteen times a day and has always been OK. . .just a general Creeping Grumpiness and Hangcatness.

The vet tells us he’s lost a considerable amount of weight — a couple pounds since February — despite the custom feedings — she dispensed saline, and pain meds, and an anti-nausea shot (in with the drip, because apparently the shot burns and she didn’t want to distress him any more than he was already distressed).  There is some irritation in his mouth, not necessarily the ulcers that form in a cat in severe kidney failure. . .but, granting room for local custom and individual, not necessarily not ulceration.

So, the plan is to see if the saline and the various meds produce a happier cat who will eat some dern food.  If it seems as if we haven’t managed to get him relief and a little more stability, then we’re going to have to Take Stock.  At the moment, he’s in the basement. Sprite’s also in the basement, so I’m hoping he’s let her clean his ears and settled down for a nap.

In other news, the guy next door, with whom we share a property line, saw — as we did — a lot of downed branches and broken trees over the winter.  He and one of his crew spent the earlier part of the week chainsawing all the trees.  Since the trees he has taken down are on the summer afternoon sun path, I have a feeling it may be a Hot Old Summer here at the Cat Farm.

Steve and I had been planning on going down to Portland tomorrow and taking the free tour of the new ferry, then walking around Old Port to window shop, but. . .the “light sprinkles” specified for Saturday at the beginning of the week have been upgraded to “rain”, and window shopping’s just no fun in the rain.  *sigh*.  Well.  Maybe the weatherbeans will change their minds again on the overnight.

The rest of the day, after supper, will be spent by Your Humble Narrator on the couch, with manuscript, pens and yellow pad to hand, plotting.  This process may or may not include a Coon Cat.

Oh!  Someone very kindly sent me a $35 Amazon gift card, which is of course burning a hole in my metaphorical pocket.  So — what have you read lately that really blew you away?

 

In which Rolanni eats crow

So, a couple days ago — in fact, on May 5 — I tweeted, thusly:

 

. . .meaning to convey that we were still about 50 grand away from actually having enough words to pitch Constellation Three to Madame the Editor.

Yesterday, Madame the Agent wrote to say that she had a note from Madame the Editor, asking how many stories/words we had exactly.  We totted them up, allowed as how we knew that Madame would want an authors’ introduction and some few words about each story, sent the information along. . .

. . .with the result that we have agreed to go to contract with Liaden Universe® Constellation Volume 3, with a delivery date (that being the day and hour that Madame expects to have the manuscript on her desk) in mid-July.

Which just goes to show what I know.

Thanks to everyone who supported the first two Constellations, and who wrote to let us know that they would happily do the same for a third Constellation. . .soon. . .

Five Things on a Thursday morning

1.  Audible Members:  Carpe Diem is currently being featured in the Super Sci-Fi sale: .  The sale ends May 10thDuring that time, Carpe Diem will be available for $6.95 (retails $24.95 for non-members / $17.46 for members with their 30% discount).  This sale is only available to Audible members.

2.  There will be a new Guest Story on Splinter Universe realsoonnow, “2 Pi To Live” by Chaz Brenchley. So — Watch the skies.

3.  Speaking of Splinter Universe — you have seen last week’s Guest Story, “Leaving Via Callia,” by Alma Alexander, right?  No? Well, what are you waiting for?

Remember!  The donation button at the bottom of Guest Stories goes directly to the author, and is the button you want to use to show appreciation of the author’s work.

4.  Also at Splinter Universe, free for the reading until they’re not, Liaden Universe® stories: The Rifle’s First Wife, Roving Gambler, and Code of Honor.

5.  We have news coming soon, Very Soon, regarding Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 3.  So — Watch the skies.

Hmmm.  With all this watching the skies, maybe you better spread out a blanket in the grass and lie down…

 

Books read in 2014

18.  Refining Felicity, Marion Chesney
17.  Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury (re-read aloud w/Steve)
16. The Vanished Priestess, Meredith Blevins
15.  Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny (re-read aloud w/Steve)
14.  Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein
13.  Ghost Point, James A. Hetley, manuscript (read aloud w/Steve)
12.  Peacemaker, C.J. Cherryh (read aloud w/Steve)
11.  The Red Hot Empress, Meredith Blevins
10.  Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
9.  Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, Marjorie Liu, Daniel Acuna
8.  Agent of Change, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e)
7.  The Emperor’s Agent, Jo Graham (e)
6.  Eternity and a Day, Aline Hunter (e)
5.  Kindred Rites, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (e)
4.  Billy the Kid, the Endless Ride, Michael Wallis
3.  The Steerswoman, Rosemary Kirstein (e)
2.  Uncovered, Jordan Matter
1.  Dancers Among Us, Jordan Matter