Author: Sharon

In which the writer has the flu

What went before:  Woke up yesterday feeling extremely awful, and running a stoopid high fever.  Took myself to the clinic while I could, and Tests were performed.  I’m cleared for COVID, RSV, strep, but!  I do have the flu.  This, according to the doctor, is what passes for good news, because the flu only lasts “a couple days.”  I’m to stay in until the fever breaks, wear a mask if I do go out, and avoid, well, people.

Sunday. Cold and sunny. Predictions are for snow.

Kettle’s on for tea, peppermint and honey. Stirred, not shaken. Breakfast will … likely involve toast. Today will likely be spent in the corner of the couch or in the Command Chair. I wouldn’t say that I’m well (especially since I’m now a sneezy, drippy mess) but I have perhaps turned a corner, because yesterday I was content to just sit and be miserable, and this morning I’m grumpy because I haven’t been *doing* anything.

On the plus side, I have discovered something that’s even *more* boring to talk about than writing.

The cats have been taking this Health Emergency very seriously, piling on all three at once, though I’ll note that the Rookie was left on nursing duty all by himself for a couple hours yesterday. He did very well, initially setting up station in the rocking chair directly across from the couch, later adopting a more paws-on approach, by coming over and sitting on my lap to purr. Boy, that cat has a purr.

So, that’s what’s happening hereabouts today. What’s happening thereabouts?

In which the writer is cranky

Friday. Sunny and cold.

I’m feeling . . . a little unwell. Sore throat and iffy stomach. That was before the page proofs for the Ribbon Dance mass market landed. Jury’s still out on whether I’m going back to bed and pulling the covers over my head. I usually resist, but today I might just give in.

After the page proofs landed . . . there’s a scene in Carousel Tides, when Kate has just be informed by the park manager that the carousel not only has to be ready for the Season, but for a Super Early Season, like, Right Now. Her reaction is, and I quote: “We’re already pulling a rabbit out of a hat here, and now you’ve got the goddamn nerve to ask for a kangaroo?”

Yeah. Like that.

So, anyhoot, not really sure what I’m doing today, except cancelling my appointment with the chiropractor, because I do feel that bad.

How’re you doing today?

Tyop Hunt Ribbon Dance Mass Market

The page proofs for the mass market edition of Ribbon Dance have landed in my inbox.  I am assured that the mass market edition is, absent the size, exactly the same as the hardcover edition.

I am therefore putting out a system-wide call for those folks who have the hardcover edition.  If you have noticed any typos (that is typos — wrong word, missing word, misspelled word, bad line breaks, too many or too few quotation marks — or, indeed, punctuation of any kind) please reply to this post with that error noted like this:

PAGE NUMBER, Paragraph Number from the top, from the break, or from the bottom (and tell me which) , Line Number, Search String, ERROR

In RL, that would look like this:  Page 1, paragraph 3, line 2, “had let Pel dissuade her”  MISSING PERIOD after her

There is a deadline involved:  January 18.  If you find a tyop of January 19, keep it to yourself.  This is a curated blog, and the replies to this entry will not be made public.

I do note that the mass market edition has the author’s afterword that was left out of the hardcover edition.

Thank you so very much for your help.

 

If this goes on…

Thursday. Coolish, cloudy, and intermittently breezy. Hoping that the wind dries all available outside surfaces, else we’ll have a skin of ice on everything as the weather starts its slide back into winter.

Breakfast was eggs scrambled with cheese and salmon, rye toast on the side. Kettle on for the second cup of tea. Lunch…soup and a salad is my best guess at this time.

First load of laundry is in the dryer. I may have one more load to do; will look about me.

I had such fun yesterday staring into space and making notes, that I’ll be devoting a sizeable chunk of today for doing the same. Yesterday’s Great Writing Insight was that Shan is the thread that’s tying several, widely separated, story lines together, so, yanno, I’m glad we found a way to get Shan and trade and all that boring stuff that nobody wants to read about back into over-arc.

Which reminds me. This is your Occasional Reminder that! just because an author writes about A Thing, does not mean she “believes in” That Thing. We may for instance, write about discrimination, or clone armies, faster-than-light drives, or — oh, cake! Do we think it’s All Good? Well — no.  Or — not necessarily.

For one thing, stories without challenges for the characters to meet — big challenges, little challenges, doesn’t make that much difference, though I prefer a mix — are boring, for the characters, the writer, and the reader. This is why stories have bad guys, or bad systems, or, I dunno, bad plumbing.

But more importantly, writers write about all kinds of things, as those things catch our attention, and we almost always write in the service of our Prime Directive, which is — anybody?

