Blog Without A Name

Quick reminders, with teddy bear and coon cats

I’m back from the dentist, where Minou the fur-coat-bear* was a Big Hit.  I did not take the Valium before the appointment, though I had it with me, In Case.  As it turned out, I didn’t need it; the appointment was Very Brief — a matter of grinding down about four teeth and polishing everything to a high shine.  The recommended braces being out of the question, this ends the current Dental Adventure.  I do need to see the hygienist again in another three months, but I expect to have positive news, then.

So that.

Reminders:

1.  There’s a new Liaden story up at Splinter Universe, the title is “Roving Gambler,” and it’s set on Surebleak.  Here’s your link.

2.  An oldie-but-goodie.  The following is a reprint of a post made in this blog in November of 2013.  We have not changed our minds.

Don’t write and post fan fiction of our work.

The following is Lee and Miller specific, and it has been our stance for more than a decade.  It’s not new, and it’s not a secret.  Other writers have other stances and opinions.  When in doubt — ask.

I know it’s a popular belief among many of the fan-fiction community that fan fiction does not hurt the parent work, that it provides much-needed publicity to the parent work, that it does not infringe the copyright or trademark of the parent work, and that the authors of the parent work can’t stop it, anyway.

Three of these four beliefs are just that — beliefs.  They can no more be proven than can our belief that fan fiction materially harms the parent work — especially a parent work which is still evolving — provides no useful publicity, and does, indeed, infringe on the copyright and the trademark of the parent work.  Note that we are talking about our own works here — see disclaimer, above.

To the fourth point, that authors are powerless to prevent fan fiction authors from ficcing whatever they want to — that’s perfectly true.  Common courtesy would seem to dictate that the wishes of the author of the parent work be respected, however.  So, we would ask for common courtesy.

3.  For those who have friends that they need to addict to the Liaden Universe®, the ebook editions of Agent of Change and Fledgling are available as free! downloads from All of the Usual Suspects.  I think you know what to do.

. . .and that’s it.  I would like to point out that I have three coon cats in my office as I type this, all of them projecting Professional Level Sleep Rays.  And that my writing goal on the day is at least 2,000 words.

Right, then.  More coffee.

See y’all later.

———–
*Minou is actually constructed from an old fur coat.  There was a woman in Winslow who was making fur-coat-bears and selling them through Back Door to the Moon, the local Pagan shop.  BDttM is long gone, and I don’t know what outlet, if any, there now is for fur-coat-bears.  Minou was a Yule gift to me from Steve.

In which we go adventuring

Check me on this:  Today is April 16, yes?

Yes.

Well, on the overnight — that would be the night of April 15 — it snowed, and when I awoke this morning at Ohghod o’clock, necessary because of those appointments and errands we had discussed in this space yesterday, there was three inches of fresh snow between me and my car — and also, of course on the car.

But, wait, there’s more!

It had rained like a sonofagun all day yesterday, which meant that there was a nice coating of ice beneath the snow.

So, I made it to my early medical appointments on time, by leaving very early, even by my standards.  By the time I was in town proper, the roads were in pretty good shape — slushy, but doable — but out in our neck of the woods, things were still a little dicey when I left, even though the town plow had been through.

The medical stuff went along pretty quickly.  I did have a little bit of downtime in the waiting room, where I wrote 68 words in longhand, which points up an existing scene and makes it more poignant (yes, you WILL cry).  This was, may I just add, My Entire Writing Output for the Day.

That taken care of, I motored over to Selah Tea for a long-delayed breakfast and coffee!  Veggie frittata FTW!  After that, I walked down to gym, then ’round the corner to Universal Bread Bakers, to take on a loaf of whole wheat bread, still hot.  (“If it survives the day,” says Adrian the baker, “just put it in a plastic bag.  It will stay fresh.”  Yes, well.  It may survive the day. . .)

Next stop was the Framemakers, where I arrived amid scaffoldings and glaziers.  It would seem that last night after the bars had closed, someone decided to karate-kick the plate glass windows at the front of the store (where artworks and pottery are often on display), connected, and shattered the whole — including the rounded corner of antique glass that, as it was discovered later, cannot be replaced, because no one in Maine does that kind of work anymore.  The slightly good news is that the gentleman was caught by the police, and conducted to jail, where he’s reportedly charged with a felony, because — antique, irreplaceable glass.

I left the cover art for Carousel Seas in Amy’s capable hands for framing, and hope soon to have it on my wall with the cover art for its sister books.

After that, it was just cleaning up the minor errands, and I was home in time to have a late-ish lunch of soup and salad and — still warm! — bread with Steve.

Tomorrow, Minou the fur coat bear and I assay the dentist for what one devoutly hopes is the last in a series.  Then, I really need to get some writing done.

So!  What’ve you been doing on this beautiful spring day?

 

Whenever I meet with a deck of cards, I lay my money down

“Roving Gambler,” a Liaden Universe® story set on Surebleak, is now up at Splinter Universe, for your reading pleasure.  Here’s your link.

