Blog Without A Name – Page 216

Sunday Cat Spam

This was the scene of debauchery we discovered in our living room, yesterday afternoon:

This morning, we slept in somewhat, in celebration of the fact that tomorrow heralds the return of The Schedule. Steve made us asparagus omelets with hollandaise sauce for breakfast, after which I retired to the couch to elevate my foot and finish the book I was reading. Those tasks now accomplished, I will turn my attention toward speech-writing, and laundry-finishing, as Steve has dealt with the dishes.

For those playing along at home — we’ve gotten feedback from a fan on Dragon on Exile, which I reproduce here: “Wow.”

So, that’s coming in June 2015.

. . .and I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print.

Books read in 2014

33. Spiral Path, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (e)
32. Earthly Delights, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Night Broken, Patricia Briggs (e)
30. Just My Type, Simon Garfield
29. Bones of Faerie, Janni Lee Simner
28. Dancer of the Sixth, Michelle Shirey Crean
27. Tryst, Elswyth Thane (re-re-re-re-re-&c-read)
26. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
23. The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
22. Cuckoo’s Egg, C.J. Cherryh (re-re-re-&c-read)
21. The Windflower, Laura London (Tom and Sharon Curtis) (re-read)
20. Sparrow Hill Road, Seanan McGuire (e)
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

Where was I?

Well, let’s see. . .

So, I didn’t sprain my ankle, after all, only stretched the tendons. Which, while it still involves braces and elevation, and lounging on the couch under a coverlet of coon cats, is a Completely Different Order of injury. Of course, lounging on the couch with the Mencken Table prepped with laptop, tablet, phone, pad and pens, water bottle, &c does discombobulate the living room utterly, so I’m expecting a call from our real estate agent any second now, asking us to leave the house for three days in order to accommodate various Showings.

Today, I have Various Things to catch up on, as one does upon return from vacation. Bills need to be paid. The Hot Folder needs going through. Appointments for haircuts need to be made. I need to write a short story; possibly, I need to write two short stories. We shall see. I expect the galleys for Carousel Seas to hit the inbox realsoonnow. And! I need to sort through the Bits that didn’t go into the book that became Dragon in Exile and figure out how much of that belongs in the next book, which I Very Much Hope will be Easier on Us All than Dragon. . . was.

Speaking of Carousel Seas, time’s a-wastin’ if you want a signed and/or personalized copy of the trade paper edition, due out from Baen in January 2015. Here’s how to get one.

In cat news, Sprite is helping Steve sort the laundry; Mozart is asleep on his super-soft fleecy-thing under my desk. Scrabble is asleep on my, ~~Mozart’s~~, her rocker and Trooper is taking a well-earned rest after a game of Flying Mouse so vigorous, the stick snapped off in my hand.

Anybody know where to get Flying Mice? Our local pet shop doesn’t carry them anymore.

Well.

Time to get on with the day.

Hope yours is productive and interesting.

Shooting at the walls of heartache, bang, bang

I’m back; did you miss me?

We had a lovely, if idiosyncratic, few days at a beachfront penthouse. I took Number Ten Ox with me, but I never even opened his bag. Instead, I/we walked, read, ate, played Scrabble; had dessert, and in general enjoyed ourselves immensely.

We drove down Sunday morning in the rain, listening to American Top Forty for 1984. Did you know that The Warrior and When Doves Cry were contemporaries? Me, neither. We broke our trip down at Lewiston, on Lisbon Street, where all the treasures of Lewiston may be found, to have breakfast crepes at Frans. We arrived just before church let out and snagged the last table for two before the crowds descended, which was pretty much our luck on the rest of the weekend. The Golden Rooster had Avgolemono, even though it wasn’t on the menu. Jumpin’ Jakes didn’t have shrimp scampi but they did have a haddock piccata that was to die for. It rained like three devils crying all the way from the Cat Farm to Pine Point, and the sun broke through the minute we pulled into our parking space at The Residence. I apparently sprained my ankle, but not bad enough that I couldn’t walk (going to doctor today; yes, really).

So, anyhow; home now, and writing from the couch, with coon cats strategically deployed around me. Trooper over my head, on the toppest platform of the cat tree; Sprite on her blue recliner; and Mozart on his hammock in the window.

At some point, I’m going to have to go back to work, though what I really want to do is read another book. Perhaps I’ll work on our talk for PhilCon for a bit, and then read.

So! What’ve y’all been doing that’s fun and/or interesting?