Yes, you, back there in the penguin hat. I’m sorry — wh– Yes, exactly! Thank you.

IF THIS GOES ON.

If a particular situation here-stated continues unchecked — what can-or-might happen? There’s a story in that, and writers live to tell stories.

If I were feeling argumentative, which, believe it or not, I’m not — I might put forth the notion that the important question here isn’t what the writer “believes in” in a particular story, but what the reader takes from it. Who do you think the good guys are? Do you think protected populations and clone armies are a good idea? How about brainwashing as a way to control people who might be “too creative”? And so on. Granted, people — and I include myself, here — are rarely that insightful, but I think those are worthy questions to hold in reserve for introspective moments.

And, all that said — What’s everybody doing today?

Below, two pictures of Steve from January 1 2024, when he’d come into my office to tune his air guitar.  (Copilot’s note:  These are not sad pictures; this was not a sad occasion, just every day shenanigans.  One of the pics is titled “Stevie ‘Guitar’ Miller” which is a play on something or ‘nother from that Other Steve Miller)

 

Begin as you mean to go on

Wednesday. Raining and warm(ish).

The first day of a new year. Begin as you mean to go on.

On this day in history, Steve had just given me his draft of “Familiarity,” commissioned for the ZNB Familiars anthology. I spent the rest of the day reading it, tweaking it, and trimming it.

Breakfast today will be oatmeal, because — have you looked out that window? Lunch will be pre-planned chicken pot pie.

I have some various bits ‘n bobs to do at the computer, as well as some housekeeping (first load of laundry is washing, for instance), and I’ve scheduled some time curled under the blanket with pen and notebook and notes for the next book.

How are you beginning the new year?

Rook at work:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Day of 2024

Tuesday. Grey and cool. There is no snow in the Long Back Yard, though there is a skim of ice on the front steps. Trash and recycling at the curb. First cup of tea in hand.

Breakfast is destined to be a PB&J on an English muffin with a follow of red grapes. And more tea, naturally. Lunch — I have so many options for lunch. Really, I’m embarrassed.

So far this morning, Rookie has played fetch — he’s really good at bringing the ball and placing it at my feet — tried to lay claim to the deer antler that has been sitting peaceably on a lower bookshelf for years, and peeled all the sticky notes off of the to-do list. Sigh. A Morning Kitten. *Just* what I need.

I finished *another* book last night — Lord Julian is a quick read, so that puts me at 61 books on the year (57, if we don’t count endless rereads of Diviner’s Bow  and a re-read of Salvage Right). I do have the third Lord Julian on deck, but, really, I’m not finishing that one today.

This morning is sewing at St. Mark’s. This will be my first foray, I hope of many; and I have an appointment with the chiropractor in the afternoon. And that neatly accounts for my day, give or take a chore or two.

This is the last day of a very bad year, and I stand in dread of what next year will bring, because, absent a death or two, it’s looking to be worse.

What are your anticipations for the new year?