Today was supposed to be a sit-on-the-couch-and-push-words-through-the-laptop sort of day, since tomorrow is so crammed with medical appointments and Other Stuff that I’m not going to have time read, much less write.

I must remember not to say these things when the gods might hear.  No sooner had I opened the laptop then I was beset by a Plague of Technology, mostly brought on by the bevy of passwords I changed the other day, some of which did not migrate to the laptop, while some…did.  No, I don’t even care why that was so at this point in the game.  Then there was the tiny fact that ESET was going to expire tomorrow, so I had a little bit of fun dealing with that.  And then the cover art for Carousel Seas arrived from the artist, Eric Williams, which — yay!  And now I can add, “Go to Framemakers” to my still-growing list of Things To Do Tomorrow.  At this rate, by the time I finish Wednesday’s business, it’ll be Thursday.

Or possibly Friday.

So, the plan now is to go back to the couch and work on the chapter regarding Chesselport and What Befell The Apprentice Trader There, and remember not to work too late, because I have to get up at omyghod o’clock tomorrow morning in order to make the first medical appointment.

But!  Before I go, have a picture of some cats, sleeping.

Group Nap Sprite and Trooper Photo by Sharon Lee
Group Nap
Sprite and Trooper
Photo by Sharon Lee

The title of today’s blog post AND the title of the short story are from “Roving Gambler.”  For those who don’t know it, here’s a link to the song.

Books read in 2014

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

Books read in 2014

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

Books read in 2014

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

Essay Question

I’ve got a lot to do today, and I thought maybe you’d like something to do, too!

So, here you are — an essay question.

Who is your favorite character in the Carousel books so far — and why?

Remember to insert spoiler space, if you need to discuss specific scenes from the books.

See y’all on the flip side.

 

I do not think that word means what you think it means

So had follow-up at dentist, which was, according to him, a “consultation.”  To me, “consultation” means sitting ’round a table and drawing up a Treatment Plan, or figuring out which things are priorities and which are pie in the sky.  “You will not,” the dentist said to me — the last thing he said to me, at the end of our last appointment — “need to take the sedative.”

So, I didn’t take the sedative, and I didn’t bring the bear.  BIG mistake, there.  I’m gonna start making it Policy to just bring the damn’ bear.  She can sit in a chair next to me and play with the pens if it turns out we’re in a meeting.  Because! It comes to pass that the dentist’s idea of “consultation” is, You sit in the dental chair; I show you the model of your mouth and what the problem is.  I tell you what I’m going to do about it.  Then, I do it, right now.

On top of this, the Tooth of Doom (which always hurts, a little, no matter that I’ve given it two root canals and a pretty porcelain cap) blew up on me yesterday, which I noticed when I took my first sip of coffee and the pain sent me Right. Through. The. Ceiling.

Informed of this circumstance, the dentist decided to knock around on the teeth on either side of the Tooth of Doom, to see if anything else was compromised.  I can see where this is going to end up — I mean, I’m not an idiot — and I carefully tuck my hands under my thighs so I don’t hurt anybody.

Knock Tooth One.  “Does this hurt?” Headshake.

Knock Tooth Two.  “Does this hurt?” Headshake.

Knock Tooth Three.  “Does this hurt?” Headshake.

Knock Tooth Four — I’d grabbed his wrist before I even knew I was moving.

“OK, then!  This one.”

Sigh.

Anyhow, we got through the consultation with everybody still standing, and no one bloodied.  He filed down some of my upper teeth (“The bottom teeth, I will not touch this time.  I promise.”) so they’ll fit better with the bottom teeth, and recommended braces.  We made another appointment, for a consultation, in two weeks, and I’m here to tell you right now that I’m not only taking the bear; I’m taking the sedative, too.

The plan for the rest of the afternoon was to see Winter Soldier, but I already used up a week’s supply of adrenaline.  I think maybe a nap is in order.

 

In which the author looks for guidance in goofing off some more

I’ve been seeing a lot of squee about Winter Soldier, and! it so happens that I still have two matinee admissions left on my Flagship Cinema gift card.  I’m drawn to the squee, but. . .not Cap’s biggest fan here, so I’m torn.  Have you seen Winter Soldier?  What did you like about it (as reasonably as you can without spoilers)?  Do you think there’s enough Other Stuff/Characters to carry the movie for someone who’s lukewarm (at best) on Captain America?

In other, completely unrelated news, the blurb for Carousel Seas is now up at Amazon — here’s the link — from which we learn, among other things, that Carousel Sun is/was a National Bestseller, according, I’m thinking, to Bookscan.  Which is nice to know.

In that same vein, and for those who did not read it elsewhere, Liaden Universe® Constellation Volume 2 appeared in the Locus Bestseller List for Trade Paperbacks reported in the April issue, at Number Two, just behind Fahrenheit 451.

Thank you all, because we surely couldn’t have achieved either of those list without you.

Here at the Cat Farm, it’s warm again, and sunny, but we’re not going to the ocean.  I’ve done the dishes, and groomed the cats, and other Sunday chore sorts of things and in a couple minutes, I’ll be turning off the intertubes and getting down to work.

Hope y’all are having an enjoyable weekend.