Today’s blog title comes to your courtesy of Patty Smyth and Scandal. Here’s your link.

Books read in 2014

32. Earthly Delights, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Night Broken, Patricia Briggs (e)
30. Just My Type, Simon Garfield
29. Bones of Faerie, Janni Lee Simner
28. Dancer of the Sixth, Michelle Shirey Crean
27. Tryst, Elswyth Thane (re-re-re-re-re-&c-read)
26. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
23. The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
22. Cuckoo’s Egg, C.J. Cherryh (re-re-re-&c-read)
21. The Windflower, Laura London (Tom and Sharon Curtis) (re-read)
20. Sparrow Hill Road, Seanan McGuire (e)
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

As mentioned elsewhere. . .

. . .my bags are packed, and I am more than ready to go*.

I may or may not check in over the next few days. Scrabble will be covering the office, and we all know what that means, hmmm? Right you are, then.

Everybody have a good time, and remember to tell the people you love how much they mean to you.

See you on the flipside.

Topical music break: Cass Elliot and John Denver

In which the author continues to goof off

So, yesterday was various errands, including the Getting of the Flu Shots, and tomorrow there are more errands. Today, I believe there is cleaning, including post-writing disaster control of my office. Which, to be fair, is Slightly Less Awful than it Often Is in terms of Sheer Volume. On the other paw, I can’t just sweep stacks of paper into trash bags, either, because there are Large Swaths of at least one other book interleaved with the pages that finally came to make up Dragon in Exile.

Speaking of Dragon in Exile, or at least, speaking of Val Con and Miri, who are more-or-less major actors in the novel, something went past my eyeballs a while ago, regarding characterization in the Liaden Universe®. The assertion of the writer was that while the authors get positive points for writing strong female characters, those points are crushed under the number of negative points the authors get for pairing said strong, intelligent females with a male characters who are even stronger and smarter.

It probably goes without saying — but I’ll say it anyway — that I don’t see it that way. Speaking specifically of Miri and Val Con, what I see is two smart, capable people who have had vastly different lives, and who therefore have different strengths, and weaknesses, who happen to complement each other.

As a question of craft, I’ve always felt that it’s a cheat to demonstrate that one’s female character is strong and intelligent by deliberately pairing her with a weak or venal, less-intelligent male. Just as it’s a cheat to demonstrate that your hero is strong, smart, and morally upstanding by pairing him with Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes.

Also, just personally, I wonder why a strong, smart character of any gender you like would partner with a dummy (OK; maybe in terms of muscle or money). But, generally, in terms of survival, wouldn’t you want the smartest, strongest, most sympatico person you could get for your partner?

So, anyhow, that’s what I think. What do you think?

Books read in 2014

30. Just My Type, Simon Garfield
29. Bones of Faerie, Janni Lee Simner
28. Dancer of the Sixth, Michelle Shirey Crean
27. Tryst, Elswyth Thane (re-re-re-re-re-&c-read)
26. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner
23. The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
22. Cuckoo’s Egg, C.J. Cherryh (re-re-re-&c-read)
21. The Windflower, Laura London (Tom and Sharon Curtis) (re-read)
20. Sparrow Hill Road, Seanan McGuire (e)
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

Liaden Universe® InfoDump No. 105

PhilCon, Here We Come!
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller will be Principal Speakers at the 78th celebration of PhilCon, sharing the stage with Bob Eggleton and Kyle Cassidy. PhilCon will be held from November 21-23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Here’s your link.Audio Edition of Carousel Sun now Available!
The Audible edition of Carousel Sun, the second book in Sharon Lee’s Archers Beach trilogy, is now available! Here’s your link.

Preorder signed and/or personalized copy of Carousel Seas from the Uncle!
If you would like a signed and/or personalized copy of the trade paperback edition of CAROUSEL SEAS — the THIRD book in Sharon Lee’s Archers Beach trilogy — which will be published in January 2015 (that’s ONLY FOUR MONTHS from now!) here’s how to make that happen. Notice that there is a DEADLINE involved, so order early and often.

* You may now pre-order a signed copy of Carousel Seas from Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore via this link.

*You may also, for a limited time, have your pre-ordered signed book *personalized.* “Personalized” means you ask the author to write something special on the title page in addition to their name. These can be as simple as, “To Marge,” and as complex as “To Marge in memory of that night in Seattle.” *Fair Warning*: I, as the Signing Author reserve the right not to inscribe a book with a personalization I find to be, in my sole judgment: (1) offensive, (2) too long, (3) anything else. You will use the Special Instructions box on the order form to write out your personalization — Please check your spelling, ’cause I’m going to assume that you’ve typed it out exactly as you want it.

**There is a deadline involved* if you want your pre-ordered signed copy of Carousel Seas *personalized*. That *deadline is November 15, 2014*. So you need to do this now.

*There will only be a limited number of signed copies of /Carousel Seas/ available, they will only be available through Uncle Hugo’s SF Bookstore in Minneapolis. The exact number of signed copies available depends upon how many are pre-ordered. So, sooner is better than later to order, if you want a signed copy.

**Here’s that link again.

Thanks very much for your interest and support.

Dragon in Exile Publication Date and Tour Information
Steve and Sharon turned in Dragon in Exile, the first of five Liaden books under contract with Baen, on Sunday evening, September 14. Cover art will be by David Mattingly. There are two additional things you need to know about this:

1. The publication date — by which we mean the date that the HARDCOVER will be in stores — is June 2, 2015.
2. Lee and Miller will be doing an East Coast book tour very close to that date in support of the book. Watch the skies for details as we get closer to the date.

2015 Publication List
January 6, 2015: Carousel Seas, Sharon Lee (audiobook and ebook editions concurrent)
June 2, 2015: Dragon in Exile, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (audiobook and ebook editions concurrent)
August 4, 2015: Liaden Universe(R) Constellation, Volume 3

Where in the World are Lee and Miller?
PHILCON 2014: November 21-23, Cherry Hill, NJ. http://2014.philcon.org/
BOSKONE 52: February 13-15, 2015, Boston MA. http://www.nesfa.org/boskone/
SASQUAN, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention, August 19-23, 2015, Spokane WA. http://sasquan.org/

Blogs and Other Webly Things of Note
Theo_Waitley is the discussion group for readers of Fledgling and Saltation: http://community.livejournal.com/theo_waitley/
Where Dragons Rest: http://community.livejournal.com/liaden_readers/
Steve Miller’s blog, Journeyman: http://kinzel.livejournal.com/
Sharon Lee’s blog, Eagles over the Kennebec: http://rolanni.livejournal.com/
Sharon Lee’s “Professional” blog: http://sharonleewriter.com
Splinter Universe Discussion List: http://splinterverse.livejournal.com

*Facebook Connections — please feel free to add us!*
http://facebook.com/kinzel — Steve Miller
http://facebook.com/rolanni — Sharon Lee

Pinbeam Books: http://www.pinbeambooks.com an online catalog, with vendor links, to all Lee-and-Miller eChapbooks
Splinter Universe: http://www.splinteruniverse.com features outtakes, splinters, and oddities from the Lee&Miller writing career, currently changes irregularly.
Welcome to Liad — The official homepage for Liaden Universe® news — http://www.korval.com
The Hyperspatial Boardwalk Shop: T-shirts, mugs, more! — http://www.cafepress.com/hyperspatial

Liaden Interest Groups on Facebook
Clan Korval: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38719490864&ref=ts
Friends of Liad: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=16280839259&ref=ts
Flaran chamenthi: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=2213414696&ref=ts

Twitter
Steve’s on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bechimo
Sharon’s on Twitter, too: http://twitter.com/ClanKorval
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rolanni/Disclaimer Stuff
This InfoDump is a product of the Liaden Universe®, accept no imitations. You have received this message because you asked for it. If you wish to subscribe to the Liaden Universe® email list, to unsubscribe from the Liaden Universe® email list, or to *change* your delivery email address, go here: http://www.fireopal.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/liadenuniversenews

Monday cat spam

This is what happens after writers turn in their book and before their brains grow back.

Cat spam!

A kind friend sent me a Quillow for a birthday present. If you, like me, were heretofore ignorant of Quillows, they’re quilts with an integral pocket that you can fold the quilt up into, creating — a pillow! Mine was on the couch yesterday when I retired there from dozing on the porch. I started in to reading, but got cold. The Quillow was right there, so I unfolded it and snuggled in.

When Steve called me for dinner, I left the quilt where it was, because Sprite had joined me and was still dozing. And I forgot to put it away before I went to bed. No worries, though; it’s still getting plenty of use:

The sunspot and the Quillow, with coon cats.

Meantime, Mozart was enjoying his fleece-y blanket on top of the file cabinet in my room, with plenty of reading matter to paw.