Books read in 2024

61  A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation (Lord Julian #2) Grace Burrowes (e)
60  A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times (Lord Julian #1) Grace Burrowes (e)
59  Alliance Unbound (Hinder Stars #2) Cherryh & Fancher (e)
(58  Diviner’s Bow, galleys)
57 Alliance Rising (Hinder Stars #1), CJ Cherryh, Jane Fancher (e)
(55, 56 Diviner’s Bow, line edit, copy edit)
54 The Masquerades of Spring, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
(53 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (e))
52 Black Dogs Part Two: The Mountain of Iron, Ursula Vernon (e)
51 Black Dogs Part One: House of Diamond, Ursula Vernon (e)
50 The Wind’s Twelve Quarters, Ursula K. Le Guin (book club)
49 Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels(Dangerous Damsels #1)India Holton (e)
48 Two Old Women, Velma Wallis (book club)
47 First Lie Wins, Ashley Elston (e)
46  Mystic Tea, Rea Nolan Martin (book club)
45  Fated Blades, Ilona Andrews (e)
44  Grace, Beverly Watts (Shackleford Sisters #1) (e)
43  The Fortunate Fall, Cameron Reed (e)
42  A Sorceress Comes to Call, T. Kingfisher (e)
41  Secrets at Midnight, Nalini Singh (e)
40  Born a Crime, Trevor Noah (book club)
39  Rocky Start, Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
38  Librarian Bear, Murphy Lawless (Virtue Shifters #2) (e)
37  Primal Mirror, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity #8)
36  The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (The Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #2) (e)
35  Timber Wolf, Murphy Lawless/Zoe Chant (Virtue Shifters) (e)
34  Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus (book club)
33  Whammo Ranch, Jerry Boyd (Bob and Nikki Book 2)(e)
32  Bob’s Saucer Repair, Jerry Boyd (Bob and Nikki Book 1) (e)
31  Finders, Melissa Scott (Firstborn, Last born Book 1), (e)
30  When the Dandelions Sing: A Novel, James J. Hill III (book club)
29  Winter Lost, Patricia Briggs, (Mercy Thompson #14) (e)
28  Koalafied for Love, Murphy Lawless (Virtue Shifters) (e)
27  The Time Traders, Andre Norton (re-read) (e)
26  War for the Oaks, Emma Bull (re-re-&c-read) (book club)
25  Earthly Delights, Kerry Greenwood (Corinda Chapman #1) (re-read) (e)
24  Wednesday’s Child, Rhea Côté Robbins
23  Hate Mail, Donna Marchetti (e)
22  Comfort is an Old Barn, Amy Calder  (book club)
21  Arabella, Georgette Heyer (e) (re-read)
20  The Foundling, Georgette Heyer (e) (possibly I read this once before)
19  Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (e)
18  What Cannot be Said, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #19) (e)
17  The Grief of Stones, Katherine Addison (e) (re-read)
16  Witness for the Dead, Katherine Addison  (e) (re-read)
15  The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (e) (re-re-re-read)*
14  Hen Fever, Olivia Waite (e)
13  Unmasked by the Marquis, Cat Sebastian (e) ( re-read)
12  A Duke in Disguise, Cat Sebastian (e) (reread)
11  Heart of Stone, Johannes T. Evans (e)
10  West with the Night, Beryl Markham (e)
9   A Song to Drown Rivers, Ann Liang (e) (netgalley)
8   Bookstores and Bonedust, Travis Baldree (prequel) (e) (library)
7   We Could Be So Good, Cat Sebastian (e) (library)
6   Thorn Hedge, T. Kingfisher (e) (library)
5   Wild Seed, Octavia M. Butler (e) (library)
4   In Our Stars, Jack Campbell (Doomed Earth #1) (pre-pub) (e)
3   Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree (e) (library)
2   Heart of the Sun Warrior, Sue Lynn Tan, (Celestial Kingdom #2) (e) (library)
1   This is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (e) (library)

_____
*… I think I may have lost track.  I do know I started several books, and put them aside, because I Just Couldn’t. I stress that it wasn’t Them, it was Me.  I don’t think I actually finished anything before I finally did manage to settle into a re-re-re-&C-read of The Goblin Emperor, so that’s where we’ll pick up the tally.

There will come the soft rains

What went before:  Yesterday, that being Sunday, I did the needed touch-ups to the paint, baked sugar cookies, visited my embroidery basket, played with and groomed cats, read, and went to bed.

We now move on to . . .

Monday. Raining and warm. Might hit 50F/10C. Fog is rising as the snow sublimates. Spooky ol’ winter, this.

Breakfast was! Braunschweiger (aka liverwurst) on black bread with butter and mustard, because if you’re going to do this thing, Do It Correctly — with an orange for dessert. Second cup of tea to hand. Lunch is still an open question, as I have a choice of leftovers and will also be stopping at the grocery as part of this morning’s errands.

One has performed one’s duty to the cats.

Today’s to-do includes the aforesaid errands: chiropractor, post office, vet (for a bag of Trooper’s Special Sort), grocery store. Also staging the trash for delivery to the curb tomorrow morning, and call the cardiologist to see does he want to reschedule the appointment both of us think would be a waste of time, and start rectifying the 2024 financial records. Other than that, I’ve got a small pile of things I was working at before the galleys disrupted life, and I really ought to get back to them, but I’m not feeling the love. Or the energy. They’ve waited this long, they can wait until the new year.

Yesterday, I did get into my embroidery basket for the first time in forever. Man, I’m all kinds of out-of-practice. But, still, a calming, if not exactly graceful, exercise.

Fans of Rook will wish to hear that he is making very good progress, and taking his responsibilities as a Feline Share Holder seriously. I woke up around 2am, not in the best shape, and thinking that I would just get up. Rook was sleeping on top of the bookscase by the bed. No sooner had I thought the thought, then I heard a THUMP above my head, and then Rook was under my chin, purring. Reader, I went back to sleep.

And, that’s Monday in anticipation.

How’s everybody holding up?

Cat pics below, to enliven the feed.

Today’s title comes to you via Sara Teasdale and Ray Bradbury.