47. Midnight Riot (aka The Rivers of London), Ben Aaronovitch
46. Hounded, Kevin Hearne (e)
45. Saratoga Trunk, Edna Ferber (read aloud to Steve)
44. Death at Wentwater Court, Carola Dunn
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
Blog Without A Name
In which we have conquered Monday and are moving on to Tuesday
So, today.
Appointments were kept, groceries were taken on, wreathes also; vegetables were chopped and put into the freezer; cats were beguiled with the flying mouse; bills were paid, and banking was done.
Had a dash of Incredible Luck at the grocery store’s book bin. Somebody had thrown in six brand-new Peter Wimsey novels (Clouds of Witnesses, Unnatural Death, the Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Strong Poison, Five Red Herrings, Gaudy Night, for those keeping score at home), which I snatched up for a buck-a-book donation. These will replace the Wimsey books winnowed from Baltimore-area used bookstores back in the mid-and-late-1980s, which are pretty much falling apart. In fact, I believe that one title — Have His Carcasse — may have already met that fate, falling apart in a time where Sayers was out of print.
Now, of course, I have a Problem Before Me. Do I buy brand-new replacement copies of the other books in the set (and replace …Carcasse)? Or is that just too. . .too?
First World Problems.
In other news, we receive advance word that OVO will be at the Bangor Cross Center June 2-5, 2016. I was rushing off to buy tickets when Steve mentioned that we not be home from BaltiCon yet. Right. Next year, we have some traveling inked in. Must remember that.
No words today, what with one thing and another thing. Tomorrow, I have an early appointment with the HR Nurse for the hospital, and possibly a visit to the vampyres, after which I have nothing but writing on the calendar for the rest of the week.
Hope everyone has had a pleasant beginning to the week.
Writer at work, with attendant muses:
So you want to be a writer
This morning I write to you replete with a breakfast of Steve’s wonderful French toast dressed with dark maple syrup, a side of bacon, and several cups of coffee. On the schedule today is finishing the laundry, changing the bedclothes, and, of course, working on The Gathering Edge. Steve and I were brainstorming some ideas last night, and over breakfast, and we’ve got direction and energy. I have a couple of scenes to write and braid in early on the backbone, so that’s what I’ll be concentrating on today. Steve, who was lead writer on the story we handed in last week, is now coming back to the book and will be building us some more backbone.
Sounds like we know what we’re doing, doesn’t it?
Honestly, in broad measure, we do know what we’re doing, having done it so often. On the other hand, there is the truism — every book is different. Every book is different, even books written in a long series, or set within a created universe, or books with continuing characters. After all, if the author’s doing it right, the characters will be growing, the universe will be evolving, and the author will be bringing their own new experiences, growth, and insights to the work.
Which brings me to yesterday’s tweet from James S.A. Corey: Series writers: Be aware that some people will be angry you aren’t writing the same book over and over again. Ignore them.
. . .which both reflects my experience and is sound advice. I’ll add that series writers also need to learn to ignore the people who perhaps have not read their work, but see many novels written in the same universe, and therefore know that the author is simply writing the same book over and over and over again, and are therefore dismissible as artists and, occasionally, as human beings.
Which brings me to my next link in this Sunday Salad: an article in the New York Review of Books by Tim Parks, in which he makes the argument that the only writers who can afford to experiment with, or grow, their art are those who are already known to be important/bestsellers (there’s a reason for that slash, there — read the article). Midlist folks, argues Parks, are required by the field to play it safe, and produce the same old, same old, because one mistake — one “failed” book — can mean the end of a career, whereas the guys at the top get unlimited Get Out of Jail Free cards. Here’s your link.
To an extent, I disagree with Parks’ argument; I think that the act of writing is a risk of itself. However, I do realize that, for career novelists, putting food on the table means that the book has got to earn out, and that the next one is under contract — which produces some constraints.
OTOH, we’ve been writing in a universe of our own devising for darn near 30 years, and taken what risks we wished. We’re certainly not at the top of the Literary Ladder, but it may be that our continued ability to write what we want stems from the fact that we found our audience, that it is sufficiently large to give us a buffer against the necessity to always write it safe. Or, yanno, our imaginations could be so limited that even our daring stuff is considered the same old, same old.
Lastly — a local film critic and commentator has recently published his first book, and he describes his experience here.
. . .and that’s what I’ve got today, if I’m going to do the laundry, and write those pages.
Somebody please remind me that I need to do a post about my advice for growing one’s audience in This Digital Age, if I don’t get to it in the next day or two.
I hope everybody has a pleasant and relaxing Sunday.
I think Sprite’s outgrowing her basket:
I get no kick from champagne; mere alcohol doesn’t thrill me at all
Well, let’s see. . .
Back is more or less functional, and mostly pain-free. Bending over is still a small challenge. We’re working on it.
