Blog Without A Name

Steve’s Progress Report from Renovation, the 69th World Science Fiction Convention (August 17-21 in Reno, Nevada), arrived the other day.  I was idly flipping its pages this morning and realized that — O, the Excitement! —  The Hugo Nominating Period is now open!

Which means that I get to remind you — that’s “you” who either attended the 2010 Worldcon in Melbourne or are an attending/supporting member of the Reno Worldcon — to nominate.  You will need your membership number and/or a convention-supplied PIN in order to play.  Here’s your link

In conjunction with the arrival of the nomination period, I also get to remind you that Lee and Miller have two novels eligible for the 2010 Hugo (given at the 2011 World Convention):  Saltation, and Mouse and Dragon.  In addition, Sharon Lee has one novel eligible for nomination:  Carousel Tides.

Nomination period closes on March 26, 2011, at 23:59 PDT.

And! — while I’m here in the land of Commercial Breakness — those of you who are SFWA members, please take a few moments to reflect on your reading over 2010 and nominate those works of SF/F that knocked your socks off for the Nebula Awards.  And, yes, the Lee and Miller/Lee novels listed above are also in the eligibility pool there.

And that’s it for the commercial break.  Thank you for your patience.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Another quiet day here at the Cat Farm. I am somewhat astonished to find that I’ve written 12,256 words during my little break from work. A little better than 1,300 words a day, on average. It’s true what they say: Forbidden fruit isthe sweetest.

While I was looking at various milestones and calendars today, as records were shifted here and there in preparation for filling out the accountant’s forms, I noticed that between 2000 and 2006, we published eight original novels, three of which had been written and were sitting in a box, waiting for a publisher.

Between 2007 and 2010, we/I published six original novels, only one of which was already written.

Between late 2010 and mid-2012, we’ll write three original novels.

Is it just me or is the pace picking up around here?

Hope everyone had a lovely first day of the new year.

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
24,078 words/100,000 OR 24.08% complete

“My son,” she said now. “I am pleased to see you.”

Pleased. He relaxed somewhat.

“Did you not,” his mother said, then, “expect me to be pleased?”

Syl Vor met her eyes. “I had thought — surprised, ma’am.”

My grandfather used to say that you should end the old year as you wanted to continue in the new year.

That being so, we’ve spent the day writing, here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. In a little while, I’ll start heating the oven, and Steve and I will have a glass or two of Sangria with our pizza. Maybe watch a movie.

And tomorrow, we’ll write some more.

I hope that the new year brings us all many days of doing what we most want to do in the company of those we love best.

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
22,152 words/100,000 OR 22.15% complete

Veeno gave him a nod. “Little kid in the waitin’ room. Looks like a cookie’d cheer ‘im up.”

As advertised elsewhere, Steve and I knocked off early last night and watched The Music Man. It turned into a two-part viewing when the portable-back-up DVD player pitched a fit and stopped working immediately following Harold leaving the library after bedeviling Marian. We brought the disk back to my office and watched the last half on my computer. Handy things, computers.

Who can explain this Netflix over-the-web delivery system to me? I need special equipment for the television, right; if I want to watch movies with my husband couch in the living room? Any guesses how that whole thing is going to play out, now that Netflix has committed to phasing out DVDs, given the sell-out of net neutrality by the FCC?

Absent burning questions of bread and circuses, today was About the Chores. I finished pushing the last of the snow that I could move off the deck — the rest is remanded to solar power. I washed dishes, dusted, did almost all the laundry, took care of the cat boxes and did some work on George.

Steve made French toast for breakfast and salmon cakes for supper. Hmm. I wonder what’s for lunch.

I note, in the spirit of sharing the joy, that the income tax papers from our accountant have arrived. Sigh.

Tomorrow, sadly, is Thursday. Only four more days of winter break left. *wonders where she put the time turner*

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
20,008 words/100,000 OR 20.01% complete

“I have to see my mother,” Syl Vor said sternly. “On a matter of importance to us both.”

Amazon.com is apparently shipping The Agent Gambit a little ahead of its January 4 release date.  Amazon is also now receiving reader reviews.

On the subject of reviews, if you have read Carousel Tides or Mouse and Dragon (or any of the books that came out in 2010, actually), please consider sharing your reactions with other readers on Amazon, BN, Goodreads, or the social reading site of your preference.

I thought I had done this, but can’t find the entry, so!  Better twice than never, as the saying goes.

Publication list for Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, 2011

January 4, 2011:  The Agent Gambit

February 2, 2011: Skyblaze

May 3, 2011:  Korval’s Game  and Longeye

July 5, 2011:  Saltation

August 1, 2011:  Short story TBA

August 2, 2011:  Ghost Ship

September 6, 2011:  The Crystal Variation

Snow relocation continues.  Thank ghod the plow-guy takes care of the driveway, and all I have to worry about is the deck, the steps and maintaining a path through the hills of snow from the bottom step.

In between the above activity and some convoluted errands in town, only a little work on George.

Going to go watch The Music Man, now.

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
18,474 words/100,000 OR 18.47% complete

It would seem from this that he had been a man alone — which was not, as Kezzi knew — a strange thing, in the World Above, though it seemed strange, indeed, to the Bedel, who were like the petals on a single flower.

I don’t think I really want to know how many pounds of snow I shoveled today.  Suffice to say that I am a Tired Woman.

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
17,677 words/100,000 OR 17.68% complete

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I have — if you please, Grand-aunt — a question of protocol.”

“A pressing question of protocol, I apprehend. Very well, child; you have my attention. Stand forth and ask.”

Today’s attempt at filing revealed that there was too much paper to fit into the Current Year file drawer, so I went downstairs and rustled up a Banker’s Box, pulled the soon-to-be-old-year files, and put them in the box, then recycled a bunch of old folders for 2011 files. Industry, of a sort.

In anticipation of the storm yet to hit, Steve and I have charged our various implements of destruction, those including Haysus the Asus; the Leewit; and both cellphones. We are, I believe, As Ready as We’re Gonna Be™.

In between doing the filing and taking a nap (waiting for snowpocalypse is hard!), I wrote a couple words.

And now I’m going to go find a glass of wine and a sammich.

G’night.

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
16,671 words/100,000 OR 16.67% complete

The three streeters were sadly familiar — Hank Regis, with his right hand in a splint; Mort Almonte, with his nose at a funny angle; and Danny Bell, swearing and sweating while the tech took stitches up a long, deep cut in his arm. By rights, there should’ve been two more, but maybe Parfil and Dwight had got lucky.

Quiet day here at the Cat Farm, segueing into a quiet evening.

Party animals that they are, the Weatherbeans have called a Blizzard Watch from Sunday evening through Monday afternoon with projected accumulations of 12 inches or more.  This would actually be Perfectly Fine by me, though I forgot to buy cocoa during any of our numerous recent trips to the grocery store.  Unfortunately, we  have someplace to be Monday, mid-morning.  On the gripping hand, if there’s 12 inches of snow between everyone in Central Maine and the ground, I’m guessing they’ll reschedule.

I hope everyone had a pleasant and relaxing Saturday of whichever flavor you like, and that you remembered to tell someone you love how much they mean to you.

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
14,562 words/100,000 OR 14.56% complete

“Your pardon, luthia,” Vylet gasped. “The gadje has a number of breaths left in him. Udari thinks — eight.”

Progress on The Book Presently Known as George:
13,459 words/100,000 OR 13.46% complete

Had there been time, he would of course have arranged matters differently.