This morning, I went to the local hospital for an interview with the volunteer coordinator. I dressed in my Very Best Mundane Clothes (as distinct from Sci-Fi Dress-Up, Con Clothes, and the jeans-and-(t)shirts that are my usual day/work wear). I have no photo, but I wore my Very Best Pair of Jeans, trouser-cut, deep, dark indigo; my favorite Mundane top, which is black jersey with a self-tie; my wheat-colored sports jacket of many pockets; and a pair of black, chunky heeled half-boots. My hair, recall, is that nice blue-purple that I like. I thought I looked respectful and professional, though I considered it possible that I might get dinged for the hair, and off I went.
Arrived at the hospital in good time and presented myself at the Information Desk which was today manned by a single volunteer (Abby the Service Dog and her owner were also behind the desk, signing in for their duty shift), who greeted me with great good cheer: “Good morning, sir — ma’am! — what can I do for you today?”
Seems I still give off the “what gender is this person” vibe. Or maybe it was the jacket — men’s jacket, you know, because pockets! also? Fits beautifully through the shoulders.
Anyhow, I gave him my name, and told him I had an appointment with the volunteer coordinator, for which I was slightly early, and he went off to let her know I was arrived. I got to talk to Abby and her owner, receiving thereby a thorough dose of Vitamin Dog, and then I sat down and read a couple pages of my book before the coordinator came out to fetch me to her office.
The hair passed without comment, but the blue jeans? Did not. The hospital has a dress code and blue jeans — even nice blue jeans that have stood before audiences of hundreds — are Right Out. This was mentioned more than once during the interview, which was pleasant (even the no-jeans prohibition was presented pleasantly), and I have an appointment next week with the HR Nurse, who is expected to cut orders for me to have a hospital-mandated and paid-for blood test, to make sure I’ve been vaccinated for various illnesses, and that I don’t have TB.
If I prove to be alive and healthy enough, then they’ll do the checking of references and a Background Check, to make sure I’m not a serial killer, and! if I’m not a serial killer, than I can attend the New Volunteers Orientation in January, and start being trained for my duties.
I did ask that I not be put into a clerical position. Part of the point of this for me is to do something other than sit in a chair and type. There seem to be a variety of tasks that I might be assigned to do, which are not sitting and typing, so — win.
Needing to buy new clothes so I can volunteer may prove to be something of a problem, though I hope not a deal-breaker, given the imminence of after-Potlatch sales. Because I’m so tall, I can’t just wander into Goodwill and pick up a couple pair of good used khakis, like I can a sports jacket of many pockets.
So, that’s what’s happening here in the vicinity of the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. The weekend has writing inked in, which I’ll be getting to, directly after lunch.
What’re you doing this weekend that’s fun?
* * *
Today’s blog post brought to you by Cole Porter, “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Here’s your link.
If you don’t like that one, here’s another link.
And! for the Facebook peeps, a picture of Belle sleeping with the manuscript:
In which anything can happen, and what’s happening is rain
So, I screwed up my back at the end of last week, which meant Saturday was spent in the Comfy Chair, heating pad unleashed, and aspirin bottle to hand.
Sadly, this therapy was found to be insufficient, so on Sunday, I hit the hard stuff.
Which mostly worked. We’re at about two-thirds efficiency at the moment, where bending over to pick things up from the bottom shelf of the fridge is Right Out, stretching to get something off the top shelf is OK, and running with a constant low ache, that’s both distracting and infuriating.
Having spent so many hours in it lately, I report with sadness that the Comfy Chair is noticeably Less Comfy than previously, which, considering that we purchased the Comfy Chair (formerly “Archie’s Chair”) when we moved to Skowhegan, in 1988, oughtn’t be a surprise. Need to get our acts in gear and come up with a new sofa and a new Comfy Chair.
Yesterday, Steve and I went forth into the day, to shop for groceries, and a new heating pad. In the early evening, after putting the groceries away, and lunch at home, and realizing that we had actually failed to buy a new heating pad, we wound up in Augusta, at Barnes and Noble, where I snagged a copy of Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch, and we signed stock. The store was insanely crowded, what with hosting both a signing by Travis Mills *and* an elementary school book fair. I also nailed a new lapdesk (see Comfy Chair, above), so, in all, it was a pretty successful outing, even with the crowds.
And — bonus! — we remembered the heating pad, on the second outing.
Let’s see, what else?
The Yule cards are all addressed and stamped and ready to go out into the world.
Oh! I got a phone call today from the Volunteer Coordinator at the local hospital, about my application to volunteer. Interview set for Friday morning. I do believe that this is the first time I will go to a job interview with purple hair. It will, perhaps, be Interesting.
In other news, this morning I printed out All the Threads of The Gathering Edge, so that we may refer to them during the upcoming Planning Sessions. The manuscript currently stands at 56,103 words, which we’re calling half-a-book.
On Monday evening, we turned in our story, presently titled, “Shame the Devil,” to the Alien Artifact anthology. For those keeping score, “Devil” is the 70th Lee-and-Miller collaboration.
. . .I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print at the moment. I do have one short scene to write, and then I’m going to retire once more to the Comfy Chair and the heating pad, and read a chapter or two of Midnight Riot.
Hope y’all are having a good week.
And, for the FB peeps: Princess Sprite is bored.
Mail call
Hey, look what came in today’s mail!
The table of contents includes:
Tanith Lee
Mary Gentle
Carrie Vaughn
Ken Liu
Theodora Goss
Yoon Ha Lee
Tanya Huff
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Elizabeth Moon
Aliette de Bodard
. . .and others too numerous to list; 24 stories in all!
Now on sale (she mentions) at a bookseller near you.
Books read in 2015
46. Hounded, Kevin Hearne (e)
45. Saratoga Trunk, Edna Ferber (read aloud to Steve)
44. Death at Wentwater Court, Carola Dunn
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
Big Audiobook sale!
So! Audible lets us know in this morning’s mail that it’s conducting a Black Friday sale, which is starts right now and ends Wednesday, December 2, at 11:59 PM ET. Many, many, many audiobooks in Every Genre On Earth will be on sale for $4.95 — among them, lest we forget FLEDGLING by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller — and?
You do not have to be an Audible customer to take advantage of this sale.
Books read in 2015
45. Saratoga Trunk, Edna Ferber (read aloud to Steve)
44. Death at Wentwater Court, Carola Dunn
43. Silver on the Road, Laura Anne Gilman
42. Lessons in French, Laura Kinsale (e)
41. Evil Genius, Patricia Rice (e)
40. A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read aloud w/Steve)
39. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg
38. The Chocolate Thief, Laura Florand
37. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
36. The Paper Doll Museum, Abigail Padgett (e)
35. The Princess Bride, William Goldman (re-re-read; and–it’s official–I definitely prefer the movie)
34. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison
33. Cooking the Books, Kerry Greenwood (e)
32. Forbidden Fruit, Kerry Greenwood (e)
31. Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear
30. Trick or Treat, Kerry Greenwood (e)
29. The Golden Hawk, Frank Yerby (reread; six pages fell out at various spots during this reading; it was reread many times, when I was 14)
28. The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin
27. The Boy from the Burren, Sheila Gilluly (e)
26. Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs (e)
25. Girl Genius: The Beast of the Rails, Kaja and Phil Foglio
24. A Bollywood Affair, Sonali Dev
23. Who Buries the Dead, C.S. Harris
22. Killer Instinct, Zoe Sharpe (e)
21. Devil’s Food, Kerry Greenwood (e)
20. The Making of a Marchioness, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
19. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett (e)
18. Geekomancy, Michael R. Underwood (e)
17. The Perfect Rake, Anne Gracie
16. The Martian, Andy Weir
15. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
14. Tracker, C.J. Cherryh (read out loud with Steve)
13. Chanur’s Legacy, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
12. Chanur’s Homecoming, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
11. The Kif Strike Back, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
10. Why Kings Confess, C.S. Harris
9. Chanur’s Venture, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve) (Note: the publisher’s note at the end of the book states that the next-in-series is Chanur’s Revenge. This is false. The next-in-series is The Kif Strike Back.)
8. Angels’ Blood, Nalini Singh (read out loud with Steve)
7. The Pride of Chanur, C.J. Cherryh (re-read, read out loud with Steve)
6. What Darkness Brings, C.S. Harris
5. When Maidens Mourn, C.S. Harris
4. Where Shadows Dance, C.S. Harris
3. What Remains of Heaven, C.S. Harris
2. Where Serpents Sleep, C.S. Harris
1. When Gods Die, C.S. Harris
Small town life, pre-Thanksgiving Day, US 2015
Today! Back to town to pick up our pre-cooked turkey breast and fixins for tomorrow’s feast, from the Deli Section. One of the things I do like about having lived in the same small town for more than 20 years, is this: The deli manager saw me shopping early last week, and made a point to come over and ask if Steve and I would be wanting Thanksgiving dinner this year, “like always.”
We also recently had an incident where we had just come into the Bank Two in order to do Normal Business. The Head Teller waved us over to her station.
Turns out Bank Two had received a notice from Bank One that Check A had bounced. “Well!” said the Head Teller, “I know you guys never bounce checks, so I called them up and got that straightened out. It was an error on their end; your account is perfectly fine.”
Yesterday, we got news of more dental work in Steve’s future, details to be received after the upcoming holiday. Hard to believe that the Initial Journey there was more than ten years ago. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Or something.
What else?
Oh, The Gathering Edge will probably break 55,000 words today. At some point, we’re going to have to braid all of this together, but the time is not yet. The backbone needs to be longer; right now it’s only as long as the sum of the other five threads (of which one may be sacrificed to the Gods of Plot and be used in The Next Book (aka Fourth of Five) — we shall see).
I think that’s all I’ve got.
I hope everyone who celebrates has a fine Thanksgiving, full of friends, food, and fun.
Here, have a picture of Princess Sprite’s victory sleep over her string:
